It’s not for the smiles and giggles that Guns N’ Roses is referred to as “the most dangerous band in the world”. Ever since its formation in the mid-1980s, the Los Angeles-based hard rock group has become a source of several scandals and controversies. No, this isn’t only about the contentious incidents that Axl Rose will never forget; the other band members are just as guilty and capable of creating or taking part in their own drama.
For instance, they have been involved in not one but two notorious concert riots. In addition to this, Rose aired the band’s dirty laundry at arguably their biggest show at the time and threatened to quit — live on stage. It doesn’t end there, though, as the act released a song with offensive and racist lyrics, as well as another that used real-life intimacy noises after Steven Adler’s girlfriend cheated on him with Rose and they recorded the whole ordeal. Remarkably, the record label released both tracks to the public.
The title of Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, “Appetite for Destruction,” seems incredibly appropriate when one gives it some thought; it perfectly captures the band’s ethos and direction. Now let’s return to the jungle and explore all the major scandals that have rocked one of the most dramatic bands.
GUNS N’ ROSES USED REAL INTIMATE NOISES ON A SONG
There is one Guns N’ Roses record that is better than the others. When glam controlled the rock world, GNR’s “Appetite for Destruction” gave the industry a bad taste. With its aggressive, more in-your-face sound, it signaled a new era and had a cutting-edge appeal. There were several hit songs from the 1987 album as well, but “Rocket Queen” was the one that instantly became well-known.
Not only does it have an infectious bounce and sing-along-worthy chorus, but it also features a section that causes the listener to pause and rewind to make sure they heard right in the first place. In a part of the song, audible moaning and groaning from heavy petting layers the instrumental track.
It turns out that the band’s attempt at an edgy PR stunt was not only genuine, but also totally authentic. Adriana Smith was seeing Steven Adler, the drummer for GNR, but she got revenge by sleeping with vocalist Axl Rose when he was rumored to have cheated on her. They made the decision to record their tryst in the studio voice booth and release it as “Rocket Queen.” Quoting, “It was like a Ron Jeremy set in there,” engineer Vic Deyglio said to Rolling Stone why he had to enter the studio to change the microphone. Adler wasn’t happy to hear it, Smith continued, but she “would do anything Axl asked me to do” as “[h]e’s f***in’ magical.”
