Europe (Band)
Founded in 1979, Europe is a Swedish hard rock band. Her biggest success, the Group achieved in 1986 with the song The Final Countdown and the associated album. After the dissolution in 1992, Europe was in 2004 back together.
History
Europe was founded in 1979 and initially called " Force". In contrast to many other Swedish Hard'n -Heavy- groups, the lyrics of the band were not written in Swedish, but in English. Already from the beginning is characterized Joey Tempest almost entirely responsible for the songwriting. On the occasion of participation in a talent competition, the group in 1982, renamed in Europe. As the winner of this contest Europe received a recording contract with the Swedish record label Hot Records. This published in 1983, the debut album Europe, the 8th place of the Swedish album charts achieved moderate success in Sweden. It was followed by a tour of Scandinavia and Japan as well as the single release Seven Doors Hotel.
A year after the release of the debut album was released the second album Wings of Tomorrow. In addition, the band performed represented by vocalist Joey Tempest in a national educational film for schools called On the Loose on. For the film, Europe wrote next to the title song the song Rock the Night, which is included on the third album in a rearranged version again. As part of the Swedish Metal Aid the musicians performed for charitable purposes in appearance. The album helped Europe to break through in Japan. Founding member and drummer Tony Reno to the success not have been grown in 1984 and replaced by Ian Haugland. That same year, Mic Michaeli was an integral member of keyboardist Europe.
The end of 1985 the band signed a contract with Epic Records. The third album The Final Countdown was produced by Kevin Elson, who had previously worked with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey and Night Ranger. The first single The Final Countdown was released in February 1986, she succeeded in Europe with the world's commercial breakthrough. The single reached number 1 in 26 states of the U.S. charts and sold within the first two years around 7.8 million times. The eponymous album followed in the summer, was also a commercial success and has sold about seven million copies worldwide.
Even during the first part of the European tour through Scandinavia, guitarist John Norum the band. Officially, it was stated that the musical claims did not match his view with such commercialization. It was later revealed that the supremacy of Joey Tempest within the band Norum should have led to the departure. He was replaced by Kee Marcello ( Easy Action ). In the winter and spring months 1987/1988 Europe wrote the follow-up album Out of this World, it was produced by Ron Nevison ( Heart, inter alia, Survivor, UFO). Published in 1988, the album sold only around two million times, which was given the high expectations viewed as a failure. This is attributed to the lack of an anthem like The Final Countdown. The subsequent European tour for this album took place partly in half-empty halls and the singles Superstitious, Let the Good Times Rock Open Your Heart sold only moderately. With Def Leppard Europe also went on tour in the United States. The highlight was a concert in the football stadium of Bombay before 60,000 fans.
After test concerts under the pseudonym " Le Baron Boys ' next album, Beau Hill Prisoners was produced and named in Paradise, published in 1991. This album also flopped and the associated tour was poorly attended as similar to the previous album. So Europe played in Hamburg before only 1,500 fans. Is attributed this failure to the fact that it was Europe not been able to write a second super hit like The Final Countdown and the image change, the Europe center was completed by the end of the 1980s. From the image of the hard rockers off, the band had developed into a pop-rock band, singer Joey Tempest was made out to be a heartthrob, about the band was less reported in music magazines, but rather in teen magazines such as the Bravo. This meant that turned the hard rock base of Europe. 1992, dissolved the band.
The band members devoted themselves in the period following their solo careers. Joey Tempest published in 1995 his first solo album, which was also John Norum was involved. Ian Haugland founded the band Trilogy, Kee Marcello Red Fun. In addition, John Levén, Ian Haugland and Mic Michaeli were involved in two albums by Glenn Hughes as well as Brazen Abbot. Surprisingly Europe occurred at a New Year's Concert 1999/2000 in the Stockholm harbor, playing the biggest hits of the band in front of television audience. Both guitarists - John Norum and Kee Marcello - were doing on stage. From The Final Countdown at the same time appeared a new version for the first time placed himself in European charts. Another three years later, a double DVD.
With founding member John Norum on guitar Europe was 2004, the foundation announced it was followed by the comeback album Start from the Dark. Despite the positive reviews it has seen no chart success outside Sweden. Followed in 2006 with Secret Society, the seventh album and three years later, the eighth album Last Look at Eden, since the Prisoners and internationally successfully entered the album charts for the first time in Paradise. In the course of the 28th Danube Island Festival Europe appeared in front of over 80,000 fans. In April 2012, the ninth studio album Bag of Bones appeared.
Europe were on June 7 at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2013 Sölvesborg headliner and used the appearance to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary. Scott Gorham played here as a guest musician with Thin Lizzy Jailbreak song with the group, while Michael Schenker she supported the UFO Lights Out title. The concert was on October 18, 2013 under the title Live at Sweden Rock - released 30th Anniversary Show on double CD, DVD and BluRay Disc.
Discography
Albums
- Gold: Germany, Austria, Great Britain
- Platinum: Sweden, Switzerland
- 3-times - platinum: United States
- Gold: Switzerland
- Platinum: Sweden, United States
- Silver: United Kingdom
- Platinum: Sweden
- Gold: Sweden
- Gold: Sweden
- Gold: Sweden