Freak of Nature (band)
Encyclopedia
Freak of Nature was an American
Heavy Metal
band
, formed in 1992 by former White Lion
lead singer Mike Tramp
. The band was formed after White Lion broke up and was significantly darker and harder than White Lion. The band released three albums and then disbanded in 1995. Following Freak of Nature Mike Tramp released several solo albums and also reformed White Lion with a new line up.
, resulting in six songs, three of which later ended up on the debut album. Ex-Lion bassist Jerry Best
joined them shortly after, as did ex-Strike Twice guitarist Kenny Korade. The band used programmed drums up until drummer Johnny Haro joined. After six months of rehearsals, Tramp and Steffensen had an argument resulting in Steffensen leaving the band to return to Denmark
. Ex-House of Lords
guitarist Dennis Chick was brought in to replace Steffensen.
to record their self titled debut album
and although the record, released in 1993 through Music For Nations, did not shift in large quantities Freak OF Nature's relentless work ethic brought in many admirers. In 1993, Freak of Nature toured for eight months, playing a mixture of headlining shows, mainly in Britain, including gigs at the Roskilde Festival
on July 2, and support slots for Helloween
in September and Dio
in November. Early in 1994, Korade said he wanted to leave the band and both Best and Haro indicated likewise. Tramp managed to talk Best and Haro into staying, but Korade only agreed to stay through the recording
of the band's second album. Gathering of Freaks
was released in 1994 and shortly after the recording processes in Canoga Park, California, and North Hollywood, California, Korade was replaced by Marcus Nand. The album spent one week at #66 on the UK Albums Chart
in October 1994 which was the band's only UK
chart
presence. The band undertook a tour in support of the album and then eventually disbanded. In 1998 an album of outtakes, demos and rareities was released titled Outcasts
.
and released four studio albums and one live album as a solo artist: Capricorn, Recovering the Wasted Years, More To Life Than This, and Songs I Left Behind as studio efforts, with Rock n' Roll Alive as a live album. Tramp also reformed White Lion with a new line up under the name "Tramp's White Lion" (aka White Lion II) due to legal issues with former members. The band played and re-recorded White Lion songs. TWL toured during 2005 and released a double-live CD entitled Rocking the USA
. In 2007 a White Lion compilation "The Definitive Rock Collection
" was released and the band was set for a summer tour with Poison
and Ratt only to be dropped by the tour promoter after ex-White Lion guitarist Vito Bratta
threatened to take legal action over the band name. Eventually Tramp was able to use the White Lion name and they released Return of the Pride
in 2008.
Korade returned to play on Tramp's solo album Capricorn in 1997. Korade formed a band called Zero G, which at one point also included both Best and Haro. Korade later joined Courtney Love
's touring band.
Best played bass for Dio
between August 1995 and May 1996, taking part in recording sessions and a South American tour. He also played on Tramp's solo album Capricorn and the tour that followed. He too was part of Courtney Love's band for a couple of years, co-writing seven of the twelve songs on America's Sweetheart. He also played on the White Lion US tour in July 2007.
Haro was in the band Star 69
in 1996 and 1997, playing on their last album Eating February. He went on to a brief stint in Stabbing Westward
, filling in for their drummer on tour in 1998. A couple of months later, Haro joined Econoline Crush
, where he stayed until the band's break-up in 2001. In 2002, he teamed up with ex-Stabbing Westward singer Christopher Hall and formed The Dreaming
.
Steffensen formed the band Spacehead and released an album. Later an album called Brothers For Life was released under the moniker Mike & Oliver, containing material Steffensen and Tramp did together before Freak of Nature. Steffensen also was part of Tramp's album Recovering the Wasted Years and played with Tramp during his European tour in 2003.
Dennis Chick runs a custom motorcycle
shop in Los Angeles
.
Nand moved back to Malaga
, Spain
, where he grew up. He later returned to Los Angeles, where he worked both solo and with other musicians.
† Bonus footage : Freak of Nature unplugged in France (1993)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, formed in 1992 by former White Lion
White Lion
White Lion is an American/Danish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the...
lead singer Mike Tramp
Mike Tramp
Mike Tramp is a Danish singer and songwriter who is best known for his work with the hard rock bands White Lion and Freak of Nature...
