Excalibur

Formed in Yorkshire, England, during 1981, the group came together while its members were still schoolboys. Paul McBride handled vocals, Paul Solynskyj (born 27 October 1966 in England) played guitar, Martin Hawthorn took care of bass duties, and Mick Dobson sat behind the drums. Exhausting late-night performances often left them dozing off during lessons. Once they finished school, Excalibur maintained a relentless touring schedule even as each member tried to keep regular employment during the day. An unexpected encounter with their music prompted a Conquest Records employee to offer the band a deal in 1985. That same year the label issued the mini-album The Bitter End, whose melodic yet somewhat conventional heavy-metal sound drew early attention. The lineup expanded to five members in 1986 when Steve Blades (born 20 May 1968 in Scotland), handling both guitar and keyboards, joined the ranks. Shortly afterward the group taped a session for BBC Radio 1’s Friday Rock Show that aired in July 1986 and was repeated in September. Clay Records later collected the four tracks from that session on the Hot For Love EP, which appeared in 1988. That year also brought a television appearance on the BBC programme On A Personal Note, where Excalibur performed “Hot For Love” and “Running Scared” in a broadcast that also featured Def Leppard and Little Angels. Before 1988 closed, Dave Sykes replaced Mick Dobson on drums, and the band spent much of the period supporting Uriah Heep across the UK. Signing with Active Records in 1989 allowed Excalibur to begin work on a full-length debut almost immediately. The first preview arrived in the form of “Carole Ann,” an acoustic track that prompted comparisons with Bon Jovi. Critical praise greeted the subsequent release of One Strange Night, after which the group launched its first extensive headline tour of the UK in February 1990. Additional dates supporting Saxon throughout the UK and Europe followed, though further lineup adjustments occurred: Livermore had already taken over for Martin Hawthorn in 1989, and he in turn stepped aside for Dean Wilson (born 5 March 1966 in England). While recording a second album in the studio during 1991, Paul McBride declared his intention to depart, leaving the band’s future uncertain.