White Lion
- is an American/Danish glam metal band that was formed in New York
City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito
Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved
double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the
Children Cry". White Lion disbanded in 1991, but was reformed again by
Tramp in 1999 with all new musicians.
After moving from Denmark to New York in 1983, vocalist Mike Tramp
(ex-Mabel,ex-Studs) met Staten Island guitarist Vito Bratta (ex-Dreamer)
and decided to form a band. The two recruited drummer Nicki Capozzi and
bassist Felix Robinson (formerly of Angel) and named the group White
Lion.
White Lion was signed by Elektra Records in 1984 and recorded their
debut Fight to Survive. However, Elektra was unhappy with the final
recording, and after refusing to release the album, terminated their
contract.
Both Capozzi and Robinson soon left the band. Nicki Capozzi was replaced
by former Anthrax drummer Greg D'Angelo, and Felix Robinson was
replaced by bassist Dave Spitz (brother of Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz).
Within a month of joining, however, Dave Spitz left to play bass with
Black Sabbath and was replaced by James LoMenzo.
The
album Fight to Survive was eventually re-recorded with new line-up
& picked up by RCA and released in Japan in 1984. The small US
independent label Grand Slam records finally released Fight To Survive
in the US on November 9, 1985. A few months later, Grand Slam records
went bankrupt.
Unlike
most bands of their genre, White Lion recorded occasional songs that
addressed social or political issues such as apartheid ("Cry for
Freedom") and the effect of divorce on children ("Broken Home"). The
song "Little Fighter" was about the Rainbow Warrior, a ship owned by the
environmental group Greenpeace that was destroyed by operatives of the
French intelligence service. This concern for political and social
issues was also hinted at in the cover art to their album Big Game,
which featured a lion's head hidden in tall grass with the White House
in the background.
* * * * * * * * * *
White Lion - Fight To Survive (1985) Re-Issue 2014
Their
Debut Album, released by Asylum Records in 1985 - and Grand Slamm
Records in America. In This Album, Dave "Beast" Spitz played the Bass.
1. Broken Heart
2. Cherokee
3. Fight To Survive
4. Where Do We Run
5. In The City
6. All The Fallen Men
7. All Burn In Hell
8. Kid Of 1000 Faces
9. El Salvador
10. The Road To Valhalla
* * * * * * * * * *
White Lion - Pride (1987) Re-Issue 2015
The
2nd studio album by the American/Danish hard rock band White Lion,
released on June 21 1987, by Atlantic Records. The album featured the
two top ten hits Wait and When the Children Cry. It remained in the
Billboard Top 200 for a full year, selling two million copies in the US
alone.
Tracks: Download @ 320
1. Hungry
2. Lonely Nights
3. Don't Give Up
4. Sweet Little Loving
5. Lady Of The Valley
6. Wait
7. All You Need Is Rock 'N' Roll
8. Tell Me
9. All Join Our Hands
10. When The Children Cry
11. Wait (Extended Remix) (Bonus Track)
12. All You Need Is Rock n Roll (Live) (Bonus Track)
13. Lonely Nights (Live) (Bonus Track)
14. Lady Of The Valley (Live) (Bonus Track)
15. Tell Me (Live) (Bonus Track)
* * * * * * * * * *
White Lion - Big Game (1989) Re-Issue 2015 (Reissue 2015 Rock Candy)
Their
3rd Studio Album. In the first half of 1989, still riding high off of
the multi platinum success of Pride, White Lion re-entered the studio
following the completion of their Pride tour to record the next album, a
decision the group later came to regret due to the effects of fatigue
from the heavy touring. A musically eclectic follow-up to Pride, the
album featured the singles "Little Fighter", "Cry for Freedom", and a
cover of Golden Earring's "Radar Love". The album quickly went gold but,
without a hit single, sales slowly declined, peaking at #19 on the
album charts.
Tracks: Download @3201. Goin' Home Tonight
2. Dirty Woman
3. Little Fighter
4. Broken Home
5. Baby Be Mine
6. Living on the Edge
7. Let's Get Crazy
8. Don't Say It's Over
9. If My Mind Is Evil
10. Radar Love
11. Cry for Freedom
12. Wait (Live) (Bonus Track)
13. All Join Hands (Live) (Bonus Track)
14. When The Children Cry (Live) (Bonus Track)
* * * * * * * * * *
White Lion - Mane Attraction (1991) Japan Edition
The
4th studio album of White Lion. It was released in 1991 by Atlantic
Records, and reached #61 on The Billboard 200. After two years of
writing and recording, White Lion released Mane Attraction in the summer
of 1991. More of a "back to basics" album, centering on strong hooks
and melodic hard rock, the album was received well by the fans.
Unfortunately, the album failed to reach the top 20 like the last two
albums. It received little or no airplay due to the recent Grunge
explosion and subsequent backlash on all things "hair metal". The album
also contained White Lion's only instrumental song, "Blue Monday", a
tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, who had died while the band was writing
for the album.
Tracks: Download @320
1. Lights And Thunder
2. Broken Heart
3. Leave Me Alone
4. Love Don't Come Easy
5. You're All I Need
6. It's Over
7. Warsong
8. She's Got Everything
9. Till Death Do Us Part
10. Out With The Boys
11. Blue Monday
12. Farewell to You
NOTE:
Greg D'Angelo and James Lomenzo left the band soon after the album's
release, citing "musical differences", but White Lion carried on with
bassist Tommy "T-Bone" Caradonna and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (Megadeth,
Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies, Y&T). After briefly touring in
support of Mane Attraction, Tramp and Bratta decided to call it a day,
their last show being held in Boston at the Channel Club in September
1991.
