SHAMELESS HISTORY


   Alexx Michael, songwriter and bassplayer from munich, germany had for several years the Vision of "the ultimate rock´n roll band". Beeing influenced by kiss, since he was 7 years ,he started to play guitar at the age of 15. Later he switched from guitar to bass.

   By april of 1989, he formed the original version of Shameless. They were one of the best drawing bands in munich, selling out a 500 person rock club on their first show ever. Because of the departure of the vocalist, the band broke up by the end of 1991.After that, Alexx tried to play with a couple of other bands, but none of them appealed to him. He kept writing songs and by the summer of 1998, Eric Singer helped him to get in touch with the right people to make the first album happen. Steve Summers and Stevie Rachelle where always Alexx`s favourite singers and they also would be the perfect voices for "shameless". Eddie Robison would be the final vocalist to round out the sound Alexx invisioned. Besides Eric Singer, Alexx was able to get Robert Sweet, Brian Tichy and Eric Skodis s to play drums on Backstreet Anthems. Alexx asked his longtime friend and ex-bandmate B.C. to fly with him to Los Angeles to play guitar on the first Shameless CD. They recorded and mixed 10 songs with producer Gilby Clarke in Studio City, CA. Backstreet Anthems was released thru “Red Skunk Records” in may 1999.

   The CD was received with open arms by fans and press. The coverversion of the KISS Classic “Flaming Youth was also released on the german KISS Tribute “KISS Deutschland”. Even a lot of record companies where interested in the CD, but they all had different ideas than Alexx had.

   During the summer of 1999, Alexx started to write new songs for the next Shameless CD. B.C. and him started to rehearse the songs by january 2000. This time Alexx wanted to record some of the songs at Keri Kelli´s studio,who was also a member of Pretty Boy Floyd before he joined RATT.

   In march 2000 SHAMELESS recorded the new CD "Queen 4 A Day". This time  13 songs where recorded including an all acoustic coverversion of “tomorrow” by KISS for a KISS Tribute called “KAOL 2 – Creatures Of The Net”. Gene Simmons called Stevie Rachelle during the recordings and told him, that Shameless could record a song that he co-wrote together with Tommy Thayer. Also Jani Lane from Warrant came by, to sing back-ups on “Far Away” and “Lonely Nite in Paradise”. All the songs with Steve Summers on vocals where recorded in Keri Kelli´s studio in Orange County while the remaining recordings took again place in the legendary Gilby Clarke studios.

  Because of his  tour with Warrant, Keri was not able to mix the songs before the end of may. By the end of june, MTM Music offered Alexx to release “Queen 4 A Day” all over Europe.  

  Right before the release of “Queen 4 A Day” SHAMELESS went on a germany/holland tour to promote the new CD. Bruce Kulick came along with the band to perform a few songs together live on stage.

  In 2001 Alexx Michael and Steve Summers also appeared on the Poison Tribute “Name Your Poison” by Perris Records.

   SHAMELESS started to work on their follow-up to “Queen 4 A Day” in march this year. This time the line-up was more consistant on the CD in order to concentrate more on the music than on “Who´s playing what”.

   The new release “Splashed” features 11 tracks performed by Steve Summers, Alexx Michael, Keri Kelli, B.C., Mike Fasano and Stevie Rachelle. The CD also includes exclusive videomaterial of the 2000 tour with special guest Bruce Kulick and the video for “Don´t Hesitate”.  Once again “Splashed” proves that SHAMELESS doesn´t care about trends. Even some songs like “Toy Human” or “Getaway” are heavier than you´ve been used to so far, SHAMELESS won´t change their style, look or attitude for anyone.  

Alexx states: “I would rather work at MC Donalds than do music that I don´t like”.

to be continued ...