He recruited Eric Martin, of the rock-oriented Eric Martin Band and also soul-leaning solo artist, and soon thereafter added guitarist Gilbert and drummer Torpey. Gilbert was already a well-respected guitarist who had released two albums with his Los Angeles-based band Racer X. Torpey came to California from Arizona, and had previously recorded and toured with a number of high-profile artists, including Impellitteri, Stan Bush, Belinda Carlisle, Ted Nugent, The Knack, and Jeff Paris (who would later collaborate with Mr. Big in a songwriting capacity). The newly formed band hired Herbie Herbert, the former manager of Journey, Europe, and Santana, to be their manager. By 1989, they signed with Atlantic Records and released their self-titled debut the same year. The record did not gain the band a mainstream rock audience stateside, but was a success in Japan. In June 1990, the group toured America as an opening act on Rush's Presto Tour. In August 1990, two songs, "Strike Like Lightning" and "Shadows", performed by Mr. Big, were exclusively released on the soundtrack album of the action film "Navy SEALs". Big's second album, 1991's "Lean Into It", was a major commercial breakthrough, especially two ballads, "To Be with You" (which went to number one in fifteen countries) and "Just Take My Heart", as well as the song "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind". The cover features a picture of the train in the Montparnasse derailment. They toured the UK in April and May 1991, and again in 1992, releasing a live album, "Mr. Big Live", in 1992. For three nights, they opened for Aerosmith at London's Wembley Arena. In 1993, another ballad, a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" (from their third album, "Bump Ahead"), peaked at No. 27 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Although it is said that the band also contributed music to the soundtrack for the Sega Mega-CD release of "The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin", the songs actually featured Eric Martin with musicians hired by Sega. The band released "Hey Man" in 1996. The song "Take Cover" was included on the soundtrack to the cartoon series "Mega Man". Although the band never replicated its earlier success in the US market, their popularity continued to soar in Japan and in much of Asia.