Detective's sound fell somewhere between their Swan Song label-mates
Bad Company and
Pretty Things, but they never acquired the arena fame of the first or the longevity of the latter. Their lineup appeared unlikely at first blush -- it included former
Yes keyboardist
Tony Kaye, bass player
Bobby Pickett, and lusty frontman
Michael Des Barres. But together they created a slick, unified sound that ranged from crowing blues to stadium-friendly ballads. Despite friendly encouragement from
Jimmy Page and sharp production values,
Detective never really hit it big, and the band called it quits after their second studio album. The various band members have moved on in their disparate directions again;
Kaye eventually rejoined
Yes, and Monarch took up country music. When their old band is remembered today, is generally as a footnote to the story of
Led Zeppelin and their Swan Song label. ~ Paul Collins