It Bites

Formed in the mid-'80s, It Bites brought together vocalist and guitarist Francis Dunnery, bassist Dick Nolan, drummer Bob Dalton, and keyboard player John Beck. Their sound mixed blues and metal leanings with a pronounced art-rock streak shaped in part by producer Steve Hillage. The band launched its recording career with the single "All in Red" before securing a deal with Virgin that yielded the debut album The Big Lad in the Windmill. Follow-up single "Calling All Heroes" reached number six on the British charts, yet the group never returned to the Top 40 thereafter. Its sophomore effort Once Around the World reflected a shift toward more conventional rock textures, while the final release Eat Me in St. Louis functioned as a quasi-compilation incorporating earlier material. Nearly two decades after disbanding, It Bites reconvened, recruiting vocalist/guitarist John Mitchell in place of original frontman Francis Dunnery. The live set When the Lights Go Down captured their 2006 U.K. tour, and the following year the band issued the new studio album The Tall Ships.