Mr. Big formed in 1988, comprised of a group of all-star musicians. Some were ace session musicians who've played with many artists over the years. Bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan was a member of David Lee Roth's band, vocalist Eric Martin had already seen chart action as a solo artist, guitarist Paul Gilbert played in the rock outfit Racer X, and drummer Pat Torpey (who passed away in 2018) played with everyone from Belinda Carlisle to Ted Nugent. Mr. Big took their name from a song by the band Free, and ended up doing their rendition of this tune on their "Bump Ahead" record in 1993. They are not to be confused with the English disco band who hit the charts in 1977 with "Romeo." Their self-titled debut was generally well-received, although it did not generate any chart hits. But the band's chemistry aligned for their second album, 1991's "Lean Into It." A near flawless piece of AOR, this record doesn't get enough credit. It almost tanked until a simple acoustic ditty, "To Be With You," which was tacked on to the end of the album, suddenly hit #1 for three weeks. The momentum gave the band a second hit, "Just Take My Heart," which reached #16. Due to the shifting winds of the musical landscape in the 90s, it was surprising a band like Mr. Big could squeeze out two more charting singles: a cover of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" hit #27 and "Ain't Seen Love Like That" hit #83. The band continued to put out records over the years, the last arriving in 2017. "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind" was the lead single from "Lean Into It" that somehow did not interest enough folks at radio to get it on the charts. It is a terrific pop rock song that deserved to become a classic.
Most folks are familiar with New York singer and songwriter Eric Martin thanks to his work in the supergroup, Mr. Big (we'll get to them shortly). Before his tenure in Mr. Big, and during their downtime, Martin makes solo records. The first arrived in 1983 in the form of The Eric Martin Band and was called "Sucker For A Pretty Face." It contains some underrated gems like the title track, "Young At Heart," and "Just Another Pretty Boy." With his sophomore release, Martin scored his one and only charting single as a solo artist. "Information" peaked at #87 in 1985. He released a third record, "I'm Only Fooling Myself" in 1987, but if failed to generate a hit. No worries, because he'd soon join Mr. Big and score a #1 smash. In 2002, Martin released another solo record with this as a title track: "I'm Goin' Sane." It had an updated sound, catchy chorus, and relatable lyrics that should have breathed new life into this talented vocalist's chart career. Should have, but didn't.
