Great White started their career as Dante Fox, playing their first gig in 1981 at The Troubadour in Hollywood, California. After recording several demos, the band chose as manager Alan Niven, who had worked for the independent distributor Greenworld in Torrance, California and had dealt with Mötley Crüe's debut self-release. Niven suggested the name change from Dante Fox after seeing singer Jack Russell introduce Mark Kendall (guitarist) during his solo as "Mark Kendall, the Great White", due to his naturally white-blonde hair, white Fender Telecaster guitar, white jumpsuit, and white Capezio shoes. In 1982, founding members Mark Kendall, Jack Russell, drummer Gary Holland, and bassist Lorne Black recorded and released a 5-song EP, Out of the Night, on the independent label Aegean formed by Niven. Niven then convinced the Los Angeles radio station KMET to begin adding songs from the EP to its playlist in heavy rotation. KLOS-FM soon did the same. The band suddenly went from drawing 100 people to a local club to drawing thousands in L.A. concert halls such as Perkins Palace in Pasadena, The Palace in Hollywood and the Country Club in Reseda. As an unsigned act, Great White headlined at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia playing to 6,250 people. Near the end of 1983, EMI America signed the band and subsequently released Great White's eponymous debut album ('Great White') in early 1984. The band immediately toured the UK supporting Whitesnake's Slide It In tour and the entire US and Canada opening for Judas Priest's Defenders of the Faith tour. 'Shot in the Dark', their follow-up independent release, marked the arrival of drummer Audie Desbrow. By the time Capitol Records signed the band and reissued Shot in the Dark, keyboardist-guitarist Michael Lardie had come aboard. After the release of Shot in the Dark, Great White hit the road with Dokken and was on the verge of even bigger success.
The band hit the mainstream in 1987 when they released 'Once Bitten', which featured the hits "Rock Me" and "Save Your Love". Once Bitten... was certified platinum in April 1988.
The band followed up with '...Twice Shy' in 1989. The album included their biggest hit, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", a cover of a UK hit single by Ian Hunter. They received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was certified platinum in July 1989 and then double platinum in September of that same year. The model Bobbie Brown (also known for being in Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video) appeared in the video for "Once Bitten, Twice Shy". They finished off the 80s touring in support of ...Twice Shy as headliners and with some best known bands, such as Bon Jovi.
In 1990, the band featured in the heavy metal video series Hard 'N' Heavy containing music, concert footage and interviews. The video included Slash and Duff from Guns N' Roses appearing with the band at a Children of the Night Benefit concert in L.A., the performance helping to raise money for housing abused homeless children. Both bands shared the same manager, Alan Niven at the time.
The band continued into the next decade performing the song "House of Broken Love" at the American Music Awards in January 1990. In March, Great White embarked on their first tour of Japan. They returned to the United States for the Memorial Day weekend festival dubbed The World Series of Rock, which featured Whitesnake, Skid Row, Bad English, and Hericane Alice. Great White recorded two more albums for Capitol Records, 'Hooked', which was certified gold, and 'Psycho City'. In support of Hooked, Great White did a tour as headliner tour, had a guest slot with German metal band Scorpions and travelled to Europe and Japan. Psycho City was followed by a US tour with Kiss.
Capitol issued the compilation 'The Best of Great White 1986-1992' in 1993, when Great White had already departed the label to begin work on their next studio release, 'Sail Away'. Before the release of the album, Great White spent seven months on the road headlining clubs. According to Lardie, it was "the longest stint we ever did without a break." Great White kept up the pace once Sail Away was released on Zoo Records in 1994, touring the US several times over the following year and a half. Their next release, Let It Rock, was released in 1996 through yet another label, Imago Records.
In 1999, the band released 'Can't Get There from Here' and embarked on a tour with Ratt, Poison, and L.A. Guns. The album featured the single "Rollin' Stoned", which managed to chart at No. 8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
In a memo dated 20 January 2000 Mark Kendall announced he was leaving Great White, shortly thereafter both Audie Desbrow and Sean McNabb left Great White. Kendall was replaced by guitarist Matthew Johnson. Desbrow, clearly very unhappy with the financial state of the band posted a tirade on his website lambasting Jack Russell and Michael Lardie, while claiming to have been "fired" from Great White. Meanwhile, it was rumored that Sean McNabb was fired for going to management and asking to see the accounting books. Despite only having one original member left, the band announced plans to begin work on a new album in late 2000. Early in the process, some of the new songs were played for John Kalodner at Columbia Records. It was mutually agreed that the "magic was gone" and the band decided their heart was not in the recording process. They subsequently left Columbia Records and discontinued work on the new album. On 5 November 2001 Jack Russell announced the end of Great White, stating that he was moving on, and that Great White would play one final farewell show on 31 December 2001 at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, CA. Both Kendall and McNabb rejoined the band for the farewell show, recorded for a live CD entitled 'Thank You...Goodnight!' released by Knight Records. The live album includes two new tracks, "Back to the Rhythm" and "Play On" from their discontinued studio sessions, both of which would ultimately wind up on their reunion album 'Back to the Rhythm' in 2007.
