"Save Your Love" by Great White

Song#:  3383

Date:  01/23/1988

Debut:  81

Peak:  57

Weeks:  12

Genre:  Hard Rock

Pop Bits:  As they say, third time's the charm and that seemed to be the case for Great White. Their third album, Once Bitten, was their breakthrough hitting #23 and going platinum on the strength of its first single, the #9 Rock/#60 Pop track "Rock Me," along with this second single. The power ballad nearly replicated the results of their previous single by also hitting #9 at Rock and getting near the top half of the Pop chart. A third track, "Lady Red Light," would get to #47 at Rock. The success of the album set them up well for their next effort.

ReduxReview:  With other glam/hard rock bands scoring Top 40 hits with power ballads, I was surprised that this one didn't do better on the chart. It was quite popular, at least in my area, and it had all the trademark power ballad assets needed to get it over to pop radio, yet for some reason it didn't catch on in a bigger way. Perhaps it was a bit too languid for pop radio with its quiet opening and unhurried tempo. Regardless, it became a staple for the band and I thought it was quite well-done.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This song was written by lead singer Jack Russell along with Stephan John Williams. Williams, who went by Stephan Shawn, was a guitarist for the L.A. band Stormer. They were regulars on the Sunset Strip hard rock scene in the 70s and 80s along with other bands like Great White. Stormer was around for a long time, but never got the break that other bands of the era did. They came close once when they recorded a holiday single for the indie Rockwoodz label. Stephan Shawn wrote the a-side song "Yule Tide Fever." The single was released in 1981 and got some good buzz. An album was to follow, but then the label folded and the band was on their own again. Eventually the band would call it a day. At the time the single was recorded and released, Stormer's bassist was Tim Gaines. In 1983, Gaines would leave Stormer and join a newly formed Christian rock band called Stryper. They would grab their first mainstream hit with 1987's "Honestly" (#23 Pop).

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