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White Lion was a Hard Rock band of the 1980s and early 1990s.Their manager Mike Parente, also owned L’amour, a club in Brooklyn. The band was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish-born vocalist Mike Tramp (original name Michael Trampenau) and guitarist Vito Bratta who wrote most of the band`s songs. The bands members were: James Lomenzo, Greg D’Angelo, Mike Tramp, Vito Bratta.
Fighting to survive
After moving from Denmark to New York in 1982, vocalist Mike Tramp (ex-Mabel,ex-Studs) met Brooklyn guitarist Vito Bratta (ex-Dreamer) and decided to form a band. The two recruited drummer Nicki Capozzi and bassist Felix Rob
White Lion was a Hard Rock band of the 1980s and early 1990s.Their manager Mike Parente, also owned L’amour, a club in Brooklyn. The band was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish-born vocalist Mike Tramp (original name Michael Trampenau) and guitarist Vito Bratta who wrote most of the band`s songs. The bands members were: James Lomenzo, Greg D’Angelo, Mike Tramp, Vito Bratta.
Fighting to survive
After moving from Denmark to New York in 1982, vocalist Mike Tramp (ex-Mabel,ex-Studs) met Brooklyn 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 first Lion, then White Lion.
White Lion was signed by Elektra records in 1983 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 picked up by RCA and released in Japan in 1984. The small US independent label Grand Slamm records finally released Fight To Survive in the US on November 9, 1985. A few months later, Grand Slam records went bankrupt.
In early 1986, White Lion, with a fictitious “female” member, had a brief part in the Tom Hanks/Shelley Long movie The Money Pit.
The following year Atlantic released their second album Pride which brought success for them. Especially the single Wait which climbed to 8th place in the U.S. chart & real metal music listeners liked it too surprisingly. When the Children Cry was a bigger hit. It reached 3rd place. Atlantic released Fight to Survive worldwide too. The guys toured with the bands Frehley`s Comet, Kiss, AC/DC & Stryper.
In 1989 their next CD Big Game came out. That was a more successful album and it set up their place in the hard rock bands’ top-flight. Mike Tramp called their music “rock`n`roar”. That recording’s hit single was Radar Love, a classic originally recorded by Golden Earring.
1991 was the year when they made their best CD Mane attraction, according to Greg D`Angelo. It contained chart tune Lights & Thunder and a new version of their first album’s song Broken Heart.
In 1992 Greg D`Angelo & James Lomenzo had enough of Tramp`s continuous fighting with Bratta so they left the band. New members were bassist Tommy T. Bone Caradonna & drummer Jimmy De Grasso. Soon, in the autumn of the same year the band disbanded.
Greg & James have played in different groups after White Lion. Vito Bratta concentrated on classic guitar playing. Soon after disbanding Mike had a new band called Freak Of Nature with his Danish friend Oliver Steffanson. They made a few songs together and the demos with the band. Then Tramp & Steffanson had a fight when Staffanson went back to Denmark. The band recorded 2 albums during the years 1993-94. Later in year 1998 all their demos released too.
In year 1998 Mike made his first solo album Capricorn.
After 4 solo albums Mike formed Tramp’s White Lion in the year 2005 with young new musicians, with “Tramp’s” as part of the name to show it was only him from the original band. They recorded live album “Rockin’ the USA” and a studio album is planned as well.
Older White Lion`s demos were also released in the 2000`s as bonus tracks on their remastered albums and in one collection.
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