White Wing -

White Wing was an American symphonic-rock band from Rapid City, SD, that released a 1976 self-titled album on ASI. Guitarist Mike Coates and singer Mike English later formed Asia for two subsequent albums with Free Flite singer Larry Galbraith.

Members: Mike Drew (vocals, organ, 1968–73), Rod Schroeder (vocals, guitar, 1968–72), Mike Coates (guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1968–76), Gary Cass (bass, 1968–76), Norm Curtis (drums, percussion, 1968–76), Mike Niva (vocals, organ, 1974), Mike English (vocals, percussion, 1974–76), Tim Renshaw (keyboards, 1975–76)

Background

White Wing formed in Rapid City in 1968 as Forbidden Children when singer–organist Mike Drew, singer–guitarist Rod Schroeder, guitarist Mike Coates, bassist Gary Cass, and drummer Norm Curtis assembled the first lineup. The group adopted the White Wing name and toured across the northern Plains and Canada.

Power Page issued two White Wing singles in 1970: “Lukie’s Tune” (b/w “Melancholy”) and “The Nation’s at War” (b/w “April’s Music Box”). Drew left in 1973, and singer–organist Mike Niva joined for the 1974 lineup. Singer Mike English and keyboardist Tim Renshaw completed the album lineup with Coates, Cass, and Curtis before the 1975 ASI contract.

White Wing

White Wing released their singular album, White Wing, in 1976 on ASI.

ASI selected ten pieces from a planned concept album to meet airplay goals. English wrote the words for “Patent Leather” and “A Little Levity (A Satirical Salute)”; Coates composed all ten selections and supplied the remaining lyrics. The guitarist supplements his main role with Mellotron and keyboards alongside Renshaw. Free Flite singer Larry Galbraith contributes soprano vocals on four tracks, while two settings of “Hansa” bracket the sequence.

“Hansa (Cygnus)” glides through gentle acoustic strums, soft piano, stately Mellotron and close harmonies. “Patent Leather” surges on a broad riff and Hammond runs as lead delivery shifts across extended solos. “Slave” drives through a heavy electric figure and rapid accents beneath bright, contoured lines. “Wait ’Til Tomorrow” unfurls an airy string bed beneath lyrical fretwork and broad tonal turns.

“The White Ship” pivots from a brisk guitar riff into a slow, string-backed interlude before a spacious piano break and long lead. “Harbinger” stomps on a hard-edged riff while Mike English hardens his phrasing against forceful accents. “A Little Levity (A Satirical Salute)” loosens a bluesy riff into a brisk, rolling passage as English holds an unusually pitched lead.

“Tuzashottma” settles into an acoustic solo with delicate, unhurried phrasing. “Executive Privlege” coils through rhythmic piano figures and choral replies across measured passages and brisk turns. “Hansa (Aquila)” condenses its companion motif into majestic strings, resonant picking and hushed harmonies.

A1. “Hansa (Cygnus)” (3:14)
A2. “Patent Leather” (6:44)
A3. “Slave” (3:16)
A4. “Wait Till Tomorrow” (4:29)

B1. “The White Ship” (4:11)
B2. “Harbinger” (3:51)
B3. “A Little Levity (A Satirical Salute)” (4:44)
B4. “Tuzashottama” (1:13)
B5. “Executive Privilege” (4:20)
B6. “Hansa (Aquila)” (1:59)

The band recorded and mixed White Wing in 1975 at ASI Studios in Minneapolis. ASI president Dan Holmes engineered the sessions and served as executive producer; Coates and manager Mike Chambers produced the album. Holmes next produced the 1977 self-titled ASI album by Colorado band Babyface, which later became Axe.

White Wing appeared in a sleeve designed and illustrated by Minnesota commercial artist Cindy Berglund, with art direction by Chambers. The front sets a blue winged figure against a star field beneath white title lettering. Berglund began her commercial-graphics career in St. Paul in 1975, one year before the LP release.

ASI lifted “Hansa” as a 1976 single (b/w “Slave”). The A-side appeared in the July 31 Billboard Top Single Picks column.

ProgAOR/Blood & Iron issued the first CD edition in 2017, remastered by Coates with a twelve-page booklet of archive photographs, lyrics, and band history. Cult Rock Classics returned the album to 180-gram vinyl on October 15, 2021, in black and blue-white splatter editions with an illustrated insert.

Asia

Poor distribution across smaller Midwestern markets undermined the album campaign despite regional airplay for “Hansa.” ASI declined the option on a fully composed second album in demo form, and White Wing disbanded late in 1976 after the promotional tour.

Holmes encouraged Coates to replace the rhythm section and add Galbraith from Free Flite. Coates and English formed a new group with Galbraith under manager Mike Chambers. Auditions brought Nebraska drummer John Haynes into the lineup, which adopted the name Asia after the early-1977 auditions.

The Rapid City group released Asia in 1979 and Armed to the Teeth in 1980 on ASI. White Wing entered the South Dakota Rock and Roll Music Association Hall of Fame with the 2016 class.

Discography: