This is a fan page, put together in tribute to a band that never got the notoriety it deserved.
In 1980, James Byrd put together his first original band with original songs. In late 1981 he moved to L.A. and spent a year there playing with various bands at the usual places (Troubador, Perkins Palace etc.). In late 1982, Byrd had had enough of L.A. and wanted to move back to Seattle to work with two musicians he'd heard before he'd gone to L.A. One was drummer Ken Mary, the other was vocalist Ted Pilot. This was to become Fifth Angel.
Queensrche were recent news in Seattle at this time, so his plan was to follow their business approach of assembling the players he wanted, and concentrating solely on writing, rehearsing, producing an album, and then looking for a recording contract. So that's exactly what he did. By late 1983, Fifth Angel was in Steve Lawson Productions with Terry Date recording "Fade to Flames", "Fifth Angel", "In the Fallout", and "Wings of Destiny". With this four song demo, about a hundred tapes went out to record companies on a list. Shrapnel Records was on the list, and Byrd felt that if nothing else, they'd sign him alone.
Mike Varney, (of Shrapnel Records), was on the phone after one listen to sign the project. They got a pittance of an advance, but finished the album by cutting five more tracks. The reviews were stellar, and Byrd began getting endorsement offers and interviews. In 1987, Fifth Angel's reputation as an act got them management with 'Concrete Marketing and Management', and a seven-album deal on Epic/CBS. They re-released "Fifth Angel" in late 1987/early 1988. The seeds of destruction for Fifth Angel were sown as soon as large sums of money looked likely.
Byrd was out of the band he'd created very shortly after the CBS agreement was signed. In his own words, "I was fired from the band without notice, immediately after signing a new partnership agreement which relinquished certain important rights I had in the band. It was a stab in the back, it was done for money and a right to continue using the name without me."
The band recruited a new guitarist named Kendell Bechtel and issued it's second album, "Time Will Tell". Changing tastes in popular music and the band's failure to crack into the mainstream's consciousness eventually caused the band to be dropped from it's CBS contract and into hard rock history.
Drummer Ken Mary went on to play in Impellitteri, House Of Lords and Magdallan, as well as in the backing bands for both David Chastain and Alice Cooper. He currently owns and produces/engineers at Sonic Phish Studios in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In 1988/89, Byrd returned to Shrapnel Records under his own name and recorded 'James Byrd's Atlantis Rising'. He has since released several instrumental albums and in 1999, formed his own guitar company, Byrd Guitars.
For more on Fifth Angel, visit www.fifthangel.net
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