Tackhead was an innovative industrial rock / funk group that helped originate a sound that was later popularized by labels like Wax Trax Records and bands like Nine Inch Nails. Tackhead easily predated the 90s industrial rock boom since they first formed in 1987.
The members of Tackhead (drummer Keith Leblanc, bassist Doug Wimbish and guitarist / keyboardist Skip McDonald) didn’t begin their career with the group. They were actually the house band for Sugar Hill Records. In fact, they performed on many of the labels early hits, such as the 1983 Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mell song “White Lines”:
Soon afterwards they hooked up with legendary producer Adrian Sherwood. They first collaborated on the Mark Stewart’s (singer from The Pop Group) crazy album As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade in 1985. The record is a total feel-bad experience with sends the listener into nightmarish funky soundscapes with tons of samples supplied by Sherwood. There really was nothing else like it at the time. They released “Hypnotized” as a single (and even made a music video for it) but for obvious reasons it didn’t really run up the charts:
This record did become the basis of the Tackhead sound. Super funky instrumentals with crazed guitar solos not unlike Eddie Hazel’s work with Funkadelic) anchored by robotic drum beats (sounding like a drum machine at times but all played by Keith Leblanc) and all thrown into a blender of distortion, noises and samples.
Vocalist Gary Clail joined the group for a short while, touring with them for about a year and appearing on their first record Tackhead Tape Time. “What’s My Mission Now?” is an awesome example of what they sounded like:
Gary Clail soon left the group and somehow Tackhead bounced back by getting Bernard Fowler to join the band. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because afrer Tackhead he became a longtime backup singer for The Rolling Stones! He first appeared on their album Steel Wheels in 1989 and has been with them ever since. You can see him (if you look pretty closely!) in the music video for “Mixed Emotions”:
He also did an interview on The Rolling Stones’ behalf on MTV promoting the tour for Steel Wheels:
Anyways, I digress. Right before joining The Rolling Stones he joined Tackhead. He appeared on their final record Friendly as a Hand Grenade, which is today’s pick!
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Friendly as a Hand Grenade is where I first head of Tackhead. This is because single on the record was “Ticking Time Bomb” which somehow appeared on MTV’s 120 Minutes. I caught it there and it blew my teenage mind at the time.
It took me a while to track down the record. I guess not many retailers were excited to stock an album with that controversial cover art. I did eventually find it at a Tower Records…and boy was I glad I did. It is still a mesmerizing, exciting listen over three decades later.
After the short intro of “Ska Trek” the album blasts into the incredible “Tell Me The Hurt”. The guitar solo here is totally banging. Bernard Fowler’s vocals somehow sound soulful over the clattering music:
Another highlight is “Airborn Ranger” which takes the traditional military marching chant and turns it completely on its head:
“Stealing” slows things down into an funky ballad that is not unlike what Prince was doing at the time. Really cool stuff:
There’s even a house music influence heard on “Demolition House”.
The album is way too short, clocking in at just a little over a half hour. But they really don’t waste a single minute. An absolute classic. Some people may say the production sounds dated today, but I disagree. I think it retains the original bite.
Tackhead broke up soon afterwards. They have occassionally reformed for short tours or one-off performances but have never put out another record. Notably, Doug Wimbish went on to be the bass player for Living Colour and he is still performing with them today.