In late 2002, in part due to his failure to attract good audiences while on the road with his solo band, Jack Russell contacted Kendall, who himself was struggling to gain an audience on his own. Kendall agreed to play some dates with Russell's band, allowing Russell to use the name Great White once again. Billed as "Jack Russell's Great White," the tour was to consist primarily of classic songs from the Great White catalog with some of Russell's solo work mixed in. Eventually, more dates were added and the tour extended through the early months of 2003.
The band returned to the national spotlight on 20 February 2003. At the beginning of a Great White performance at The Station night club in Rhode Island, pyrotechnics used by the band's crew created a spray of sparks that ignited the foam soundproofing material in the ceiling around the stage. One hundred people including the band's guitarist Ty Longley, died in the fire that followed. In 2008 the band agreed to pay $1 million to survivors and victims' relatives of the fire while admitting to no wrongdoing. This amount also covers former tour manager Daniel Biechele along with the band members, record label, and management as it existed at the time of the fire. The settlement was the maximum allowed under the band's insurance plan. Victims had previously received $3.8 million raised by United Way of America.
Though the media referred to the band as "Great White" following the tragedy in Rhode Island, the band was officially performing under the moniker of "Jack Russell's Great White" at the time of the incident. In fact, prior to the fire, the band's official website posted a message stating that Great White had not re-formed. It's unclear when the band began officially going by "Great White" again.
Great White played their first full show following the Rhode Island tragedy on 22 July, starting a benefit tour for the survivors and victims of the fire. The band toured until 2005 to raise funds for the Station Family Fund, which had been set up to help the victims of the tragedy. In late 2005, citing "medical reasons", the band canceled the second half of their summer tour. The "medical reasons" turned out to be Jack Russell's addictions to alcohol and cocaine. This was the end of this version of Great White, as Jack Russell entered rehabilitation and did not perform again until 2007. Russell used the year of 2006 to get sober and get a facelift that was detailed on ExtraTV. Russell later referred to this incarnation of Great White as "Fake White", saying "It still sounded like Great White, but not – almost like we were doing a cover of ourselves."
Talk of a reunion of Great White began in a 2004 interview. Later in 2006, guitarist Mark Kendall officially announced that Great White had re-formed its classic lineup. The re-formed lineup of Russell, Kendall, Lardie, McNabb and Desbrow played their first date together in more than 5 years on 27 January 2007 at the Keyclub in Hollywood performing in the Harpseals.org Benefit Concert for the Seals 2007. In 2008, bassist Sean McNabb left Great White to concentrate on a career in theater and acting. McNabb was promptly replaced with Scott Snyder (Ramos, Accomplice). McNabb went on to join Dokken.
Great White released their album, 'Rising', on 13 March 2009 in Europe via Frontiers Records and on 21 April in the US.
In 2010, Jani Lane of Warrant filled in for Jack Russell, while Russell recuperated from surgery after suffering a perforated bowel. Terry Ilous (XYZ) replaced Jack Russell at the Coach House during the summer of 2010, and Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot, King Kobra) filled in for Russell when Great White performed at Stockholm Rock Out Festival in September. In December 2011, Russell formed a new incarnation of Great White with a brand-new lineup under the name of "Jack Russell's Great White".
On 18 March 2012 Great White announced their first new album with Ilous, 'Elation' , to be released in May that year, along with a live album ('30 Years: Live From The Sunset Strip') and a concert DVD of the band's 30th-anniversary show at the Key Club in Hollywood on 22 March.
Lorne Black, Great White's original bassist, who performed and recorded with the group up through the Once Bitten album, died on September 27, 2013. He was 50 years old.
On June 2, 2017, Great White released their most recent studio effort, 'Full Circle', on Bluez Tone Records, with Wagener as the producer. The song "Big Time" was released as the first single and video. On July 9, 2018, Great White announced that they had parted ways with Terry Illous as their singer and he was replaced by Mitch Malloy.
On May 31, 2022, Great White announced vocalist Andrew Freeman of Last In Line replaced Malloy as the band's lead singer and frontman.
30 Days in the Hole
Great White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thirty days
Anyone doing that one?
