Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band that celebrated their biggest success with a catchy, melodic melancholy - hard rock sound 1977-1988. By 2005, over 50 million records of the Group have been sold worldwide. Foreigner is one of the most famous representatives of the Adult Orientated rock ( AOR). Among her most popular hits include Cold As Ice, Urgent, Waiting for a Girl Like You and the world famous number one hit I Want to Know What Love Is
Band History
The band was formed in 1976 in New York by the British musicians Ian McDonald (founding member of King Crimson) and Mick Jones (former guitarist with George Harrison, Peter Frampton and Spooky Tooth ), formerly the If- drummer Dennis Elliot and the Americans Al Greenwood (keyboards), Ed Gagliardi (bass) and vocalist Lou founded grams.
In March 1977, the debut album Foreigner, which was sold in the U.S., more than five million copies and two Top Ten singles "Feels Like the First Time " and " Cold as Ice" brought forth appeared. Published in June 1978 Double Vision LP sold more successful. 1979 retired from Ed Gagliardi was replaced by Rick Wills.
The third album Head Games was released in September 1979, which in turn was commercially successful.
In July 1981, the fourth LP was followed by the aptly titled 4, the band made the final breakthrough in Europe. The song " Urgent" ( with the famous tenor sax solo by Jr. Walker), " Juke Box Hero" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You" were 1981-1982 global success in the charts.
After a three year hiatus, the band in November 1984 with the smash hit " I Want to Know What Love Is " was back. The single was a number -one hit and million-seller in the United States and Great Britain. The accompanying album Agent Provocateur was the most successful of Foreigner and reached inter alia, in the UK, Germany and Switzerland number one and platinum status. Only in the U.S., there was not enough zoom to the previous albums, although it still sold over three million copies.
Until next album, it took another three years. Inside information came in December 1987 on the market and was again successful internationally. It also spawned two top 10 singles Say You Will and I Do not Wanna Live Without You. Nevertheless, it had begun to kriseln in the band and it marked the preliminary conclusion point of the cooperation of the band leader Lou Gramm and Mick Jones.
Lou Gramm devoted himself to his solo career and released in early 1987 his album Ready or Not. In the fall of 1989 followed as the second solo project Long Hard Look. Two years later he founded the hard rock band Shadowking, however, already after the first - separated back album - unsuccessful. Mick Jones also tried to solo as he casually worked on the resurrection of Foreigner.
With Johnny Edwards, who acted as a singer instead of Lou Gramm, the seventh album Unusual Heat was released in June 1991. The identification with the "new" Foreigner failed. Lou Gramm was not replaced as lead singer, commercially flopped the plate and also produced no chart single. In 1992, the cooperation between grams and Jones was revived for a best-of album, in which emerged alongside the well-known hits, three new titles.
Only two years later, Jones and gram could again bring himself to walk together in the studio and writing new songs. The published in November 1994 album Mr. Moonlight could not build on the successes of the 1970s and 1980s, but received remarkable acclaim.
After Lou Gramm had survived a severe brain tumor and was again successfully toured with Foreigner by the United States, he left in 2003 for a second time by the band to work on his solo career.
Since March 2005, Kelly Hansen ( ex- Hurricane ), the new lead singer of Foreigner. Also new are Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin musician John Bonham ) on drums and Jeff Pilson ( ex- Dokken ) on bass. From the 90's still Jeff Jacobs ( keyboards) and Tom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, saxophone, flute) were there. From the original cast only Mick Jones remains. With this lineup the band between 2005 and 2008 touring around the world. 2006 the DVD Alive ' n' Rockin recorded on the Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen '. Since November 2007, Michael Bluestein Jeff Jacobs replaced on keyboards.
On 29 September 2009, the new Foreigner album Can not Slow Down came out in the U.S., from what has been the single " When It Comes to Love" was disengaged. In January 2010, the album was also released in Europe. In the autumn of the same year followed by a new double live album.
On 23 September 2011 the album Acoustique, were played unplugged on the known, among other 14 songs appeared.
Discography
Albums
1Best -of album
Singles
Other single releases
2erst 2008 as a single download from best-of album No End in Sight in the Swiss Charts