Artist: PRETTY MAIDS
Album: "WAKE UP TO THE REAL WORLD (CD)"

Year: 2006
Media type: CD

A very heavy, yet melodic, band from Horsen in Denmark, PRETTY MAIDS was formed in 1981 by guitarist Ken Hammer (a.k.a. Kenneth Hansen) and originally started off as a THIN LIZZY and RAINBOW covers band, but soon progressed to their own material. The opening formation saw Hammer joined by ATTICA bassist John Darrow (a.k.a. Johnny Mшller) and drummer Phil Moorheed (Henrik Andersen). The following year the group was brought up to full strength with the recruitment of frontman Ronnie Atkins (Paul Christensen), second guitarist Pete Collins (Jan Piete) and keyboard player Alan 'Stevie' Owen (Allan Nielsen).

PRETTY MAIDS' first demo, recorded in late 1982, featured 'Shelley The Maid' and 'City Lights'. A few months later a second demo was cut, with the tracks 'Children Of Tomorrow', 'Fantasy' and 'Warchild'. Other demos included the 'Heavy Metal' session and 'Rave On', the latter comprising of 'Cold Killer' and 'Bad Boys'. These demo tracks were released by the Stoke-On-Trent based Bullet Records in Britain, during October 1983, P.A.R. Records in North America and Fingerprint in Denmark. Other demos included the 'Heavy Metal' session and 'Rave On', the latter comprising of 'Cold Killer' and 'Bad Boys'.

Not long after the 'Pretty Maids' mini-album appeared, PRETTY MAIDS secured initial dates in Britain supporting fellow Bullett act LE GRIFFE on a club tour in 1983. Another demo session surfaced featuring the songs 'No More', 'Nightranger', 'Queen Of The Night' and 'Cold Killer'. These tracks, some with title changes, would all prove to be formative versions of material which eventually appear on their debut full-length album. Much championed by 'Metal Forces' magazine supremo Bernard Doe, the act quickly gained a major deal with Epic in Denmark.

Prior to recording 'Red Hot And Heavy', original guitarist Pete Collins was replaced by Rick Hansen (Kim Hansen) and bassist John Darrow by erstwhile SHYLOCK member Allan Delong (Allan Klitgеrd Jensen). However, Hansen left on completion of the album necessitating the re-recruitment of Collins. The band opened for BLACK SABBATH in Denmark in 1983 as promotion for the debut album. PRETTY MAIDS also performed at Metal festivals in Belgium and Poland alongside HANOI ROCKS before embarking on a British support slot with SAXON in 1985. The band returned to Europe on September 14th, performing at the 'Metal Hammer Fest' in Loreley, Germany sharing a diverse billing with NAZARETH, VENOM, HEAVY PETTIN, WISHBONE ASH, SAVAGE GRACE, RUNNING WILD, TYRAN PACE, METALLICA and WARLOCK.

Returning to action with the 'Future World' album, PRETTY MAIDS had spent July 1986 holed up in the world famous Bearsville Studio in Woodstock, New York with producer Eddie Kramer. Four of these tracks were mixed by Kevin Elson in San Fransisco whilst back in Copenhagen the METALLICA credited Flemming Rasmussen mixed down the remaining songs. The resulting album, released in April 1987, featured guest backing vocals from ex-RAINBOW and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP vocalist GRAHAM BONNET. For live operations, involving a three week run opening for DEEP PURPLE in Europe and appearances at the 'Monsters of Rock' festivals in Germany, the group enrolled German guitarist 'Angel' Gerhardt Schleifer. In late 1988 guitarist Angel Schleifer left to join German act BONFIRE and would be replaced by Ricky Marx (Henrik Mark).

'Jump The Gun', released in April 1990, was laid down at PUK Studio in Denmark and produced by DEEP PURPLE bassist ROGER GLOVER and features Glover and DEEP PURPLE drummer Ian Paice as guest musicians. The latter became involved as the band's regular sticksman Phil Moorhead had been involved in a car accident during the sessions. In August 1989 the record was mixed at The Hit Factory but the results were far from satisfactory. The following month the entire album was remixed at Werner Studio in Copenhagen. For the US market the album was re-titled 'Lethal Heroes'. That September PRETTY MAIDS performed in Japan for the first time. Other dates witnessed supports to ALICE COOPER.

