Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi, and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, the last of whom was also a founding member of King Crimson.Rick Wills replaced Gagliardi on bass before Foreigner recorded their third album, Head Games (1979), which featured the US Top 20 singles "Dirty White Boy" and the title track.Since 2013, there have been occasional quasi-reunion tours, concerts, and guest appearances featuring varying combinations of former band members, including Gramm, Elliott, Wills, Greenwood, and (before his death) McDonald.Jones connected with New York keyboardist Al Greenwood, who had recently played with former Flash members Colin Carter and Mike Hough in a group called Storm, drummer Stan Williams, and Louisiana bassist Jay Davis, who later performed with Rod Stewart.[9] In November 1976, after six months of rehearsals, the newly christened Foreigner began recording their debut album with producers John Sinclair and Gary Lyons at The Hit Factory.In his autobiography, Juke Box Hero (named after the iconic Foreigner song), Gramm explained the reasons for the band's decision to part ways with Gagliardi: "He was a little headstrong and had his own ideas that weren't always compatible with what we were trying to accomplish.In the liner notes for the 2000 release, Juke Box Heroes: The Foreigner Anthology, Jones elaborated further: "Ian McDonald, who I consider a great musician and multi-instrumentalist, began to focus more and more on guitar playing, while I believed his true talent lay more in the dimensional and creative imagery he gave the first two albums.In the meantime, Foreigner began work on the next album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, engineered by Dave Wittman (currently with Trans-Siberian Orchestra).4 (released in July 1981) contained the hits "Urgent" (which includes the famous Junior Walker sax solo), "Waiting for a Girl Like You", "Juke Box Hero", and "Break it Up".1) when "I Want to Know What Love Is", a ballad backed by Jennifer Holliday and the New Jersey Mass Choir, topped the charts in the US (both Hot 100 and Rock Tracks), UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and more, while reaching No.In between his Foreigner commitments, Jones also started a side career as a producer for albums such as Van Halen's 5150 (1986), Bad Company's Fame and Fortune (1986), and Billy Joel's Storm Front (1989).For this tour, Rivera and Mayo were not available, so Larry Oakes (guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals) and Lou Cortelezzi (sax) augmented the quartet of Gramm, Jones, Elliott, and Wills.However, after the promotional efforts and concert dates for Gramm's album concluded, cooler heads prevailed, and Lou rejoined Foreigner in the studio for Inside Information, which was released at the end of 1987.Edwards made his first live appearance with Foreigner at the Long Island club Stephen Talkhouse on August 15, 1990, alongside Jones, Dennis Elliott, and Rick Wills, with special guests Terry Thomas on guitar and Eddie Mack on harmonica.During the Los Angeles riots, Mick Jones went to the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood to meet with Lou Gramm, and they both found themselves sequestered by a city curfew.Gramm rejoined Foreigner and brought along his Shadow King bandmate, bassist Bruce Turgon, to replace Wills, who had left after the band's 1991 tour following a falling out with Jones.The 25th Anniversary Year in 2002 brought confirmation of the enduring respect for Foreigner's recordings, with Rhino Entertainment reissuing the multi-platinum albums from 1977 to 1981 in special enhanced formats.Foreigner, Double Vision, Head Games, and 4 were given attention by Rhino's staff, featuring new photos, liner notes, and bonus tracks of previously unreleased material.In September 2007, it was announced that Foreigner would join Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, and Paolo Nutini as openers for the one-night-only Led Zeppelin reunion show in honor of Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun.From August 19 to September 10, 2011, Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra played double duty, performing for NR while also substituting for Jones, who had fallen ill.On January 9, 2013, the band's original drummer, Dennis Elliott, joined Foreigner on stage at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, Florida, to perform "Hot Blooded".[29] On June 18, 2014, Foreigner collaborated with the Brockton High School concert choir at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, where they performed one of their greatest hits, "I Want to Know What Love Is".On January 12, 2015, in Sarasota, Florida, Foreigner were joined on stage by original drummer Dennis Elliott and former bassist Rick Wills to perform "Hot Blooded".[31] Foreigner appeared on the Today Show on February 11, 2016, along with the choir from Our Lady of Mercy Academy to promote their Acoustic Tour and the release of their new album, In Concert: Unplugged.On July 20, 2017, at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island, the current Foreigner lineup was joined for their encore by Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald, and Al Greenwood to help celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.Another reunion was announced for a pair of shows on October 6–7, 2017, at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where the group was again joined by Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald, and Rick Wills.[57][58][59][60][61][62] In December 2023 and January 2024, it was announced that Foreigner and Styx would reunite for the co-headlining "Renegades & Juke Box Heroes Tour" (with opening act and "special guest" John Waite), which was described by Tim Chan of Rolling Stone as "a string of summer [2024] dates across North America.They noted having unfinished songs from previous years and shared that Jones had been collaborating with Can't Stop Now co-producer Marti Frederiksen on new writing projects.Despite prior comments in August 2022, Gramm confirmed his intention to join the band for a brief two-song set at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2024, which would include "I Want to Know What Love Is" and another song.[68] In August 2024, Foreigner released a previously unreleased single titled "Turning Back the Time," which was originally written and demoed in 1996 by Jones, Gramm, and Frederiksen.
Hard rocksoft rockarena rockAtlanticMick JonesJeff PilsonKelly HansenMichael BluesteinChris FrazierBruce WatsonLou GrammDennis ElliottAl GreenwoodIan McDonaldEd GagliardiRick WillsJohnny EdwardsThom GimbelMark SchulmanBruce TurgonBrian TichyJason BonhamKing Crimsonworld's best-selling bands of all timeself-titledRecordsFeels Like the First TimeCold as IceDouble VisionHot Bloodedtitle trackHead GamesDirty White BoyUrgentWaiting for a Girl Like YouJuke Box HeroAgent ProvocateurI Want to Know What Love IsThat Was YesterdayInside InformationSay You WillI Don't Want to Live Without YouUnusual HeatMr. MoonlightCan't Slow DownThe Very Best ... and BeyondRock and Roll Hall of FameForeigner (Foreigner album)Nero and the GladiatorsJohnny HallydaySpooky ToothLeslie WestLouisianaRod StewartStoriesIan LloydIan HunterBlack SheepRochester, New YorkBrooklynJohn KalodnerAtlantic RecordsJerry L. GreenbergThe Hit FactoryAtlantic Recording StudiosSarm StudiosJimmy DouglassForeignertop 20Long, Long Way from HomeDouble Vision (Foreigner album)Head Games (album)4 (Foreigner album)Agent Provocateur (album)Inside Information (album)Kansas CityIan WallaceCalifornia Jam IIKeith OlsenBlue Morning, Blue DayRoy Thomas BakerElectric Lady StudiosRobert John "Mutt" LangeTrans-Siberian OrchestraJunior WalkerBreak it UpThomas Dolbypower balladGary WrightPeter FramptonBob MayoMark RiveraAlex SadkinJennifer HollidayFarm AidChampaign, IllinoisVan HalenBad CompanyFame and FortuneBilly JoelStorm FrontAtlantic Records 40th AnniversaryMadison Square GardenPhil CollinsCrosby, Stills and NashRoberta FlackReady or NotLong Hard LookSteve Miller BandShadow KingBuster BrownMontroseKing KobraWild HorsesLong IslandTerry ThomasDeep Hollow RanchMontauk, New YorkMontauk Point LighthouseThe RitzAerosmithMr. Moonlight (album)Los Angeles riotsSunset Marquis HotelWest HollywoodJohn Wayne Airport