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."
Until There Was You
Winger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love Letters In The Sand
On a day like today
We pass the time away
Writing love letters in the sand
How you laughed when I cried
Take our love letters from the sand
You made a vow that you would ever be true
But somehow that vow meant nothing to you
Now my broken heart aches
With every wave that breaks
Over love letters in the sand
Now my broken heart aches
With every wave that breaks
Over love letters in the sand
The lyrics to Winger's song All I Ever Wanted depict a man's experience of unrequited love, and the pain it brings. It's clear that the singer had high hopes for the relationship, as evidenced by lines like "all I ever wanted, was something real to hold onto" and "all I ever needed, was you". However, it quickly becomes apparent that his hopes were dashed, and he was left with nothing but heartbreak. This is particularly evident in the lines "now I'm standing here, empty-handed" and "I'm wrapped around your finger, like a puppet on a string". Ultimately, he has been left feeling helpless and at the mercy of the woman he loves.
Interestingly, there are also hints of anger and frustration in the lyrics. Lines like "you're always keeping secrets, and I'm getting tired of waiting" suggest that the singer is beginning to feel resentful towards the woman, as he struggles to cope with the uncertainty and instability of their relationship. This is amplified by the chorus, which repeats the phrase "all I ever wanted" with increasing intensity as the song goes on. By the end of the song, it's clear that the singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his hopes for a happy and fulfilling relationship have been dashed.
Line by Line Meaning
On a day like today
The singer sets the scene for the following story to take place on a particular day.
We pass the time away
The singer and their partner are spending their time together in an unspecified manner.
Writing love letters in the sand
The couple is writing expressions of their love in the sand, which is temporary and can easily be washed away.
How you laughed when I cried
The partner laughed at the artist's expression of emotion, regardless of whether it was joy or sorrow.
Each time I saw the tide
Whenever the tide would come in and wash away their expressions of love, the artist would feel sad.
Take our love letters from the sand
The sea takes the physical representations of the couple's love away.
You made a vow that you would ever be true
The partner made a promise to always be faithful and sincere in their love.
But somehow that vow meant nothing to you
Despite the promise made, the partner did not honor their commitment and instead betrayed their love.
Now my broken heart aches
The artist's heart is hurting from the pain of the betrayal.
With every wave that breaks
The physical reminder of their love being washed away by the waves represents the emotional struggle the artist is going through.
Over love letters in the sand
The singer's hurt and pain is specifically caused by their partner's actions involving the letters they wrote in the sand.
Writer(s): Reb Beach, Charles Winger, Kip Winger, Richard E. Beach Jr
Contributed by Adam L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.