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Tura Satana (band)

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Tura Satana
Former Tura Satana vocalist Tairrie B.
Former Tura Satana vocalist Tairrie B.
Background information
Also known asManhole (1994–1997)[1]
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1994–1998
  • 2002
LabelsNoise
Past members
  • Tairrie B
  • Brian Harrah
  • Rico Villasenor
  • Marcelo Palomino
  • Scott Ueda
  • Marty Ramirez
  • Stephen Klein
  • Louiche Mayorga
  • Tommy Loya

Tura Satana was an American rock band formed by rapper and singer Tairrie B after she departed from her contract with the rap label Ruthless Records. Initially formed as a rap rock band under the name Manhole, the band changed their name due to a conflict with a Texas band of the same name, and shifted to a nu metal sound.

Biography

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While recording her second rap album for Ruthless Records, rapper and singer Tairrie B wanted to form a rap rock band,[4] and recorded a rap version of Van Halen's "Runnin' with the Devil", entitled "Rhyming with a Devil", but no one at the label liked these ideas, and discouraged her from pursuing them.[1] After seeing Ice-T performing with his band Body Count, Tairrie B became more motivated to pursue the formation of her own band, and shelved her second rap album and left the label so that she could form a group where she could "rap over heavy music and address more socially conscious issues".[1] The band was formed under the name Manhole,[5] and in 1994, Lethal Records released two songs by Manhole on a seven inch vinyl record, and were subsequently asked by Noise Records to be a part of their 1995 compilation The Fall and the Rise of Los Angeles, which led to the band signing a recording contract with the label due to positive response to the band.[1] After signing, however, the band learned that there was already a Texas punk rock band named Manhole which had formed before them, but Noise Records assured Tairrie B's band that they would remedy the situation, and the Los Angeles Manhole began looking for a producer to record their debut album.[1]

Korn introduced Manhole to Ross Robinson, who Manhole hired to produce their debut album, All Is Not Well. The album's lyrics dealt with subject matter such as rape, violence against women, abortion and racism.[1] Despite liking Robinson, the band were ultimately dissatisfied with his production on the album, with Tairrie B later saying that the band felt that had they worked with another producer who did not rush the album's production as they felt Robinson had, they could have made a stronger album.[1]

Despite previously assuring Tairrie B's band that they would straighten out the legal issues involving the Texas band Manhole, Noise was unable to resolve the legal issues, forcing the Los Angeles band to change their name.[1] Losing the Manhole name turned the musical output of the band in a different direction, as Tarrie B stated that it had changed her as a woman and as a writer.[6]

Eventually, Tairrie B chose the name Tura Satana, after the actress of the same name,[5] due to Tairrie B finding the actress's character Varla in the film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! "empowering".[1] With the change in name, the band also shifted their musical style, moving away from their previous rap rock sound to one that was more "internal and emotional".[1] Under the name Tura Satana, the band released the album Relief Through Release, which a retrospective review by AllMusic described as being "a solid testament to the capability of the nu-metal genre".[7] Due to distribution problems with the label and internal struggles, the band broke up in 1998.[1]

On January 18, 2002, Tura Santana’s final lineup reunited for a performance at the Troubador in Hollywood.[8][9] In January 2020, Tairrie B released All is Not Well and Relief Through Release for free on her Bandcamp page, alongside a compilation of nine demo recordings from the band's early years.[10][11] In July 2020, she also released a live recording of Manhole performing in Paris on December 15, 1996.[12]

Band members

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Final lineup

  • Tairrie B - Vocals (1994–1998, 2002)
  • Brian Harrah - Guitar (1997–1998, 2002)
  • Rico Villasenor - Bass (1996–1998, 2002)
  • Marcelo Palomino - Drums (1994–1998, 2002)

Former members

  • Scott Ueda - Guitar (1994–1997)
  • Marty Ramirez - Guitar (1994)
  • Stephen Klein - Bass (1994–1995)
  • Louiche Mayorga - Bass (1996)
  • Tommy Loya - touring bassist (1997)[13]

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
[14] 		UK
Ind.
[15] 		UK
Rock
[15][16]
All Is Not Well
  • Released: April 16, 1996
  • Reissue: February 1998
  • Label: Noise Records
 — — 32
Relief Through Release
  • Released: September 29, 1997 (UK)[17]
  • Label: Noise
 167 33 7
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

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  • The Early Years (2020)

Live albums

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  • Live in Paris (2020)

Singles

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  • "Victim" (1996)
  • "Kiss or Kill" (1996)
  • "Scavenger Hunt" / "Piece of My Heart" (1997)
  • "Venus Diablo" (1998)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Everley, Dave (May 17, 2021). ""The music industry is filled with liars, con artists and assholes": a no-bullsh*t interview with Tairrie B". Metal Hammer. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  2. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Tura Satana – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Cooper, Ali (December 2, 2021). "20 nü-metal bands that defined the late '90s and early 2000s". Alternative Press. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Staff (June 4, 2021). "The 50 greatest cult metal bands of all time". Metal Hammer. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 280. ISBN 0-7535-0257-7.
  6. ^ ""I had to carry a gun to visit my record label…": My Ruin's Tairrie B…". Kerrang!. December 30, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Taylor, Jason D. "Relief Through Release Review by Jason D. Taylor". AllMusic. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Blabbermouth (January 21, 2002). "TURA SATANA's Reunion Set List Revealed". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Blabbermouth (January 17, 2002). "TURA SATANA's Reunion Show To Feature Group's Final Line-Up". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  10. ^ BraveWords. "MY RUIN Vocalist TAIRRIE B. MURPHY Offering Free Download Of MANHOLE Debut Album And Early Demo Recordings". bravewords.com. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  11. ^ BraveWords. "MY RUIN Vocalist TAIRRIE B. MURPHY Offering Free Download Of TURA SATANA's 1997 Debut Album". bravewords.com. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  12. ^ BraveWords (July 14, 2020). "MY RUIN Vocalist TAIRRIE B. MURPHY Offering Free Download Of Live MANHOLE Show From Paris 1996". bravewords.com. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  13. ^ van Poorten, Rita (March 1997). "Manhole". Metal Maidens. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  14. ^ "Chart Log UK: DJ T - Tzant". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Relief Through Release". Official Charts Company. October 11, 1997. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  16. ^ UK Rock & Metal Albums Charts for All is Not Well
    1996: "All is Not Well". Official Charts Company. May 18, 1996. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
    1998 reissue: "All is Not Well". Official Charts Company. February 14, 1998. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  17. ^ Brannigan, Paul (July 26, 1997). "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!". Kerrang! (658). EMAP: 17–19.

Further reading

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Gehlke, David E. (2017). "Out With the Old, In With the Nu? Noise Goes Californian". Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records. Deliberation Press. pp. 395–400. ISBN 978-3-940822-09-3.

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