Los Angeles, CA (WFN) -- The man who wrote the No. 1 hit, "Butterfly" is now spreading his wings for a solo career.

Shifty, the former lead singer of Crazy Town, is getting ready to release his debut CD, "Happy Love Sick," that is a far cry from the hard rock metal associated with his old band.

The first single is "Slide Along Side," and while it may sound mellower, it's not a complete career shift for Shifty.

He says he's always liked smooth and mellow records like Sublime and Sade but didn't get a chance to do them with his old band because, in his words, "those guys wanted to focus on heavy stuff."

But while the new record definitely "catches a vibe," Shifty isn't ignoring his rocking roots. In order to record the CD, he says he "...had to do a whole album of Beasties Boys-type songs and save them for another record."

"Happy Love Sick" hits stores July 13.

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