Press from Frontiers Records 15-November-00: A former member of ALICE COOPER's band, bassist KIP WINGER formed his own group after recording two albums with Alice during the mid eighties: "Constrictor" and "Raise Your Fist & Yell". In addition to vocalist/bassist Winger, the group featured guitarist REB BEACH, keyboard/guitarist PAUL TAYLOR and drummer ROD MORGENSTEIN (formerly of Dixie Dregs). Taking the name from its leader, WINGER specialized in an excellent and winning melodic metal formula with strong influences from bands like VAN HALEN and DOKKEN. The band's eponymous debut in 1988 sold over a million copies on the strength of singles like the rocker "Seventeen" and the ballad "Headed for a Heartbreak".
WINGER's second album, 1990's "In The Heart Of The Young", was slightly more melodic and showed a more mature and technical approach to the songs. It reached an equal success, selling over a million copies and featuring the hit power-ballad "Miles Away". Winger made also their debut on the european stages in support of SCORPIONS. Unfortunately the band didn't outlast the post-alternative pop-metal backlash and the group faded away after the release of the critically acclaimed 1993 album "Pull".
After Winger's demise, Kip decided to leave for Florida first and New Mexico later where he would build his own recording studio in order to pursue his own solo career. He started writing his own songs in a different style than to his previous band. Teaming together with ANDY TIMMONS (ex-Danger Danger guitarist and solo artist) and former Winger drummer ROD MORGENSTEIN, he recorded his debut solo album, "Thisconversationseemslikeadream", released in January 1997. New influences brought in the sound included Bowie, Thomas Dolby, The Beatles, Gabriel and Sting. After touring the U.S., Europe and Japan to promote his album, playing acoustic sets of songs from his own album and several Winger classics, he released a second album consisting of just that (but studio recordings) called "Made by Hand" one year later.
In the past two years Kip had been working on "Ocean Floor". On six of the songs, lyric co-writer is Noble Kime. Once again ANDY TIMMONS and ROD MORGENSTEIN are teaming up with Kip. Guest performances are also courtesy of MOON ZAPPA which duets with Kip on "Sure Was a Wildflower" and his former bandmate REB BEACH performs guitar on "Resurrection". Surely "Songs From The Ocean Floor" is the best and more mature album to date from Kip and he is already commited to tour and play in Europe in support of the album.