Faster Pussycat, Blacklist Union, and Femme Fatale

Faster Pussycat came together in L.A.’s Hollywood region, started by vocalist Taime Downe. Taime Downe remained the only original member throughout their career, with a revolving door of musicians filling spots for guitar, bass and drums. In 1987, the band had gained a recording contract with Elektra Records, releasing their self-titled debut that same year. Their sleaze rock led them to gain support slots with Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth and Motorhead, helping to gain further exposure in support of their album.

In 1989, they returned with “Wake Me Up When It’s Over,” a record that quickly became their most successful outing, rising to Gold status. The album’s commercial success was bolstered by the runaway hit, “House of Pain,” which broke into the Top 40 of the Billboard singles chart. Their next effort, 1992’s “Whipped,” failed to match its predecessor’s success, peaking at number 90 on the charts before swiftly falling off the radar, reflective of a changing musical climate that offered little place for glam metal and hair metal acts.

The group decided to split following this lack of success, with Taime Downe forming The Newlyweds, an industrial-goth act alongside Kyle Kyle of Bang Tango fame. However, as the new millennium went on, a renewed interest in glam rock returned, prompting Faster Pussycat to reunite for a tour. Rather than releasing new music after this return to the stage, Faster Pussycat instead released an album of techno remixes of their past songs, titled “Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy.” Touring continued for the troupe before the band released the new album, 2006’s “The Power and the Glory Hole.” Despite not developing any real reception, the band have still managed to maintain their existence after twenty years, despite their still being no real place for their act in the modern scene.