the Regulators

The Regulators have been based in the Los Angeles area from the late '80s through into the 2000s, but everything about the band recalls the Southern rock of the '70s. Sporting long hair, beards, cowboy hats, leather vests, and cowboy boots, members of the Regulators look like they just stepped out of a biker bar in Texas, Alabama, or Georgia in 1974, and their Southern-fried boogie is an unapologetic throwback to the days of Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, the Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, and .38 Special. In 1992, the Regulators signed with Polydor and recorded their self-titled debut album, which contained the singles "Last Chance" and "Let It Ride," as well as the song "Whiskey Fever" (heard in the Steven Seagal action film Under Siege). The band suffered a tragic blow in 1993, when one of its founding members, guitarist Jimi Hughes, died. After parting company with Polydor, the Regulators remained active on the Southern California scene, but it wasn't until 1998's Bar & Grill that they recorded another album. In the new millennium, the Regulators lineup has included Ronnie Farrell (vocals and guitar), Johnny Barnes (lead guitar), Chris Turbis (keyboards), Lorenzo Delveckio (bass), and Mark Accevis (drums). ~ Alex Henderson