Man
The group It Bites was Francis Dunnery's passport into London and to a record company deal back in 1985. The band's weird time signatures and lack of visual artifice were the antithesis of the preceeding years of make-up and confused sexuality.The band had a hit with almost their first single "Calling All The Heroes" and spent the next 4 years trying to rid themselves of the millstone it had become. The debut album "Big Lad in the Windmill" was followed by "Once Around The World (1988) and the epic "Eat Me In St Louis" (1989) and the posthumous live album when the band split "Thank You and Goodnight".Francis retreated to the USA where he toiled producing a debut solo album "Welcome To The Wild Country" which only saw the light of day in Japan.Dropped by Virgin, Francis took stock of his life and utilised his superb guitar skills playing back-up for many well known artists. It was while playing guitar for Robert Plant that he was spotted by Plant's manager Bill Curbishley who quickly recognised his songwriting talents. Four solo album's later, Francis has managed to use his unique guitar talents to good effect on such diverse releases as Lauren Hill's "Miseducation of Lauren Hill" and the multi-platinum rebirth of Santana with "Supernatural".Francis discovered in 2000 that his gigs were selling out and he returned with a bigger tour that autumn. The songs that had been swirling around in his head for the last four years finally found substance when he completed the recording of his new album "Man" which was only available mail order and at gigs.