Lions & Ghosts

Like Camper Truck Beethoven as well as the Substitutes, Lions & Spirits were adored by university radio DJs within the ‘80s but received frosty shoulders in the mainstream airwaves. Produced in LA by Rick Parker (vocals, electric guitar, keyboards), Michael Lockwood (electric guitar, vocals), Todd Hoffman (bass, vocals), and Michael Martin Murphey (drums, vocals), Lions & Spirits’ melodic electric guitar rock appeared tailor-made for campus channels; nevertheless, the group was dropped within a glut of American rings marketed because the following R.E.M., whose shock Top 40 discovery in 1987 motivated record brands to pillage university radio for another Big Issue. Lions & Spirits’ 1987 debut LP, Velvet Kiss, Lick from the Lime, was dismissed by critics who didn’t have the group was carrying out anything groundbreaking or ambitious; on the other hand, left-of-the-dial developers feasted in the record’s power pop grooves. “Mary Goes Round,” a useless ringer for the Substitutes, and “Guy in an automobile” enjoyed large airplay on little alternative channels. “Mary Goes Round” also became a cult strike on new influx dials in Manila, Philippines. But industrial outlets within the U.S. sensed the fact that band’s music was as well understated and moody for mass approval. Wild Backyard, Lions & Spirits’ second record, premiered in 1989 to an identical reaction even though group transformed their sound a little, opting for even more of an easy, roots rock strategy. Wild Backyard didn’t sell, as well as the band split. In 1992, Parker documented a solo work, Wicked Globe, for Geffen Information; it quickly vanished within the rise of grunge. Parker required a break from your music business and came back a couple of years later on with another music group, Sparkler, also offering Tommy Dark (bass) and John Wilmer (drums). Happily displaying their like for ‘70s pop and glam rock and roll, Sparkler released Wicker Recreation area in 1997, sketching evaluations to Matthew Nice and Jellyfish. In 2001, Parker co-wrote many songs on his sweetheart Miranda Lee Richards’ The Herethereafter.