Pretty Maids

S

tarting out as a cover band in 1981, why would a heavy metal band consisting of men name themselves Pretty Maids? "Because that's what we think about", or words to that effect, was the answer they gave when asked in their early days. Pretty Maids have become one of Denmark's longest-running metal bands, in the business over twenty years now, debuting with the Pretty Maids EP (1983) under the membership of Phil Moorheed (drums), Pete Collins (guitars (lead)), Ken Hammer (guitars (lead)), Ronnie Atkins (vocals), John Darrow (bass) and Alan Owen (keyboards). The sophomore full effort, Red, Hot and Heavy (1984) saw Rick Hanson (guitars) and Allan Delong (bass), this line-up remained for the follow-up EP of the same name.

After Love Games EP (1987) and Future World (1987), Jump the Gun / Lethal Heroes (1990) saw Ricky Marx on guitars. The In Santa's Claws (1990) had Dominic Gale on keyboards. Sin-Decade (1992) with Kenn Jackson on bass, and Michael Fast (drums/percussion) would be released after the band shut down operations in 1991 then reformed when Delong, Marx, and Moorheed left the band in frustration over not making it in the USA, leaving Atkins and Hammer to try to go alone.