MR. BIG - USA

Mr. Big – 1989 – Atlantic
Raw Like Sushi – 1990 - Atlantic
Lean Into It – 1991 – Atlantic
Mr. Big Live – 1992 – Atlantic
Raw Like Sushi II – 1992 - Atlantic
Bump Ahead – 1993 – Atlantic
Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 – 1993 - Atlantic
Hey Man – 1996 – Atlantic
Channel V At The Hard Rock Live (Mr. Big album) – 1996 - Atlantic
Live At The Hard Rock – 1996 – Atlantic
Live At Budokan – 1997 - Atlantic
Get Over It – 1999 – Atlantic
Actual Size – 2001 – Atlantic
In Japan – 2002 – Atlantic
Back To Budokan – 2009 - Frontiers
What If… - 2011 – Frontiers
...The Stories We Could Tell – 2014 - Frontiers
Raw Like Sushi 114 – 2015 - Victor
Defying Gravity – 2017 - Frontiers


  
 
Members
S= Solo>>ERIC MARTIN>>Solo, TMG
G= Black Sheep, Racer X, Solo>>Paul Gilbert>>Solo, Racer X – Solo, Poison>>Ritchie Kotzen
B= DLR, UFO, Thrasher, Talas>>BILLY SHEEHAN
D= Ted Nugent, The Knack, Robert Plant, Impelliterri, Paul Gilbert, Stream>>Pat Torpey>>Solo, Paul Gilbert, Stream, Montrose, David Lee Roth



History
Los Angeles-based Mr. Big was formed in late 1988 by San Francisco Bay Area singer Eric Martin and name New York state bassist Billy Sheehan. The group came together following introductions by Shrapnel records boss, Mike Varney. Warner Records’ producer Ted Templeman introduced former acquaintance Sheehan Gilbert to the group. After auditioning others Torpey was instated on the stools.

Kevin Elson – who had produced Eric Martin band – recorded the debut for the band. The band toured the world and opened for Rush on its Presto tour. The group appeared on the Navy Seals soundtrack. A Japanese only LP was called Live! Raw Like Sushi. Never mind that sushi is not raw. A second one was out two years later. The band would make a habit of releasing Japan-only live records. During his standard power drill guitar solo in Atlanta, USA the man and his hair were entangled on stage with the props. When the band’s popularity followed the downward spiral of glam and hard rock the band showed a focus on East Asia. The members would also revert back to solo work. Subsequently, Paul Gilbert would leave the act and additionally reform Racer X. Richie Kotzen, another Shrapnel artist and former guitarist for Poison, was instead recruited. He would last three years. Sheehan was fired via a voice-mail left by Torpey following the former man’s opposition to the increasing commercial direction of the act and his exclusion from songwriting. The new century brought a band farewell tour in Japan and the consequent live album. Mr. Big, whose popularity was always been high in Japan claimed the album would have a limited run of 100,000 copies. The group disbanded in 2002. Nonetheless, Kotzen and Torpey would get together for a collaboration and cover versions album of the band’s material called Influences And Connections and have Sheehan guest. House Of Lords’ Chuck Wright also played bass. Inevitably, the original line-up of the band reformed for its debut album’s 20th anniversary and toured Japan and Europe. Pat Torpey departed in 2014 and was replaced by Matt Starr formerly of Ace Frehley and Beautiful Creatures. Raw Like Sushi 114 paid attention to the Japanese Tsunami and earthquake of 2011 and was also a DVD. MR. Big picked Defying Gravity as the title for its next album, which was tentatively due in the autumn of 2017 through Frontiers Music. It was the follow-up to ...The Stories We Could Tell. Pat Torpey, drummer and founding member, died at the age of 64 on February 7th 2018 from Parkinson's disease. The remaining members of Mr. Big played a tribute concert to their dead drummer Pat Torpey — who died due to Parkinson's disease on February 7 — at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California on May 23rd. Former member Richie Kotzen acted as opener. Sheehan expressed dissatisfaction regarding Defying Gravity’s mastering and blamed the label. The band was on ice.

The group was named after the Free song of the same name and also covered the song and the act on the Bump Ahead album in 1993.


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Interviews

Mr. Big