ICON

School friends Dan Wexler on guitar, Tracy Wallach on bass and backing vocals, and Stephen Clifford handling lead vocals established Icon in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, during 1981. Within a couple of months drummer Pat Dixon and guitarist John Aquilino completed the lineup. The group devoted its first three years to appearances in local bars while producing demo tapes, initially under the Schoolboys name. Mike Varney discovered the band and placed them on his Shrapnel label, after which Icon cut its debut album with Varney and Wexler sharing production duties. Upon completion Varney recognized its commercial viability and transferred the contract to Capitol Records. Late 1984 brought the release of Icon, a vigorous album cast in the melodic heavy metal mold associated with Dokken. Undeterred by modest sales, the musicians returned to the studio in 1985 with Eddie Kramer to record Night Of The Crime. Capitol then dropped the band after continued weak sales, sending Icon back to Phoenix. Clifford’s exit, prompted by his born-again Christian beliefs, led to Jerry Harrison assuming lead vocals. In 1987 the band issued the cassette-only album A More Perfect Union for local sale; the set reappeared in 1995 as An Even More Perfect Union, now augmented by four previously unreleased tracks from the same sessions. Two years later Johnny Zazula heard the recording and signed Icon to his Megaforce label, which had recently secured worldwide distribution through Atlantic Records. Midway through 1989, just as the group prepared to record, Aquilino departed and Phoenix native Drew Bollmann took his place. Once again produced by Dan Wexler, Right Between The Eyes delivered Icon’s strongest album to date in its characteristic AOR and melodic heavy rock style, with Alice Cooper guesting on two tracks. A short UK tour followed before Wexler announced the band’s breakup.