Foreigner (band)

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Foreigner
Origin New York City
Genre(s) Rock, Hard rock
Years active 1976–present
Label(s) Warner, Atlantic Records
Members
Mick Jones
Jeff Jacobs
Thom Gimbel
Kelly Hansen
Jason Bonham
Jeff Pilson
Former members
Ian McDonald
Lou Gramm
Dennis Elliott
Al Greenwood
Ed Gagliardi
Rick Wills

Foreigner is a rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, along with then-unknown vocalist Lou Gramm (Louis Grammatico). Foreigner has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide [1] (including over 36 million in the United States alone).

Contents

[edit] Band history

The band is led by British journeyman rocker Mick Jones (former member of Nero and the Gladiators, Spooky Tooth, and The Leslie West Band) who in early 1976 met with ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald and formed Foreigner with Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, and Ed Gagliardi as a sextet. Jones came up with the name from the fact that he, McDonald, and Elliott were British, while Gramm, Greenwood, and Gagliardi were Americans. [2]

The band's debut album Foreigner sold more than four million copies in the United States and stayed in the Top 20 for a year with such hits as "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice", and "Long Long Way From Home". Their second album, Double Vision, topped their previous selling five million records and spawning "Hot Blooded", and title track "Double Vision". Their third album, Head Games, which was referred to by Gramm as their "grainiest" album, was also successful due to the thunderous "Dirty White Boy" and another title track hit "Head Games".

For 1979's "Head Games," bassist Ed Gagliardi was replaced by Rick Wills. Following the tour to support the album, keyboardist Al Greenwood and co-founder Ian McDonald were sacked, and the band was stripped down to a quartet. Greenwood soon joined Gagliardi to form S.P.Y.S with John Blanco, Billy Milne, and John DiGaudio.

Foreigner's next album, aptly named 4, was the band's biggest hit containing "Juke Box Hero", "Waiting for a Girl Like You", and "Urgent". Their next album, Agent Provocateur, was released successfully in late 1984, and gave them their first and only #1 hit in 1985 (in U.S., UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, etc.), "I Want to Know What Love Is", a gospel-inspired ballad backed by the New Jersey Mass Choir. In 1987 Foreigner released Inside Information; spawning hits such as "Say You Will" and "I Don't Want To Live Without You". But then, reportedly due to the egos of Gramm and Jones, the band dissolved. In the late 1980s, Jones and Gramm each put out solo efforts and the band went on hiatus.

In 1990, Mick Jones reformed Foreigner with a new lead vocalist, Johnny Edwards. This edition of Foreigner released the album Unusual Heat in 1991. This was at the time their worst selling album and only climbed as high as #117 on the Billboard 200, although "Lowdown and Dirty" was a minor mainstream rock hit, reaching #4 on the chart.

By 1992, however, Lou Gramm rejoined Foreigner (bringing along with his Shadow King bandmate Bruce Turgon) and produced the band's second greatest hits album, The Very Best of...and Beyond, which included three new songs. Three years later Foreigner released what was supposed to be the band's comeback album, Mr. Moonlight. This album fared even worse than Unusual Heat, due to the rising popularity of alternative and grunge rock, although the ballad "Until the End of Time" was a minor hit, hitting #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was to be the last time to date that Foreigner charted on a Billboard singles chart of any kind.

In 2001, the Warner Music Group selected Foreigner and 4 to be among the first group of albums from their catalog to be remastered, enhanced and released in the new DVD Audio format. In 2002, the 25th Anniversary Year brought affirmation of the enduring respect for Foreigner recordings with Rhino Entertainment re-issuing the 1977 - 1981 multi-platinum albums in special enhanced formats. Foreigner, Double Vision, Head Games and 4 received the loving attention of Rhino's staff and bloom again with new photos and liner notes and bonus tracks of previously unreleased material. New greatest hits albums were also produced in the U.S. and in Europe. The U.S. version reached #80 on the Billboard 200 Album chart.

In 2003, Gramm again left Foreigner to embark on another solo career and formed the Lou Gramm Band. Jones, the only remaining original member of Foreigner, decided to reform the band once again, and hired Kelly Hansen to replace Gramm as lead vocalist for the group in 2005. Hard rock legends, drummer Jason Bonham and bassist Jeff Pilson have also joined the band. Pilson also joined the group as a producer.

Foreigner joined Def Leppard along with Styx on tour in 2007. Their most recent album, Extended Versions, features the new line-up playing all their classic hits live in concert in one of the most "studio like, clean sounding" live album recordings produced. They are currently working on a new album which will include a mix of both new songs as well as new takes on their old material.

In September 2007 it was announced that Foreigner will join Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, and Paolo Nutini as openers for the one-night-only Led Zeppelin reunion show in memory of Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun. However, just a couple of weeks later, the decision was taken to exclude the band from the bill, with guitarist Mick Jones joining Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings as an additional guitarist. The show took place on December 10, 2007, in London, England, having been postponed by 2 weeks due to Jimmy Page fracturing a finger.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current members

  • Mick Jones: lead guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals (1976–Present)
  • Jeff Jacobs: keyboards, synthesizers, background vocals (1992–Present)
  • Tom Gimbel: saxophone, guitar, flute, background vocals (1993, 1995–Present)
  • Kelly Hansen: lead vocals (formerly of Hurricane) (2005-Present)
  • Jason Bonham: drums (formerly of Bonham & son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.) (2004-present)
  • Jeff Pilson: bass guitar, background vocals (formerly of Dokken and Dio) (2004-present)

