MIKE TRAMP - "We're Not Going To Reunite WHITE LION"

19:42 Wednesday, 12 April 2023

Former White Lion singer, Mike Tramp, is featured in a new interview with Greg Prato for Songfacts, in which he discusses his new album, The Songs Of White Lion, and more. A couple of excerpt from the chat follow...

Greg Prato (Songfacts): How did the idea come up to do the Songs Of White Lion album?

Mike Tramp: "The main reason is that I have carried that "backpack" since basically the early '90s. I ended the band in '91, and for three years - '92 to '95 - I had a band called Freak Of Nature, and released three albums. And when I went solo with my first solo album in '97, everywhere I went half the poster said "FROM WHITE LION" or "THE VOICE OF WHITE LION." Even some banners on the first American club tour that I did announced me as "White Lion." So, it's been an ongoing running away/chasing this past.

At times, I had been called back into duty to resume the White Lion position as just me. And the times before when I did Tramp's White Lion, I made the decision but I wasn't ready in my heart to do it. After a few years and lawsuits with Vito, and people using the name more than they should and stuff like that - especially in announcing concerts - I pulled back. Since then, I recorded 10 more solo albums, but no matter where I go, people are lazy and concert promoters are constantly pushing, "Are you playing any White Lion songs? The fans want to know if you're playing White Lion songs." No matter what I do.

So, I came to the conclusion that if I'm going to play White Lion songs, I have to play them 100% the way they are, because my solo albums and my solo band is like Tom Petty or Springsteen - it has nothing to do with the '80s sound and world. So that band doesn't really do that and we don't play those songs correctly. So I started messing around with how I could do that, and also finding a way for me to sing these songs, since I'm not 26 anymore - I'm the opposite, I'm 62. I wanted them to feel like they're here today and not like a dinosaur brought back to life with some assistance from technology."

Songfacts: When was the last time you corresponded with (White Lion guitarist) Vito Bratta, and how would you describe your relationship currently?

Tramp: "Thank God it's really good now at the moment. We've gotten to this place where we're sort of at peace. We were speaking by email the last two weeks - there was some old paperwork that needs to be settled and stuff like that.

I don't know if the next question is going to be this, but we're not going to reunite White Lion. We both don't think it would be as great as the White Lion that existed. That is, of course, not to say that we couldn't collaborate and do something if Vito wanted to.

If we do something, it would probably be more like when Jimmy Page and Robert Plant got together. They didn't call it Led Zeppelin, but they went to Morocco and they did versions of the old songs and did something sideways so that it is not a continuation. Because you can't continue that old band."