British Lions

British Lions were in large part a continuation of Mott (the post-Ian Hunter version of Mott the Hoople), retaining keyboardist Morgan Fisher, lead guitarist Ray Major, bassist Overend Watts, and drummer Dale Griffin; ex-Medicine Head singer/guitarist John Fiddler was added on lead vocals. Just as Mott had been a devolution from Mott the Hoople, so did British Lions continue the dilution into journeyman British hard rock. The British Lions concentrated on the American market, feeling the UK scene to be unsympathetic to veteran rockers during the new wave/punk days, and toured the US supporting groups like Blue Oyster Cult and UFO. Their single "Wild in the Streets" made the lower reaches of the Top Hundred, and they did an album for RSO in 1978. The band collapsed after making a second album, which RSO did not release, although it was issued in the early 1980s. Another album (Live and Rare) of live-in-the-US recordings from the 1978 tour, as well as some previously unreleased demos and rehearsals, appeared in 1999. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide