Eric Martin
Encyclopedia
Eric Lee Martin is an American rock singer/musician
active throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s both as a solo artist and as a member of various bands. He earned his most prominent success as the frontman for the hard rock
/glam metal
band
Mr. Big
, a supergroup
(currently reunited) who scored a big hit in the early 1990s
with "To Be with You
," a song that Martin wrote during his teen years.
A local of the San Francisco Bay Area, Martin first started his career in the music industry in 1978.
Musically, Eric Martin was first influenced by his father, Frederick Lee “Pepper” Martin. Pepper Martin had a gig as drummer for the band “The Buzz”. This first gig would actually be an opener for Sérgio Mendes
, a renowned jazz/ R&B artist in the 70s and 80s.
Martin was a drummer only for a while. Realizing it fit his personality better, he opted for the position of front man / lead vocals in the next bands he was in. He played in a handful of teen rock groups such as “S.F. Bloodshy” and “Backhome” while attending Southside High school in Southside, Alabama. He also was part of a band called “Stark Raving Mad” (which also included future Winger guitarist
/keyboardist
Paul Taylor
) in Santa Rosa, California.
During the summer break in 1974, Martin joined a Musical Comedy Workshop held at Southside High school in Southside. He auditioned for the part of Judas, but wasn't given the part. Instead, he was the understudy.
Martin credits the honing of his voice to his teacher, Judy Davis. She taught him diction, stamina, and breath-control.
The Martin family finally settled in the San Francisco Bay Area at about 1976. Martin attended Foothill High School and met up with some of the guys who would join him in his first successful venture – the band “Kid Courage”. Kid Courage opened for AC/DC
for two shows in the Bay Area, which were actually AC/DC’s first shows in America.
, Paul Rodgers
, The Beatles
, and The Rolling Stones
. When he was about 13 to 15 years old, while living in Italy, he was introduced musically to different artists under Motown Records
and Stax/Volt Records.
He also has a partner and mentor in songwriting – his friend Andre Pessis, whom he still writes and performs with up to date.
415 was formed in late 1979. It marked the start of Eric Martin's career as lead vocalist. Eric says, "415 played hundreds of shows at area nightclubs, beer parties, even high school and college dances before eventually headlining San Francisco's premiere night club – the Old Waldorf. Selling out in advance, word quickly spread about our dynamic live shows and soon we were opening for established acts like Billy Squier
, Hall & Oates
, Rick Springfield
, Molly Hatchet
, Marshall Tucker Band
and Foreigner
, to name a few. Eventually, without yet being signed to a recording contract, we played in front of 60,000 fans at the Oakland Stadium at Bill Graham
's Days on the Green
Concert." The band became a popular local draw, all the while still being an unsigned act.
415 was later signed on to Elektra/Asylum Records
under the management of Walter “Herbie” Herbert and Sandy Einstein. Both persons managed and worked for the band “Journey
”. The management decided to change the name of the band to the “Eric Martin Band” (EMB), as singer-named bands were popular during that time. EMB debuted their first album in 1983, entitled “Sucker for a Pretty Face”. The LP received a gold disc (certification?), and consequently led to the band’s appearance in American Bandstand
and in various arena tours as the opening act for the likes of ZZ Top
, Night Ranger
, and Journey
. In one of the interviews, Eric mentions they “worked thousands of shows from clubs, to frat house parties, Bill Graham
concerts, opening to anybody and everybody.” One of the most acclaimed performances of the band was a solo tour in 1983 held at Honolulu, Hawaii. But despite continuing to land high-profile gigs as support for some of the most popular acts at the time, the band decided to split up in 1985 after returning from the ZZ Top tour.
, as well as "These Are the Good Times" and "Eyes Of The World" from the movie Iron Eagle
. In 1985, Eric Martin released a self-titled album – Eric Martin – which was followed later on in 1987 by another album called I’m Only Fooling Myself. These solo albums exemplify Eric's unique soulful voice and candid lyrics. The latter, I'm Only Fooling Myself, was re-issued in 2008 by Rock Candy Records. The said album is a compilation of songs written by such people as Myles Hunter, John Waite
, and a whole host of other established songwriters. It also included top West Coast session musicians such as drummers Mike Baird (who worked with Rick Springfield and Journey) and Mickey Curry
(with Bryan Adams and Hall and Oates), guitarists Richie Zito
, Tim Pierce, Michael Landau
, and Rick Nowells.
A compilation of the two solo albums are available on Soul Sessions - The Capitol Years CD. At his young age, Eric had also been invited to audition for various iconic bands in the 70s-80s such as Van Halen, Toto
, and Rainbow.
, Pat Torpey
, and Paul Gilbert
to form Mr. Big – one of the few much-vaunted supergroups to actually combine chart success with longevity. Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history by combining trademark "shredding"
musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The reputations of the players generated immediate interest particularly amongst fellow musicians, and the band was signed to Atlantic Records
in 1989. At the same year, they released a self-titled album, Mr. Big, which received critical and commercial success in the US and Japan. In June 1990, the group went on tour through America with the Canadian band Rush
.
It was Mr. Big's second album in 1991, Lean Into It
, that provided a major breakthrough for the band. The album featured two ballads that established them as a commercial success: "To Be with You
” (number one song in 15 countries) and "Just Take My Heart". The album propelled Mr. Big to huge international record sales in the multi-millions. It also contained rock songs that would remain popular for years to come. The release of Lean Into It was followed by a British tour in April and May of the same year, supported by bands The Throbs
and Heartland
.
Another British tour ensued before the quartet opted to release the Mr. Big Live album in 1992 and set to work on a third album to be released in 1993. As live headliners across the U.K. in December with Forgodsake
as support, the band notably broke away from this run to play as support act for Aerosmith’s three-night, sold-out stand at London's Wembley Arena.
In 1993, another ballad from Mr. Big's new album Bump Ahead rose to the top 10 of the charts – a cover of Cat Steven’s "Wild World". Although the band was unable to sustain commercial success in the US, their popularity in Japan continued to soar (resulting in countless sold-out tours and such Japan-only live albums as Raw Like Sushi
I, Raw Like Sushi II
, Japandemonium
, Mr. Big in Japan, etc.).
While in Mr. Big, Martin was also involved in other projects on the side. In 1995, Martin was the vocalist in The Power Rangers
Orchestra, which also featured Guns 'N' Roses member, Matt Sorum
. Their version of "Go Go Power Rangers" was featured in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.
In 1996, by the time another album of Mr. Big emerged (entitled Hey Man), the group was able to gain a stable following in newer markets such as Thailand and South Korea. However, the change in attitudes towards Hard Rock and the media treatment of so called "80s' Hair bands" meant that sales were poor in America and Europe, causing the group to drop any plans they may have had to tour anywhere other than the Far East.
The group's album, Live At Budokan, was another live release intended for the Japanese market only. By the time Live At Budokan appeared the group had been put on ice as the individual band members became more engrossed in other projects. After several years of continuous recording and touring, the band took a much needed break.
Martin's third solo album, Somewhere in the Middle was written during the two-year hiatus from Mr. Big. The CD was completed in 1998 and released in Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe. Strong Japanese sales prompted a Fall 1998 tour. Eric thought it would be fun to get some of the guys from his old band, 415, back together and re-experience some of the chemistry from those early days. A fresh EMB toured Japan and a newly energized Eric graced the stage at numerous hometown clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Amazingly dedicated fans flew in from Japan, Europe, and the East coast to watch Eric perform.
Upon regrouping to record a fifth studio album, Paul Gilbert
announced his decision to leave the band and new guitarist, Richie Kotzen
was added to the lineup. In 1998, Eric also recorded the song "I Love the Way You Love Me
" under Atlantic Records
, and was released as a solo track.
The new line-up of Mr. Big released Get Over It
on September 1999 in Japan. Get Over It yielded "Superfantastic", a number one hit in Japan that went multi-platinum. It proved to be Atlantic's biggest selling release in that territory. Mr. Big put in a 20-date tour of Japan followed by a rousing New Year's Eve 1999 show with Aerosmith
at the Osaka Dome
in Tokyo. Get Over It was released in the U.S. on March 21, 2000, followed by a short club stint at "Roxy", California.
Forward to the summer of 2001, Martin and the rest of the Mr. Big guys released their next effort Actual Size in Japan and the rest of Asia. The CD sat on the charts in the number three spot and "Shine" the first single off the album was number one. The song was also used as the ending theme for the animation series, Hellsing.
Although fans welcomed the new album, other news would come as a shock. A lot of tension had recently developed between Billy Sheehan and the other members, and this led to a breakup of the band. Despite being a multi-million record-selling band, the members of Mr. Big gritted their teeth for a farewell tour of Japan and Asia in 2002 as part of a contract they were obliged to comply with.
The career of Eric Martin as part of Mr. Big spanned for more than a decade. The band had enjoyed enormous success with the release of six studio albums, numerous hit singles and six top-selling live CDs. All combined, worldwide sales topped the seven million mark.
In 2002, during the demise of Mr. Big, Martin married Denise, the sometime-drummer of the Eric Martin Band.
In 2003, Martin contributed his version of "Cheer Up" to the Japanese release Sincerely 2 - Mariya Takeuchi
Song Book album. He also came to attention outside of his priority solo activities, portraying the character "Mr. Niko" for a 2004 "Genius" outing In Search of The Little Prince.
Later on, Martin would record another album entitled Destroy All Monsters, which would then be released in Japan, Europe, US and South America in 2004. The album's sound is something Eric calls “distorted pop” with a focus on his rock roots. That same year Eric was unable to promote the album as much as he wanted, due to a call from the biggest guitar star in Japan, Tak Matsumoto
.
, or TMG, with his favorite players; this would include Eric on vocals, Jack Blades (Night Ranger/Damn Yankees) on bass, and Chris Frasier (Steve Vai/Edgar Winter/Eddie Money) on drums, and, of course, Tak on guitar. They spent four months writing and recording an album in Los Angeles, did a 10-day promotional tour in Japan quickly followed by a Platinum album, and a 20-city sold-out tour from July to September, ending in Japan’s famous 15,000-seat arena, Budokan
. The Japanese tour for TMG saw the inclusion of Mr. Big's "To Be With You" in the set list.
TMG was among the top five bands on melodicrock.com during that time, but the band no longer pursued tours beyond Japan.
During the same year TMG was in the works, Eric and Denise were also expecting twin boys by December. In light of this, Eric decided to lie low for the next couple of years.
Martin wrote and recorded the theme song for the Pride Fighting Championships, which was a major mixed martial arts
organization. The song, "The Last Man Standing" debuted New Year’s Eve 2006 on pay-per-view
to millions of viewers.
Martin also wrote and recorded a song for guitar legend Ronnie Montrose
's CD, 10x10. He sings along with nine other singers including Sammy Hagar
, Edgar Winter
, Davey Pattison
, and Mark Farner
. The 10x10 album sparked interest in Eric’s vocal performance and he was asked to sing the classic song, "Guitar Man", with Ronnie Montrose, Denny Carmasi, and Ricky Phillips to take to the Sundance Film Festival.
Martin also composed and performed a song called "Fly" for the commercial of Asahi Super Dry Beer in Japan. It is accompanied by a music video which is available at Youtube.com
It all started as an idea a few years before; Eric and Denise were figuring out how to make tours overseas cost effective and fresh per performance. They would call promoters all around the world and book shows 5 months in advance, find the best rock musicians or the most popular bands in the big cities and have them learn 18 to 20 of Eric's tunes, send mp3's back and forth (and pray for the best). Eric performed all over the world with bands such as The Road Vultures from Argentina, Hayseed from Norway, Raw Like Sushi (a Mr. Big tribute band) from Italy, and John McNamara's band from Australia.
The tour in India came as a surprise for Martin, as he never expected to perform in front of more than 20,000 people. Martin was invited by the King of Tripura, Kirit Pradyot Deb Burman, to perform Mr. Big songs during the Rock Festival at Shillong. Shillong is well known in India as a place for avid music-lovers, especially rock. Eric and the band members (the Road Vultures) were graciously treated as state guests and were escorted upon arrival in India and during the concert. Amit Paul
, a popular singer from the show "Indian Idol", together with other Indian celebrities, joined the show and sang part of "To Be With You" with Eric. The gig in India was meant to be only a seven-to-ten thousand seat show; but, as people started to break into the barricades, the crowd got larger (to about 20,800 people). The situation was handled, nevertheless, and the show was an amazing success. The whole festival in general was phenomenal.
Martin also toured with Richie Kotzen
in South America, a former bandmate from Mr. Big. The two found themselves performing 15,000-seat shows and playing the songs of Mr. Big together again.
and was later introduced to them by a common friend. The Nelson Brothers, Matthew
and Gunnar
, invited Eric to join them in the new 80s all-star band they were forming called "Scrap Metal". Generally, Scrap Metal would be a band dedicated to performing classic heavy metal and rock n' roll hits from the 80s and 90s.
On February 3, 2007, Eric Martin, together with Matthew and Gunnar Nelson of "Nelson", Mark Slaughter
of "Slaughter", Jani Lane
of "Warrant", and Kelly Keagy of "Night Ranger
", performed under the "Scrap Metal" banner for an MTV filmed concert at the Mohegan Sun Hotel & Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. They would compose the core of the band.
A couple of months later, he made an appearance as a Guest Vocalist of Japanese Jazz Fusion Band T-Square
on their album, 33. The song he was featured in is called "Tell the Truth", which is based on T-Square's hit from 1987, "Truth".
Scrap Metal would tour around the US all year round. In most performances, they would often have different guests who were likewise players from other 80's bands.
" by Ayaka
, "Yuki no Hana
" by Mika Nakashima
, and "M" by Princess Princess
.
Seeing the success of "Mr. Vocalist", Sony Japan opted to follow it up with another one. "Mr. Vocalist 2" was unique from the first because all the songs included in it were famous international ballads, and were voted in by fans either through the internet or through mobile phone. Eric and Sony Japan lined up about 30 international ballads sung by women, such as "Hero" by Mariah Carey
and "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles. The top 12 songs were taken from the list and were covered by Eric and Sony Japan's team of top musicians. The resulting album was released on March 4, 2009, and topped the charts all over Japan at its debut. For months, it continued to move along the top five albums in Japan.
was joined onstage by Pat Torpey
, Richie Kotzen
and Billy Sheehan
for renditions of Humble Pie
's '30 Days In The Hole' and original Mr. Big composition 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy'. Reportedly, the three had such an amazing time that they decided to contact Eric Martin a few days later, and a reunion of the four original members (Paul, Eric, Pat, and Billy) was put into motion.
The reunion was first officially announced on February 1, 2009, in a Japanese radio program called "Heavy Metal Syndicate by Koh Sakai". The interviews and press conferences that followed short within the first two weeks of February revealed plans of the band to tour Japan in June 2009 and to release new albums. A world tour followed suit, with two date all across Europe, and several gigs in South East Asia, particularly in India, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea.
In 2010, Eric participated in a tribute album titled Mister Bolin’s Late Night Revival, a compilation of 17 previously unreleased tracks written by guitar legend Tommy Bolin
prior to his death in 1976. The CD includes other artists such as HiFi Superstar
, Doogie White
, Troy Luccketta
, Jeff Pilson
, Randy Jackson, Rachel Barton
, Rex Carroll
, Derek St. Holmes
, Kimberley Dahme
, and The 77’s
. A percentage of the proceeds from this project will benefit the Jackson Recovery Centers.
Mr. Big recorded in 2010 a new album called What If... produced by Kevin Shirley
and released early 2011.
On May 10, 2011, after almost two decades, Mr. Big stepped on-stage at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. The band performed most of the songs from "Lean Into It", with the crowd singing along. The band also introduced a couple of new songs from "What If". It was an amazing night in Manila and they promised to come back sooner, with Eric Martin citing the how long it took for the band before they came back. A standing ovation after the performance was hailed by screaming Filipinos fans "We want more" resulting to two more encores.
The band recently embarked on a very successful South American tour that ended with two dates in Brazil, the last of which in the city of Porto Alegre on July 10, where, according to Eric Martin himself, Mr. Big had a great "end of the tour party" live in front of over 2,000 wildly cheering fans who jam-packed the local rock venue Bar Opinião. Tickets were sold out several days in advance. Martin referred to the crowd's reaction as "phenomenal", and promised the band would be back in town in the future.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
active throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s both as a solo artist and as a member of various bands. He earned his most prominent success as the frontman for the hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Mr. Big
Mr. Big (band)
Mr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
, a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
(currently reunited) who scored a big hit in the early 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
with "To Be with You
To Be with You
"To Be with You" is a song by the American hard rock band Mr. Big. It appears on the album Lean into It. The song charted in 20 plus countries, many of them at number one, such as on the United States Billboard Hot 100...
," a song that Martin wrote during his teen years.
A local of the San Francisco Bay Area, Martin first started his career in the music industry in 1978.
Early years
Eric is the son of Frederick Lee "Pepper" Martin and Iris Martin. He has three younger siblings Dan, Joan and Laurie; and is half-Irish, half-Italian.Musically, Eric Martin was first influenced by his father, Frederick Lee “Pepper” Martin. Pepper Martin had a gig as drummer for the band “The Buzz”. This first gig would actually be an opener for Sérgio Mendes
Sergio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
, a renowned jazz/ R&B artist in the 70s and 80s.
Martin was a drummer only for a while. Realizing it fit his personality better, he opted for the position of front man / lead vocals in the next bands he was in. He played in a handful of teen rock groups such as “S.F. Bloodshy” and “Backhome” while attending Southside High school in Southside, Alabama. He also was part of a band called “Stark Raving Mad” (which also included future Winger guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
/keyboardist
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor (Winger)
Paul Taylor , formerly credited as Paul Howorwitz, is an American musician, who is best known as the guitarist/keyboardist with the 1980s and early 90s glam metal band, Winger...
) in Santa Rosa, California.
During the summer break in 1974, Martin joined a Musical Comedy Workshop held at Southside High school in Southside. He auditioned for the part of Judas, but wasn't given the part. Instead, he was the understudy.
Martin credits the honing of his voice to his teacher, Judy Davis. She taught him diction, stamina, and breath-control.
The Martin family finally settled in the San Francisco Bay Area at about 1976. Martin attended Foothill High School and met up with some of the guys who would join him in his first successful venture – the band “Kid Courage”. Kid Courage opened for AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
for two shows in the Bay Area, which were actually AC/DC’s first shows in America.
Musical influences
Martin has always been able to sing either rock, soul, or even country music. He grew up listening to both soul and rock icons in the 70s, such as Otis ReddingOtis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. When he was about 13 to 15 years old, while living in Italy, he was introduced musically to different artists under Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
and Stax/Volt Records.
He also has a partner and mentor in songwriting – his friend Andre Pessis, whom he still writes and performs with up to date.
415/Eric Martin Band 1978–1985
Martin had decided to live independently by the age of 18. His first job was selling ice-cream. The big break he needed came when John Nymann, guitarist for the band “Mile Hi”, gave him a call and asked if he would want to form a new band together. The two had known each other from the past, since their former bands (“Mile Hi” and “Kid Courage”) had played together at the Mabuhay Gardens on Broadway. In agreement, John Nymann and Eric Martin got together people from both their previous bands and formed a new group named 415 – it was the area code for the San Francisco Bay Area, as every person in the band was from that place.415 was formed in late 1979. It marked the start of Eric Martin's career as lead vocalist. Eric says, "415 played hundreds of shows at area nightclubs, beer parties, even high school and college dances before eventually headlining San Francisco's premiere night club – the Old Waldorf. Selling out in advance, word quickly spread about our dynamic live shows and soon we were opening for established acts like Billy Squier
Billy Squier
William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No...
, Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
, Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...
, Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet is an American southern rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1975. They are widely known for their hit song "Flirtin' with Disaster" from the album of the same title. The band, founded by Dave Hlubek and Steve Holland, took its name from a prostitute who allegedly mutilated...
, Marshall Tucker Band
Marshall Tucker Band
The Marshall Tucker Band is an American Southern rock band originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band's blend of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, country, and gospel helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s...
and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
, to name a few. Eventually, without yet being signed to a recording contract, we played in front of 60,000 fans at the Oakland Stadium at Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
's Days on the Green
Days on the Green
Day On The Green was the name of a concert series in Oakland, California, presented by promoter Bill Graham and his company Bill Graham Presents. Held at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium, these events began in 1973 and continued into the early 1990s. The last Day On The Green overseen by Graham took...
Concert." The band became a popular local draw, all the while still being an unsigned act.
415 was later signed on to Elektra/Asylum Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
under the management of Walter “Herbie” Herbert and Sandy Einstein. Both persons managed and worked for the band “Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
”. The management decided to change the name of the band to the “Eric Martin Band” (EMB), as singer-named bands were popular during that time. EMB debuted their first album in 1983, entitled “Sucker for a Pretty Face”. The LP received a gold disc (certification?), and consequently led to the band’s appearance in American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
and in various arena tours as the opening act for the likes of ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
, and Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
. In one of the interviews, Eric mentions they “worked thousands of shows from clubs, to frat house parties, Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
concerts, opening to anybody and everybody.” One of the most acclaimed performances of the band was a solo tour in 1983 held at Honolulu, Hawaii. But despite continuing to land high-profile gigs as support for some of the most popular acts at the time, the band decided to split up in 1985 after returning from the ZZ Top tour.
Solo career after Eric Martin Band 1985–1988
After the break-up, Martin continued involving himself in several recordings and gigs. He contributed to the track "I Can't Stop the Fire" from the movie soundtrack TeachersTeachers (film)
# "Teacher, Teacher" - 38 Special# "Cheap Sunglasses" - ZZ Top# "Foolin' Around" - Freddie Mercury# "I Can't Stop the Fire" - Eric Martin# "Edge of a Dream" - Joe Cocker# " Teacher" - Ian Hunter# "One Foot Back in Your Door" - Roman Holliday...
, as well as "These Are the Good Times" and "Eyes Of The World" from the movie Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gossett, Jr. While it received mixed reviews, the film earned US$24,159,872 at the U.S. box office. Iron Eagle was followed by three sequels: Iron Eagle II, Aces: Iron Eagle III and Iron Eagle on the...
. In 1985, Eric Martin released a self-titled album – Eric Martin – which was followed later on in 1987 by another album called I’m Only Fooling Myself. These solo albums exemplify Eric's unique soulful voice and candid lyrics. The latter, I'm Only Fooling Myself, was re-issued in 2008 by Rock Candy Records. The said album is a compilation of songs written by such people as Myles Hunter, John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
, and a whole host of other established songwriters. It also included top West Coast session musicians such as drummers Mike Baird (who worked with Rick Springfield and Journey) and Mickey Curry
Mickey Curry
Michael Timothy Curry is an American drummer. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with the singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, although he has also worked with Hall & Oates, Cher, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Tom Waits, The Cult, Steve Jones and...
(with Bryan Adams and Hall and Oates), guitarists Richie Zito
Richie Zito
Richie Zito is a session guitarist and record producer from Los Angeles.He has worked with Poison, Neil Sedaka, Yvonne Elliman, Eric Carmen, Art Garfunkel, Leo Sayer, Diana Ross, Marc Tanner, Elton John, the Motels, as well as The Cult, White Lion, Eddie Money, Heart, and Bad English...
, Tim Pierce, Michael Landau
Michael Landau
Michael Landau is a prolific session musician and guitarist who has played on a large number of albums since the early 1980s with artists as varied as Seal, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis...
, and Rick Nowells.
A compilation of the two solo albums are available on Soul Sessions - The Capitol Years CD. At his young age, Eric had also been invited to audition for various iconic bands in the 70s-80s such as Van Halen, Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
, and Rainbow.
Mr. Big 1988–2002
In 1988, Martin would team up with Billy SheehanBilly Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
, Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey is an American rock and roll drummer, known as the drummer of the hard rock band Mr. Big. He has also played for Impellitteri, The Knack, David Lee Roth Band and the Exile Social Club. He is noted by Neil Peart for composing unique rhythms such as that of "Take Cover", a rock song from...
, and Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
to form Mr. Big – one of the few much-vaunted supergroups to actually combine chart success with longevity. Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history by combining trademark "shredding"
Shred guitar
Shred guitar or shredding is lead electric guitar playing that relies heavily on fast guitar solos. While some critics argue that shred guitar is associated with "... sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and ... whammy-bar abuse", several guitar...
musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The reputations of the players generated immediate interest particularly amongst fellow musicians, and the band was signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1989. At the same year, they released a self-titled album, Mr. Big, which received critical and commercial success in the US and Japan. In June 1990, the group went on tour through America with the Canadian band Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
.
It was Mr. Big's second album in 1991, Lean Into It
Lean into It
Lean into It is an album by hard rock band Mr. Big, released in 1991. Known as the band's breakthrough release, it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 charts, while the single "To Be With You" became the band's first and only song to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100...
, that provided a major breakthrough for the band. The album featured two ballads that established them as a commercial success: "To Be with You
To Be with You
"To Be with You" is a song by the American hard rock band Mr. Big. It appears on the album Lean into It. The song charted in 20 plus countries, many of them at number one, such as on the United States Billboard Hot 100...
” (number one song in 15 countries) and "Just Take My Heart". The album propelled Mr. Big to huge international record sales in the multi-millions. It also contained rock songs that would remain popular for years to come. The release of Lean Into It was followed by a British tour in April and May of the same year, supported by bands The Throbs
The Throbs
Not to be confused with the Canadian band or the British band of the same name.The Throbs were a sleaze rock band from New York City formed in 1988. They featured singer Ronnie Sweetheart, bassist Danny Nordahl, drummer Ronnie Magri and guitarist Roger Ericson...
and Heartland
Heartland
- Education :* Heartland Baptist Bible College, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma* Heartland Community College, in Illinois* Heartland Elementary School, public school, Kansas- Film :* Heartland , a 1979 film starring Rip Torn and Conchata Ferrell...
.
Another British tour ensued before the quartet opted to release the Mr. Big Live album in 1992 and set to work on a third album to be released in 1993. As live headliners across the U.K. in December with Forgodsake
Forgodsake
-Biography:Forgodsake formed in 1990 by Kevin Ridley, Steve Wallace, Drew Gallon, Gary Binns and Chris McCormack. They recorded a demo and signed to Bleeding Hearts Records, toured with bands such as Girlschool and The Wildhearts, then released their debut album, Blasthead, in 1993...
as support, the band notably broke away from this run to play as support act for Aerosmith’s three-night, sold-out stand at London's Wembley Arena.
In 1993, another ballad from Mr. Big's new album Bump Ahead rose to the top 10 of the charts – a cover of Cat Steven’s "Wild World". Although the band was unable to sustain commercial success in the US, their popularity in Japan continued to soar (resulting in countless sold-out tours and such Japan-only live albums as Raw Like Sushi
Raw Like Sushi
Raw Like Sushi is the debut album of rapper Neneh Cherry, released May 2, 1989 on Virgin Records.An early version of "Buffalo Stance" appeared on the B-side of the Morgan McVey single "Looking Good Diving"...
I, Raw Like Sushi II
Raw Like Sushi II
Raw Like Sushi II is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1992.-Track listing:# "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy"# "Voodoo Kiss"# "A Little Too Loose"# "Road to Ruin "# "CDFF-Lucky This Time "...
, Japandemonium
Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3
Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. The performance was recorded at Koseinenkin Hall in Tokyo, Japan October 29, 1993.-Track listing:...
, Mr. Big in Japan, etc.).
While in Mr. Big, Martin was also involved in other projects on the side. In 1995, Martin was the vocalist in The Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
Orchestra, which also featured Guns 'N' Roses member, Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
. Their version of "Go Go Power Rangers" was featured in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.
In 1996, by the time another album of Mr. Big emerged (entitled Hey Man), the group was able to gain a stable following in newer markets such as Thailand and South Korea. However, the change in attitudes towards Hard Rock and the media treatment of so called "80s' Hair bands" meant that sales were poor in America and Europe, causing the group to drop any plans they may have had to tour anywhere other than the Far East.
The group's album, Live At Budokan, was another live release intended for the Japanese market only. By the time Live At Budokan appeared the group had been put on ice as the individual band members became more engrossed in other projects. After several years of continuous recording and touring, the band took a much needed break.
Martin's third solo album, Somewhere in the Middle was written during the two-year hiatus from Mr. Big. The CD was completed in 1998 and released in Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe. Strong Japanese sales prompted a Fall 1998 tour. Eric thought it would be fun to get some of the guys from his old band, 415, back together and re-experience some of the chemistry from those early days. A fresh EMB toured Japan and a newly energized Eric graced the stage at numerous hometown clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Amazingly dedicated fans flew in from Japan, Europe, and the East coast to watch Eric perform.
Upon regrouping to record a fifth studio album, Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
announced his decision to leave the band and new guitarist, Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
was added to the lineup. In 1998, Eric also recorded the song "I Love the Way You Love Me
I Love the Way You Love Me
"I Love the Way You Love Me" is a single by American country music singer John Michael Montgomery that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Released as the second single released from his debut CD, Life's a Dance, it became Montgomery's first Number One single...
" under Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and was released as a solo track.
The new line-up of Mr. Big released Get Over It
Get Over It (album)
Get Over It is the fifth studio album by the hard rock band Mr. Big.It is their first studio album to feature guitarist Richie Kotzen.-Track listing:# "Electrified" – 4:12 # "Static" – 3:07...
on September 1999 in Japan. Get Over It yielded "Superfantastic", a number one hit in Japan that went multi-platinum. It proved to be Atlantic's biggest selling release in that territory. Mr. Big put in a 20-date tour of Japan followed by a rousing New Year's Eve 1999 show with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
at the Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Osaka...
in Tokyo. Get Over It was released in the U.S. on March 21, 2000, followed by a short club stint at "Roxy", California.
Forward to the summer of 2001, Martin and the rest of the Mr. Big guys released their next effort Actual Size in Japan and the rest of Asia. The CD sat on the charts in the number three spot and "Shine" the first single off the album was number one. The song was also used as the ending theme for the animation series, Hellsing.
Although fans welcomed the new album, other news would come as a shock. A lot of tension had recently developed between Billy Sheehan and the other members, and this led to a breakup of the band. Despite being a multi-million record-selling band, the members of Mr. Big gritted their teeth for a farewell tour of Japan and Asia in 2002 as part of a contract they were obliged to comply with.
The career of Eric Martin as part of Mr. Big spanned for more than a decade. The band had enjoyed enormous success with the release of six studio albums, numerous hit singles and six top-selling live CDs. All combined, worldwide sales topped the seven million mark.
Solo albums and projects after Mr. Big 2002–2004
In between promoting and preparing for Mr. Big’s 2002 "Farewell Tour", Martin continued to record songs for his fourth solo album. He promised a return to his "rawk roots" and he definitely did so with "I’m Goin’ Sane" which was released in Asia, Europe and US in late 2002. After the success of a Japan tour, an appearance at the European "Gods Festival" and a 23-city US tour, Martin decided to go back to the studio to record Pure, a EP that covers his hits in an unplugged and stripped acoustic form.In 2002, during the demise of Mr. Big, Martin married Denise, the sometime-drummer of the Eric Martin Band.
In 2003, Martin contributed his version of "Cheer Up" to the Japanese release Sincerely 2 - Mariya Takeuchi
Mariya Takeuchi
is a Japanese singer-songwriter.Takeuchi was born in Taisha city in the Hikawa district of Shimane Prefecture. She spent a year studying in the United States while she was at high school. Her musical career started in 1978 while she was studying at Keio University, with the single "Modotte-Oide,...
Song Book album. He also came to attention outside of his priority solo activities, portraying the character "Mr. Niko" for a 2004 "Genius" outing In Search of The Little Prince.
Later on, Martin would record another album entitled Destroy All Monsters, which would then be released in Japan, Europe, US and South America in 2004. The album's sound is something Eric calls “distorted pop” with a focus on his rock roots. That same year Eric was unable to promote the album as much as he wanted, due to a call from the biggest guitar star in Japan, Tak Matsumoto
Tak Matsumoto
is a Grammy Award-winning Japanese guitarist, producer, arranger, composer, singer and songwriter. In addition to guitarist and lead composer for the hard rock band B'z, he has also had a successful solo career.-Background:...
.
Tak Matsumoto Group 2004
Tak's band, B’z have sold over 80 million records and held onto success for over 20 years in Japan. Tak decided to put together a rock band called Tak Matsumoto GroupTak Matsumoto Group
Tak Matsumoto Group is a supergroup consisting of members from several bands around the world. Since 2004, the group includes Tak Matsumoto, Eric Martin, Jack Blades and Brian Tichy.- TMG I lineup :...
, or TMG, with his favorite players; this would include Eric on vocals, Jack Blades (Night Ranger/Damn Yankees) on bass, and Chris Frasier (Steve Vai/Edgar Winter/Eddie Money) on drums, and, of course, Tak on guitar. They spent four months writing and recording an album in Los Angeles, did a 10-day promotional tour in Japan quickly followed by a Platinum album, and a 20-city sold-out tour from July to September, ending in Japan’s famous 15,000-seat arena, Budokan
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
. The Japanese tour for TMG saw the inclusion of Mr. Big's "To Be With You" in the set list.
TMG was among the top five bands on melodicrock.com during that time, but the band no longer pursued tours beyond Japan.
During the same year TMG was in the works, Eric and Denise were also expecting twin boys by December. In light of this, Eric decided to lie low for the next couple of years.
Projects between 2004–2007
From 2004 to 2007, Martin was involved in numerous projects while remaining near home. A more comprehensive collection of his works are available on Eric Martin's Official Site. His projects included singing tracks on albums of different composers/artists, singing for karaoke games, video games and TV commercials, and joining benefit concerts all year round.Martin wrote and recorded the theme song for the Pride Fighting Championships, which was a major mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
organization. The song, "The Last Man Standing" debuted New Year’s Eve 2006 on pay-per-view
PRIDE Shockwave 2005
Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...
to millions of viewers.
Martin also wrote and recorded a song for guitar legend Ronnie Montrose
Ronnie Montrose
Ronnie Montrose, is an Amercian rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar...
's CD, 10x10. He sings along with nine other singers including Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
, Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
, Davey Pattison
Davey Pattison
Davey Pattison is a San Francisco Bay Area based rock vocalist. Pattison recorded his first music in 1969, and his career took off after arrival in the United States in 1979, on invitation from Bill Graham, to front the band Gamma, formed by Bay Area guitarist Ronnie Montrose."I'd given up all...
, and Mark Farner
Mark Farner
Mark Fredrick Farner is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad, and later as a Contemporary Christian Musician.-Early life and career:...
. The 10x10 album sparked interest in Eric’s vocal performance and he was asked to sing the classic song, "Guitar Man", with Ronnie Montrose, Denny Carmasi, and Ricky Phillips to take to the Sundance Film Festival.
Martin also composed and performed a song called "Fly" for the commercial of Asahi Super Dry Beer in Japan. It is accompanied by a music video which is available at Youtube.com
International tours in 2007–2009
From 2007 to 2009, Martin toured all over Europe, South America, and India, with different local bands backing him up at each tour.It all started as an idea a few years before; Eric and Denise were figuring out how to make tours overseas cost effective and fresh per performance. They would call promoters all around the world and book shows 5 months in advance, find the best rock musicians or the most popular bands in the big cities and have them learn 18 to 20 of Eric's tunes, send mp3's back and forth (and pray for the best). Eric performed all over the world with bands such as The Road Vultures from Argentina, Hayseed from Norway, Raw Like Sushi (a Mr. Big tribute band) from Italy, and John McNamara's band from Australia.
The tour in India came as a surprise for Martin, as he never expected to perform in front of more than 20,000 people. Martin was invited by the King of Tripura, Kirit Pradyot Deb Burman, to perform Mr. Big songs during the Rock Festival at Shillong. Shillong is well known in India as a place for avid music-lovers, especially rock. Eric and the band members (the Road Vultures) were graciously treated as state guests and were escorted upon arrival in India and during the concert. Amit Paul
Amit Paul
Amit Paul is an Indian singer from Shillong, Meghalaya. His career started by being runner up in the Indian Idol season 3. He has become a budding Playback Singer in the Hindi Film Industry.-Early years:...
, a popular singer from the show "Indian Idol", together with other Indian celebrities, joined the show and sang part of "To Be With You" with Eric. The gig in India was meant to be only a seven-to-ten thousand seat show; but, as people started to break into the barricades, the crowd got larger (to about 20,800 people). The situation was handled, nevertheless, and the show was an amazing success. The whole festival in general was phenomenal.
Martin also toured with Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
in South America, a former bandmate from Mr. Big. The two found themselves performing 15,000-seat shows and playing the songs of Mr. Big together again.
Scrap Metal 2007
While taking his family on a stroll along the Marin County Fair, Eric was able to watch a performance by the Nelson BrothersNelson (band)
NELSON is a American hard rock band founded by singer/songwriters Matthew and Gunnar Nelson . NELSON featuring the twin lead front men had a No. 1 hit in the United States with " Love and Affection" during the week of September 29, 1990...
and was later introduced to them by a common friend. The Nelson Brothers, Matthew
Matthew Nelson
Matthew Gray Nelson is an American singer-songwriter, musician and international multi-platinum recording artist. He is the son of actress Kristin Harmon and the late teen idol Ricky Nelson. Along with his twin brother Gunnar, he has been a member of Nelson since 1990. Their single, " Love and...
and Gunnar
Gunnar Nelson
Gunnar Eric Nelson is an American musician, singer, and songwriter and international multi-platinum recording artist.-Family:...
, invited Eric to join them in the new 80s all-star band they were forming called "Scrap Metal". Generally, Scrap Metal would be a band dedicated to performing classic heavy metal and rock n' roll hits from the 80s and 90s.
On February 3, 2007, Eric Martin, together with Matthew and Gunnar Nelson of "Nelson", Mark Slaughter
Mark Slaughter
Mark Allen Slaughter is an American singer and musician. He is one of the founders of hard rock band Slaughter, and he also has worked as a voice actor and composer...
of "Slaughter", Jani Lane
Jani Lane
Jani Lane , born John Kennedy Oswald, later changed to John Patrick Oswald, was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the hard rock band Warrant....
of "Warrant", and Kelly Keagy of "Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
", performed under the "Scrap Metal" banner for an MTV filmed concert at the Mohegan Sun Hotel & Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. They would compose the core of the band.
A couple of months later, he made an appearance as a Guest Vocalist of Japanese Jazz Fusion Band T-Square
T-Square (band)
T-Square is a Japanese jazz fusion band that was formed in 1978. They became famous in the late 70s and early 80s along with other Japanese fusion bands. Its most successful lineup included guitarist Masahiro Andoh, bassist Mitsuru Sutoh, saxophonist, flutist and EWI player Takeshi Itoh,...
on their album, 33. The song he was featured in is called "Tell the Truth", which is based on T-Square's hit from 1987, "Truth".
Scrap Metal would tour around the US all year round. In most performances, they would often have different guests who were likewise players from other 80's bands.
Mr. Vocalist 1 (2008) and 2 (2009)
In early 2008, Martin was approached, again, by Sony Japan to do a project wherein he would cover (translated) famous Japanese Ballads sung by women. The album, entitled "Mr. Vocalist", was released in November 2008 and topped the charts of several cities in Japan; it was also the number-one seller in several online record stores. The album would include ballads such as "I BelieveI Believe (Ayaka song)
"I Believe" is the first single from female Japanese artist, Ayaka. It entered the Oricon charts at the tenth spot and slowly rose to number three, having a total of 236,012 sales...
" by Ayaka
Ayaka
is a Japanese female singer formerly signed to Warner Music Japan. Born in Osaka, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a singing career. She married actor Hiro Mizushima on February 22, 2009.-2006:...
, "Yuki no Hana
Yuki no Hana
- Charts :"Yuki no Hana" - Oricon Sales Chart - Charts :"Yuki no Hana" - Oricon Sales Chart...
" by Mika Nakashima
Mika Nakashima
is a Japanese singer, model, and actress. She has achieved five number-one albums in Japan and also embarked on an acting career, most notably in the live-action movie Nana, based on the manga of the same name.- Early life and debut :...
, and "M" by Princess Princess
Princess Princess (band)
was a five-piece Japanese Rock/Pop girl band from 1983-1996. They were previously known as "Julian Mama" and "Akasaka Komachi" ....
.
Seeing the success of "Mr. Vocalist", Sony Japan opted to follow it up with another one. "Mr. Vocalist 2" was unique from the first because all the songs included in it were famous international ballads, and were voted in by fans either through the internet or through mobile phone. Eric and Sony Japan lined up about 30 international ballads sung by women, such as "Hero" by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles. The top 12 songs were taken from the list and were covered by Eric and Sony Japan's team of top musicians. The resulting album was released on March 4, 2009, and topped the charts all over Japan at its debut. For months, it continued to move along the top five albums in Japan.
Mr. Big reunion 2009 and beyond
A near Mr. Big "one-off" reunion took place on May 13, 2008, in Los Angeles at the House Of Blues when Paul GilbertPaul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
was joined onstage by Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey is an American rock and roll drummer, known as the drummer of the hard rock band Mr. Big. He has also played for Impellitteri, The Knack, David Lee Roth Band and the Exile Social Club. He is noted by Neil Peart for composing unique rhythms such as that of "Take Cover", a rock song from...
, Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
and Billy Sheehan
Billy Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
for renditions of Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
's '30 Days In The Hole' and original Mr. Big composition 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy'. Reportedly, the three had such an amazing time that they decided to contact Eric Martin a few days later, and a reunion of the four original members (Paul, Eric, Pat, and Billy) was put into motion.
The reunion was first officially announced on February 1, 2009, in a Japanese radio program called "Heavy Metal Syndicate by Koh Sakai". The interviews and press conferences that followed short within the first two weeks of February revealed plans of the band to tour Japan in June 2009 and to release new albums. A world tour followed suit, with two date all across Europe, and several gigs in South East Asia, particularly in India, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea.
In 2010, Eric participated in a tribute album titled Mister Bolin’s Late Night Revival, a compilation of 17 previously unreleased tracks written by guitar legend Tommy Bolin
Tommy Bolin
Thomas Richard "Tommy" Bolin was an American-born guitarist who played with Zephyr , The James Gang , and Deep Purple , in addition to doing solo work...
prior to his death in 1976. The CD includes other artists such as HiFi Superstar
HiFi Superstar
HiFi Superstar is a Chicago, Illinois based rock band known for their 70's look and original music.Lead singer and song writer Mike Paterson began playing with drummer Glenn Mikes in the 80's hair band Little Venus, opening for such bands as Enuff Z'Nuff and Lillian Axe, before forming the band...
, Doogie White
Doogie White
Doogie White , is a Scottish rock vocalist, who has sung for Midnight Blue, Rainbow, Cornerstone, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis and Rata Blanca...
, Troy Luccketta
Troy Luccketta
Troy Luccketta , born October 5, 1959. in Lodi, California, is the drummer of hard rock/heavy metal band Tesla, who achieved popularity in the mid- to late-1980s.- Biography :...
, Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist, best known for his stint in the heavy metal band Dokken...
, Randy Jackson, Rachel Barton
Rachel Barton Pine
Rachel Barton Pine is a violinist from Chicago. Considered a child prodigy at the violin, she started playing at the age of 3 and a half. She played at many renowned venues as a child and teenager...
, Rex Carroll
Rex Carroll
Rex Carroll is a guitarist and known for his work in the Christian metal band Whitecross. Rex Carroll is also the leader and guitarist of other bands like Fierce Heart, King James and The Rex Carroll Band. He also filled in and did all the guitar work on Eden's 1994 album "Fan The Flame". In...
, Derek St. Holmes
Derek St. Holmes
Derek St. Holmes is an American musician best known as the vocalist and rhythm guitar player for Ted Nugent's successful early solo career.-Early years:...
, Kimberley Dahme
Kimberley Dahme
Kimberley Dahme is a rock/country music singer, songwriter who is best known as a member of the rock band Boston.She has produced several country solo Music CDs....
, and The 77’s
The 77s
The 77s are an American rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon on bass, and Bruce Spencer on drums.-Scratch Band:...
. A percentage of the proceeds from this project will benefit the Jackson Recovery Centers.
Mr. Big recorded in 2010 a new album called What If... produced by Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx, Dream Theater, Tyler Bryant, Mr. Big, and Europe.-Biography:...
and released early 2011.
On May 10, 2011, after almost two decades, Mr. Big stepped on-stage at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. The band performed most of the songs from "Lean Into It", with the crowd singing along. The band also introduced a couple of new songs from "What If". It was an amazing night in Manila and they promised to come back sooner, with Eric Martin citing the how long it took for the band before they came back. A standing ovation after the performance was hailed by screaming Filipinos fans "We want more" resulting to two more encores.
The band recently embarked on a very successful South American tour that ended with two dates in Brazil, the last of which in the city of Porto Alegre on July 10, where, according to Eric Martin himself, Mr. Big had a great "end of the tour party" live in front of over 2,000 wildly cheering fans who jam-packed the local rock venue Bar Opinião. Tickets were sold out several days in advance. Martin referred to the crowd's reaction as "phenomenal", and promised the band would be back in town in the future.
Studio albums
- Sucker for a Pretty Face (1983) (The Billboard 200 #191)
- Eric Martin (1985)
- I'm Only Fooling Myself (1987)
- Somewhere in the Middle (1998)
- Pure (2002)
- I'm Goin' Sane (2003)
- Destroy All Monsters (2004)
- Mr. Vocalist (2008)
- Mr. Vocalist 2 (2009)
- Mr. Vocalist 3 (2010)
Compilation albums
- Soul Sessions - The Capitol Years (1987)
- Love Is Alive - Works Of 1985-2010 (2010)
- Mr. Vocalist 3 (2010)
Studio albums
- Mr. Big (1989)
- Lean Into ItLean into ItLean into It is an album by hard rock band Mr. Big, released in 1991. Known as the band's breakthrough release, it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 charts, while the single "To Be With You" became the band's first and only song to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100...
