"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" by Great White

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3893

Date:  05/13/1989

Debut:  94

Peak:  5

Weeks:  26

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  The band's 1987 third album Once Bitten became a #23 platinum seller thanks mainly to a pair of #9 Rock hits including the power ballad "Save Your Love" (#57 Pop). For their follow-up, ...Twice Shy, the band stayed the course with band members producing all the tracks and writing all but two of them. One of those exceptions was this cover tune, which served as the LP's first single. It would catch on at Rock getting to #6. The song would cross over to the Pop chart where it would debut near the bottom. The tune then clawed its way up the chart until finally cracking the Top 10 three months later. It hung around for a long while and that longevity helped sell record and the single would eventually go gold. The album would then reach #9 and quickly go gold. By the time this song peaked, the LP would be platinum. By the fall, it would be double-platinum.

ReduxReview:  With the title of their first album Once Bitten, it was kind of obvious that ...Twice Shy would follow and this song would be covered. It was actually a great decision. With the original not charting in the US (however, it was a rock radio staple of sorts), Great White had the opportunity to introduce the song to a larger audience. The band does a nice job with the song nailing Hunter's boogie rock feel while boosting up the arrangement with charging guitars and big drums. It was a solid glam metal cover and it eventually hooked a big audience. It would end up being Great White's peak moment..

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song written and originally recorded by former Mott the Hoople lead singer Ian Hunter. His version was the first single from his 1975 self-titled debut solo album. It was a #14 hit in the UK. Although the song would not reach a US chart, the LP itself would get to #50. As a solo artist, Hunter would only get one single on the US Pop chart. In 1979, Hunter would reach #68 with "Just Another Night." The associated album You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic would reach #49. That album featured two Hunter compositions that would later become famous. First, the track "Ships" would get covered in '79 by Barry Manilow. It would be released as a single and get to #9 Pop and #4 AC. Second, the track "Cleveland Rocks" would get covered by the band The Presidents of the United States in 1997. Their version would be used as the opening theme song to the hit TV sitcom The Drew Carey Show when it entered its third season.

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