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Saigon Kick

Saigon Kick is an American hard rock band from Coral Springs, FL, that formed in 1988. When they recorded their debut album and second album the band consisted of lead vocalist Matt Kramer, lead guitarist Jason Bieler, bassist Tom Defile, and drummer Phil Varone. The modern lineup consists of Jason Bieler, Steve Gibb, and Phil Varone.

The band is mainly known for their second album The Lizard which reached number 80 on the Billboard 200, on the strength of its lead single "Love Is on the Way" which was a number 12 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and is their only single to chart there. The album and "Love Is on the Way" have both been certified gold.

The band was formed by lead vocalist Matt Kramer and guitarist Jason Bieler along with bassist Tom DeFile and drummer Phil Varone. They gained a following on the local club scene and generated enough of a buzz to be signed to Third Stone Records in 1990. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1991. The band toured extensively but the album only made a marginal showing on sales charts.

They went immediately back into the studio to record their second album, The Lizard which was released in 1992. The album spawned the band's only hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, "Love Is on the Way", which reached number 12. Just before touring for the album commenced, bassist Tom DeFile was fired. He was replaced by ex-Cold Sweat bassist Chris McLernon. In 1996, The Lizard, reached sales above 500,000 and was certified gold, their only album to achieve this certification.

Looking to continue their momentum, the band quickly returned to Sweden to record their third album Water in 1993. During recording, Matt Kramer became disgruntled with the direction that the band was heading both musically and stylistically. Kramer also argued that there were financial disputes within the band and tensions reached a boiling point. He officially left the band mid-session and returned to Florida. With Kramer gone, Bieler decided to take over all of the vocal duties in addition to playing guitar on the album. Finishing touches were added to the album at sessions in Tampa, Florida. Guitarist Pete Dembrowski was hired in time for the band's 1993 tour to support the new album. Water sold significantly less than the previous album, and Atlantic decided to drop the band in 1994.

The band signed to the CMC International label in 1995, and the lineup of Bieler, McLernon, Varone, and Dembrowski released their fourth album Devil in the Details that same year. Saigon Kick then toured globally, particularly in South East Asia, but they never managed to build on the success of The Lizard in the US.

In July 1997, the band attempted a reunion with Matt Kramer on lead vocals. Phil Varone had already left the band and was replaced by drummer Ricky Sanders. This became the first five piece version of the band, consisting of Kramer, Bieler, McLernon, Dembrowski and Sanders. A new song was recorded called "Dizzy's Vine" which was released on Moments from the Fringe, a compilation album of demos and rare tracks. This lineup was quite short lived, with Bieler leaving after two live shows in Florida, effectively ending the reunion.[citation needed]

Bieler, Dembrowski, and Sanders recorded the final Saigon Kick studio album, Bastards for release in the Far East in 1999. The three then decided to retire the Saigon Kick name and reorganize as Super TransAtlantic.

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