Cherry Pie

Production and marketing

Cherry Pie was released on September 11, 1990, through Columbia Records. Like its predecessor, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, it was recorded at The Enterprise in Burbank, California.

The music video for "Cherry Pie" featured model and actress Bobbie Brown, who had previously starred in music videos for the band Great White. Her appearance on the album cover and in promotional videos earned her the reputation as the "Cherry Pie girl", which she came to embrace over the years. Brown and Jani Lane met during the film shooting for the video, and later began a relationship. They were eventually engaged and married in 1991.

It is rumored that Erik Turner and Joey Allen did not play on the album and that all guitar work had been performed by ex-Streets guitarist and session musician Mike Slamer. The rumor has never been verified, although Slamer's wife confirmed in 1998 that her husband played guitar on the record. The album's liner notes refer to Turner's function as "G-string" and Allen's as "Bong Riffs", adding that "Erik & Joey would like to thank Mike Slamer & Tommy Girvin for their Wielding G string Inspirations". Producer Beau Hill stated in a 2012 interview that Slamer did in fact play on the album. Beau had said to the band that the "songs are really great, but I think we're a little weak in the solo department and so I like to bring somebody in". Beau also stated that "everybody in the band signed off on it and everything was done above ground".

Slamer was joined by numerous other guest performers; the record also features contributions from Jani Lane's brother Erik Oswald, guitarist C. C. DeVille from Poison, guitarist and bassist Bruno Ravel and drummer Steve West from Danger Danger, and singer Fiona.

The album carried a parental advisory sticker in the United States, due to the final track, "Ode to Tipper Gore", which consisted of a collection of swear words cut from the band's live performances. A "clean" version of the album also existed, with the final track removed, and an audible "bleep" of a curse in a previous song, "Train, Train", which featured the line "All a-fucking-board" at the beginning of the uncensored version.

Canadian cable-TV music network MuchMusic refused to air the "Cherry Pie" video on the grounds that it was "offensively sexist".

Songs

The album's lead single, "Cherry Pie", was dedicated to the president of Sony Music Entertainment US Don Ienner. The dedication was no doubt inspired by the record company pressure which led to the track's creation. The record was completed without the song, but Warrant's label requested that a new rock "anthem" be added in order to enhance its marketability. Vocalist Lane responded by writing "Cherry Pie" in 15 minutes. Bassist Jerry Dixon and guitarist Allen, who believed the album was complete and were playing in a charity golf tournament in Denver, were called back to Los Angeles to complete the track. The single comprises a string of metaphorical references to sex and bears some melodic resemblance to Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me", and The Arrows' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". The guitar solo was performed by Poison's guitarist C. C. DeVille. At the end of the solo, a vocal aside says "I'm a trained professional".

"Cherry Pie" became a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 10 and also reached number 19 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song has been cited by many as a "rock anthem". In 2009, it was named the 56th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

The video for "Cherry Pie" received heavy airplay on MTV and other music video stations. It featured the members of Warrant and a scantily clad woman (model Bobbie Brown) who is seen dancing throughout the video while the band members perform and make tongue-in-cheek references to the song's lyrics (for example, when the above-quoted line referencing baseball is sung, Brown appears in a form-fitting baseball uniform, complete with a bat), all against a white background.

Brown became involved with Lane soon after the video was shot, and married him in 1991.

The record's second single was "I Saw Red", a power ballad inspired by a true story of betrayal. It was written after Lane had walked in on his girlfriend in bed with his best friend, resulting in his nervous breakdown and the delayed release of the band's first record Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. The song was one of Warrant's most successful singles, reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #36 on the Australian charts and spawning two music videos.

Personnel

Warrant

Jani Lane – vocals, acoustic guitar, arranger

Joey Allen – rhythm guitar, banjo, guitar solos on tracks 2, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 1st solo on track 11

Erik Turner – rhythm guitar, arrangement

Jerry Dixon – bass guitar

Steven Sweet – drums

Additional personnel

C. C. DeVille – guitar solo on track 1

Mike Slamer – guitar solos on tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 2nd solo on track 11

Eric Oswald (Jani Lane's brother) – acoustic intro on "Uncle Tom's Cabin"

Scott Warren – keyboards

Bruno Ravel – backing vocals

Steve West – backing vocals

Fiona – backing vocals

Alan Hewitt – organ, piano, strings

Beau Hill – organ, banjo, arrangement, keyboards, production, mixing

Paul Harris – piano, strings

Juke Logan – harmonica

Production

Jimmy Hoyson – engineering, mixing

Martin Horenburg – assistant engineer

Video album

Cherry Pie: Quality You Can Taste is the second video album from Warrant released in 1991. The video features backstage interviews, concert clips including a preview of the band's next album and the music videos from Cherry Pie.

"Cherry Pie"

"I Saw Red"

"Blind Faith"

"Uncle Tom's Cabin"

"I Saw Red" (acoustic version)