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| Lion | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal |
| Years active | 1983–1989 |
| Past members | Kal Swan Tony Smith Alex Campbell Mark Edwards Doug Aldrich Jerry Best |
Lion was an American rock band known for the theme song in The Transformers: The Movie (1986), their debut song "Love Is a Lie" in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), and their songs "Never Surrender" and "Power Love" in The Wraith (1986).
History
Creation of the band
The band, originally titled "Lyon", were formed in Los Angeles in 1983 after ex-Tytan vocalist Kal Swan (born Norman Swan) and former Lone Star guitarist Tony Smith relocated from Great Britain and teamed up with bassist Alex Campbell and drummer Mark Edwards, who had been in Steeler alongside Yngwie Malmsteen, and Third Stage Alert. After beginning work on a demo, Swan and Edwards recruited guitarist Doug Aldrich and bassist Jerry Best (both of whom had previously recorded with the band Mansfield) to complete the Lion lineup.
Early recordings
In 1984 the group made its debut with "Love Is A Lie", a song on the Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter soundtrack. In 1985, Lion returned with Power Love, a six-song EP released only in Japan. (It was re-issued on CD in 1992 along with Mark Edwards' 1985 Code of Honor solo EP.)
After recording the title for the Transformers animated film, they signed to Scotti Brothers and released their first full-length album, 1987's Dangerous Attraction. Their next record, Trouble in Angel City, was released on the Grand Slamm label in 1989. It contained re-recordings of the Power Love EP songs, a cover of the Slade song "Lock Up Your Daughters", and several new tracks.
Break-up
In September of that year, Edwards suffered a broken neck after falling off a cliff while competing in a motorcycle race. Lion disbanded a month later.
Swan and Aldrich later teamed up with the band Bad Moon Rising along with former Hericane Alice members Jackie Ramos and Ian Mayo. Aldrich also recorded with Hurricane, House of Lords, Burning Rain, Dio and Whitesnake. Jerry Best later re-appeared in Freak of Nature, featuring former White Lion vocalist Mike Tramp; he also briefly toured with Dio in the late 1990s.
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
- Dangerous Attraction (1987)
- Trouble in Angel City (1989)
EPs
- Power Love (1986)
Soundtracks
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
- The Wraith – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986)
- The Transformers The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986)
References
- Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 202. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
Lion : After the demise of the largely overlooked UK hard rock band Tytan, vocalist Kal Swan left England for Los Angeles to assemble his own band. Formed in 1983, Lion comprised Swan (vocals), Doug Aldrich (guitar), Jerry Best (bass) and ex Steeler drummer Mark Edwards. The band quickly produced a self-financed EP, Powerlove (available only as a Japanese release), which gained them a strong following in the Far East. Owing to the interest being shown in them, primarily...
- "Tytan – Rough Justice (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.