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.
Ramble On
Great White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's time I was on my way
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged
For such a pleasant stay
But now it's time for me to go
The autumn moon lights my way
And I smell the rain and with it, came
Oh, sometimes I grow so tired
But I know I've got one thing I got to do
Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now
Sing my song, I'm goin' 'round the world I got to find my girl
I'm on my way, I've been this way ten years to the day
Ramble on, gotta find the queen of all my dreams
Got no time to for spreadin' roots
The time has come to be gone
And to our health we drank a thousand times
It's time to ramble on
Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now
Sing my song, I'm goin' 'round the world I got to find my girl
I'm on my way, I've been this way ten years to the day
Ramble on, find the queen of all my dreams, I tell no lies
Mine's a tale that can't be told
My freedom I hold dear
How years ago in days of old
When magic filled the air
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor
I met a girl so fair, but Gollum and the evil one
Crept up and slipped away with her, her, her, yeah
I had nothing I could do, no, I guess I'll keep on
Rambling, I'm gonna shake it
Gonna find my baby, I'm gonna ramble on
Sing my song, gonna work my way
Going 'round the world, ramble on yeah, yeah
Do, do, do, do my ramble on, yeah
I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Every time I think about it till I'm having a ball
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
I gotta keep searchin' for my baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I keep on ramblin', baby, I keep on ramblin', baby
I keep on ramblin', baby, I keep on ramblin', baby
The lyrics of Great White's song Ramble On convey the feelings of a traveler who is bidding farewell to a good host and setting off to find his true love. As he walks through the woods, the autumn moon guides his path, but a foreboding sense of rain hints that challenges are coming his way. The lyrics mention how he had a great time with his host and drank often, but now it is time for him to leave and search for the queen of his dreams. The songwriter says he has been roaming for ten years, indicating that it has been a long and arduous journey. In the later part of the song, the lyrics describe a story of how the songwriter met a girl and lost her to evil forces. However, he is determined to keep on rambling, trying to find his baby.
Overall, the song speaks to the theme of journeying, both physical and emotional. The songwriter is leaving a comfortable place and heading to someplace he has never been before. As he does so, he is also searching for a perfect love that he has not yet found. Every line of the song is full of symbolism, with each word expressing a different emotion, painting a rich tapestry of imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
Leaves are falling all around
The seasons are changing and it's time to move on.
It's time I was on my way
I need to start my journey to find the love of my life.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged
I appreciate the hospitality and good times, but it's time for me to move on.
For such a pleasant stay
I enjoyed the company, but I don't belong here forever.
But now it's time for me to go
I can't stay any longer, my destiny is calling me.
The autumn moon lights my way
I am ready to start my journey, even if the path is uncertain.
And I smell the rain and with it, came
The rain is a sign of change, and I am excited to embrace it.
And it's headed my way
I am ready to face any challenges that come my way on this journey.
Oh, sometimes I grow so tired
I face exhaustion and challenges, but my love drives me forward.
But I know I've got one thing I got to do
I have a mission, and I will do whatever it takes to accomplish it.
Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now
I must start my journey now, and I will not delay.
Sing my song, I'm goin' 'round the world I got to find my girl
My journey is my song, and I will travel the world to find my love.
I'm on my way, I've been this way ten years to the day
I have been searching for ten long years, and I will not give up now.
Ramble on, gotta find the queen of all my dreams
My love is the most important thing to me, and I will search for her until I find her.
Got no time to for spreadin' roots
I can't afford to stay in one place for long, I must keep moving.
The time has come to be gone
It's time for me to leave and continue my journey.
And to our health we drank a thousand times
I have enjoyed the company and the drinks, but it's time to move on.
Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now
I will start my journey and not look back.
Find the queen of all my dreams, I tell no lies
My search for my true love is not a lie, it's the most honest thing I know.
Mine's a tale that can't be told
My journey is full of adventure and experiences that are beyond words.
My freedom I hold dear
Freedom to search for what I love is the most important thing to me.
How years ago in days of old
I have been on this journey for so long that I can't remember when it started.
When magic filled the air
There was a time when things were simpler and more mysterious.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor
I have been through the toughest parts of my journey and survived.
I met a girl so fair, but Gollum and the evil one
I almost found my love, but there were obstacles in the way.
Crept up and slipped away with her, her, her, yeah
I lost the love of my life because of these obstacles, but I will not give up.
I had nothing I could do, no, I guess I'll keep on
Even though I faced defeat, I will not give up on my journey or my love.
Ramble on, gonna shake it
I will continue to move forward and shake off any setbacks.
Gonna find my baby, I'm gonna ramble on
My ultimate goal is to find my true love, and I will never stop searching until I do.
Sing my song, gonna work my way
I will sing my journey and work hard to find my love.
Going 'round the world, ramble on yeah, yeah
I will travel the world in search of my love, and I will not give up until I find her.
Do, do, do, do my ramble on, yeah
My journey is my ramble, and I will continue on this path until I find my love.
I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
My love drives me forward, and I can't ignore it.
Every time I think about it till I'm having a ball
Thinking about my love brings me joy, and I am always motivated to continue my journey.
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
My love is everything to me, and I will do whatever it takes to find her.
I gotta keep searchin' for my baby
My journey will not end until I find the love of my life.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
My passion for my love and my journey will never fade, no matter what happens.
I keep on ramblin', baby, I keep on ramblin', baby
My journey is never-ending, and I will continue to move forward no matter what.
I keep on ramblin', baby, I keep on ramblin', baby
My love is the most important thing to me, and I will keep searching for her forever.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ViveAprilia
One of the best if not best cover of this song. Captured the emotion like Robert Plant.
scott slick
damn close vocally
Dan Augustine
Jack Russell nails the vocals and the band also Nails the groove of Zeppelin !
King Rick
If I heard this song without knowing, I would think it was Led Zeppelin live
Arne Magnus Lundby
i have tested thiat and 10-15 zepplin fans didn't think it was a tribute all of them wonderd if it was a remaster version. they even made this live to r
James Tate
Zep never sounded this good live
Max Reedy
First time I've ever heard this Great White does this song pretty damn good
TheKalib1
One of the best covers ever.
angel williams
im simply amazed, just come across this zepp tribute and im friggin impressed. they sound great. congrats guys you nailed it.
Mr. Meems
Honestly one of the few Led Zeppelin covers I've heard that actually does the covered song justice.