Wild World

Hey Zoo Freaks, the Zoo Crew has got a real gem spinning for all you listening out there. This is "Wild World" by Mr. Big, coming straight off their 1993 album Bump Ahead. It's a cover of that classic Cat Stevens number from way back on Tea for the Tillerman, and the fellas in the band took that folk tune and gave it a polished rock treatment that still feels warm and heartfelt. Eric Martin brings that soulful voice that lifts the whole thing, while Paul Gilbert adds some tasteful guitar work that never overpowers the melody. Billy Sheehan keeps the bass groove solid underneath, and Pat Torpey holds it all together on the drums with a steady pulse that makes you want to lean back and just take it in. It hit the charts in the States around number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, and it did even better over in Europe, climbing high in places like Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland. Critics called it a faithful cover with pleasing vocals and tight harmonies, and a lot of folks who grew up in the nineties first heard the song through this version.

There's a neat little story behind how Mr. Big ended up recording this one, pulled from some old interviews with Eric Martin. After the massive success of "To Be With You" from Lean Into It, the record company came knocking and basically said they wanted another hit ballad just like that. The band had already finished the bulk of Bump Ahead, and the suits gave them about a week to come up with something radio-friendly or the album might not see the light of day the way they hoped. Paul Gilbert, being the younger guy in the group at the time, got a bit put out by the whole push and even wrote a track called "Seven Impossible Days" as a kind of response to the pressure. But the older fellas, Eric, Billy, and Pat, remembered that Cat Stevens tune Eric had loved growing up, with songs like "Peace Train" and "Father and Son" from that same era. They figured "Wild World" had been a hit before, so why not give it a go. Eric has said it was like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and some folks at the label even thought the band had written it themselves because it came together so quick. They kept it fairly true to the original's emotional core but filled it out with those harmonies and a bit more rock production, and it ended up selling the album for them in a lot of markets.

That pressure from the label after a big smash is something a lot of bands went through back then, and Mr. Big handled it by leaning into a song that already had heart. The music video, directed by Nancy Bennett, showed the guys in a more stripped-down setup that matched the acoustic lean of the track. It became a regular part of their live shows, giving the crowd a moment to sing along amid all the shredding and high-energy stuff the band is known for. Some guitar fans who expected nonstop tapping from Paul Gilbert might have been surprised at first, but the melodic solo he laid down fits the song perfectly and shows how the whole group could dial it back when the material called for it. Eric has talked about how he always pushed for more melody in the band, even while the players around him could fly all over their instruments. That balance is what made tracks like this one connect with a wider audience beyond the hard rock crowd.

Speaking of the band itself, Mr. Big got their start as a kind of supergroup of players who already had serious chops before they ever came together. Back in 1988, bassist Billy Sheehan had just left David Lee Roth's solo outfit after a couple of albums, and he started looking to put something new together. With help from Mike Varney over at Shrapnel Records, the label that specialized in those technical players, Billy brought in vocalist Eric Martin, who had been fronting the Eric Martin Band and doing some soul-leaning solo work before that. They added guitarist Paul Gilbert, fresh from his high-speed work with Racer X, and drummer Pat Torpey, who had already toured and recorded with a bunch of folks including Belinda Carlisle and The Knack. The four of them clicked right away, and they hired Herbie Herbert, the former manager of Journey, to help steer things. They took their name from that Free song of the same title, since all of them shared a love for that kind of classic rock feel mixed with their own technical skills. By 1989 they had signed with Atlantic and put out their self-titled debut, which did not set the American charts on fire but found a big audience over in Japan almost immediately.

That Japanese success carried them for a while, and then Lean Into It in 1991 changed everything with "To Be With You" going number one in a bunch of countries. The guys have described themselves as something like Rush with Otis Redding on vocals, or at least that is how Eric put it once. They all shared influences from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young for the harmonies and from Free for the overall vibe. Eric had come up in the Bay Area scene with bands like 415 before forming his own group, and he even auditioned for Toto and Van Halen at different points but never quite made the cut. Billy had been in Talas before the Roth years and was already winning those best bassist polls. Paul was known as one of the fastest players around from Racer X, and Pat brought the solid foundation and backup vocals. When they first got in a room, Eric has said he got a little nervous hearing Paul play because he did not want to be in another pure shred band, he wanted melody and songs that stuck with people. That push and pull helped shape the sound that carried them through Bump Ahead and beyond.

Over the years the lineup shifted when Paul stepped away for a while and Richie Kotzen came in, but the original four reunited later and kept making music and touring right up through recent farewell runs. Pat Torpey passed a while back after dealing with Parkinson's, and the band brought in other drummers to finish out their last stretch of shows. Through it all, the musicianship stayed high, and tracks like "Wild World" showed they could handle both the fireworks and the quieter moments. Eric has kept doing solo acoustic work on the side, playing the ballads the way he first wrote or arranged them, and fans still show up for those nights. The whole story of the band is one of talented players finding a way to make songs that travel beyond the guitar hero circles.

If you want to dig deeper into what the fellas are up to these days, head over to their official website at mrbigsite.com where you can catch up on new releases and such. They keep things going on social media too, so check the official Facebook at Facebook, the Instagram at Instagram, and the X account at X. There is also an active fan group called Eric's She Devils over on Facebook if you want to connect with other folks who dig the band and Eric's work. And of course, you can always catch more deep cuts and stories like this one right here on THE ZOO, where the Zoo Crew keeps the rock rolling for all you Zoo Freaks out there listening. Stay tuned, because there is always another great track coming up next.