- For other uses of the term, see Great White (disambiguation).
Great White is an American rock and roll band.
Great White | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Years active | 1981– |
| Members | Jack Russell Mark Kendall Tyler Nelson Derrick Pontier Scott Pounds |
| Past members | Krys Baratto Audie Desbrow Ty Longley Michael Lardie Gary Holland Sean McNabb Dave Spitz |
| Website | www.mistabone.com |
Great White formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Their songs were influenced by the likes of AC/DC, and Mott the Hoople, and notably Led Zeppelin: Great White singer Jack Russel's vocals were often very reminiscent of Robert Plant's distinctive wail. Additionally, Great White released a collection of cover songs in 1999, titled Great Zeppelin: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin.
Musically, they are known primarily for their hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", a cover version of a song written by Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter. Recently, Great White has received attention due to their involvement in the The Station nightclub fire, which led to the deaths of 100 people in Rhode Island in 2003.
Beginnings and the 1980s
Great White has been churning out songs since the early 80's, when Russell and Mark Kendall joined forces and adopted their blues rock sound that went against the era's glam rock. Great White quickly attracted attention on the L.A. club scene. Their independently released EP Out of the Night sold 20,000 copies and got local radio airplay. Great White was snapped up by EMI America, which issued the eponymous "Great White" in 1984. That year, the band embarked on their first European tour with Whitesnake, and segued to a five month U.S. arena run with Judas Priest.
Shot in the Dark, their follow-up independent release, marked the arrival of drummer Audie Desbrow. By the time Capitol Records signed the band and reissued Shot in the Dark, keyboardist-guitarist Michael Lardie had come aboard. After the release of Shot in the Dark, Great White hit the road with Dokken and was on the verge of even bigger success.
The band hit the mainstream in 1987 when they released Once Bitten.... "Once Bitten..." was certified platinum in April of 1988. The album featured some relatively successful hit songs - "Rock Me", "Lady Red Light", and "Save Your Love".
The band followed up with ...Twice Shy in (1989; see 1989 in music). The album included their biggest hit, Once Bitten, Twice Shy for which they received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was certified platinum in July of 1989 and then double platinum in September of that same year. The model Bobbie Brown (also known for being in Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video) appeared in the video for "Once Bitten, Twice Shy". Although the band appeared in tight leather pants and threw their hair around, they seemed to be more oriented towards blues-based rock and roll than to glamour. They finished off the 80's touring in support of "...Twice Shy" and with some larger bands, such as Bon Jovi.
The 1990s
The band continued into the next decade performing "House of Broken Love" on the American Music Awards in January 1990. That spring, Great White embarked on their first tour of Japan. They soon returned stateside for the Memorial Day weekend festival, dubbed The World Series of Rock, which featured Whitesnake, Skid Row, Bad English, and Hericane Alice. Great White recorded two more albums for Capitol — Hooked, which was certified gold, and Psycho City, which is to this day considered by many to be their most underrated effort. In support of Hooked, Great White toured, completing a headline tour, a guest slot with the Scorpions, and trips to Europe and Japan. Psycho City was followed by a U.S. tour with Kiss.
Although Capitol issued a Best Of compilation in 1993, Great White had already departed the label to begin work on their next studio release, Sail Away. Great White spent a grueling seven straight months on the road headlining clubs. According to Lardie, it was "the longest stint we ever did without a break." Great White kept up the pace once Sail Away was released on Zoo Records in 1994, touring the country several times over the following year and a half. Their next release, Let It Rock, was released through yet another label, Imago, in 1996.
In 1999 the band released Can't Get There From Here and embarked on a successful tour with Ratt, Poison, and LA Guns. The Album featured the single Rollin' Stoned, which managed to chart on the adult rock charts.
The 2000s
It was a disaster that brought Great White into the limelight again. Pyrotechnics used by the band's crew sparked a fire in a Rhode Island nightclub (see The Station nightclub fire) on February 20, 2003, killing 100 people including the band's guitarist, Ty Longley. A spray of sparks produced by a set of devices called gerbs, designed to ignite a controlled display of sparks, ignited the foam soundproofing material behind the stage. The band was playing the song "Desert Moon" when the fire erupted [1]. The band toured in support of the victims and families of The Station tragedy.
Great White continues to tour and are currently working on another album.
Discography
- Out of the Night
- Great White
- Shot in the Dark
- Once Bitten...
- ...Twice Shy
- Hooked
- Psycho City
- Best of Great White
- Sail Away
- Let It Rock
- Can't Get There From Here
- Great Zeppelin - Tribute To Led Zeppelin
- Latest and the Greatest
Some of their early albums are no longer made in the United States. However, Japanese record label Megaphon remastered and reissued some of their catalog.