When Kelly Bundy Went Full-on Glam Metal in Married with Children

Do you remember the “Rock and Roll Girl,” episode of Married… with Children? No? Okay! Than stick with us and let’s take a ride back in time when glam metal ruled the world and when cool music and TV shows existed without Netflix and TikTok.

The time when “Married With Children” met Glam Metal

If you haven’t watched this show already, this might sound like an impossible thing. However, it was quite normal, actually, since “Married with Children” started airing in 1987, which was the heyday of glam/hair metal. A perfect time for such combination, right? Especially when you have Christina Applegate as one of the lead female roles in the series. That said, today’s story is about how Kelly Bundy (Christina Applegate) went full-on glam metal in the episode “Rock and Roll Girl.”

This particular episode of the famous show takes viewers on a hilarious and satirical journey through the world of 80s metal music. Airing on January 14, 1990, this episode showcases the Bundy family’s attempts to earn their own money, with Kelly landing a gig as a “rock video slut” for the glam-rock band The Gutter Cats.

The Bundy family faces a financial challenge when Al, frustrated by their perceived laziness, challenges them to earn a dollar on their own. As Kelly and Bud pursue unconventional paths to make money, the episode unfolds into a hilarious exploration of the family’s dynamics.

Kelly’s foray into the world of 80s metal comes to life when she becomes the star of The Gutter Cats’ music video for their song “Decoy Woman.” Bud takes on the role of her agent, adding a layer of comedic absurdity to the episode. Meanwhile, Peg attempts to avoid traditional work by setting up her own tollbooth, embodying the show’s signature satire.

During the filming of the video with the band, Kelly was just being, well, Kelly, you know. She wasn’t exactly doing what the video director Cecil, portrayed by Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quinones, told her to do. By the time of the 56th take, Kelly ended up chained to the wall. This take was interrupted by a raging Al storming the set.

But who were The Gutter Cats?

The Gutter Cats are portrayed in the episode by a real glam-rock band from the Sunset Strip music scene in Los Angeles, which certainly brought an authentic touch of 80s metal to “Rock and Roll Girl.” On the Last.Fm website you can find the following information of the band:

This Hollywood Glam Sleaze Rock band was formed in 1987, by Josh Blake, Jonny Black, Bobby Lycon, Anthony Smedile. Their music was raw, bluesy ROCK N’ ROLL like Alice Cooper, The Stones, Hanoi Rocks, The Faces, and The London Quireboys. They appeared in episode of Married With Children where Kelly was a Video Rock Chick.

It is actually very hard to find any real information about the band The Gutter Cats and the aforementioned band members who participated in this episode, except for the bassist Bobby Lycon, who joined legendary sleaze rockers Shotgun Messiah for their 1991 album “Second Coming.” When the singer of Shotgun Messiah, Zinny Zan, left, bassist Tim Skold took on the vocal duties on this album, opening a spot for Bobby Lycon. The Gutter Cats’ greatest achievement might well be their appearance on Married… with Children, capturing the essence of the glam-rock era and the Sunset Strip music scene.

The Last.FM website also indicates that The Gutter Cats had a 4 track demo released back in the day including songs “Decoy Woman”, “Rescue Me”, “Marry Innocent” and “Friends”. The confusing thing is the picture for their Last.fm profile that shows, according to some fans, a completely different band. Not to mention the name of the band, which sometimes appears as The Gutter Cats or The Guttercats.

Interesting facts from the episode:

The episode is rich with cultural references that enhance its comedic impact.

The band’s music video in the episode was actually a reminiscent of Whitesnake’s iconic videos from the 1987 album.

Tawny Kitaen later played Dominique in the season 9 episode, “Shoeway To Heaven”.

During the “Rock Slut” auditions, the TV announcer mentions aspiring women coming from as far away as “Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.” This sly reference to Terry Rakolta, a woman who campaigned for the show’s cancellation, adds a metafictional layer to the episode’s satire.

Bud’s introduction as “Bud Jagger Richards” pays homage to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, iconic members of The Rolling Stones, adding a touch of classic rock to the 80s metal theme.

In the end, after all these years, “Rock and Roll Girl” stands out as a classic episode of Married… with Children, offering a humorous take on the 80s metal scene through the lens of the Bundy family’s misadventures. The inclusion of The Gutter Cats adds an authentic touch to the episode, providing a glimpse into the world of glam-rock and the Sunset Strip music scene. As viewers revisit this episode, they are treated to a nostalgic journey that captures the spirit of a bygone era in both television and music.

On the other hand, this episode is a real treat for every hardcore ’80s glam metal fan, inviting you to discover a band such as The Gutter Cats, a band that never got any recognition and became just a band from “Married with Children.” If there were Netflix and TikTok back then, maybe they could have become famous. Who knows?