Tesla is an American rock band formed in Sacramento, California in 1981 by bassist Brian Wheat and guitarist Frank Hannon. Lead vocalist Jeff Keith, drummer Troy Luccketta and guitarist Tommy Skeoch joined band in 1984. Tesla started out as Earthshaker later evolving into City Kidd before settling on a ‘rootsier’ direction and becoming Tesla. In 1996, Tesla disbanded with members devoting themselves to solo projects before reforming in 2000. Tommy Skeoch departed the band in 2006 and was replaced by Dave Rude. Tesla has sold more than 14 million albums in America. Tesla’s music is often referred to as hard rock.
City Kidd took the name Tesla during the recording of their first album, 1986’s Mechanical Resonance. The band derived their name, certain album and song titles and some song content from events relating to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.
Tesla achieved mainstream success through the release of their second album 1989’s The Great Radio Controversy. The album enhanced the band’s reputation and swelled their fan base producing five hit singles including the power ballad “Love Song.”
Foreshadowing MTV’s Unplugged trend Tesla released 1990’s Five Man Acoustical Jam, a live album mixing songs from their previous two albums along with covers of late sixties and early seventies gems such as “Mothers Little Helper,” “Lodi,” and most notably “Signs,” a 1971 hit by the Five Man Electrical Band which became one of Tesla’s biggest hits.
Tesla released their fourth album 1994’s Bust a Nut which turned out to be their last release for six years. Tommy Skeoch departed shortly after due to substance abuse issues while the remaining band members worked on side projects with their own groups.
In 2000 with the help of radio personality Pat Martin Tesla regrouped to play an emotional sold out show at Sacramento’s Arco Arena and soon after recorded the double live album Replugged Live. In 2004 Tesla recorded their fifth album Into the Now which was well-received by fans and critics. By 2006 Skeoch’s substance abuse issues returned and he was permanently replaced by guitarist Dave Rude.
In 2016 Tesla celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album by releasing Mechanical Resonance Live. The album included the single “Save That Goodness,” written and produced by Def Leppard’s Phil Collen. That summer Tesla toured with Def Leppard and REO Speedwagon.
March 2019 saw the release of Tesla’s eighth studio album, Shock produced and co-written by Phil Collen. The singles in 2022 were “Cold Blue Steel” and “Time To Rock.”
And in 2023, from the upcoming live album, we’ve added their raging cover of the Aerosmith song , ” S.O.S. ( Too Bad)”.
Reference – https://teslatheband.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_(band)
Tesla discography
Mechanical Resonance (1986)
The Great Radio Controversy (1989)
Psychotic Supper (1991)
Bust a Nut (1994)
Into the Now (2004)
Forever More (2008)
Simplicity (2014)
Shock (2019)
Sacramento’s K-ZAP 93.3 FM plays Tesla. All part of 50 years of Rock, Blues and More, 24-7 on our station’s stream at K-ZAP.ORG/LISTEN/