. The band was formed after White Lion broke up and was significantly darker and harder than White Lion. The band released three albums and then disbanded in 1995. Following Freak of Nature Mike Tramp released several solo albums and also reformed White Lion with a new line up.
Formation
Mike Tramp and long-time friend Oliver Steffensen met up in September 1991, just days after White Lion played their last gig. The pair spent weeks in Tramp's house in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, resulting in six songs, three of which later ended up on the debut album. Ex-Lion bassist Jerry Best
Jerry Best
Jeremiah 'Jerry' Best was an English football player who began his career in England before moving to the American Soccer League. He led the league in scoring in 1930. In 1931, he returned to England where he finished his career. He was born in Mickley, England.Best began his professional career...
joined them shortly after, as did ex-Strike Twice guitarist Kenny Korade. The band used programmed drums up until drummer Johnny Haro joined. After six months of rehearsals, Tramp and Steffensen had an argument resulting in Steffensen leaving the band to return to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Ex-House of Lords
House of Lords (band)
House of Lords is a hard rock/AOR band from Los Angeles, California.-History:House of Lords was formed in 1987 by former Angel member and keyboardist Gregg Giuffria from his solo project Giuffria...
guitarist Dennis Chick was brought in to replace Steffensen.
Rise and fall
In November 1992, the band entered The Plant Studios in Sausalito, CaliforniaSausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
to record their self titled debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
and although the record, released in 1993 through Music For Nations, did not shift in large quantities Freak OF Nature's relentless work ethic brought in many admirers. In 1993, Freak of Nature toured for eight months, playing a mixture of headlining shows, mainly in Britain, including gigs at the Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
on July 2, and support slots for Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
in September and Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
in November. Early in 1994, Korade said he wanted to leave the band and both Best and Haro indicated likewise. Tramp managed to talk Best and Haro into staying, but Korade only agreed to stay through the recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of the band's second album. Gathering of Freaks
Gathering of Freaks
Gathering of Freaks is the second album from the Heavy Metal band Freak of Nature, fronted by former White Lion lead singer Mike Tramp. The album was released in 1994 and spent one week at #66 on the UK Albums Chart in October 1994. It was the band's only UK chart presence. The album was recorded...
was released in 1994 and shortly after the recording processes in Canoga Park, California, and North Hollywood, California, Korade was replaced by Marcus Nand. The album spent one week at #66 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
in October 1994 which was the band's only UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
presence. The band undertook a tour in support of the album and then eventually disbanded. In 1998 an album of outtakes, demos and rareities was released titled Outcasts
Outcasts (Freak of Nature album)
Outcasts is the third and final album from the Hard rock band Freak of Nature, released in 1998. The album is a compilation of B-sides, demos and outtakes released through Ulftone Records....
.
Post split
Tramp moved to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and released four studio albums and one live album as a solo artist: Capricorn, Recovering the Wasted Years, More To Life Than This, and Songs I Left Behind as studio efforts, with Rock n' Roll Alive as a live album. Tramp also reformed White Lion with a new line up under the name "Tramp's White Lion" (aka White Lion II) due to legal issues with former members. The band played and re-recorded White Lion songs. TWL toured during 2005 and released a double-live CD entitled Rocking the USA
Rocking the USA
Rocking the USA is the first White Lion live compilation album released in 2005, now better known as Tramp's White Lion or White Lion 2, with all new band members again but still features original lead singer Mike Tramp....
. In 2007 a White Lion compilation "The Definitive Rock Collection
The Definitive Rock Collection (White Lion album)
The Definitive Rock Collection is the latest compilation album by White Lion, released in 2007 by Atlantic Records. The ultimate collection of studio and live 'White Lion' tracks. The compilation features all of White Lion's charted singles...
" was released and the band was set for a summer tour with Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
and Ratt only to be dropped by the tour promoter after ex-White Lion guitarist Vito Bratta
Vito Bratta
Vito Bratta is the former lead guitarist and lead songwriter for the 1980s rock band White Lion from 1983 to 1992....
threatened to take legal action over the band name. Eventually Tramp was able to use the White Lion name and they released Return of the Pride
Return of the Pride
Return of the Pride is the fifth studio album by White Lion. The album was released in 2008 on March 14 , April 9 , April 29...
in 2008.
