WHITE SPIRIT опубликовали инструментальную версию композиции “Rock ‘N’ Roll”, которая вошла в качестве бонус-трека на японское издание альбома "Right Or Wrong".
... well not quite that far away, Hartlepool in County Durham to be precise, a band of rare quality was formed.
That band was called White Spirit, and after their debut single, Backs To The Grind
was released on the legendary NEAT Records in 1980, the major labels came knocking. They were eager to snap up a band that had far more to offer than the majority of NWOBHM bands that they were lazily bracketed with.
MCA Records won the race to sign White Spirit, and with a line up of Phil Brady, Graeme Crallan, Janick Gers, Malcolm Pearson and Bruce Ruff, their self titled debut album was released later in 1980 to great acclaim. A constant schedule of touring saw the band build up a large and loyal following, but changes in personnel saw Janick Gers join Ian Gillan,
replaced by Mick Tucker, Toby Sadler take over bass duties from Phil Brady and Bruce Ruff make way for an unknown singer called Brian Howe.
The new and improved White Spirit entered the studio to work on their second album with
then Gillan keysman, Colin Towns at the production helm.
Alas, the album was never completed, the band broke up and musicians went their separate ways. Mick Tucker joined Tank, later followed by Graeme Crallan. Sadler slid easily into Airrace. Mal Pearson stepped away from music for a spell before returning to
action with legends The Sweet.
Singer, Brian Howe crossed the Atlantic and became frontman for Ted Nugent, before achieving mega platinum success as the replacement for Paul Rodgers in Bad Company.
So White Spirit were seemingly consigned to music history, with former members proceeding to forge impressive careers built on this promising foundation.
Four decades on and the location of these 2nd album sessions remained a mystery. Presumed to have been consigned to a skip, as was the fate of so many priceless
master tapes carelessly discarded over the years.
The day following Brian Howe’s tragic death from a heart attack in May 2020, Tucker and Pearson were on the phone reflecting on those headyWhite Spiritdays. The missing
tapes were once more discussed, but still neither had any idea where to find them.
Fate stepped in, and whilst preparing to relocate to France, Mal Pearson was rifling through his furniture in storage when he found a dusty old bedside cabinet. Inside were four sets of tapes. One labelled Chiswick Studios – White Spirit. This was it. The one they’d all thought was lost for ever.
The tape was handed over to Conquest Music boss and Tank guitarist, Cliff Evans. He arranged for the delicate and risky process of baking the tapes to preserve and retrieve the old recordings and transfer them to digital.
Successful as the process was, the sound quality of some elements of the tracks were just not good enough for today’s ears so Tucker & Pearson decided to replace all
of the musical accompaniment with a stellar
line up of players. Neil Murray (Whitesnake) and Russell Gilbrook (Uriah Heep) made up the rhythm section, with the guitars and keyboards replaced by Mick and Mal.
Великобритания
That band was called White Spirit, and after their debut single, Backs To The Grind
was released on the legendary NEAT Records in 1980, the major labels came knocking. They were eager to snap up a band that had far more to offer than the majority of NWOBHM bands that they were lazily bracketed with.
MCA Records won the race to sign White Spirit, and with a line up of Phil Brady, Graeme Crallan, Janick Gers, Malcolm Pearson and Bruce Ruff, their self titled debut album was released later in 1980 to great acclaim. A constant schedule of touring saw the band build up a large and loyal following, but changes in personnel saw Janick Gers join Ian Gillan,
replaced by Mick Tucker, Toby Sadler take over bass duties from Phil Brady and Bruce Ruff make way for an unknown singer called Brian Howe.
The new and improved White Spirit entered the studio to work on their second album with
then Gillan keysman, Colin Towns at the production helm.
Alas, the album was never completed, the band broke up and musicians went their separate ways. Mick Tucker joined Tank, later followed by Graeme Crallan. Sadler slid easily into Airrace. Mal Pearson stepped away from music for a spell before returning to
action with legends The Sweet.
Singer, Brian Howe crossed the Atlantic and became frontman for Ted Nugent, before achieving mega platinum success as the replacement for Paul Rodgers in Bad Company.
So White Spirit were seemingly consigned to music history, with former members proceeding to forge impressive careers built on this promising foundation.
Four decades on and the location of these 2nd album sessions remained a mystery. Presumed to have been consigned to a skip, as was the fate of so many priceless
master tapes carelessly discarded over the years.
The day following Brian Howe’s tragic death from a heart attack in May 2020, Tucker and Pearson were on the phone reflecting on those headyWhite Spiritdays. The missing
tapes were once more discussed, but still neither had any idea where to find them.
Fate stepped in, and whilst preparing to relocate to France, Mal Pearson was rifling through his furniture in storage when he found a dusty old bedside cabinet. Inside were four sets of tapes. One labelled Chiswick Studios – White Spirit. This was it. The one they’d all thought was lost for ever.
The tape was handed over to Conquest Music boss and Tank guitarist, Cliff Evans. He arranged for the delicate and risky process of baking the tapes to preserve and retrieve the old recordings and transfer them to digital.
Successful as the process was, the sound quality of some elements of the tracks were just not good enough for today’s ears so Tucker & Pearson decided to replace all
of the musical accompaniment with a stellar
line up of players. Neil Murray (Whitesnake) and Russell Gilbrook (Uriah Heep) made up the rhythm section, with the guitars and keyboards replaced by Mick and Mal.