𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
August 10, 1989 — White Lion released their third studio album, Big Game via Atlantic Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
The album contains the MTV video hits, Little Fighter (Watch video), Radar Love (Watch video) and Cry for Freedom (Watch video).
Background:
In the first half of 1989, still riding high on the multi platinum success of Pride, White Lion re-entered the studio following the completion of their Pride Tour to record the next album, a decision the group later came to regret due to the effects of fatigue from the heavy touring.
A musically eclectic follow-up to Pride, the album featured the single Little Fighter, in Memory of The Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace boat which was intentionally sabotaged and sunk by the French Secret Service.
Little Fighter peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 12 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks, and No. 12 in Canada.
A cover of Golden Earring's Radar Love was released as the second single, which also charted at No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cry for Freedom, a political song about apartheid in South Africa was released as the third single in 1990, which peaked at No. 19 on the Dutch singles chart, but did not chart in the US.
Goin' Home Tonight was released as the album's final single.
Big Game peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 album chart, No. 28 in Canada and No. 47 in the UK, ultimately performing better than the Pride album, being certified gold on August 9, 1989 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 + copies.
Big Game World Tour:
White Lion's success continued with more constant touring, kicking off the North American leg of their Big Game Tour prior to the albums release, on May 23, 1989 with Leatherwolf.
The band played the World Series of Rock Festival in Wisconsin with Bulletboys, Poison, Tesla, and Winger, later joining Vixen and the Bulletboys in support of Ozzy Osbourne on his No Rest For the Wicked Tour, with their last date of that tour being August 5.
On August 8, 1989, White Lion shared the stage with W.A.S.P., Metal Church, and Hurricane.
On August 19, 1989 they began touring with Tangier and Cinderella until September 24.
White Lion began their European leg of their tour in Hanover, Germany on October 3, 1989 with Pink Cream 69, with one stop in Zurich, before winding up their run in Germany on October 18.
Pink Cream 69 were also on the bill for White Lion’s shows in France, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The bands UK dates saw them share the stage with Skid Row, and Motley Crue.
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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