Mercy Drive

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Please improve this article if you can. (February 2007)
Mercy Drive
Origin Orlando, Florida, USA
Genre(s) Hard Rock
Modern Rock
Years active 2000–present
Label(s) Unknown
Website Mercy Drive Official website
Members
Jimmy McGlothlin
Jake Beard
Corey Lane

Mercy Drive is an Orlando, Florida-based Hard Rock/ modern rock band that had gained attention for their creation of entrance themes for several World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestlers. They are perhaps most well known for providing the theme music for former WWE superstar Maven Huffman and current superstar Randy Orton.

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[edit] History

At two years of age, Corey Lane began to pick up his first set of drumsticks, which would ultimately lead into the birth of the band Big Mother Thruster with friend Josh Lyons. Future friend and current bandmate Jimmy McGlothin received his first electric guitar when he was of nine years of age. Jimmy would meet Jake through mutual friends in a mosh pit during a Metallica show in the summer of 2000. Corey met Jake working at Hard Rock Cafe, which would also ultimately lead into both of them auditioning for the band. Big Mother Thruster started off gaining moderate success and a fair amount of recognition, although simultaneously they also gained momentum when they played at the Florida Circuit in multiple SUVs and a trailer. They also became involved with other acts such as Drowning Pool, Adema and Staind (to name a few) where they acted as supporting players.

Big Mother Thruster's fortunes began to change ever so quickly when they realized that they gained the attention and admiration of many young fans. They also managed to gain the attention of the World Wrestling Federation, DreamWorks records and MTV. The result would lead to their music not only being exposed a great deal, but also lead to four of the tunes being aired during MTV's Tough Enough television show (a show produced by WWE, aired by MTV). The song Dogtooth Violet sold approximately over 130,000 copies nationwide. WWE would also enlist the help of Big Mother Thruster to produce a song for then new superstar Maven Huffman, whom himself was a devoted fan (and still is to this day).

Their most recognized song that was somewhat popular at the time was the song "Tattoo", Maven used as an entrance theme. When Mercy Drive returned under their new name however, they remade the song, thinking that the song could be much more improved than before (this would also include new lyrics, in which the band felt needed to give the song a lot more meaning than their first take on the song). The song would be renamed as "Memory", and despite the new works the song received, it was never used as an entrance theme for Maven, as he was released just days before the song could make its way to WWE television.

The band would disappear into the shadows once more when the popularity of the song began to vanish in late 2001. They would resurface once more in 2002, this time going under the name of Mercy Drive. After the name change, the band was still usually referred to as Big Mother Thruster in the following months. However over time, Mercy Drive began to produce songs that helped launch their success. The band would now feature Jimmy McGlothlin as vocalist and guitarist, Jake Beard/guitarist,and Corey Lane/drums.Mercy Drive would hire bassist Stan Martell for touring.

When WWE superstar Randy Orton won the World Heavyweight Championship, their song Away was used in a video which promoted Randy Orton's accomplishments up from his debut to his World Championship victory. The song however was not as successful as their next song. Following Orton's compromising success, and the eventual storyline of Orton being kicked out of Evolution, WWE would contact Mercy Drive to write and perform a new theme song for Randy Orton. That song would be Burn in My Light in which not only became an overnight popular success, but also a most sought after song for fans to get a hold of. Burn in My Light would make its debut on RAW a week after Randy Orton spit in Triple H's face after refusing to hand over his newly won World Heavyweight Championship. The song also gained Randy Orton some popularity as a face also. Shortly afterwards, Martell left the band due to personal problems, later he joined a band called "Freeway Shamen".

Mercy Drive would find itself in court with WWE when they tried to use Burn in My Light. The band was unsuccessful in their claim. Despite a verbal contract of splitting the song 50/50 the WWE showed that according to the written contract between the two parties, WWE own the rights to the song. Mercy Drive was unable to release Burn in My Light as a single, which caused outrage amongst both Mercy Drive fans and WWE fans. The song, however, managed to leak on to the internet where it is possible to download the song. Despite their loss, Mercy Drive were in fact on good terms with WWE. The theme has now been officially released on the WWE Wreckless Intent album, though in a slightly different edit than the version used for Randy Orton's theme.

The band teamed up with producer Rick Beato (Shinedown, Vince Neil, Flickerstick, Working Title) to put together an "in-your-face" blend of Modern rock that complimented the bands dynamic live performances. The band's self titled, debut record is currently available exclusively through the band's official website.

On August 9, 2007, Mercy Drive announced that they would be recording some new material soon.

[edit] Members

[edit] Big Mother Thruster

[edit] Mercy Drive

[edit] Music

Here is a list of songs that Mercy Drive are well known for:

  • Burn in My Light (Former Entrance theme of Randy Orton (RAW))
  • Memory (a remake of Tattoo)
  • Away (used in Randy Orton's tribute video)
  • See You Crawl
  • Lost Inside
  • Over
  • Dead Horse
  • Promise
  • Deja Vu
  • Follow
  • I'll Be Late
  • Pressed

Note: The reason Burn in my Light was not featured on the album is because WWE would not give Mercy Drive permission to use it. It is a song written by James A. Johnston of World Wrestling Entertainment and performed by Mercy Drive.

[edit] Album Tracklist

Album: Mercy Drive

Track Listing:

1. Away

2. Dead Horse

3. See You Crawl

4. Promise

5. DeJa Vu

6. Mindset

7. Lost Inside

8. Pressed

9. Over

10. Memory

11. Follow

12. I'll Be Late

[edit] External links