Z-Rock Hawaii formed in Honolulu in 1981, with Peter DiStefano on vocals and guitar, Billy Mossman on bass, Jay Paskert on drums, and Michael Grieve on keyboards. They put out a self-titled debut album the next year, which included an early take of 'Bad to the Bone.' That track caught producer Rick Rubin's ear, and he brought the band to Los Angeles to re-record it for the 1985 film '48 Hrs.' The Rubin version is the one that stuck, turning 'Bad to the Bone' into a rock radio staple.
Beyond that single, Z-Rock Hawaii kept making records, like 'Hot Rats' in 1985 and 'Back to the Bone' in 2018. The lineup shifted over time, with Grieve leaving in the early '90s while DiStefano, Mossman, and Paskert stayed on. They've played live shows for years, but 'Bad to the Bone' is still what most people know them for.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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