TNT: Back on the road 7" + Rocking the night [CLASSIC N.W.O.B.H.M. Killer B side] Check sample. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

--------------------------------------------------------
Also check out a song of theirs in this fantastic compilation: www.yperano.com/content/hammers-thunder-cd-rare-nwobhm-compilation-promo...
--------------------------------------------------------

Artist: TNT
Title: BACK ON THE ROAD
Format: 7 INCH
Country: UK
Label: NEAT
Year: 1984
Description: B/W ROCKIN' THE NIGHT (NEAT39)

Single, Neat Records
1984 7" , NEAT 39

Line-up :
Mark Smith - Vocals
Gary Stevenson - Guitar
Colin French - Guitar
Nick Williams - Bass
Nobby Brett - Drums
1. Back on the Road 02:59
2. Rockin' the Night 03:02
Total playing time 06:01

--------------------------------------------------------
British act TNT (not to be confused with the awesome melodic/power metal band from Norway) hailed from Kent, and were lucky enough to hook up with the famous and revered NWOBHM label Neat Records (famous for bands like Fist and Atomkraft). Releasing a demo before this official single a couple years earlier, they must have unfortunately failed to capitalize on the release, during the extremely bloated market in 1984 Britain. TNT plays the pretty straightforward NWOBHM style; kinda 70s sounding, fairly laid back, and quite AORish, though not to the point of Praying Mantis, or Snowblind. This one will be enjoyed by collectors and fans of this great genre. Tryin’ to think of bands to compare them to. Maybe Zenith or Wikkyd Vikker, Ethel the Frog.

‘Back on the Road’ revolves a around layers of vocals in the chorus, creating a decent hook. “Down on the road” etc with good use of backup vocals. This one is fairly well written, and quite laid back. Your b-side ‘Rockin the Night’, not surprisingly given the title, rocks harder than the a-side. Guitar solos are pretty decent, and the tough, heavy metal riffs are kind of Saxonish. Actually a pretty decent job by ‘Curly Wobbler’ and Gary Stevenson.; some pretty cool phrasing, especially in this track, but also in the title. Overall, the sound quality of this one isn’t too bad. Lucky to have the Neat Records fortune behind them, these guys were able to get not-too-bad a result with this single, and my guess is it’s a better recording job than on their earlier demo. Vocals are nice, and they’re nicely arranged in the title track. Decent stuff here, with the really typical sorta sound. Kinda relaxed; it’s not Savage, it’s not Clientelle, but it’s somewhere in between. The year is 1984 though – year of some pretty landmark NWOBHM, (and also a time when the genre was hardening up significantly) so this could be considered by some to be a bit out of date by this time. Stylistically, this is the sorta stuff that was big in ’79, ’80. Straightforward, yet decently done stuff. If you’re like me and can’t stop until you have all the NWOBHM ever released, then you’ll probably wanna get it.

--------------------------------------------------------

Kent based NWOBHM/Hard Rock outfit TNT were originally formed as a trio in 1981. Having expanded to become a quintet, they recorded a three song demo tape in 1982 titled "1st Demo", and later in the year a further three song tape emerged, the imaginatively titled "2nd Demo", which brought them to the attention of Ebony Records who invited them to contribute a song to an upcoming compilation album.
The album in question, "Metal Warriors", was released in 1983 and featured the TNT song "Sorry". 1983 also saw the band record a session for BBC Radio One's "Friday Rock Show", which led to them signing a deal with Newcastle's Neat Records. In early 1984 TNT's sole official release, the "Back On The Road", 7" single was issued through Neat, and although receiving some encouraging reviews, the band were soon without vocalist Mark Smith who quit the band. Replacing Smith with former STAG vocalist Gary Owen, the band were then threatened with legal action by Phonogram Records over the TNT name, as that label had just signed the Norwegian band of the same name.
Changing their name to SWEET CHEATER the group set about writing new material which incorporated some of the Glam influence of bands like THE SWEET into their sound. With the new name, vocalist and sound in place, the band recorded an EP called "Desire And Lust" in late 1984 and relocated to London in 1985. Despite recording an albums worth of new material under the guidance of ex-GILLAN member John McCoy, the band struggled to garner any record label interest, so Sweet Cheater split up.
Following this disappointment, in 1987 guitarist Colin "Curly" French and vocalist Gary Owen accepted an invitation to join German band VAN STRAATEN, and toured Germany extensively during the year, both returning to the UK at the end of '87 when no record deal was forthcoming.
Owen and "Curly" then formed a new band called GUNSLINGER, recording a four self titled song EP with ex-GILLAN guitarist Bernie Torme producing, which was released in early 1988, just before Owen decided to leave to join TORME for the "Demolition Ball" album.
Replacing Owen with new singer Marc Huckle, the band changed their name to LYNX and recorded the 1988 "Caught In The Act" 7" for Humming Bird Records. This band was also to be short-lived and they disbanded before the years end.

--------------------------------------------------------
Also check out a song of theirs in this fantastic compilation: www.yperano.com/content/hammers-thunder-cd-rare-nwobhm-compilation-promo...
--------------------------------------------------------