(1991) - Bump AheadBump AheadBump Ahead is the third studio album by the hard rock band Mr. Big.-Track listing:#"Colorado Bulldog" - 4:14#"Price You Gotta Pay" - 3:55...
(1993) - Hey ManHey ManHey Man is the fourth studio album by the hard rock band, Mr. Big.-Track listing:# "Trapped in Toyland" - 4:24# "Take Cover" - 4:38# "Jane Doe" - 3:36...
(1996) - Get Over ItGet Over It (album)Get Over It is the fifth studio album by the hard rock band Mr. Big.It is their first studio album to feature guitarist Richie Kotzen.-Track listing:# "Electrified" – 4:12 # "Static" – 3:07...
(2000) - Actual SizeActual SizeActual Size is the sixth album by the hard rock band Mr. Big released in August 2001. It was their second and last studio album to feature guitarist Richie Kotzen. Actual Size would be Mr. Big's final album for 10 years, until What If.....
(2001) - What If...What If... (Mr. Big album)-Bonus tracks:- Personnel :*Eric Martin – vocals*Paul Gilbert – guitars & backing vocals*Billy Sheehan – bass guitar & backing vocals*Pat Torpey – drums, percussion & backing vocals-Release history:- External links :* * *...
(2011)
Live albums
- Raw Like SushiRaw Like Sushi (Mr. Big album)Raw Like Sushi is a live album released by the American hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1990.-Track listing:# "Blame It On My Youth"# "How Can You Do What You Do"# "Merciless"# "Rock & Roll Over ~Paul Gilbert Guitar Solo"# "Take a Walk"...
(1990) - Mr. Big LiveMr. Big LiveMr. Big Live is a recording of a live concert by the melodic hard rock band Mr. Big held March 28, 1992 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, California...
(1992) - Raw Like Sushi IIRaw Like Sushi IIRaw Like Sushi II is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1992.-Track listing:# "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy"# "Voodoo Kiss"# "A Little Too Loose"# "Road to Ruin "# "CDFF-Lucky This Time "...
(1992) - Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. The performance was recorded at Koseinenkin Hall in Tokyo, Japan October 29, 1993.-Track listing:...
(1994) - Channel V at the Hard Rock Live (1996)
- Live at BudokanLive at Budokan (Mr. Big album)Live at Budokan is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1997.-Track listing:#"Intro/Piano"#"Trapped in Toyland"#"Take Cover"#"Green-Tinted Sixties Mind"#"Jane Doe"...
(1997) - StaticStatic (Mr. Big album)Static is an album by hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 2000.-Track listing:# Static# Static # Superfantastic # Electrified # Hiding Place # To Be With You...
(2000) - In Japan (2002)
- Live from the Living Room (2011)
EPs
- Take Cover (1996)
- Not One NightNot One NightNot One Night is an EP by the hard rock band Mr. Big.-Track listing:# "Not One Night"# "Take a Walk" # "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy"...
(1997) - Superfantastic (2000)
Compilation albums
- Big Bigger Biggest: Greatest HitsBig Bigger Biggest: Greatest HitsBig, Bigger, Biggest! The Best Of Mr. Big is a compilation CD and DVD by the hard rock band Mr. Big. CD released in 1996 and DVD released in 2009 , it contains the following songs:-Track listing for japanese CD edition:...
(1996) - Deep CutsDeep Cuts (Mr. Big album)Deep Cuts: The Best Of The Ballads is a compilation album by hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 2000. The two opening tracks "Where Are They Now" and "I'll Leave It Up to You" are previously unreleased. Tracks 3, 4 & 5 "Had Enough", "Promise Her the Moon" and "Just Take My Heart" are songs...
(2000) - Greatest Hits (2004)
- Next Time Around (2009)
Video releases
- Lean Into It (1991)
- Live and Kickin (1992)
- Live in San Francisco (1992)
- Group Portrait (1993)
- Greatest Video Hits (1996)
- Back to BudokanBack to BudokanBack to Budokan is a live album CD and DVD by the hard rock band Mr. Big. The performance was recorded at Budokan in Tokyo, Japan Jun 20, 2009.-Disc 1:# "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy " - 4:48# "Take Cover" - 4:46...
(2009)
Miscellaneous
- Appeared on Teachers original soundtrack ("I Can't Stop the Fire") (1984)
- Appeared on Iron Eagle original soundtrackIron Eagle (soundtrack)In 2008, Varèse Sarabande released the original musical score by Basil Poledouris as part of their CD Club.-Track listing:# Iron Eagle - Main Title # Shot Down # Hallway # Ted On Trial # Three Days/Minister Sinister...
("These are the Good Times" (on soundtrackSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
) and "Eyes of the World" (in movieFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
but not on soundtrack)) (1986) - Appeared on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers original soundtrackMighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie: Original Soundtrack AlbumMighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie: Original Soundtrack Album is the licensed soundtrack to the 1995 Twentieth Century Fox film Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie...
("Go Go Power RangersGo Go Power Rangers"Go Go Power Rangers" is a single by Ron Wasserman who recorded as "The Mighty RAW". It was released by Saban Records on CD and cassette formats in the US on December 2, 1994, and in the UK December 14, 1994...
") (1995) - Appeared on Working Man, a tribute album to RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
(Lead Vocals on "Mission") (1996) - Appeared on Daytona USA Circuit Edition original soundtrack ("The American Dream" and "Sons of Angels") (1997)
- Performed on the Pride FC theme song "Last Man Standing" (2006)
- Appeared on Avalon ("I Don't Want to Want You" and "Life Got in the Way") (2006)
- Appeared on Jun Senoue: The Works ("Batter Up!", "Mr. Baseball" and re-recorded versions of "The American Dream" and Sons of Angels") (2009)
- Appeared on Siam Shade TributeSiam Shade TributeSiam Shade Tribute is a tribute album to Siam Shade, released on October 27, 2010. It is composed of covers of their songs by Western artists and is produced by well-known American producer Marti Frederiksen.- Track listing :...
, a tribute album to Siam ShadeSiam ShadeSiam Shade was a five-piece Japanese rock band, which broke onto the visual kei scene alongside a multitude of other artists in the early 1990s. They enjoyed a decade of relative popularity before disbanding in early 2002. On November 18, 2007, they reunited for a concert in honor of their...
("Love") (2010) - Appeared on Sin-AtraSin-AtraSIN-Atra is a heavy metal compilation album by various artists, released as a heavy metal tribute album to Frank Sinatra. The album features various heavy metal artists as vocalists, including Dee Snider, Glenn Hughes, Devin Townsend, Robin Zander, Joey Belladonna and Jani Lane.-Track listing:...
, a tribute to Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
(2011)