Winger disbanded in 1994. In 2001 they reunited and have since conducted several successful tours. In 2006, the band's 1993 touring line-up (minus Paul Taylor but including John Roth) reunited to record the band's first studio album in over 13 years, IV, and toured in support of the album into 2008.
In 2009, the band released their fifth album, Karma. As of 2013, Winger was performing on mini-tours, festivals and private events. Their most recent album, Better Days Comin', came out in 2014.
History:
Main career and break-up (1987–1994).
The debut album, Winger, was released on August 10, 1988 on Atlantic Records. The record was a success, achieving platinum status in the United States, and gold status in Japan and Canada. On February 11, 1989, the album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200, and was in various places on the chart for 63 weeks. Radio and MTV hits from the album included "Madalaine", "Seventeen", "Headed for a Heartbreak" and "Hungry". In 1990, the band was nominated for an American Music Award for "Best New Heavy Metal Band".
Shortly after that tour, Winger released its second album In the Heart of the Young, which went 1-and-1/2 platinum in the U.S. and gold in Japan. Hit radio tracks and MTV videos included "Can't Get Enuff", "Miles Away" and "Easy Come Easy Go".
Winger followed the release of its second album with a 13-month world tour, playing over 230 dates with Kiss, Scorpions, ZZ Top, Extreme and Slaughter. Paul Taylor left the band after the tour, citing exhaustion after years of touring. Their third studio album, Pull, produced by Mike Shipley, was recorded in 1992/1993 as a three-piece band. It was originally to be called Blind Revolution Mad, after the opening song. Reportedly, Kip Winger, anticipating that critics would dismiss the album out of hand, renamed it Pull as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the CD being used by critics as a skeet-shooting target. The album was not as successful as the previous albums sales wise, but gained solid reviews. On the following tour, John Roth was called in to replace Paul Taylor on rhythm guitar. The album coincided with the rise of grunge, which swept aside the brand of melodic pop metal that Winger represented.
In the 1990s, Winger was subject to mockery from MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-head. Series creator Mike Judge later revealed that he had been incorrectly informed that Kip Winger had asked the network not to make jokes about the band on the series, which led to further jokes about the band, but later learned from Winger himself that he had never made any such stipulation. “Stewart”, an early character from the TV show, wore a Winger t-shirt during the shows original run on MTV during the early 90s.
After disbanding in 1994, bassist/lead vocalist Kip Winger went on to a solo career, guitarist Reb Beach went on to touring projects with artists Dokken, Alice Cooper and has held a permanent guitar spot in Whitesnake since 2002. The band's other members pursued or resumed careers as session musicians.
Reunions (2001–present)
In 2001, it was announced that all original members of the band would return to the studio to record the song "On the Inside" for The Very Best of Winger. In 2002, all five members embarked on a reunion tour of the U.S. and Canada on a bill with Poison. According to Kip Winger, in a 2008 interview with rock and roll comic C.C. Banana, it was important to include all five members because "it was the big, long-awaited reunion so I wanted to include everybody who had ever been in the band." In 2003, it was confirmed that activity had been halted due to Reb Beach's touring commitment with Whitesnake as well as his solo album "Masquerade" and involvement with "super-group" project The Mob with King's X frontman Doug Pinnick and Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy.
On July 16, 2005, it was announced that Kip Winger would perform as the lead singer for the Alan Parsons Live Project at the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing, Michigan. In May 2006, it was confirmed that Winger had reformed without one of its original members Paul Taylor, to record another album and tour Europe. The album, IV, was released in Europe in October and the nine-country "Winger IV Tour" ran in the last two weeks of the same month.
On February 25, 2008, the band performed in Providence, Rhode Island, as part of a benefit for survivors of the Station nightclub fire. The concert, along with other artists was debuted on VH1 Classic on March 23, 2008. In late 2009, it was confirmed that Winger would record a fifth album Karma, with a tour to support it. Most recently, John Roth became the guitarist for Giant and would appear on their forthcoming album Promise Land then set for release in February/March of 2010.
Winger released their sixth studio album titled, Better Days Comin' in April 2014, after teasers were published on Kip Winger's website and on the official Winger Facebook page as well.
As of late 2018, Winger was playing club dates. They were scheduled on Dec 29, 2018 in Westland, Michigan.
Style and influences.
The band's musical style combines elements of glam metal and progressive metal. Kip Winger, in description of the band's musical ability and style, said, "Our band was known to musicians, and a lot of musicians showed up to see me play — watching, trying to figure out how I'm playing. We were like the 'hair band' (version of) Dream Theater."
