Eyes (5)

Eyes is a hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, USA, that was formed under the name of L.A. Rocks in 1986. The band changed its name to Eyes in 1988. Not to be confused with Eyes (14) from New Haven, although James Christian (4) was a vocalist in both bands. The band changed the vocalist several times in the early days, when it was still called LA Rocks. Jizzy Pearl, Mark Boals, Parramore McCarty, Mark Weitz (2), Rob Lamothe, Jeff Scott Soto and James Christian (4) all sang for this band in this short period between 1986 and 1988. At last Jeff Scott Soto returned to the band in 1988 when it was already called Eyes. Eyes recorded an impressive demo tape in 1989 that also found ex-RATT and ROUGH CUTT bassist Matt Thorr involved. Keyboards, at that point, were courtesy of former BERLIN man Todd Jasmin. Fronted by Soto, Eyes signed to Curb Records, a label normally associated with Country music after originally recording an album's worth of material for Capitol. The band's debut album was released through in 1990 and was the first to feature an album recording of the L.A. ROCKS classic 'Nobody Said It Was Easy', a number that must have been recorded by every singer who has ever rehearsed with Aldy Damien. All but two of the tracks on the first album featured YNGWIE MALMSTEEN man Marcel Jacob on bass. The group toured with NAZARETH, SLAUGHTER, KANSAS, GREAT WHITE, BAD COMPANY and CHEAP TRICK as well as headlining club dates. A proposed co-headlining tour with SAIGON KICK and county fair shows with REO SPEEDWAGON and KANSAS never got past the starting gate after Curb refused financial support. Soto would quit the group after the 'Windows Of The Soul' album, featuring the recordings done for Capitol back in 1989, was eventually released. EYES hooked up with Mark Weitz (having once auditioned him in the L.A. ROCKS days), but the singer failed to last the distance and the two parties parted company in 1993. Whilst searching for a replacement vocalist, EYES auditioned the likes of Kelly Hansen of HURRICANE and Robert Mason from LYNCH MOB, even talking to ex-BUSTER BROWN, KING KOBRA and FOREIGNER singer Johnny Edwards. Eventually the search led them to Boston and erstwhile SHOUT and WILD HORSES vocalist John Levesque. He had been working on an abortive project with ex-WHITE LION guitarist Vito Bratta around that period.