Biography
Tora Tora is an American hard rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. The bands name is derived from the Japanese word for tiger and references the code name used by the Japanese Imperial Navy during the attack on Pearl Harbor, though it may also have been influenced by the Van Halen song "Tora, Tora, Tora" from their 1980 album "Women and Children First." The original band name had been "Free Beer." In a 1989 interview, members Anthony Corder and Patrick Francis stated that the name Tora Tora was chosen from a list of 60 to 70 potential names because it stood out to them.
Tora Tora began as a local garage band and gained studio experience after winning a Battle of the Bands contest. They independently released the EP "To Rock to Roll," with the songs "Phantom Rider" and "Loves A Bitch" receiving airplay on local radio station Rock 98. After signing with A and M Records, they released their debut album "Surprise! Attack" in 1989, which reached number 47 on the Billboard Top 200. The album included the singles "Walkin Shoes" and "Guilty," and the song "Dancing With a Gypsy" was featured on the soundtrack for the film "Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure." Tora Tora was the first band from Memphis to have a music video, "Walkin Shoes," aired on MTV.
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Their second album, "Wild America," was released in 1992 and reached number 134 on the Billboard charts. A third album, "Revolution Day," was recorded in 1994 but was not released at the time due to label restructuring, and the band subsequently disbanded.
In 2008, all four original members reunited for several performances, including a sold-out show at Newbys in Memphis and an appearance at Rocklahoma. They also released "The Warehouse... 20 Years Later," a compilation of songs from their first two albums and unreleased tracks from "Revolution Day." In 2009, Tora Tora signed with FNA Records and released the albums "Before and After," "Bombs Away: The Unreleased Surprise Attack Recordings," and "Miss B. Haven: The Unreleased Wild America Recordings."
On February 28, 2011, the band and FNA Records released their previously shelved album "Revolution Day," which had been recorded during 1993–1994. The sessions featured contributions from The Memphis Horns and backup vocals from Susan Marshall and Stacy Plunk.
Since 2008, Tora Tora has performed regularly and released the album "Bastards of Beale" in 2019. In 2024, they released the compilation album "Best of the Rest," which includes four singles released between 2021 and 2024, as well as studio outtakes and demos from previous albums including "Revolution Day." The band continues to tour and plans to release new music.
Studio albums
Surprise Attack (1989)
Wild America (1992)
Revolution Day (1994)
Bastards of Beale (2019) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.