Britny Fox – Hair Of The Dog

Released in 1989 on the band’s second studio album, Boys in Heat, “Hair of the Dog” is a cover of the 1975 classic originally recorded by Scottish band Nazareth. The Nazareth version, with its signature cowbell intro and the defiant line, “Now you’re messin’ with a son of a bitch,” became a staple of classic rock radio. Britny Fox’s cover stays relatively faithful to the original’s swagger, but adds a hair metal gloss with heavier distortion, flamboyant guitar solos, and frontman “Dizzy” Dean Davidson’s raspy wail delivering the attitude.

Fastforward a few decades and the song now feels like both a tribute and a statement — a band embracing the hard rock lineage while trying to forge their own identity. Though hair metal’s star was dimming by the early ‘90s, tracks like this remain a snapshot of a moment when hairspray, leather, and attitude ruled the airwaves.

Boys in Heat: The Album Context

Boys in Heat was released on December 17, 1989, by Columbia Records, and it marked an important — and turbulent — point in Britny Fox’s career. Following the success of their 1988 self-titled debut, which went gold in the U.S. and featured MTV hits like “Long Way to Love,” expectations were high. Boys in Heat tried to push their sound forward while sticking to hair metal’s party-hard formula. Songs like “Standing in the Shadows” and “She’s So Lonely” showcased a band trying to evolve within a genre already beginning to wane as grunge loomed on the horizon.

Despite its energy and tight musicianship, Boys in Heat didn’t quite replicate the commercial success of the debut. While the album charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at #149, it was caught in the transitional moment of rock music where audiences were beginning to seek a rawer, more grounded sound.

Behind the Scenes: A Band at a Crossroads

The year 1989 was pivotal for Britny Fox. Tensions within the band were building, and shortly after the release of Boys in Heat, founding frontman Dean Davidson left the group. His departure shocked fans but also opened the door for a new chapter. Davidson went on to form the more roots-rock oriented band Blackeyed Susan, while Britny Fox recruited Tommy Paris as their new lead singer, eventually releasing Bite Down Hard in 1991.