I'm doing that one
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole all right all right all right all right
Chicago green talking about black lebanese
Black napalese it's got you weak in your knees
Just sneeze some dust that you got buzzed on you know it's hard to believe
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole that's what they give you I know thirty days in the hole
Newcastle brown I'm telling you it can sure smack you down
Take a greasy whore and a rolling dance floor it's got your head spinning around
If you live on the road well there's a new highway code
You take the urban noise with some dirt with poison it's going to lessen your load
Thirty days in the hole that's what they give you now thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole all right all right now thirty days in the hole
What you doing boy? you're here for thirty days
Come on get your long hair cut and cut out your ways
Black napalese it got you weak in your knees
Going to sneeze some dust that you got buzzed on you know it's so hard to please
Newcastle brown can sure smack you down
You take a greasy whore and a rolling dance floor you know you're jailhouse bound
Thirty days in the hole that's what they give you now thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole all right now thirty days in the hole
Thirty days thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Thirty days in the hole
Great White's "30 Days in the Hole" tells the story of a person who has been sentenced to spend a month in prison. The song describes the gritty reality of a jail cell and how the singer uses drugs as a form of escape. The lyrics touch upon the dangers of addiction, urban life, and the pitfalls of being on the road. The first verse of the song introduces us to the singer, who is eagerly waiting to start serving his sentence. He then describes the other inmates and their drug usage, highlighting how bleak and hopeless the situation is. The lyrics convey an underlying sense of anger and frustration towards society, suggesting that poverty and drugs are a byproduct of a dysfunctional system.
The second verse of the song takes a more introspective approach. It talks about the specific types of drugs the inmates are using - Black Lebanese and black Nepalese - and how they affect the body. The singer is aware of the dangers of drug addiction, but he is too consumed with his personal struggles to escape its grasp. The line "it's so hard to please" suggests that the singer has lost touch with reality and is desperately searching for a way to escape his problems.
Overall, "30 Days in the Hole" is a powerful commentary on the harsh realities of prison life and the alluring yet devastating nature of drug addiction. It is a stark reminder of the challenges and struggles that many people face on a daily basis.
Line by Line Meaning
Roll my tape
Let me start recording my music
Thirty days
A period of thirty consecutive days
Anyone doing that one?
Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?
I'm doing that one
I am going through that experience
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Being imprisoned or trapped for thirty days
Thirty days in the hole all right all right all right all right
Accepting the fate of being in confinement for a month
Chicago green talking about black lebanese
A reference to drugs and their influence
A dirty room and a silver coke spoon give me my release come on
Drug use being an escape from reality
Black napalese it's got you weak in your knees
A powerful drug causing physical weakness
Just sneeze some dust that you got buzzed on you know it's hard to believe
Snorting drugs is hard to believe but it is true
Newcastle brown I'm telling you it can sure smack you down
Alcohol can be overwhelming
Take a greasy whore and a rolling dance floor it's got your head spinning around
Party lifestyle leading to confusion and disorientation
If you live on the road well there's a new highway code
A reference to life being unpredictable and requiring adaptation
You take the urban noise with some dirt with poison it's going to lessen your load
Life's challenges can make one feel burdened
What you doing boy? you're here for thirty days
Reminding someone about their confinement period
Come on get your long hair cut and cut out your ways
Suggesting that one change their ways to avoid further imprisonment
You know you're jailhouse bound
Inevitably going back to jail
Going to sneeze some dust that you got buzzed on you know it's so hard to please
Drug addiction is hard to control
Thirty days in the hole that's what they give you now thirty days in the hole
Being imprisoned for a month as a punishment
Thirty days in the hole all right now thirty days in the hole
Acknowledging the situation of being confined for thirty days
Thirty days thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Repeating the fact of being in confinement for a month
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Re-emphasizing the situation of being imprisoned or confined for a month
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Suggesting the monotony of being trapped for thirty days
Thirty days in the hole thirty days in the hole
Repeating the fact of being confined or imprisoned for a month
Contributed by Penelope L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tomartstone
One of the greatest songs ever! Almost 74 and this Rocks the Hell out of my world....Never tire of this!
@user-yg2eq4ul3j
Nothing like back in the day... Love this song
@shirleygiordano7627
I'm 43. My parents and elder sister got me into classic 70s and 80s hard rock. I bop to this song a lot. It's an iconic song.
@shirleygiordano7627
I'm 43, and I looooove this song. My sisters and parents always played good old solid classic rock and metal, and I love it.
@lawsonfan5797
There ain't a stereo in the world that is loud enough to play this properly.
@johndoherty8515
True day.
@johndoherty8515
True dat. Fucking spell check.
@ericbomberger1128
You got that right!!!!
@wangdangdoodle1813
fkN A +🎵
@rhondamainor2654
That bitch is bad... 30 days... Err day!!!