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."
Out of This World
Winger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Understand
Searching for the promised land
They're selling hope
Cheap as dope but no one's getting high
The streets are cold
They're paved in gold
They pay us back
Consumer crack but no one's getting by
Out of this world
Come take me
Out of this world
Into you
Life for sale
Never exhale
Never fear
And never fail
The nine to five
Metastasized
These are killing times
And if love
Is like a drug
An overdose might do us good
'Cause they got hate
In figure eights
And no one's feeling fine
Out of this world
Come take me
Out of this world
Into you
I'll leave it all tonight
Come take me
Out of this world
Your eyes like a satellite
On the darkest night
Out of this world
Come take me
Out of this world
Into you
I'll leave it all tonight
I'll meet you
Out of this world
We'll leave it all behind
Come take me
Out of this world
The lyrics to Winger's song Out Of This World explore the yearning for escape from a world filled with negativity, hopelessness, and desperation. The singer is portrayed as just a man who is searching for the promised land in a world where hope is sold as cheap as dope, but no one is getting high. The streets are paved in gold, but no one knows where they stole it from, and the consumer crack that people are given never truly provides the fulfillment they seek. Instead, the nine to five job has become a cancerous growth on society, causing unfulfillment and dissatisfaction.
The lyrics also hint that love could be the antidote to these bleak realities. If love is like a drug, then an overdose might do us good. However, the singer states that they aren't getting "by" and "no one's feeling fine" due to the hate that permeates society. The repetition of the phrase "out of this world" expresses the longing for an escape from this life and into something greater. The final line speaks of a lover's eyes as a satellite on the darkest night, offering guidance and hope.
Overall, the lyrics to Out Of This World reflect a common human desire to escape from the difficulties of life and find fulfillment somewhere else. Love is held up as a beacon in the darkness, but the pervasive hate in society makes it difficult to find. The song expresses the universal human desire to find something beyond this world that can provide meaning and satisfaction.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a man
I am a mere mortal
Understand
I seek to be understood
Searching for the promised land
I am searching for a place of peace and prosperity
They're selling hope
There are those who sell the idea of a better future
Cheap as dope but no one's getting high
The promises are like a cheap drug that does not deliver the expected high
The streets are cold
The environment is hostile
They're paved in gold
The allure of riches masks the harsh reality underneath
Where they stole it no one knows
The source of these riches is a mystery
They pay us back
The system gives back
Consumer crack but no one's getting by
The consumer culture is like an addiction that does not bring fulfillment
Out of this world
I yearn for something beyond the ordinary
Come take me
Please, someone, take me away
Into you
I seek refuge in your embrace
Life for sale
Everything is up for grabs
Never exhale
There is always a sense of suffocation
Never fear
One must be brave to survive
And never fail
Success is an imperative
The nine to five
The monotony of everyday life
Metastasized
Has spread like cancer
These are killing times
The environment is toxic
And if love
Love, like everything else, is a gamble
Is like a drug
It can be intoxicating
An overdose might do us good
Taking too much may bring relief
'Cause they got hate
There are those who thrive on hate
In figure eights
The cycle of hate is never-ending
And no one's feeling fine
This negativity affects everyone
Your eyes like a satellite
Your eyes have a penetrating quality
On the darkest night
Even in the bleakest moments
I'll leave it all tonight
I am ready to abandon everything
I'll meet you
I will find you
We'll leave it all behind
Together we can start anew
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: RICHARD E BEACH JR, KIP WINGER, PAULA WINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
KEYNUTT
Beautiful. No Winger album would be complete w/out that one song that stands out w/ its breathtaking, soaring melody as only Winger can do. Karma had 'Witness', IV had 'Day Like Today', Pull had 'Spell I'm Under'. Always a favorite for me:)
George Rhyne
And Winger's first album had the magnificent solo at the end of 'Headed for a Heartbreak'
Elektradrive Rocks
We totally agree!
Roger Sadler
@KEYNUTT totally agree...I'm SSSO old school and this absolutely hits home!
KEYNUTT
@KEYNUTT
Must amend my prev comment b/c I actually did hear Ever Wonder and do agree it is a beautiful song - very Kip Solo-ish which I love. However, Out of This World is still my fave next to Tin Soldier which is just on a whole other level of stupendous awesomeness. We can all agree to disagree on which tracks are more wonderful - plenty for everyone to love;)
KEYNUTT
@Max Magnifico
Haven't heard Ever Wonder yet since it's nowhere to be found on youtube and I still haven't gotten my copy from Amazon:(. Anxious to hear it tho from what I've read about it.
Renato Moraes
You guys really rock!!!! Great song!!! Reb's solo is awesome!!!
Jesusfreak.jgcMB Matt Bennett
Winger sounds better than ever great album!
nin6246
Winger nailed this one!
Hari Menon
Big time awesomely.