The October 1990 Christmas EP, 'In Santa's Claws', featured DEEP PURPLE vocalist IAN GILLAN on the track 'A Merry Jingle', itself a cover of the SEX PISTOLS / THIN LIZZY track. Dominic Gale was introduced as new keyboard player for the two studio tracks whilst the EP also hosted three live cuts recorded at the Rockilde festival in 1990.

At the beginning of 1991 PRETTY MAIDS parted company with bassist Delong, drummer Moorhead and guitarist Ricky Marx. The group celebrated their 10th anniversary with 1991's Flemming Rasmussen produced 'Sin-Decade' album as PRETTY MAIDS settled on a group consisting of Atkins, Hammer, bassist Ken Jackson (Kenn Lund Jacobsen), previously of WHITE MOUNTAIN, and drummer Michael Fast(Michael Petersen), the latter previously a member of Kalundborg Heavy Metal band HERO. Once again the group toured Europe and Japan. 1992 witnessed the acoustical offering 'Offside' and a new studio affair, 'Stripped', appeared the following year. 'Stripped' was a final product put out as a contractual obligation to their former label. Showing a much softer side of PRETTY MAIDS the album nevertheless saw strong sales in Asia.

In 1994 the band had left the confines of Sony Music and signed a new deal with German label Massacre records. The first fruits of the new alliance being the Flemming Rasmussen produced 'Scream', issued in January 1995. Limited edition copies hosted an extra track 'When It All Comes Down'. PRETTY MAIDS appeared at a number of European festivals that year, including Pinkpop on the same bill as VAN HALEN and PAGE/PLANT. At the end of the year the group issued a long awaited live album that same October, 'Screamin' Live', recorded live at the Tivoli in Copenhagen, June 20th 1995, which found the group delivering the highlights from their 13 year history on one package.

In February 1997 the Tommy Hansen produced 'Spooked' emerged featuring a timely cover of KISS' 'Hard Luck Woman' amongst a welter of new material that surely ranks as some of the heaviest ever recorded by the Danes. Japanese editions were bolstered by three extra songs, 'A Love And A Fiction', a cover of THE OSMONDS 'Crazy Horses' plus 'Where The Blood Runs Deep'. Another solid album, 'Anything Worth Doing, Is Worth Overdoing', arrived in February 1999.

The 1999 album 'First Cuts... And Then Some' packaged all the band's EP's together for the first time. Also included would be a cover version of SLADE's 'Far Far Away', originally intended for the 'Stripped' album. Touring in Europe during April of 2002 would find Swedes ROYAL HUNT as support act. PRETTY MAIDS had a relatively quite 2003, punctuated by a handful of European festival performances and the release of the live album 'Alive At Least'. In December Ken Hammer was diagnosed with a blood clot in his heart but made a full recovery as the band spent early 2004 in the recording studio. Fellow Danes WITHERING SURFACE covered 'Future World' for inclusion on the King Records Japanese variant of their 2004 album 'Force The Pace'. PRETTY MAIDS undertook a smattering of Danish gigs with new keyboard player Jacob Troutner prior to re-entering the studio. PRETTY MAIDS put in a one off support to HAMMERFALL at Gothenburg's Scandinavium venue on 30th April.

PRETTY MAIDS delivered news in April 2006, confirming a new album was underway signed to a European deal with Frontiers Records and Japanese release through JVC Victor Entertainment. At this same juncture former ROYAL HUNT and KINGDOM COME drummer Allan Tschicaja replaced Michael Fast. For the band's June appearance at the German 'Bang Your Head' festival MERCENARY keyboard player Morten Sandager was enrolled.

TRACKLIST:

1. Wake Up To The Real World
2. All In The Name Of Love
3. I Am The End
4. As Guilty As You
5. Why Die For A Lie
6. Such A Rush
7. Where True Beauty Lie
8. Brave Young New Breed
9. Terminal Violence
10. Perfect Strangers
11. Another Shot Of Your Love

LINE-UP:

Ronnie Atkins (vocals)
Ken Hammer (guitar)
Pete Collins (guitar)
Allan Delong (bass)
Phil Moorheed (drums)