Tampa rockers BLEEDING HEARTS started towards the end of 1989 and lasted until July of 1993. The Tampa scene was hot, wet, and dripping with sweat at this time with bands like Juliet, Roxx Gang, XYZ (fan Base In Florida), Y&T, Jon Oliva (Savatage), and local bands like St. Warren, Scarlet, and Secret Service.
In 1990, Bleeding Hearts did a 4 EP that was the #1 album in Tampa beating out Metallica and Guns n’ Roses. Concrete Foundations named Bleeding Hearts as one of the Top unsigned bands across the U.S., meanwhile radio airplay started picking up on stations like 98 Rock and 95 YNF.
Bleeding Hearts released by themselves the full album ”Loaded Gun” in 1992, musically mixing the rocking commercial sound of Damn Yankees and the first Tesla with the melody from the likes of Tyketto, Trixter, and Nelson.
Now FnA Records is reissuing 2023 this out of print, hard to find album ”Loaded Gun” for all melodic rock fans out there.
For the more rocking numbers check out “Kickin’ Your Love”, “Bonnie & Clyde”, the crunchy “Loaded Gun” – for the latter, the melodious “U”, the great midtempo “I’m A Rocker” (love the lyrics), the wonderful “Fallin’ Out Of Love”, “Sweet Dreams” (akin Tesla’s first album) or the Nelson-esque ballad ”Take It On The Chin”.
Fronted by the clean sweet voice of Earl Foote – which is from Boston but at the time moved to Florida and still continue in the music business with his blues-country band – BLEEDING HEARTS was a sensation in the East Coast touring the area packing every venue.
They toured with Stranger, opened shows for Dokken, Warrant, Every Mothers Nightmare, The Outlaws, Cheap Trick, to name a few. Additionally the band played Livestock 1 & 2 in front of 30,000 people.
The band was close to be signed by a major label in 1990 but fate worked against them – an executive was sick for months, delaying the deal… and then the contract dropped.
Finally recorded & released by themselves, BLEEDING HEARTS’ “Loaded Gun” is a very good early ’90s US melodic hard rock album with strong songs in this genre, well written & produced for an indie. In the hands of an expertise producer, this band would have been huge.
Bleeding Hearts, like many melodic hard rock bands, disbanded in 1993.
While “Loaded Gun” was reissued by the band on occasion of its 20th anniversary due to many fans requests, the re-pressing sold out. Now FnA is making it available again.
Highly Recommended
You’ve seen it first at anywhere
01 – Bonnie & Clyde
02 – U
03 – Kickin’ Your Love
04 – I’m A Rocker
05 – Fallin’ Out Of Love
06 – Loaded Gun
07 – Sweet Dreams Interlude
08 – Sweet Dreams
09 – Ten Ways
10 – Best And Only Friend
11 – Take It On The Chin
Earl Foote – vocals
Archie J. Muise Jr. – guitars
Dan Brice – bass, vocals
Frank Antone Jerome – drums, vocals