Got No Shame

The Zoo Crew is spinning the infectious riffs of "Got No Shame" by Brother Cane, a track from their 1993 self-titled debut album that’s got the Zoo Freaks buzzing. This song, a blend of hard rock and southern swagger, hit #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in September 1993, just shy of the top spot thanks to Cry of Love’s "Peace Pipe." The harmonica wails, courtesy of Topper Price, give it that gritty, roadhouse vibe. Fun fact: the music video, directed by Carlos Grasso, captured the band’s raw energy and was a staple on rock airwaves. Damon Johnson, the band’s frontman, has shared in interviews that the song’s lyrical bite—lines like “Rats and snakes they always try to get the best of me”—came from a place of defiance against industry phonies. He once told AL.com that co-writer Marti Frederiksen was pivotal in shaping the track, saying, “If Marti hadn’t come into my life and helped me write ‘Got No Shame,’ my life and the band’s life would have been very different.”

Another tidbit from the studio: Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, a Tuscaloosa native, laid down keys for the album at Airwaves studio. Roman Glick, the band’s guitarist, recalled to AL.com, “You get him in front of the piano, he’s listening to and playing this song for the first time and you’re just like, ‘Damn. I thought this song was amazing before.’” The track also caught the ear of Candlebox’s Kevin Martin, who was so struck by it while driving in Seattle that he pulled over to soak it in, a story he shared with Johnson years later. Fans on Reddit still rave about its unapologetic swagger, with posts on r/RockTheSub calling it a hidden gem of ‘90s rock. The song’s enduring appeal even sparked a 2023 tour for the album’s 30th anniversary, with Johnson noting on Facebook, “Brother Cane fans are some of the most passionate I’ve encountered.”

Brother Cane kicked off in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1990, born from the vision of singer-guitarist Damon Johnson and bassist Glenn Maxey. Originally called Chyld, the duo recruited guitarist Roman Glick and drummer Scott Collier to round out the lineup. Johnson, a young father at the time, was hustling in a tiny Hoover house when A&R rep Aaron Jacoves saw their potential, signing them to Virgin Records despite not having a lead singer initially—a bold move Conrad Rafield called “vision with balls the size of a Volkswagen” in an AL.com interview. Their self-titled debut, released in 1993, was a gritty love letter to southern rock and hard-edged riffs, with “Got No Shame” as its calling card. The band toured with heavyweights like Aerosmith and Van Halen, cementing their rep. After Maxey’s exit, Glick switched to bass, and David Anderson joined on guitar for their next albums, Seeds (1995) and Wishpool (1998). Though they disbanded in the late ‘90s, reunions in 2005, 2012, and 2022 kept the flame alive.

Stay connected with Brother Cane through their official website, where you can find tour updates and merch. Their Facebook page is a hub for fan chatter and throwback photos, while Instagram showcases recent gigs and behind-the-scenes snaps. On X, they share quick updates and engage with Zoo Freaks vibing to their tunes. Fans also gather on the Brother Cane Fan Club Facebook group, a lively spot for trading stories and rare vinyl finds. For deeper dives, check out fan-curated pages like Last.fm, where you can explore their discography and see what tracks are trending among diehards.