This was the year we were to sign with Capitol/E.M.I - U.S.A., a relationship which would last until 1990.

We would showcase for several labels before we were finally signed, and showcase for Capitol 5 or 6 times. The date where Capitol finally decided to sign us was at the Gasworks in Toronto. Dean Cameron, who was the head of A&R at the time, had left after our second set but sneaked back in the rear door to watch us without us knowing. Brent 's amp had blown up at the end of the second set, and without batting an eye, he set up his little practice amp and miked it. We then proceeded to take the stage and rock out like nothing was the matter. Dean told us that was what clinched the deal for us. They knew we would work our balls off for them if they gave us a chance. The actual deal was signed in Calgary, Alberta while we were on a western tour of Canada.

It was on this tour of western Canada that we lost Mike Uzelac. Mike had joined the band when he was only 17 years old, (he told us he was 19) and had a problem with drugs. Half-way through the tour on which we were to be signed, he picked up a Gideon's Bible and flipped. The next morning he quit drugs, drinking, smoking, cut his hair, decided he wanted out of the band, and wanted us to change the No Rest for the Wicked album cover. This put us in panic mode because we were scheduled to come right out of western Canada and begin a U.S. tour with Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot. In desperation we picked up a guy named Pete ? from London, Ontario to replace Mike and off we went to the United States.

Our first couple dates were with Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot, but that tour quickly disintegrated. We were with I.C.M. booking agency at the time, and our manager Bill Seip told them to keep us playing, no matter what the money or gig, just so we could stay in the U.S. and keep performing. We ended up landing on the Motorhead "Perfect Day" tour, which was anything but.

In between the Motorhead dates we were also playing our own gigs, as well as backing up other acts that were out there at the time. I remember going from playing the "Living Room" in Providence, Rhode Island, a rough bar if there ever was one, to playing at a 2,000 seat dinner club with Quarterflash. One bar was filled with 1,000 sweaty leather clad metal heads and the other with women in gowns and men in tuxedos. One bar was standing room only with black floors, walls, and ceilings, while the other had tables with lace table cloths and candles and even ushers to see you to your seat. When we came on in Hampton Beach to the first rousing chords of "No Rest for the Wicked", people looked like they were in shock. We were fired immediately after the set but managed to talk them into keeping us for the second night on the condition that we would play all "slow songs".

So that was how we got through the summer of '83. Our plan was to get out there and get all the regional reps from Capitol on our side by showing them our willingness to do whatever they wanted us to do to sell albums. No drive was too long, no favour too big. We ended up playing right across the U.S. this way. At the same time, the "Heavy Metal Love" video went to "heavy" rotation on MTV, and suddenly we had our first U.S. hit.

We made a pact with ourselves that we would no longer play clubs in Canada as we wanted to plant an image in peoples' minds that we were a "concert act". We didn't return to the clubs in Canada again until 1990.

While on the Motorhead tour, we had one date at the Masonic Temple in Toronto . It was to be our only Canadian date on the tour and the next night we were to play in Chicago. When we went to return to the U.S., immigration wouldn't let Pete ?, (our new bass player) back into the States. In desperation we phoned up Mike Uzelac to help us out of our jam. Mike was now a "born-again Christian" who had never played a concert gig with us. Mike agreed to help us out on the condition that we try to find a replacement as soon as possible.

His first gig back was to be at the Metro in Chicago, which is just down the road from Rigley Field. Motorhead was notoriously late for soundchecks, and that day was no exception. There were about 2,000 fans lined up on the street and after a hour or so they were turning into a ugly mob. The cops were called in to disperse them to no avail. When we finally hit the stage there was so little room for us that Fritz had his kit set up offstage! The crowd was pressed to the front and we had to walk a gauntlet of leather clad arms pounding in unison to a chant of "FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF! WE WANT MOTORHEAD! FUCK OFF!". Needless to say we were scared shitless, and when I turned around, Mike was backed up against his amp as far as he could possibly go, wide-eyed and looking like he just parachuted into the middle of World War 2! We ended up playing everything at double speed just so we could get the hell of there alive! Mike ended up being with us for a couple more weeks and then we returned to Canada where we picked up another bass player by the name of Mark Rector. Mark was a kid who used to hang around our practise hall, a good bass player, but as we were to find out, a little bit of a head case.

Upon returning from the States, we had 2 days at home to film the "Don't Get Mad, Get Even" video before we headed off to Europe to begin touring with Kiss. Our first date was in Lisbon, Portugal. Throughout the tour it was obvious that Mark wasn't going to last too long after we returned home. He was home sick and missed his girlfriend. It was a joke among us when Mark would go into the shower each day and could be heard singing this wimpy song he had written for his girlfriend. We, of course, would howl like dogs outside the shower....

While in Europe, Keith Sharpe, who worked for Music Express magazine came over and spent a week of hell with us. The article which later appeared in the magazine back home would do much to expand on our reputation as being a "world class band".