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.
Face The Day
Great White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long nights leave me stranded
Black visions, danger signs
No love- I need protection
Feels like I'm on a production line
Daggers of dawn, cold hearted day
Why does if have to be morning?
Too late the luckless warning
Outside the screaming city
Red lights, hungry eyes
Sucks like a space invader
The vacuum of its lies
Stealin' my strength, stealin' my time
It's raining in a world of traders
Let me keep on sleeping
Forget that I'm alone
One day of faceless living-
is twenty-four hours too long
I don't want to face the day
Give me the night, it's more forgiving
Hold back the light from my eyes
Please stay invisible darkness
can't see the tears that I cry
I know it's comin', loaded with nothing
Trapped in a tunnel of time
I don't want to face the day
The day, today
In Great White's "Face the Day," the lyrics convey a sense of desperation and anxiety about facing the challenges and harsh realities of life. The singer expresses a desire to stay hidden and protected from the outside world, unable to cope with the "daggers of dawn" and "cold-hearted day." The city is depicted as a menacing, soul-sucking space, where the singer feels trapped and depleted. The lyrics highlight a yearning for darkness and solitude, as an escape from the pressures of daily life. The singer longs for the night to continue, as it seems more forgiving, and to shield them from the harsh glare of daylight.
The lyrics paint a picture of someone struggling with depression or anxiety, and finding it hard to face the world. The pressure and grind of everyday life seem too overwhelming, leading to a desire to withdraw and avoid confrontation altogether. The sense of isolation and loneliness is palpable in lines like "Forget that I'm alone," and "Stealing my strength, stealing my time." The singer is searching for comfort and safety, but the world around them feels cold and unforgiving.
Overall, "Face the Day" is a powerful statement on the challenges we all face in life, and the ongoing struggle to overcome our fears and anxieties. Great White has created a deeply affecting song that speaks to the human condition and our shared experiences of hardship and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to face the day the day, today
I am overwhelmed with the thought of facing the day ahead, so I desire to stay hidden in bed today.
Long nights leave me stranded
Endless nights make me feel stuck and alone.
Black visions, danger signs
I only see darkness and negativity ahead, as if warning signs are flashing before me.
No love- I need protection
I am lacking love and must protect myself from being hurt any further.
Feels like I'm on a production line
My life feels like a routine, uncreative and meaningless.
Daggers of dawn, cold hearted day
The morning dawn is too sharp and unfeeling, bringing forth a new day which feels emotionally cold.
Why does if have to be morning?
I question the need for the morning hours, as it brings forth unwanted emotions and experiences.
Cover my head, stayin' in bed
I want to hide under the covers and stay in bed.
Too late the luckless warning
Any efforts to change my situation are too little too late and it seems I cannot overcome my unfortunate circumstances.
Outside the screaming city
The city outside is loud and chaotic.
Red lights, hungry eyes
The red lights of the city feel threatening and it seems as if everyone is watching me.
Sucks like a space invader
The city's energy and the people within it suck the life out of me like a space invader in a video game.
The vacuum of its lies
The lies and false promises of the city create an atmosphere of emptiness.
Stealin' my strength, stealin' my time
The city is draining me both physically and emotionally.
It's raining in a world of traders
In a world of deception and financial gain, the rain only adds to the gloominess of the situation.
Let me keep on sleeping
I wish to continue sleeping and ignore the reality of my circumstances.
Forget that I'm alone
I want to forget about my loneliness and pretend that everything is okay.
One day of faceless living-
A single day of feeling empty and purposeless is unbearable.
is twenty-four hours too long
I cannot bear the thought of enduring a full day of this feeling.
Give me the night, it's more forgiving
The nighttime brings a sense of forgiveness and comfort more than the harshness of daylight.
Hold back the light from my eyes
The light of the day is too strong and I wish to avoid it.
Please stay invisible darkness
I want the darkness to remain present and cover my emotions and tears.
can't see the tears that I cry
I don't want others to see me cry or be vulnerable.
I know it's comin', loaded with nothing
I know the day is coming, but I don't expect it to bring anything positive.
Trapped in a tunnel of time
I feel as though I am stuck in a tunnel of time with no escape.
I don't want to face the day
I cannot face the day and all the negativity and pain that comes with it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BERNARD PATRICK NEESON, JOHN CARRINGTON BREWSTER-JONES, RICHARD BREWSTER-JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
T. Jake
Face The Day
Great White
I don't want to face the day the day, today
Long nights leave me stranded
Black visions, danger signs
No love- I need protection
Feels like I'm on a production line
Daggers of dawn, cold hearted day
Why does if have to be morning?
Cover my head, stayin' in bed
Too late the luckless warning
Outside the screaming city
Red lights, hungry eyes
Sucks like a space invader
The vacuum of its lies
Stealin' my strength, stealin' my time
It's raining in a world of traders
Let me keep on sleeping
Forget that I'm alone
One day of faceless living-
is twenty-four hours too long
I don't want to face the day
Give me the night, it's more forgiving
Hold back the light from my eyes
Please stay invisible darkness
can't see the tears that I cry
I know it's comin', loaded with nothing
Trapped in a tunnel of time
I don't want to face the day
The day, today
Songwriters: Bernard Patrick Neeson / John Carrington Brewster-Jones / Richard Brewster-Jones
JJS S
woke up so many mornings hungover to this song when I was in the army...
Fuck you haters- this is a great 4:30am wakeup call.,
CIRCLEJERKS
Haters will hate, its in thier DNA. They wouldn't know what real music was if sat on thier face, what we have now are nursery rhymes since 19 century. Hickory dickory doc, I'm coolest on the block. Yeah - verse - chorus repeat 10 times, hey I got a song
Bon Smith
Huh
BOX
"O" Dark thirty!F! It's another fine day to ETS.
White Boy SS
Thank you for your service tho my man
White Boy SS
Hungry eyes
Nick Cranny
I'm an Australian Guitarist so I've played this song a great deal in Pubs and other gigs too, this version is right up there! Very Good!
Muzikrazy213
YES! My dad and I were on our way back from LA to Oregon when I was 17 and he played all his 80's rock and this song stuck with me! Could NEVER find it thru all of great white's music. Finally Found It. RIP Dad. You brought me up with great music and raised me well. Thank you.
Audra Lynn De Leon
Saw these guys at Hurricane Alley in Houston and never have I ever seen a band jam like these guys. Left an unforgettable impression! Bands just don't jam like this anymore
Jay Usher
Sorly missed..