Born from the ashes of psychedelic pop geniuses Jellyfish, Imperial Drag released a single eponymous album through the Work Group in 1996. Featuring vocalist and guitarist Eric Dover (fresh off a stint fronting Slash's Snakepit), keyboard player Roger Manning, bassist Joseph Karnes, and drummer Eric Skodis, the band lacked only one critical ingredient to replicate the winning Jellyfish formula: drummer, vocalist, and principal songwriter Andy Sturmer. Furthermore, their unorthodox retro-rock style and brazenly glamorized imaging didn't help matters either, failing to endear the band with the flannel-wearing, grunge-obsessed rock audience of the mid-'90s. Put simply, there was to be no victory of style over substance here, and both band and album soon sank without a trace. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
Imperial Drag was an American rock band active from 1994 to 1997. The group, formed after the breakup of Jellyfish, released one album and scored one rock hit in the U.S. before disbanding.
Imperial Drag formed in 1994 after keyboardist Roger Manning's previous group, Jellyfish, broke up. Joining with Jellyfish live band member Eric Dover (who had just left Slash's Snakepit), bassist Joseph Karnes, and drummer Eric Skodis, the group released a self-titled effort in 1996 on The Work Group.[1] They charted a hit on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock chart with the single "Boy or a Girl", which peaked at #30 that year.[2] The group's glam rock-influenced image, however, failed to win fans over in the wake of the grunge era.[1] The group's album received poor reviews[3][4] and did not sell well, and they disbanded in 1997. Manning moved on to a solo career in the 2000s.
