DeVille co-wrote Poison's debut album with Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett. "Look What the Cat Dragged In" was released on August 2, 1986. It included the hits "Talk Dirty to Me", "I Want Action", and "I Won't Forget You". Sales for the album topped 3 million copies in the United States. DeVille also wrote much of the material for Poison's second album, the multi-platinum selling "Open Up And Say... Ahh!", which was released on May 21, 1988 and would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. It included the hit song "Nothin' But a Good Time", co-written by DeVille, and Poison's only number 1 single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".