Korade returned to play on Tramp's solo album Capricorn in 1997. Korade formed a band called Zero G, which at one point also included both Best and Haro. Korade later joined Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
's touring band.
Best played bass for Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
between August 1995 and May 1996, taking part in recording sessions and a South American tour. He also played on Tramp's solo album Capricorn and the tour that followed. He too was part of Courtney Love's band for a couple of years, co-writing seven of the twelve songs on America's Sweetheart. He also played on the White Lion US tour in July 2007.
Haro was in the band Star 69
Star 69 (band)
Star 69 is the name of a band headed by Julie Daniels, who released a single full-length album and a number of EPs in the late 1990s, as well as providing "You Are Here" for the soundtrack to the movie Trojan War.-History:...
in 1996 and 1997, playing on their last album Eating February. He went on to a brief stint in Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
, filling in for their drummer on tour in 1998. A couple of months later, Haro joined Econoline Crush
Econoline Crush
Econoline Crush is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada formed in 1992. Originally formed in Seattle, they eventually moved back to Vancouver...
, where he stayed until the band's break-up in 2001. In 2002, he teamed up with ex-Stabbing Westward singer Christopher Hall and formed The Dreaming
The Dreaming (US band)
The Dreaming is a rock band in the Hollywood area founded in 2002 by Johnny Haro and Christopher Hall, former lead singer of the band Stabbing Westward.-Biography:...
.
Steffensen formed the band Spacehead and released an album. Later an album called Brothers For Life was released under the moniker Mike & Oliver, containing material Steffensen and Tramp did together before Freak of Nature. Steffensen also was part of Tramp's album Recovering the Wasted Years and played with Tramp during his European tour in 2003.
Dennis Chick runs a custom motorcycle
Custom motorcycle
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle that is highly stylized or which treats aspects such as frame geometry, engine design, or paintwork in an unusual way compared to standard manufacturing. Custom motorcycles are unique or individually produced in a very limited quantity, as opposed to "stock"...
shop in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Nand moved back to Malaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he grew up. He later returned to Los Angeles, where he worked both solo and with other musicians.
Albums
- Freak of NatureFreak of Nature (album)Freak of Nature is the self titled debut album from the hard rock band Freak of Nature, released on March 29, 1993. The band features former White Lion vocalist Mike Tramp who formed Freak of Nature following White Lion's last album release The Best of White Lion in 1992...
- Catalogue number: MFN146 - produced Freak of Nature and Phil Kaffel. - Gathering of FreaksGathering of FreaksGathering of Freaks is the second album from the Heavy Metal band Freak of Nature, fronted by former White Lion lead singer Mike Tramp. The album was released in 1994 and spent one week at #66 on the UK Albums Chart in October 1994. It was the band's only UK chart presence. The album was recorded...
- Catalogue number: MFN169 - produced by Kaffel.
Compilation albums
- OutcastsOutcasts (Freak of Nature album)Outcasts is the third and final album from the Hard rock band Freak of Nature, released in 1998. The album is a compilation of B-sides, demos and outtakes released through Ulftone Records....
- compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of demos and outtakes (1998). - Freakthology - Limited edition box set featuring all three albums (2003)
Singles and EPs
- "Rescue Me" - Catalogue number: KUT153 (Europe only)
- "Rescue Me"
- "Are You Ready"
- "Turn the Other Way" (acoustic)
- "What Am I" (acoustic)
- "Rescue Me" - Catalogue number: VICP2091 (Japan only)
- "Rescue Me"
- "What Am I" (acoustic)
- "Turn the Other Way" (acoustic)
- "Wartime"
- "Can't Find My Way"
- "Turn the Other Way" (promo single)
DVDs
- Live in Japan 1993 - (2004)
- "Turn the Other Way"
- "People"
- "World Doesn't Mind"
- "Rescue Me"
- "Possessed"
- "Are You Ready"
- "'92"
- "What Am I"
- "If I Leave"
- "Bad Reputation"
- "What Am I"
- "Love Was Here"
- "What Am I" †
- "If I Leave" †
- "Ohio" †
† Bonus footage : Freak of Nature unplugged in France (1993)