Blue Murder is the debut album by English hard rock band Blue Murder, released on 24 April 1989 by Geffen Records. It was produced by Bob Rock. The band was formed by guitarist John Sykes after his dismissal from Whitesnake. He was eventually joined by bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. The band entered Little Mountain Sound Studios in early 1988 to begin recording their debut album. After several unsuccessful attempts at finding a lead singer, John Sykes took up the role, having already sung the band's first demos. Following the record's release, Blue Murder embarked on tours supporting Bon Jovi and Billy Squier.
Despite a positive reception from music critics, who touted the band's musicianship and Rock's production, the album underperformed commercially, only peaking at number 45 in the UK and number 69 in the US. Its failure has since been attributed to a variety of internal problems, including a lack of proper promotion, mismanagement and poor business decisions by the band. However, the record has garnered a small cult following since its release. In 2013, it was reissued and remastered by Rock Candy Records.
Background
In 1986, guitarist John Sykes was fired from the English hard rock group Whitesnake by the band's lead vocalist David Coverdale. Sykes had recently finished recording the group's eponymous album, which he co-wrote with Coverdale. The album would go on to achieve multi-platinum status and peak at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. Sykes retreated to his home studio in Blackpool, England, where he started writing new material. Eager to prove himself, Sykes began putting together a new band in February 1987. First to join was drummer Cozy Powell, who had played with Sykes in Whitesnake from 1984 to 1985. Next came bassist Tony Franklin, formerly of The Firm. He was one of Sykes' top choices for the band and, as it happened, the husband of Franklin's cousin was working at Sykes' studio. Through him, they were able to get in touch with one another and, after a brief jam session, Franklin agreed to join the band. Last was singer Ray Gillen, who had previously fronted Black Sabbath for a short time. After solidifying their line-up, the band headed to Spain to record some demos, which were then sent to Geffen Records, with whom Sykes had worked with while in Whitesnake. A&R executive John Kalodner was unimpressed by Gillen's performance, preferring the initial demos that Sykes had sung. Kalodner also expressed doubts over Gillen's songwriting abilities. At the same time, Sykes and Gillen were having disagreements over the vocal approach. Ultimately, Gillen left after only a few months in the band. In mid-1987, the group signed a recording contract with Geffen Records.
As the band began their search for a new lead singer, Cozy Powell, who had become frustrated with the group's lack of progress, left to join Black Sabbath. The band were then approached by drummer Carmine Appice, who had previously worked with Rod Stewart, Vanilla Fudge and King Kobra, among others. Eager to work with both Sykes and Franklin, Appice got in touch with them through music journalist Chris Welch after a Dio concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in December 1987 (Appice's brother Vinny was the drummer for Dio at the time). Appice was invited to Blackpool for a jam session, after which he formally joined the band. English drummer Aynsley Dunbar (ex-Journey, and Sykes' former bandmate in Whitesnake) also auditioned, but ultimately Sykes and Franklin felt that he wasn't the right fit for the group. With a drummer now in place, the band continued their search for a new lead singer. Former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin was eventually chosen, but as the band were about to fly to Vancouver to begin recording their debut album in early 1988, Martin pulled out. The group decided to push forward, figuring they could always find a singer later.