Ugly Kid Joe (whose name is a response to Pretty Boy Floyd) formed in Isla Vista, California, and features vocalist Whitfield Crane, guitarists Klaus Eichstadt and Dave Fortman (who replaced Roger Lahr), bassist Cordell Crockett, and drummer Mark Davis. The group played basic pop-metal with touches of funk and a bratty, parodic sense of humor. Their debut single, "Everything About You," went Top Ten and helped their mini-album As Ugly as They Wanna Be become the first short-form LP ever to be certified multi-platinum. They went Top Ten again with a straightforward cover of Harry Chapin's "Cats In the Cradle" in 1993. The band released their second full-length album, Menace to Sobriety, in 1995; Motel California appeared the next year. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
