Jackyl return today with the release of Best In Show via Jesse James Dupree’s Mighty Loud label (Fontana). The band has also delivered a deluxe version of the title that has been released as a Best Buy exclusive. This CD + DVD combination features two additional audio tracks on the CD, while the DVD contains a 90 minute retrospective of Jackyl’s twenty year career, interview footage of each band member, as well as a roundtable-style discussion. It also features three music videos that have never been seen before (“Screwdriver,” “Better Than Chicken,” and “It’s Tricky”). The audio tracks added to the single disc release are “What I Do” and “Open Invitation,” which was Jackyl’s response to the attacks on 9/11. The song has never been commercially released due to the band’s intention to not profit from the composition. It was given to select radio stations for inclusion on compilation discs to sell in raising funds for the Red Cross. Immediately following the tragedy, it was made available as a free download, which caused Mindspring to fine the band over $10,000 for crashing the company’s servers. The song is the only track to chart on Mediabase that was not released as a commercial single. Jesse James Dupree recalls, “That song was written as a stream of consciousness as we were in the studio recording during 9/11. As everyone else did, we were trying put everything in its place and move forward with recording our album. But first we had to vent and this is what came out.”
Multi-platinum selling Jackyl has long since validated itself as one of America’s most loved rock bands. Specialists in down and dirty blue-collar rock and roll, Jackyl’s legacy of its wild, untamed and uncouth approach to rock ‘n’ roll is well established. The band hit the scene in 1990, and immediately began firing off rock radio hits like “Down On Me,” “When Will It Rain,” “I Stand Alone,” and most notably, “The Lumberjack” during which Dupree performs a chain-saw solo. The introduction of Jackyl’s fifth instrument on album and in concert quickly became one of the band’s many trademarks as the group blazed a path to infamy, sharing the stage with Aerosmith, Kiss, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent and Damn Yankees and working with industry heavyweights such as John Kalodner. AC/DC’s Brian Johnson would go on to lend his vocals to the track “Locked And Loaded” which still stands as his only contribution outside of AC/DC recordings. The band has earned two Guinness Book of World Records citations and the designation “The Hardest working Band in Rock ‘N’ Roll” for performing 100 shows in 50 days as well as 21 shows in 24 hours. Staying true to their working band roots, Jackyl is a staple on the summer festival circuit and maintains their commitment to every show being the sonic equivalent to a man being shot out of a cannon. Dupree shares, “Time flies when you’re having fun, and in the case of Jackyl, time has flown at mach-speed because we have had a fucking blast. We’re as lethal as ever and the party has only gotten bigger. The story continues… Grab the CD, learn all the words, and we’ll see you on the road.”
The company will also street the debut today from his son Nigel Dupree titled Up To No Good. In celebration of Father’s Day, each issued a single to radio. Both Jackyl’s “Screwdriver” and Nigel Dupree’s “Tumbleweed,” are performing at the rock formats. In front of the single hitting the air, Jesse James Dupree emphasized, “You have to raise them to ROCK.”
Jesse James Dupree recently announced the inaugural AMERICA’S ULTIMATE BIKER competition. The event will be staged at Michael Ballard’s Full Throttle Saloon during the 2012 Sturgis rally, and filmed for the hit television series on Tru-TV FULL THROTTLE SALOON. Any individual can register on August 3, 4, or 5, between the hours of 1PM and 4PM. Those who qualify will move on to the competition phase that begins on Monday, August 6, with a different event each day of the rally between 1 and 4. Some of these will include riding and agility events, with a focus on mechanical skills. To win, the contestants will need to exemplify in every manner that they display the traits of America’s Ultimate Biker. Following familiar biker games that progressively become more difficult, the finale will feature a cannonball run contest. The winner will be crowned at the end of the rally on August 10, and handed the keys to Dupree’s custom 2012 Harley-Davidson Street Glide motorcycle. To pre-register or request additional information e-mail AUB@mightyloud.com or visit fullthrottlesaloon.com for details on the contest.
Jackyl has announced a tour that will keep the band on the road the majority of 2012, in to 2013. The following appearances are confirmed, with additional shows to be announced shortly:
8/09 Sturgis, SD Full Throttle Saloon
8/18 Connersville, IN Wounded Warrior Project
8/23 Grand Junction, CO Rock Jam
9/01 Freeport, TX Freeport Summertime Blues Festival
9/13 Ocean City, MD OC Bike Fest
9/14 Ocean City, MD OC Bike Fest
9/15 Howland, ME Seboeis Stream Campground