In the Heart of the Young
Winger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Human temples - drawing power from the sun
Raising sails - navigating the dawn
Hear the thunder - now we´re a million strong
(Whoa) The lights shines in the heart of the young
(Whoa) We´re fighting for a new way to say
"Carry on" and see behind this material illusion
There´s a song in the heart of the young
Loud and clearly the band goes marching on
With the force of a thousand gods
Hear the music - now we´re a million strong
(Whoa) Put your trust in the heart of the young
(Whoa) The rise of the rebellion has only
Just begun, the trupets sound off the
Countdown for a new day´s dawn, the
Future of all will survive, it´s alive
(Show me you´re still alive)
And there´s fire in the heart of the young
See the lightning strike the curtain
With the force of a thousand gods
Hear the thunder - it´s in the
Heart of the young
(Whoa) Can´t you feel it burn in the
Heart of the young
(Whoa) We´re fighting for a new way to say
"Carry on", the trumpets sound off the
Countdown for a new day´s dawn, the
Future of all is alive in the
Heart of the young
The future of all will survive, it´s alive....
The song "In the Heart of the Young" by Winger speaks about the power and strength of the youth. The lyrics describe the youth as a force to be reckoned with, with fire, thunder, and lightning coursing through their hearts. The first stanza sets the tone by saying that the young are drawing power from the sun and navigating through new territory. They are a million strong and no one can stop them. The second verse reinforces this image by saying that the youth are marching on with the force of a thousand gods, and they are making themselves heard with a loud song.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of the youth by saying that the future of all is in their hands. They are the ones who will carry on, and their rebellion has only just begun. They are fighting for a new way of life, and they will not give up until their message is heard. The last stanza reasserts the power of the youth with a description of lightning striking the curtain and thunder in their hearts. They are burning with passion, and they will not be silenced.
Line by Line Meaning
There´s a fire in the heart of the young
The youth hold a fire inside them that drives them towards greatness.
Human temples - drawing power from the sun
Humans have the power to harness energy and create change like the sun gives life to our planet.
Raising sails - navigating the dawn
The youth are moving forward towards the future, despite the obstacles.
Hear the thunder - now we´re a million strong
The youth are moving together to make a change and their united strength frightens those who oppose them.
(Whoa) The lights shines in the heart of the young
There is hope and strength in the youth because they shine bright with passion and determination.
(Whoa) We´re fighting for a new way to say
The youth are creating their own voice and standing up for themselves in a new way.
"Carry on" and see behind this material illusion
They want everyone to remember that material possessions are not everything and to focus on what truly matters.
The future of all is alive in the heart of the young
The youth hold the key to the future and their vision will guide the world forward.
There´s a song in the heart of the young
The youth have a song of hope and change ringing in their hearts.
Loud and clearly the band goes marching on
The youth move forward as a united front, marching to their own beat.
With the force of a thousand gods
The youth possess an unstoppable power and strength.
Hear the music - now we´re a million strong
The music they create brings them together, amplifying their strength and unity.
(Whoa) Put your trust in the heart of the young
Believe in the youth, they will lead the way towards a better tomorrow.
(Whoa) The rise of the rebellion has only
This is only the beginning of a new revolution led by the youth.
Just begun, the trupets sound off the
The new revolution has begun and is announcing itself with a trumpet of change.
Countdown for a new day´s dawn, the
This is the countdown to a new dawn where the youth will bring change and hope to the world.
Future of all will survive, it´s alive
The future belongs to the youth, who possess the drive and determination to bring change.
(Show me you´re still alive)
The song is a call to action for everyone to prove that they are still alive and fighting for a better future.
And there´s fire in the heart of the young
The youth hold a passion and drive like a burning flame inside their hearts.
See the lightning strike the curtain
The youth will break down the barriers and tear down the old system to make way for change.
Hear the thunder - it´s in the
The youth's power and strength is like a thunder that echoes throughout the world.
(Whoa) Can´t you feel it burn in the
The passion of the youth is infectious, felt in the hearts of all who believe in change.
"Carry on", the trumpets sound off the
Their message is clear: carry on, believe in change, and follow the youth towards the future.
Future of all is alive in the
The youth hold the future in their hands and possess the passion and determination to make it bright and full of hope.
Heart of the young
The youth are the key to the future and through their actions, will bring about positive change.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KIP WINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind