Thursday, July 06, 2017

MICHAEL WHITE and THE WHITE - ST (1987) [digital reissue]

MICHAEL WHITE and THE WHITE - ST (1987)
Requested in "Request & Fill Corner" section...

American born Michael White started his career at the end of the seventies as member of underground L.A. bands such as 'The Boys' (alongside pre-Dokken George Lynch and Mick Brown), 'L.A. Rocks' with W.A.S.P.'s Randy Piper, and in Nikki Sixx's pre-Motley 'London'.

Looking for a more classic sound Michael formed 'The White', his own band.

Mixing originals with Led Zeppelin covers, the group toured extensively throughout North America, and at the mid eighties White signed a deal with Atlantic Rec. for an album to be recorded in Germany with producer Mack (Queen, Billy Squier) behind the desk.
Alongside his band, many well names contributed with the recording (although uncredited in the credits), as Danny Bilan (Moxy), Randy Piper (W.A.S.P), Alan St. Jon & Bobby Chouinard (Billy Squier).

"Michael White and The White" was released in 1987, but a bad promotion and the explosion of the L.A. Metal scene sank the disc.
Occurs that Michael White plays classic rock heavily influenced by Zeppelin and vocalist Robert Plant in particular. On many parts throughout the album, Michael sounds like a Plant's clone. And a good one.
It's true, some songs here (and the general atmosphere) definitively have a Zepp style, as the rocking "Matriarch", the beautifully orchestrated slow tune "One Good Turn" or the spacey "Psychometry" (where White, apart from Plant, recalls Kingdom Come's Lenny Wolf). This isn't a bad thing, on the contrary, all these tracks are magically written and performed.

But Michael White and The White also plays commercial '80s American Melodic Rock here; the catchy "Fantasy", the keyboard filled "Radio" or the incredibly smooth "I Know You Need Someone", one of my favorites here.
On the radio friendly "Deja Vu", White goes AOR-rock, and "Dirty Dancer" rocks with a melodic sense.

"Michael White and The White" is a really good album in my book, including finely crafted songs, much better than you can appreciate at first listen. Production is truly good, with a slick '80s sound and a classy vibe.
The album was released for the first time on CD -remastered- in 2003 (now out of print) with the legend 'and the White' on the cover.

MICHAEL WHITE and THE WHITE  original cover
original album cover

This file is the 2007's digital only re-issue called 'LP version' (?), featuring on the cover Michael White's moniker alone. There's a flaw on the track "Psychometry" around 3:18 min. (it happens on all the copies distributed of this reissue), but does not affect the listening experience.
A praiseworthy album, pretty unknown and hard to find.


01 - Fantasy
02 - I Know You Need Someone
03 - Bring On The Night
04 - Matriarch
05 - One Good Turn
06 - Psychometry
07 - Deja Vu
08 - Jumpin' The Fence
09 - Radio
10 - Dirty Dancer


Michael White: Lead & Backing Vocals
Claus Heuser: Guitars
Phil Bolenz: Guitars
Rick Dellefield: Keyboards
Steven Wissnet: Bass
Curt Cress: Drums
Session musicians (uncredited);
Danny Bilan (Moxy): Drums
Bobby Chouinard (Billy Squier): Drums
Scot Gaines: Bass
Alan St. Jon (Billy Squier): Keyboards
Randy Piper (W.A.S.P.): Guitars
Paul Vincent (Meat Loaf): Guitars


MICHAEL WHITE and THE WHITE
.

17 Comments:

Unknown said...

ThnkYou so much for this
U ROCK \0/

waitin' for the file :))))))

Anonymous said...

Never heard of it...'til now...lol
Thanks for uploading mate..
Cheers

Anonymous said...

I have another CD of this guy, very Led Zeppelin influenced, with Phil Bolene on guitars, Gene Stout on bass & Danny Bilan on drums. Released in 1991 on the Griffin label. Canadian import. Tracks: Swampsnake/The Stroll/China Blue/Communication Breakdown/Tennessee/Baby Let's Play House/The X/Satisfaction Man/Fire/The Whisky Song/Ooh My Head/Whole Lotta Love. Awesome !

Camelblue said...

Yeah, his 2nd disc is cool too.
Upload it if you wish and share the link with the folks here

Unknown said...

Can you please re upload it?thanks

Alberto said...

Hi Camelblue:

First of all, thank you for givint us to know thia album (sorry for not thanking you when I downloaded it.

As I told in the "requested corner" of your blog, I suffered a damn HD crash, and I lost lot of music, and in occasions like this, I find a parcial deleted folder. Could you re-up the same file you published? I've download this album from several blogs and the signal is not as good as you upload.

Thank you in advance.

Camelblue said...

@ Alberto;
Oh I miss CLOUD FORCE's request from few weeks ago.
Sure,coming up!

Alberto said...

@Camelblue

Ooops... I didn't realized CLOUD FORCE requested it recently. And of course, whenever you can, whenever you want. Thank you Camelblue for the incoming gift.

Alberto said...

@Camelblue

Thank you very much indeed, Camelblue. You're great my friend. This rip is a little bit louder than the partial-album I keep, Did you rip the CD this time with a different tool? Anyway, thank you so much for your kindness.

alex30 said...

@Camelblue

Hi!

Big big thank's for this extra rare masterpiece!!!


Cheers.......


Camelblue said...

@ Alberto :
You're welcome mate. This reissue was a digital download only, no CD version.

Alberto said...

@Camelblue;

I reiterate my thanks to you my friend. It's nice to know there are people like you and other ones you know, that balancing all the heavy (in the bad meaning hahaha) and ugly things that some times surround us (now I feel like Custer, hahaha).

About my remark of the album's signal... Oh mate, what a mystical puzzle... It's a lost war. Just if one is absolutely sure that has managing the same file, the volume/signal and so on of the same album gotten from different places, some times is a kind of lottery getting an uniform and (almost) equal properties, specially if the tool used for ripping/converting the CD is not the same (or it hasn't the same configuration).
Thank you Camelblue, I understand you as you some times ask to collaborators for our requests, and It's understandable this small disadvantages (Do you remember an old request by me about Motorhead?). I hope to have been able to express properly in english what I mean; if it's a little bit mess... SORRY :).

My heartfelt thanks, Camelblue.

Camelblue said...

@ Alberto;
A pleasure my friend, Rock On.

Anonymous said...

Reissued a few weeks ago on CD by Rock Candy, guys! :)

Rudio said...

Sorry, but I don't hear that much similarity with Led Zeppelin or Robert Plant in particular.
Is it me, or what?
The song "Matriarch" resembles Led Zeppelin. But only in the structure of the song. And indeed, "Psychometry" has a Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin vibe.

But the rest of the album: Just a good piece of rock.
I wonder if the Rock Candy remaster will sound better than this release.
Btw: I didn't hear any flaw either.

Thanks for this share.

becks dark said...

Thank you very much. I bought this back in the day for $2.00 at Record Time in East Detroit when it came out.

Anonymous said...

any chance of a re upload ? Please ?