e han ▁suffered ▁deb il it ating ▁kne e ▁inj uries ▁and ▁the ▁group ▁cur ta iled ▁its ▁tour . ▁They ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁began ▁recording ▁their ▁second ▁Def ▁American ▁( by ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁American ▁Record ings ) ▁album . ▁The ▁group ▁delivered ▁Black ▁B elt ▁in ▁Bo og ie , ▁but ▁the ▁record ▁was ▁rejected ▁by ▁Rub in , ▁who ▁reported ly ▁told ▁the ▁group ▁that ▁he ▁" did n ' t ▁hear ▁any ▁songs " ▁on ▁it , ▁and ▁currently ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁released . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁that ▁lead ▁guitar ist ▁Mark ▁Middle ton ▁chose ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁band , ▁cit ing ▁" person al ▁problems " ▁as ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁his ▁departure . ▁Middle ton ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁reform ▁the ▁Des per ado es , ▁a ▁classic ▁rock ▁cover ▁band . ▁ ▁The ▁group ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁studio ▁to ▁record ▁its ▁next ▁album ▁Sing ▁Mon key , ▁Sing !, ▁which ▁was ▁released ▁with ▁little ▁public ity . ▁American ▁Record ings ▁then ▁sever ed ▁its ▁relationship ▁with ▁its ▁distrib utor ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁Records , ▁but ▁neglect ed ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁R aging ▁S lab ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁done ▁so , ▁and ▁also ▁over look ed ▁the ▁legal ities ▁of ▁re le asing ▁the ▁group ▁from ▁its ▁contract . ▁Sing ▁Mon key , ▁Sing ! ▁is ▁then ▁sold ▁to ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Record ▁Club , ▁and ▁the ▁band ▁began ▁legal ▁proceed ings ▁against ▁their ▁former ▁label . ▁Dec iding