Rogue Male 1986 Interview (56 of 100+ Interview Series)

ARTIST BIO
‘Rogue metal’ is a hybrid style of music forged from taking the most exciting aspects of all types of music and fusing them together into one powerful package. Rogue metal is more aggressive than punk, more energy than rock, sleazier than R&B whilst maintaining the ultimate power of heavy metal.
The band Rogue Male was the brain child of Belfast-boy Jim Lyttle. After several years fronting such bands as Pretty Boy Floyd And The Gems (Northern Ireland's first punk band) and Visa, Jim relocated to London where the first incarnation of Rogue Male came into being in late 1983. The initial lineup consisted of Jim Lyttle on guitar and vocals, John Fraser Binnie on guitar (who had previously worked with Ozzy Osbourne during his first ‘departure’ from Black Sabbath in 1978), Philippe Clark on Bass, and Steve Kingsley on Drums.
By the time they released their first album "First Visit" on the Music For Nations label in 1985, Kevin Collier had been recruited as a replacement for Clark on bass. It is this lineup that shook the rock world with its combination of futuristic imagery and blisteringly raw metal with a punk twist. Cover shoots for international magazines soon followed as well as a slot on the "ECT" (Extra Celestial Transmission) television show on Channel 4 in 1985.
The album received worldwide critical acclaim and a deal was secured with Elektra Records in the United States of America, where Rogue Male were soon on tour, as well as the UK and Europe. During this period the band topped several magazine and industry polls and received the ‘Top International New Artist’ from French music magazines.

Steve Kingsley departed shortly after the end of this strenuous road work and was replaced by Danny Fury on drums. However, this was only after a second album "Animal Man" was recorded in 1986 with session king Charlie Morgan holding the sticks. This album struck out in fresh directions with new intensities and 'moodscapes' while retaining the 'in your face' punch of Rogue Male's own brand of metal. However, there was some dissatisfaction within the band with the end result, unwanted and unnecessary remixing at the label’s behest had taken some of the immediate punch out of the album, so much so that Jim Lyttle asked for his name to be removed from the album credits.
Nonetheless this album also received widespread critical approval as Rogue Male began to be described as ‘thinking man’s metal’ and the ‘most dangerous band since the Sex Pistols.’ They were attributed in the UK rock and metal press as ‘the next big thing’ and the world appeared to be their oyster.
“Until you’ve seen this band live, you haven’t lived” Sounds Magazine
Ironically, despite these accolades, Rogue Male was becoming crippled by managemental confusion and ‘highly irregular’ financial matters, until the band stalled while they attempted to wrest control of their destiny back from the ‘industry’ part of their organisation. Sadly it was not to be; after six years of expensive legal battles with their errant management, Rogue Male disbanded in 1987.
In 2007 both Rogue Male albums were re-released by independent Polish label Metal Mind and immediately gained worldwide attention once again. Jim decided to reignite Rogue Male for a new album, enlisting the help of his good friends GMT comprising Robin Guy (Bruce Dickinson, Rachel Stamp), John McCoy (Gillan, Mammoth) and Bernie Tormé (Ozzy Osbourne, Gillan) to back him for the recording session at Barnroom Studios. The lead track “Cold Blooded Man” was released on the "Classic Rock" magazine covermount CD in February 2009, the new album "Nail it" officially released on 26 October 2009 on Rogue Male’s own label ‘RM2K Music’.
In October 2009 John Fraser Binnie returned on lead guitar and the band did some low-key shows to ease their way back into a permanent lineup.
Plans are afoot to take Rogue Male onto festival stages and the roads and highways throughout the UK, Europe, USA and beyond.
Rogue Male are back.