[edit] Former members

  • Lou Gramm: lead vocals, percussion (1976–90, 1992–2003)
  • Dennis Elliott: drums (1976–1991)
  • Ian McDonald: rhythm guitar, keyboards, saxes, flutes, background vocals (1976–1980)
  • Al Greenwood: keyboards, synthesizers (1976–1980)
  • Ed Gagliardi: bass guitar, background vocals (1976–1979)
  • Rick Wills: bass guitar, background vocals (1979–1992)
  • Mark Rivera: rhythm guitar, keyboards, saxes, flutes, background vocals (1981-1987, 1991-1992)
  • Bob Mayo: keyboards, rhythm guitar (1981-1985, 1991)
  • Peter Reilich : keyboards, synthesizers (1981-1982)
  • Larry Oakes : guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, background vocals (1988 tour)
  • Lou Cortelezzi : sax (1988 tour)
  • Johnny Edwards: lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1990–1992)
  • Larry Aberman : drums (1991-1992)
  • Andrew "Raven's Claw" Peters: drums (1992–1993)?
  • Bruce Turgon: bass guitar, background vocals (1992–2003)
  • Mark Schulman: drums, background vocals (1992–1995, 2000–2002)
  • Scott Gilman : guitar, sax, background vocals (1992, 1993-1995)
  • Ron Wikso: drums (1995–1998)
  • Brian Tichy: drums (1998–2000, 2007--fill in for Jason Bonham while rehearsing/playing with Led Zeppelin)
  • Denny Carmassi: drums (2002)
  • Chaz West : lead vocals (2004)

[edit] DVDs

  • 2001: Foreigner
  • 2001: 4
  • 2003: Foreigner: All Access Tonight

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

  • Untitled (2007)

[edit] Live Albums

[edit] Compilations

  • Records (1982) #10 US 7x Platinum, #58 UK
  • The Very Best of (1992) 10x Platinum
  • The Very Best of... and Beyond (1992) #123 US 2x Platinum, #19 UK
  • JukeBox Hero: Best of (1994)
  • The Platinum Collection (1999)
  • Rough Diamonds #1 (1999)
  • Hot Blooded and Other Hits (2000)
  • Anthology:Jukebox Heroes (2000)
  • Complete Greatest Hits (2002) #80 US
  • The Definitive (2002) #33 UK
  • The Essentials (2005)
  • Extended Versions (2006)
  • The Definitive Collection (2006)

Source of platinum certification: RIAA

[edit] Singles

Year Song U.S. Hot 100 U.S. MSR U.S. A.C. U.K. singles Album
1976 "Feels Like the First Time" 4 - - 39 Foreigner
1977 "Starrider" - 28 - - Foreigner
1977 "Cold As Ice" 6 - - 24 Foreigner
1978 "Long, Long Way From Home" 20 - - - Foreigner
1978 "Hot Blooded" 3 - - 42 Double Vision
1978 "Double Vision" 2 - - - Double Vision
1979 "Blue Morning, Blue Day" 15 - - 45 Double Vision
1979 "Dirty White Boy" 12 - - - Head Games
1979 "Head Games" 14 - - - Head Games
1979 "Rev On The Red Line" 14 - - - Head Games
1979 "Blinded By Science" 14 - - - Head Games
1980 "Women" 41 - - - Head Games
1981 "Waiting for a Girl Like You" 2 1 5 8 4
1981 "Juke Box Hero" 26 3 - 48 4
1982 "Urgent" 4 1 - 451 4
1982 "Break It Up" 26 - - - 4
1982 "Luanne" 75 - - - 4
1984 "I Want to Know What Love Is" 1 1 3 1 Agent Provocateur
1985 "That Was Yesterday" 12 4 24 28 Agent Provocateur
1985 "Reaction To Action" 54 - - - Agent Provocateur
1986 "Down On Love" 54 - - - Agent Provocateur
1987 "Say You Will" 6 1 - 71 Inside Information
1987 "I Don't Want To Live Without You" 5 18 1 91 Inside Information
1988 "Heart Turns To Stone" 56 - - - Inside Information
1991 "Lowdown And Dirty" - 4 - - Unusual Heat
1991 "Only Heaven Knows" - 4 - - Unusual Heat
1992 "With Heaven On Our Side" - 5 - - The Very Best...And Beyond
1993 "Soul Doctor" - 5 - - The Very Best...And Beyond
1994 "White Lie" - - - 58 Mr. Moonlight
1995 "Until The End Of Time" 42 - 8 - Mr. Moonlight
1996 "Under The Gun" - 28 - - Mr. Moonlight
2000 "Blinded by the Light" - 28 - - Rough Diamonds

11982 re-release; originally peaked at #54 in 1981

[edit] References in popular culture

Foreigner has been referenced multiple times on the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Most notably was the episode in which the Mooninites won the Belt of Foreigner at a local carnival, which according to Ignignokt, gives the wearer of the belt "all of the superpowers of '70s supergroup, Foreigner." The character Carl is also known to be a big fan of Foreigner, having seen them at the Meadowlands in '83. During this concert he copped a feel off a passed out "chick" and now whenever he hears the song "Urgent" he thinks of "her boobs covered in vomit". They also have three songs one on Grand Theft Auto Vice City one on Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories and one on Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.tickets4u.com/SearchResults.asp?EventHeadlinerID=101746
  2. ^ http://www.foreignerfiles.com/overview/faq/part1.htm Accessed: 11 Mar 2007

[edit] External links

bg:Форинър de:Foreigner es:Foreigner fr:Foreigner hr:Foreigner it:Foreigner he:פורינר nl:Foreigner ja:フォリナー pl:Foreigner pt:Foreigner ru:Foreigner fi:Foreigner sv:Foreigner

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