Zebra should’ve hit it big time

Agreed. Their first album is still one of my top 10 favorite albums. They were big here and in the New York area, but only had moderate success nationally. Their cheesy videos for great songs didn’t exactly help their case on MTV.

Several reasons come to mind: poor management and to high of expectations from record label Atlantic. The print media stereotyped Zebra as Led Zeppelin “wanna-be’s”, and never promoted the bands live concert performances. Zebra released three studio albums between 1983 and 1986. Rolling Stone magazine did not do a single album review so there was very little media publicity. Atlantic signed Zebra to a 5 album contract in 1982. Because of low record sales after the 3rd album, Atlantic dropped them.

I grew up in NOLA and was in HS from 1982-1986. Saw dozens of Zebra shows at local CYO’s, bars, and Monsters of Rock.

Always saw Zebra as a band that really never had an identity. I wasn't sure if they were trying to be Zeppelin, Yes, Rush or Triumph.

If my memory servers me right, way back in the early ‘70s there was a place in Galliano down bayou Lafourche called the Safari.
There was a band called Image from I think the Mississippi Gulf Coast that would play pretty regularly.
When they would be on break a three piece band set up in a corner not even on stage would play. That band’s named was Zebra. I remember the bass drum was painted like a ....Zebra.
Pretty sure that was when they were first starting. They did well.
Have seen them numerous times since the early days.

Saw them before the first album came out at Pop's Fun City. I think that place was around Choctaw Drive IIRC? They mostly played Led Zeppelin covers then. Kind of the original Zoso in a way.

quote:

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When artists without an ounce of testosterone...Def Leppard

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The wrath of Ace Midnight in three...two...one...

As I've said before...

quote:

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Zebra were one of the few non beta male bands when nearly everyone started to become full blown beta cucks. When artists without an ounce of testosterone like Ratt and Def Leppard achieved huge success around the same time, it just shows that the whole soy cuck culture began long before the 2010s.

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All of those soy cuck beta males pulled 50X the arse in the 80’s as you will in your whole life. Think about that.

Yep they could have been bigger. Part of getting swamped by the heavy metal/glam rock wave was getting discarded by Atlantic when 3.V was released. Record company didn't promote what is seen in retrospect as a good album.

We saw them open for Loverboy at the Centroplex in 1983. Went there to see Zebra as much as Loverboy. The boys from NOLA put on a good show.
Randy Jackson has still been active in music. I recall him doing a show in NOLA the night of Rush's R40 concert.

A number of years ago I got a Zebra retrospective featuring the band off Netflix's DVD section. Was one of the best music documentaries I've seen.

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