Warrant is a hair metal band from Los Angeles, California which enjoyed its greatest success in 1990 with the smash single and album Cherry Pie.
The music of Warrant, which has undergone a significant evolution during the band's 20 year history, is difficult to comprehensively characterise. However, it is the music created during the 1980s and early 1990s which, for better or worse, remains the band's signature. Few of the glam metal bands to gain notoriety during this period captured the lighter side of the Sunset Strip's party spirit with more authenticity than Warrant. The band's brand of heavy metal was loud, cheesy, sex-obsessed, and usually delivered with a mischievous sense of humour. The generally lighthearted band became famous for its raucous party anthems filled with thinly-veiled references to sex ("Down Boys", "Cherry Pie") but also for its sentimental, melodic ballads ("Heaven", "Sometimes She Cries", "I Saw Red").
Warrant was formed in Los Angeles by guitarist Erik Turner in July 1984. Turner was soon joined by bassist Jerry Dixon, although Warrant reportedly had a different bassist for a few months before Dixon. The band's early members included vocalist Adam Shore, guitarist Josh Lewis, and drummer Max Asher. Vocalist Jani Lane (who replaced Shore) and drummer Steven "Sweet" Chamberlain (who replaced Asher) joined the band in September 1986, and guitarist Joey Allen (who replaced Lewis) completed the line-up in March 1987. Lane and Sweet were previously in the band Plain Jane, which had recorded several demos. The recruitment of Lane proved pivotal in the band's future, with the singer quickly assuming the role of Warrant's song writer.
After having gained some notoriety on the L.A. club scene, the band recorded a demo tape in September 1987 for Paisley Park Records, a record label owned by musician Prince. At this time, record label A&M purchased an option to sign Warrant and invited the band to contribute a song for the soundtrack of the motion picture Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Both deals would prove unsuccessful, with the band's contribution "Game of War" being pulled from the soundtrack and A&M allowing its option to lapse.
