Quireboys - A Bit Of What You Fancy

British rockers the Quireboys pair bluesy, glam-kissed hard rock with the raucous barroom swagger of the Faces and Rod Stewart. Emerging in the mid-'80s, the band operated under the controversy-baiting moniker the Queerboys before settling on the Quireboys and releasing their gold-selling debut, A Bit Of What You Fancy, in 1990. Led by vocalist Spike Gray and guitarist Guy Bailey, the original band Queerboys were rounded out by bassist Nigel Mogg (the nephew of bassist Pete Way of UFO fame) and Paul Hornby on drums. Hornby quickly split to form future U.K. underground darlings the Dogs D'Amour with frontman Tyla. By 1987, the Queerboys had changed their name to the more consumer-friendly Quireboys and had added keyboardist Chris Johnstone, guitarist Ginger, and a drummer by the name of Coze to the fold. In 1988, they recorded Mayfair, an eventual live favourite, and There She Goes Again as a pair of singles for EMI's U.K. imprint Survival Records. By 1990, Ginger had been fired (he would go on to form the critically acclaimed the Wildhearts), and after bringing in new drummer Ian Wallace, the Quireboys signed to EMI proper and recorded a potent debut entitled A Bit of What You Fancy. The band made no bones about hiding their influences -- they didn't even try. The spirit of Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, and the Faces was well and alive on songs like Sex Party, the gentle Sweet Mary Ann and especially the barroom rocker 7 O'clock. Released to considerable worldwide success, A Bit of What You Fancy would yield four huge singles outside the U.S.: Hey You, 7 O'clock, I Don't Love You Anymore, and There She Goes Again. When it came time for its stateside release, the band, who had by now become bona fide rock stars and media darlings back home, had their name tweaked to the London Quireboys by EMI's U.S. parent company Capitol. With powerhouse manager Sharon Osbourne on board, A Bit of What You Fancy initially met with an enthusiastic response in the States and things looked bright as the band embarked on their first U.S. tour.