Wait

Hey there, Zoo Freaks! The Zoo Crew is spinning the classic track "Wait" by White Lion from their 1987 album Pride, and we’ve got some wild trivia to share. Did you know the song’s iconic guitar solo by Vito Bratta was originally just a backing track played during drum recording? Producer Michael Wagener was so blown away, he insisted on keeping it, saying it gave him goosebumps. The band also used a Fender Stratocaster once owned by Jimi Hendrix to record another solo on the album, adding some serious rock history to the mix. "Wait" itself was a slow burn, released in June 1987 but not hitting the charts until MTV put its music video in heavy rotation in January 1988, eventually peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. That seven-month wait paid off, making it a defining anthem of the glam metal era.

Another cool tidbit comes from the recording process. White Lion initially demoed songs in Frankfurt in 1986, but scrapped them for a fresh start in Los Angeles to craft Pride. Those early demos, with a rawer sound, later surfaced on releases like Pride Take One ’86 and the Anthology album. Drummer Greg D’Angelo noted the band took a risk with a more commercial sound, which clearly worked, as Pride went double platinum, selling two million copies in the US alone. The song’s lyrics, about the sudden loss of love, hit hard, and its soaring melodies and Bratta’s shredding made it a fan favorite, with some calling it one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded.

Now, let’s dive into how White Lion got their start. Formed in New York City in 1983, the band was the brainchild of Danish vocalist/guitarist Mike Tramp and Italian-American guitarist Vito Bratta. Tramp, born in Denmark, was already a seasoned performer, having been a teen idol in the late ‘70s with a pop band called Mabel, which he jokingly described as bigger than Queen in Denmark. After Mabel fizzled out, Tramp’s love for American rock ‘n’ roll drew him to New York, where he met Bratta, a virtuoso guitarist with a knack for melodic yet technical riffs. They bonded over their shared vision, forming White Lion and releasing their debut album, Fight to Survive, in 1985 through Elektra Records. Though Elektra didn’t release it in the US, the album gained traction as an import, setting the stage for their breakthrough with Pride.

White Lion’s early years were a grind, with constant touring alongside bands like Aerosmith, Kiss, and AC/DC. Their big break came when Atlantic Records signed them in 1987, leading to the release of Pride. The band, rounded out by bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Greg D’Angelo, became a staple of the ‘80s glam metal scene, known for their heartfelt lyrics and Bratta’s jaw-dropping guitar work. Though they disbanded in 1992 after their fourth album, Mane Attraction, Tramp has kept the spirit alive with solo work and a reimagined Songs of White Lion project, released in 2023.

For more on White Lion and Mike Tramp, check out their official website at miketramp.dk. You can follow Mike Tramp on social media for the latest updates: Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans can also connect through the White Lion – Official Fan Group on Facebook, a great spot for Zoo Freaks to share their love for the band. For those craving more, the fan-driven site My Rock Mixtapes offers awesome throwbacks and reviews of White Lion’s legacy.