Lou Gramm has shared insightful reflections on the challenges faced by Shadow King, the supergroup he led during the early 1990s. Despite an impressive lineup consisting of guitarist Vivian Campbell, drummer Kevin Valentine, and bassist Bruce Turgon, the band’s journey was fraught with difficulties that ultimately impacted their success.

Gramm recounted the initial spark that led to the formation of Shadow King, revealing, “When I knew I wanted to do something else, Bruce Turgon and I spoke to Vivian and got together with him in California. We started jamming on some song ideas and we mutually decided to start a band.” This collaboration was filled with enthusiasm, showcasing the band’s potential for greatness.

“It was touted as a very hot new band,” Gramm added, mentioning the excitement from the record label regarding Shadow King’s debut. The anticipation was palpable, and there were high hopes that the label would support them robustly upon the release of their album.

However, when the band released their self-titled debut album in 1991, it was met with disappointing sales figures, which Gramm attributes to a lack of effective promotion from their record label. “We recorded that album on Atlantic Records and we assumed that it would get a lot of promotion and that we would be promoted properly as a new band,” he explained. “And, the thing was, it never was promoted properly.” This misstep from the label proved detrimental to Shadow King’s visibility in the competitive music landscape.

“It never got the push from Atlantic Records that we hoped any new band would,” he lamented. Furthermore, he revealed that many fans struggled to find their album in record stores, compounding the challenges they faced in garnering attention.

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Gramm elaborated on the band’s aspirations for a world tour in support of their debut album, but those plans were abruptly halted due to poor album sales. He speculated on the potential reasons for Atlantic Records’ withdrawal of support, particularly considering the band’s connection to his former group, Foreigner.

“I was told that, just before the album came out, Mick [Jones] had a talk with (label co-founder) Ahmet Ertegun, the chairman of WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic),” Gramm revealed. “He expressed concerns that if Shadow King achieved success, then Lou would never return to Foreigner.” This revelation adds a layer of intrigue to the dynamics within the music industry during that time.

Ultimately, Shadow King disbanded by the end of 1991, leaving behind a legacy of unrealized potential, and Gramm returned to Foreigner the following year, marking a significant shift in his musical journey.