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.
Step on You
Great White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scars across her thigh
Tell me little honey
Ain't you afraid to die
All night long I give it up
I give it to her good
She likes to be a servant
Her fascination
Ride the wild side
She's so bad
Wild soul
Your explanation
Isn't gonna change my mind
Try to understand the things that you do
But this game is nearly outta time
You think that this is lovin'
But baby you're just runnin'
Always up to somethin'
Girl you got it comin'
Tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna step on you
Hey, hey, hey
Now here it goes
Right between the eyes
Let this be a lesson
A caution to the wise
Shake, shake, shake
Yeah shake that thing
The devil he don't know
He's about to get a woman
Who'll make his bones feel old
Sweetest temptation
Oh yeah your wild side
So bad
Wild soul
A moment's hesitation
Is a waste of time
You gotta head rush baby
From all the ties that bind
Baby this ain't lovin'
Nowhere left for runnin'
Ain't no more discussin'
Can ya see it comin'
Tell ya what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna step on you
The lyrics of Great White's song "Step on You" describe the sexual experiences of the singer with a brown-skinned woman who is not afraid to take risks. The opening lines suggest that the woman has gone through some traumatic experiences, as there are scars across her thigh. The question asked to her, "Ain't you afraid to die?" implies the kind of danger that she regularly faces. Despite this, the singer continues to engage in sexual activity with her all night long, where he takes control and delivers what she wants from the kings of Hollywood.
The lyric, "Try to understand the things that you do, but this game is nearly out of time" indicates a sense of urgency, possibly the singer is falling for the woman and is getting too involved in a dangerous game that could lead to his downfall. He warns her that it's nearly too late to back out of their risky relationship, and he's going to "step on her" and be done with her.
The chorus repeats "Tell ya what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna step on you," leading up to the climax of the song where the singer steps on the woman and ends their relationship. The metaphorical meaning of the phrase is not clear, but it could imply that the singer is taking control of his life and ending the self-destructive behaviour of being involved in a dangerous romantic affair.
Line by Line Meaning
Brown skinned woman's been trading rough
The woman in question has been engaging in risky behavior.
Scars across her thigh
She has visible scars, suggesting she has been involved in dangerous activities.
Tell me little honey
The singer is addressing the woman in a condescending way.
Ain't you afraid to die
The artist is questioning whether the woman is aware of the potential consequences of her actions.
All night long I give it up
The artist has been engaging in sexual activity with the woman throughout the night.
I give it to her good
The singer believes they are skilled at sex.
She likes to be a servant
The woman enjoys being subservient to powerful men.
To the kings of Hollywood
The powerful men the woman serves are likely wealthy and influential figures in Hollywood.
Her fascination
The woman has a strong interest in something.
Ride the wild side
Her interest is in engaging in risky behavior and living life on the edge.
She's so bad
The woman is not a good influence and may be involved in criminal activity.
Wild soul
The woman has a wild and free-spirited personality.
Your explanation
The singer is addressing someone directly, possibly the woman or someone else trying to intervene.
Isn't gonna change my mind
The singer is stubborn and set in their ways.
Try to understand the things that you do
The singer is telling the other person to try to understand their actions.
But this game is nearly outta time
The situation is coming to a close, and something needs to be done.
You think that this is lovin'
The other person perceives the artist's actions as an expression of love.
But baby you're just runnin'
The singer believes the other person is trying to run away from something.
Always up to somethin'
The other person is often involved in suspicious activities.
Girl you got it comin'
The artist believes the other person will soon experience the consequences of their actions.
Tell you what I'm gonna do
The artist is about to take some sort of action.
I'm gonna step on you
The artist plans to assert their dominance and take control of the situation.
Right between the eyes
The singer will take a direct and forceful approach.
Let this be a lesson
The artist wants the other person to learn from this experience.
A caution to the wise
The singer is warning the other person to be careful in the future.
Shake, shake, shake
The singer is exhorting the other person to shake off their current mindset and take a new approach.
Yeah shake that thing
The singer is encouraging the other person to move and dance to the music.
The devil he don't know
The artist implies that the devil is not aware of what is about to happen.
He's about to get a woman
The devil is about to encounter the woman in question.
Who'll make his bones feel old
The woman is powerful and dangerous and will make the devil feel afraid.
Sweetest temptation
The woman is an irresistible temptation.
Oh yeah your wild side
The artist acknowledges the woman's wild and free-spirited nature.
So bad
The woman is not a good influence and may be involved in criminal activity.
Wild soul
The woman has a wild and free-spirited personality.
A moment's hesitation
There is only a brief amount of time left to act.
Is a waste of time
The artist believes it is better to act quickly and decisively than to hesitate.
You gotta head rush baby
The singer is urging the other person to take a risk and live life to the fullest.
From all the ties that bind
The other person has been held back by societal or personal obligations and needs to break free.
Baby this ain't lovin'
The singer believes that what they are doing is not an expression of love.
Nowhere left for runnin'
The other person has run out of options and needs to face the consequences of their actions.
Ain't no more discussin'
The artist is done discussing the matter and is ready to take action.
Can ya see it comin'
The singer believes that the other person can sense that something is about to happen.
Tell ya what I'm gonna do
The singer is about to take some sort of action.
I'm gonna step on you
The artist plans to assert their dominance and take control of the situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENDALL, LARDIE, NIVEN, RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Learned
Psycho City is a great album. All of the songs on it are solid.
Tim Bohlken
100% 👍 agreed!!
top secret
Signed !!!
Lawrence Lassiter
Best friggin band ever. Mark Kendall’s guitar- INSANE
Brian King
Huge fan of Jack Russell's great white! Great music to cruise the beach with the speakers pumpin' loud!
Tim Bohlken
Awesome song, awesome band!
Mario G.
this song is has one of the best guitar riffs ...awesome ...amazing
Tom Jarmusz
One of my favs by them under rated jam
Gary Platis Jr
Highest charting song every by great white got up to number 4 on the Billboard charts and I even know everyone Jack's talking about.
Mike Weston
Rocking jam , can't believe more comments, c'mon metal heads lol