Mike Tramp is a rock ‘n’ roll artist from Denmark, best known for fronting the hard rock bands White Lion and Freak Of Nature during the eighties and nineties. Tramp has also had a successful solo career over the last twenty five years, releasing fourteen albums – the latest of which ‘Songs Of White Lion’ was released in 2023…
…and sees Tramp re-imagining twelve select songs from his previous band White Lion.
White Lion was a hard rock/glam rock band formed in 1983 by Tramp (vocals) and Vito Bratta (guitars) – the band completed by James LoMenzo (bass) and Greg D’Angelo (drums). The band released four albums in the six year period between 1985 and 1991 – (debut album) ‘Fight To Survive’ (1985), ‘Pride’ (1987), ‘Big Game’ (1989), and ‘Mane Attraction’ (1991), featuring a number of single releases such as ‘Wait’ (1987) and ‘When The Children Cry’ (1988) – both entering the top ten Billboard singles charts in America!
White Lion broke up in 1992, with Tramp forming the hard rock band Freak Of Nature, releasing two albums ‘Freak Of Nature’ (1993) and ‘Gathering Of Freaks’ (1994). Following Freak Of Nature’s disbanding in 1996, Tramp embarked on his solo career, also reforming White Lion on two separate occasions (1999 and 2004) – the second reformation resulting in a brand new studio album ‘Return Of The Pride’ (2008).
But it’s from White Lion’s first three albums that all twelve songs on Tramp‘s new album ‘Songs Of White Lion’ are taken – featuring the hit singles ‘Wait’ and ‘When Children Cry’, along with some of the other bands biggest songs such as ‘Broken Heart’, ‘Tell Me’, ‘Little Fighter’, ‘Cry For Freedom’, and ‘Goin’ Home Tonight’.
And ‘Songs Of White Lion’ isn’t just a collection of the songs in their original form – hell no! As Tramp explains “I’m not 26 anymore, I don’t sing like I’m 26, and I wouldn’t be doing justice to the songs or myself if I tried to sing like I’m 26. I have recorded the songs as close to the originals as possible, this is the only way I can embrace them and feel at home and be honest to myself and the songs”.
So if you’re expecting some kind of “greatest hits” package that features the original versions of the twelve songs on offer – you’re gonna be very disappointed! This is a compilation of re-imagined, re-recorded, and re-worked songs by Tramp, lead singer of a band that was one of the biggest hitters in the hard rock scene during the late eighties. Prepare yourselves for a re-education of the band White Lion.
Overall, an intriguing new take on classic songs from the past, ‘Songs Of White Lion’ is so much more than just another compilation.
TRACKLIST
Lady Of The Valley
Little Fighter
Broken Heart
Love Don’t Come Easy
Hungry
Cry For Freedom
Goin’ Home Tonight
Wait
All The Fallen Men
Living On The Edge
Tell Me
When The Children Cry
Mike Tramp: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Frontiers Music s.r.l.
Category: Album
Country: Denmark
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
