Britny Fox is a glam metal or hair metal group that formed in 1985 in Phila… Read Full Bio ↴Britny Fox is a glam metal or hair metal group that formed in 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was originally fronted by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist "Dizzy" Dean Davidson. They're best known for their eponymous debut album, which reached the #31 slot on the Billboard 200 top albums chart and included headbanging classics "Girlschool" and "Long Way to Love".

The band released a demo titled 'In America' in 1986, which journeyman drummer Tony Destra reportedly played on. Labeled sometimes as a sort of 'younger sister' of band Cinderella ("whence they got their image, guitar player, and record contract" as recounted by one critic), the quartet managed to break through in a big way. The band's self-titled debut album, released in 1988, was one of the most successful premieres of the 1988-89 season, selling more than one million copies and bringing more than 625,000 fans to their 130+ shows. They also won Metal Edge Magazine's 1988 Reader's Choice Award for Best New Band. Highlights of their early work include the top 40 rock hit "Long Way to Love" and the fan favorite "Girlschool".

Sadly, the band appeared saddled with the reputation of having peaked too early. After the release of the band's second album in 1989, titled 'Boys in Heat' and bringing in notable producer Neil Kernon, Davidson departed, and he formed the band Blackeyed Susan. Though appearing at first to be a fatal wound to the group, he was replaced by Las Vegas native Tommy Paris, who had a very similar vocal style. Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde and Poison drummer Rikki Rockett guested on the band's third album, 'Bite Down Hard', which was released in 1991. However, the popularity of glam metal was on a decline around the time of the album's release due to the rising popularity of the 90s alternative or grunge movement. Britny Fox disbanded in 1992.

As referred to before, Michael Kelly Smith was previously in an early version of fellow Philadelphia glam metal band Cinderella until his dismissal, and later Tony Destra also played with them. Also, drummer Adam West, formerly of Tangier, played for Britny Fox briefly between the time of Tony Destra and Johnny Dee.

Britny Fox reunited in 2001 with the same line-up before their disbandment, and they released a fourth studio album, called 'Springhead Motorshark', in 2003. While well-received by fans, the album picked up mixed critical reviews. The band had summer U.S. and European tours in 2007 and 2008. Guitarist Tommy Krash and drummer Henry Now joined at that time. As of late 2007, Britny Fox reformed under original bassist Billy Childs. The other former members of this line-up were lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jamie Fletcher, lead guitarist Greg Polcari, and drummer Henry Now.

Bassist Billy Childs had a minor but billed role in the horror film Incest Death Squad (2009). Childs is currently playing bass in the North American Led Zeppelin tribute band Get the Led Out.

In 2010, "Dizzy" Dean Davidson unsuccessfully attempted to reunite the surviving members of the original line-up.

On April 25, 2015, the band announced that they had reunited with bassist Billy Childs, drummer Johnny Dee, long-time singer/rhythm guitarist Tommy Paris and new lead guitarist Chris Sanders as their line-up and that they are recording a new album. This lineup played six shows in 2015 and eight shows in 2016, but none since. Their last performance, on a Monsters of Rock cruise in October 2016, ended with several dozen mostly middle-aged women dancing wildly to the song "Girlschool". In a 2017 interview, Childs stated that the album project had been abandoned, but he stopped short of saying that the band had broken up. In 2018, Sanders joined Britny Fox's rival band Ratt.

Line-Ups

(1985–1987) Dean Davidson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
Tony Destra – drums, other percussion

(1987) Dean Davidson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
Adam West – drums, percussion

(1987–1989) Dean Davidson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
Billy Childs – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Johnny Dee – drums, percussion, backing vocals

(1990–2006) Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
Johnny Dee – drums, percussion, backing vocals

(2007) Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Greg Polcari – lead guitar, backing vocals
Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
Henry Now – drums, percussion, backing vocals

(2008–present) Jamie Fletcher – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Greg Polcari – lead guitar, backing vocals
Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
Henry Now – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Discography

=Studio Albums=
Britny Fox (1988)
Boys in Heat (1989)
Bite Down Hard (1991)
Springhead Motorshark (2003)

=Live Albums=
Long Way to Live! (2000)
Live at Froggy's (2001)

=Compilation Album=
The Best of Britny Fox (1988)
Extended Versions (2006)

=Singles=
" Long Way to Love" (U.S. #100)
" Girlschool" (U.S. #81)
" Save the Weak"
" Dream On"
" Louder"

=Demos=
In America (1986)
The Bite Down Hard Demo Sessions (2003)

Long Road
Britny Fox Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Longroad (4:03)
D. Davidson

Pulled up in the sunrise, your hometown
Gettin' packed and ready, your big city crowd.

Cause these long and winding roads, roll on through my head.
And now this song we sing cries loud for you.

Cause it's a longroad, headin' your way.
It's a longroad, a song will play.
And we traveled many miles, just to see you smile.
Cause it's a longroad, it's a longroad.

See so many faces, time after time.
Show me how you're feelin', tonight's your night.

bridge, chorus, lead, bridge, chorus out.

Overall Meaning

In the Britny Fox song "Longroad," the lyrics describe a journey and a destination. The singer has pulled up in their hometown at sunrise and is getting packed up and ready to join a big city crowd. The song speaks of the long and winding roads that roll on through the singer's head, perhaps representing the journey they have been on and where their mind is at this moment. They sing about how they have traveled many miles just to see someone smile, indicating that the singer is on a quest to connect with another person.

The chorus speaks of a long road heading their way, with a song that will play. This could indicate both the physical journey the singer is taking as well as the emotional journey they are on. They want to make sure that the person they are seeking out knows that they have come a long way just for them, and that the song they sing will be a cry to reach that person. The bridge seems to emphasize the importance of being in the moment and living life to the fullest, while the lead guitar solo is a musical expression of the emotions conveyed in the lyrics. The final chorus brings everything together and ends the song on a hopeful note, that the singer's journey has been worth it to connect with the person they seek.

Line by Line Meaning

Pulled up in the sunrise, your hometown
Arrived in your hometown early in the morning

Gettin' packed and ready, your big city crowd.
Preparing to leave for the big city where you have a lot of fans.

Cause these long and winding roads, roll on through my head.
The scenic and meandering roads remind me of you, continuously playing in my thoughts.

And now this song we sing cries loud for you.
This song we're singing is a tribute to you and it's singing for you loudly.

Cause it's a longroad, headin' your way.
We're on a long journey to reach you.

It's a longroad, a song will play.
Along the way, we'll sing a song for you.

And we traveled many miles, just to see you smile.
We journeyed long distances simply to make you happy and see you smile.

Cause it's a longroad, it's a longroad.
The road to you is long and takes time.

See so many faces, time after time.
We've seen countless faces on our travels, repeatedly.

Show me how you're feelin', tonight's your night.
Let us know your emotions tonight, it's your special night.

Contributed by Sophie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.