Mr.Big

Mr Big is a hard rock group that formed in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin (vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitar), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey (drums); Mr Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999. The band is noted especially for their musicianship, and scored a number of hits. Their songs were often marked by strong vocals and vocal harmonies. Their hits include "To Be With You" (Billboard Hot 100 number one single in 15 countries for weeks, in 1991) and "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind".

Mr Big's remained active and popular for over two decades, despite internal conflicts and changing music trends. They broke up in 2002, but after requests from fans reunited in 2009; their first tour was in Japan, in June 2009.

History

Formation

After bass player Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth in 1988, he began piecing together a new band with the help of Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, a label specialized in the shredding genre. He recruited Eric Martin, of the rock-oriented Eric Martin Band and also soul-leaning solo artist, and soon thereafter added guitarist Gilbert and drummer Torpey. Gilbert was already a well-respected guitarist who had released four albums with his Los Angeles-based band Racer X. Torpey came to California from Arizona, and toured with a number of high-profile artists, most notably Robert Plant.

Breakthrough

The newly formed band hired Herbie Herbert to be their manager (he was the former manager of Journey, Europe, and Santana). By 1989, they signed with Atlantic Records and released their self-titled debut the same year. The record did not gain the band a mainstream rock audience stateside, but was a success in Japan. In June 1990, the group toured in America opening for Rush.

Mr Big's second album, 1991's Lean Into It, was a major commercial breakthrough, especially two ballads, "To Be with You" (number one song in fifteen countries) and "Just Take My Heart", and "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind". They toured the UK in April and May 1991 and again in 1992, releasing a live album, Mr. Big Live, in 1992. For three nights, they opened for Aerosmith at London's Wembley Arena.

In 1993, another ballad, a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", (from their third album, Bump Ahead) rose to the top 10 of the charts. The band also contributed the soundtrack to the Sega Mega CD release of The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin.

They released Hey Man in 1995. The song "Take Cover" was included on the soundtrack to the cartoon series Mega Man.

Although the band never replicated its earlier success in the US market, their popularity continued to soar in Japan; they also gained a stabler following in newer Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand and South Korea. In Japan and in the rest of Asia, on the other hand, they continued to sell out tours, resulting in a number of live releases for the Japanese market.

Live At Budokan was one of those live release intended for the Japanese market only. By the time that album appeared the group had been put on ice as the individual band members became more engrossed in other projects; the band temporarily broke up in 1997.

Return in 1999

Gilbert left the band in 1997 and eventually reformed Racer X. Richie Kotzen, another Shrapnel artist and former guitarist for Poison, was brought in as a guitar player. Two studio albums were released by this lineup: Get Over It in 2000 and Actual Size in 2001. Get Over It was released on September 1999 in Japan, and yielded "Superfantastic," a multi-platinum number one hit in Japan. Mr Big performed a twenty-date tour of Japan followed by a New Year's Eve 1999 show with Aerosmith at the Osaka Dome in Tokyo. Get Over It' was released in the US in March 2000, followed by a short club stint at "Roxy", California.

In 2001, Mr Big released Actual Size in Asia. The CD sat on the charts in the number three spot and "Shine", the first single, was number one. The song was also used as the ending theme for the animation series Hellsing.

However, tension had developed between Billy Sheehan and the other members, and the band broke up in 2002.

Reunion

On February 1, 2009, a radio announcement for "Koh Sakai?s Burrn Presents: Heavy Metal Syndicate" contained a short message from Mr Big announcing the reunion in Japan to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their debut album. A press conference in Japan in February generated much excitement, and a tour of the country starting in June was announced, with shows in ten locations (including the Budokan).

Warner Music Japan released remastered copies of their four studio albums, as well as a greatest hits CD and DVD. There are two new songs on the album, "Next Time Around", and "Hold Your Head Up".

Band members

Eric Martin ? lead vocals (1988?2002, 2009)
Pat Torpey ? drums, percussion (1988?2002, 2009)
Billy Sheehan ? bass guitar (1988?2002, 2009)
Paul Gilbert ? guitar (1988?1997, 2009)
Former member
Richie Kotzen ? guitar (1999?2002)

Discography

Studio albums
Mr. Big (1989) (The Billboard 200 #46, Japan Oricon Album Chart #22, JPN ? Gold, UK #60)
Lean Into It (1991) (The Billboard 200 #15, Japan Oricon Album Chart #6, US ? Platinum, JPN ? Platinum, UK #28)
Bump Ahead (1993) (The Billboard 200 #82, Japan Oricon Album Chart #4, JPN ? Platinum, UK #61)
Hey Man (1996) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #1, JPN ? 2x Platinum)
Get Over It (2000) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #5, JPN ? Gold)
Actual Size (2001) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #5)
Live albums
Raw Like Sushi (1990) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #32)
Mr. Big Live (Live in San Francisco) (1992) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #45)
Raw Like Sushi II (1992) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #8, JPN ? Gold)
Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 (1994) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #11, JPN ? Platinum)
Channel V at the Hard Rock Live (1996) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #32)
Live at Budokan (1997) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #20)
In Japan (2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #12)
Singles
"Addicted to That Rush" (1989) (Mainstream Rock Tracks #39)
"Wind Me Up" (1989)
"Green-Tinted Sixties Mind" (1991) (Mainstream Rock Tracks #33, UK #72)
"To Be With You" (1991) (The Billboard Hot 100 #1 (3 weeks), Mainstream Rock Tracks #19, Adult Contemporary #11, UK #3)
"Just Take My Heart" (1992) (The Billboard Hot 100 #16, Mainstream Rock Tracks #18, Japan Oricon Single Chart #68, UK #26)
"Wild World" (1993) (The Billboard Hot 100 #27, Mainstream Rock Tracks #33, Top 40 Mainstream #12, Japan Oricon Single Chart #40, UK #59)
"Ain't Seen Love Like That" (1994) (The Billboard Hot 100 #83)
"Take Cover" (1996) (Japan Oricon Single Chart #1)
"Not One Night" (1997)
"Superfantastic" (2000) (Japan Oricon Single Chart #97)
"Static" (2000) (Japan Oricon Single Chart #66)
"Where Are They Now" (2000) (Japan Oricon Single Chart #47)
"Shine" (2001) (Japan Oricon Single Chart #1)
"Arrow" (2001) (Japan Oricon Single Chart #42)
Compilations
Big Bigger Biggest: Greatest Hits (1996) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #2, JPN ? 4x Platinum)
Deep Cuts (2000) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #12)
Greatest Hits (2004) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #70)