White Lion

The story starts in 1982. Mike Tramp brought his band Mabel/Stud's from Denmark to New York, where they recorded their second album. They changed the band name to Lion, also known as The Danish Lions. Mike met Vito Bratta while playing in bars in the New York area with his band Dreamer. They met at L'Amour's while playing together. Mike has said that Vito's playing was just way ahead of them.After a while Mike returned to Denmark and Lion split up. Mike then went back to New York to seek out Vito. He went to L'Amour's and a girl who worked there hooked him back up with Vito. At this time Vito's band Dreamer had broken up. It was decided that they would join forces and form a band. The two went to work putting together new songs. The first born was ‘Broken Heart’.At around early 1983 they put together a band, which included bass player Bruce Terkildsen and drummer Mike Arbeny that was from Vito's former band Dreamer. The band got the name White Lion and regrouped in late 1983 by welcoming the new rhythm section of bassist Bruno Ravel, later of Danger Danger fame, and drummer Nicky Capozzi. These four then went into the studio to start recording the demos for what was later to become their first album, Fight To Survive.As the band finished recording the tracks for the album Bruno Ravel was replaced by Felix Robinson. After getting signed with Elektra Records the band went on to record the Fight To Survive album. After the album was complete the record company put it on the shelf. Rumors say White Lion’s record was sacrificed due to the directions given to one of the company’s managers by the other big band in the same genre.Nicky Capozzi left the band and was replaced by Greg D'Angelo, former Anthrax drummer. Felix Robinson was replaced with Dave Spitz, Anthrax’s Dan Spitz’s brother, at which time the album was released in Japan under the Grand Slam label. The band also toured Japan to support the release. Although the album was a success, to this day the band has never gotten any royalties from ‘Fight To Survive’.The success of ‘Fight To Survive’ brought attention to many American record companies. Soon the band got signed to Atlantic Records. At this time bassist Dave Spitz left and was replaced with James Lomenzo. This was now the force which drove White Lion to top of the charts. They were off to Hotline studios in Frankfurt in 1986 to start to work on the new album.In 1987 Pride was released. It consisted of ten killer tunes with the finest of Greg and James’ rhythms, Vito’s outstanding guitar melodies and Mike’s unique vocals. At first the album was slow to take off until ‘Wait’ hit the airways. Hit after hit sprang from the album. The huge success of ‘Wait’ was followed by ‘Tell Me’ and ‘When The Chidren Cry’. Plus cult fav’s such as ‘All You Need Is Rock 'n' Roll’ and ‘All Join Our Hands’.The band stayed on a constant two-year tour to support the album. The tour ended in November 1988 and the band went into the studio to record the new album with no time off to rest. In 1989 ‘Big Game’ was released with ‘Pride’ still on the charts. It brought such hits as ‘Little Fighter’, the remake of Golden Earring’s ‘Radar Love’ and other fav’s such as ‘Goin’ Home Tonight’ and ‘Cry For Freedom’. The band hit the road yet again on another extended tour.Now rested up the band heads back into the studio to record what to be their last album, entitled Mane Attraction. The new album brought the hit single ‘Love Don't Come Easy’, the remake of their first song ever ‘Broken Heart’, killer tune ‘Lights And Thunder’, and a song that has been played at so many weddings, ‘Till Death Do Us Apart’. Not to forget the instrumental ‘Blue Monday’, Vito’s tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan and amazing rhythm changes in ‘War Song’. The band then set out on another tour.The early 90’s saw the sun set on many great hard rocking bands. The industry was aiming towards the new attraction of depressing grunge bands. At that time Greg and James left the band. Mike and Vito continued with Tommy T-Bone Caradonna on bass, and Jimmy De Grasso on drums, but not for long. The last WL show was in Boston at The Channel in September 1991.White Lion left a significant mark in rock music scene of 80’s and early 90’s. Their sound differed from many other bands from the same genre. Outstanding rhythm section with amazing power guitars and Mike’s voice shaped White Lion’s lyrical and musical finest outcomes. The harsh realities of the music business determined their end. To end this Bio here is a quote from Mike Tramp:"What broke up the band was the people on the outside, the ones we paid to give us assistance and direction, and Atlantic records forgetting us for someone new, to say it in a simple way. Still at the end we were not the band who recorded ‘Pride’, we had forgotten our direction, and at times try to satisfy the wrong people, instead of being true to what ‘Little Fighter’ and ‘Wait’ stood for."Vito has been out of the music business ever since. James and Greg showed their talents in several other projects. Mike formed Freak of Nature followed by his solo career. In 2005 he decided to bring the old-school spirit back with his mates performing as Mike Tramp’s White Lion.