Though generally regarded as fringe associates of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, Yorkshire, England's Dedringer were never above watering down their sound with pop music ambitions, if the ideal occasion presented itself. Formed as a late-'70s cover band by vocalist Johnny "JJ" Hoyle, guitarists Neil Hudson and Al Scott, bassist Lee Flaxington, and drummer Kenny Jones (no, not him), they soon developed enough original material to attract independent Dindisc Records (best known as the home of new wavers Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark) and, following a rather unconvincingly tame debut single (1980's "Sunday Drivers"), found themselves touring the U.K. with everyone from fellow NWOBHM act Praying Mantis to more established bands like Triumph and the Michael Schenker Group. Early 1981 saw the release of Dedringer's debut album, Direct Line -- a fairly innocuous hard rock set that nevertheless sold enough copies to earn them a session with the then esteemed Friday Rock Show, before irreparable strife with their record label and a serious car accident suffered by Hudson and Scott put Dedringer on ice for a while. And by the time the pair was healthy enough to resume band activities in late 1982, it would be with new members Neil Garfitt (vocals) and Chris Graham (bass) and under contract from none other than Neat Records. Ensuing Neat releases like the "Hot Lady" single and 1983's Second Arising album saw Dedringer moving even further away from heavy metal to embrace boogie rock à la Status Quo, and after some final lineup reshuffling and steadily diminishing fan interest, Dedringer finally vanished altogether by 1985. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia