The quirky, New Jersey based HELLCATS evolved from the disbanding of the legendary 70s Hard Rock outfit STARZ and formed by ex-STARZ guitarist Richie Ranno and his colleague, vocalist Michael Lee Smith. Finding themselves entangled in a web of contracts with Capitol Records and Aucoin Management - associations that needed to be terminated - led to STARZ being kept in limbo and, eventually, disbanding following 1979's 'Coliseum Rock' album. Michael Lee Smith, by now living in California, spent time in a number of bar bands, including one with ex PRISM drummer Doug Madick (a man who had also played in an outfit with STEVE PERRY pre-JOURNEY and also another unidentified band with VANILLA FUDGE and CACTUS man TIM BOGERT. Madick can also list a stint drumming with PLAYER on his CV), whilst - back on the East Coast - Richie Ranno formed HARDCORE with bassist Peter Scance and ex-STARZ drummer Joe X Dube.

However, both Smith and Ranno had the vision to see that, no matter how good their respective projects were, they just weren't getting anywhere.

A brief attempt at re-forming STARZ (with Brendan Harkin and Orville Davis joining Smith, Ranno and Dube) was short-lived, leading to the formation of HELLCATS. The band landed a deal with New York label Radio Records, although the resulting, five track mini album was actually recorded at the Record Plant in New York with the belief that they were on the verge of signing a deal prior to Radio's involvement.

Unfortunately, the record was never issued outside of the United States as Radio Records went under shortly after the mini album was released. The HELLCATS had to scrap plans for the quirky 'Auto Erotica' to be put out as a single, backed with a live version of 'Rock And Roll Man'.

With no new deal forthcoming, Michael Lee Smith opted out. HELLCATS was effectively put on ice whilst Ranno worked on a number of STARZ related album projects that saw releases in Europe and the release of a five track solo album (essentially HARDCORE recordings) before re-assembling the group with a new singer.

search for a new vocalist ended when Ranno hooked up with Perry Jones in the summer of 1985, having been working with Jones' brother on a project up until that point. They recorded a four track demo together and tried to shop for a deal. With little in the way of record company interest the duo decided to pay for the recording of an album themselves and eventually negotiated a deal with Chicago based King Klassic.

The resurrected line up of the HELLCATS initially featured bassist Peter Scance from the original band alongside drummer Eric Ferro, both of whom had worked with Ranno some while before the discovery of Perry Jones.

The second album was recorded during 1986 in former STARZ guitarist Brendan Harkin's basement studio. Harkin lived a few blocks away from Ranno and shared bass duties with Jones due to the failure of Scance to gel with the project. Ferro had also quit, with the blessing of Ranno, to join TT QUICK. He was replaced by former TREASURE drummer Jack Scarangella The cassette version of the 1987 album featured a bonus cut of STARZ performing 'Tear It Down' live.

A renewed attempt in the early 90's to put STARZ back together again with Michael Lee Smith only got as far as a few demos, tracks from which appeared on the collector aimed 'Requiem' album.

Richie Ranno issued a new solo album in 1996 under the title of the RICHIE RANNO GROUP, featuring Peter Scance on bass. The guitarist has also on occasion united with ANGEL members Frank DiMinio and Barry Brandt performing ANGEL songs at KISS conventions!

In the midst of a whole barrage of STARZ live and early material issued en masse in 1999 HELLCATS fans were rewarded with the 'Hellcats II' album which featured Ranno and Scance alongside TT QUICK's Erk Ferro, TANGIER's Bobby Bender and ex-DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW man JOE LYNN TURNER.