Sybil (band)
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Sybil | |
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| Origin | San Francisco, CA |
| Genres | Pop • Glam • Punk |
| Years active | 1985 - 1987 |
| Labels | Fervor Records, Renown Records |
| Members | Roxy Cookie Chunks Willie Orwonee Syd Tybil Pat Pend |
Sybil was a San Francisco-based American rock band from 1985-1987. They achieved success on the California club circuit before disbanding in little over a year, but not before recording their debut LP, Every Parent's Dream. Although they were relative unknowns at the time, Sybil are now recognized as a cornerstone of '80s glam rock and hair metal.
Formation and Career
Sybil was formed in San Mateo in 1985 by Michael Marqueson (Roxy, vocals), Mark McLeod (Syd Tybil, bass) and Bill Dellara (Pat Pend, drums). The original members rehearsed as trio before enlisting former Head On rhythm guitarist James Ray (Cookie Chunks) and Los Angeles-based lead guitarist Billy Wood (Willie Orwonee), who briefly played with members of Hollywood Rose. Together they formed an artistic vision consisting of high-energy pop rock combined with raunchy stage antics.
The band rose quickly through the San Francisco club scene, mainly due to their provocative stage show, which included cross-dressing, smoke bombs, inflatable sex toys and pelting the audience with dogfood. Their antics led to confrontations with other artists as well as being banned from Bay Area venues, including Wolfgangs.
In early 1986, Sybil released a self-titled three-song cassette which made its way to Europe, with the song "She Said" generating a small amount of airplay. Based on this interest, the band funded and recorded their own independent LP, Every Parent's Dream, while searching for a record deal. This unconventional approach led to their music being unreleased for over two decades, when it was finally released on compact disc in 2007 by Retrospect Records[1]. A single featuring a cover of the Stiv Bators song "I Wanna Forget You (Just The Way You Are)" was released in 2019 on Renown Records to coincide with the debut of the biopic Stiv: No Compromise, No Regrets.[2]
In October 2025, a 40th anniversary reissue of Every Parent's Dream was announced for a December 2025 release on Fervor Records[3][4]. Fully titled Every Parent's Dream: The James Ray Remaster, this re-release featured modern sound remastering from the band's guitarist/songwriter as well as all-new artwork.[5] [6] [7]. The album received positive reviews from genre fans and mainstream press, with online music site Veglam noting, "There’s genuine songwriting and actual artistry at play here, which was rare in those days, and even rarer now".[8]
Influences
The band drew musical inspiration from several hard rock and punk acts of the '70s and '80s, including the New York Dolls, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Their musical style is defined as power pop with hard rock, punk and goth influences. While stylistically similar to hair metal, Sybil distanced themselves from their contemporaries by adopting a lo-fi punk aesthetic and writing darker material such as "Murder On My Mind" and "I Need A Gun."
Fashion
Along with Jetboy, Sybil were at the forefront of Bay Area glam rock fashion, drawing crowds to the Keystone San Francisco, Mabuhay Gardens and Rock On Broadway. Glam bands of the era wore heavy makeup and teased hair, but Sybil took it a step further by performing in full drag for most of their career before eventually ditching the cross-dressing in favor of traditional hard rock attire.[9]
Discography
- Main article: Sybil (band)/Discography
Sybil's full-length LP, Every Parent's Dream, has been released on several record labels, including Retrospect Records (2007) and Fervor Records (2025).
- Every Parent's Dream (2007 orig. 1986, Retrospect Records)
- Every Parent's Dream: The James Ray Remaster (2025 orig. 1986, Fervor Records)
- I Wanna Forget You (Just The Way You Are) (single) (2019 orig. 1986, Renown Records)
- The Bitter End: Live at the Stone (1986 bootleg, unreleased)
Members
- Roxy (Michael Marqueson) - vocals
- Cookie Chunks (James Ray) - guitar, vocals
- Willie Orwonee (Billy Wood) - guitar
- Syd Tybil (Mark McLeod) - bass
- Pat Pend (Bill Dellara) - drums
References
- ↑ Lewandoski, Kevin (2007). "Sybil - "Every Parent's Dream" track listing". discogs.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Renown Records (2019). "Sybil – "I Wanna Forget You (Just the Way You Are)" on Renown Records". renownrecords.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Rachelle, Stevie (December 1, 2025). "Calling 1986: Glam punk rockers Sybil drop their debut LP 40 years late". metalsludge.tv.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Fervor Records (November 17, 2025). "Sybil: Every Parent's Dream - The James Ray Remaster". fervor-records.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Sleazeroxx, Olivier (November 1, 2025). "Sybil's debut album remastered and to finally get issued 40 years later". sleazeroxx.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Sleazeroxx, Olivier (October 21, 2025). "Sybil reveal track listing and drop new video for Every Parent's Dream". sleazeroxx.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Wippson, Johan (January 1, 2026). "Glam Rockers Sybil Release Long-awaited Debut Album: 'Every Parent's Dream '". melodic.net.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Sybil "Every Parent's Dream" review by General Labor". Veglam. 2026-04-28. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
- ↑ Ostrov, Devorah (September 26, 1986). "Sybil Ditch Their Trashy Lingerie for Pants. But Will They be Taken Seriously Now?".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
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