D'Molls
D'Molls are often an underrated glam band that broke the rules of radio friendly pop rock and defined the term "sleaze rock" in the blink of an eye. Chicago, Illinois was where group's founder, Billy Dior (drums, who had played with C.C. DeVille in Screamin' Mimi's, which wrote the original version of what later resurfaced as Poison's career-breaking single, "Talk Dirty To Me"), Lizzy Valentine (bass/guitar/piano/vocals), Desi Rexx (vocals/guitar), and S.S. Priest (guitar) formed The Chicago Molls, which Dior quickly morph into the D'Molls.
In 1985, the group, intent on securing a recording contract, relocated to Los Angeles. Within 2 weeks of arriving in Hollywood, D'Molls inked a major recording contract with Atlantic Records and began work on their debut album. While the video for the single, "777," received substantial rotation on MTV, the album, a #2 import in England, failed to chart in the States. The record has been criticized for its feeble studio production that severely failed to capture the band's heavy driving, big bottomed, live sound and raw attack. Despite the album's gutless production, the band still toured the continental US, with Warrant as their support act. While playing in New York City, Atlantic's chairman/founder, Ahmet Ertegun, attended their show and was greatly moved by the band's live performance. He insisted that they immediately stop touring and get back in the studio to make a "real record."
Disagreements in the group over producers lead to tension, and matters didn't better over the their choice in personal management, proof in their brief relationship with David Lee Roth's managers, Pete Angelus and Pat Whitley, whom the group ultimately fired due to managements inability to grasp the vision/concept of what D'Molls was about.
D'Molls second lp, Warped was the record that finally captured the energetic strength vibe for which the band's sold out shows were notoriously built upon.
The band disbanded shortly after the release of D’Molls second Atlantic album,“Warped”. Upon disbanding, Desi would tour Europe as guitarist for D’Molls former manager/Van Halen vocalist, David Lee Roth and also recorded soundtrack songs for the hit movie “Wayne’s World”. Priest returned to his former band, Diamond Rexx, and Dior started writing novels under his real name, Billy McCarthy. His debut novel, The Devil of Shakespeare, was a Borders books bestseller in the summer of 2004. Valentine, while moonlighting as a producer/songwriter, earned a bachelor's degree in Communication/Film from UCLA, followed by a Law Degree from Loyola Marymount Law School.
In early 2007, Desi & Priest re-united for a sold-out performance on the Hollywood Sunset Strip where they would record and film eight songs for their new live CD titled “Double Platinum”, which has been released on Retrospect Records. Now backed by drummer, Trent Andersen, and bassists, Tristan Graves and Matt Fuller, Desi & Priest of D'Molls are currently on tour and are releasing an album of all new material sometime in early 2010.
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