is a alone).
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. http://www.foreignerfiles.com/overview/faq/part1.htm Accessed: 11 Mar 2007
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".
1980 brought personnel changes. Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi departed the band to form
S.P.Y.S with
John Blanco ,
Billy Milne , and
John DiGaudio . Rick Wills was brought on board to fill the vacancy on bass left by Ed Gagliardi.
Foreigner's next album, aptly named ''
4 '', was their biggest hit containing "
Jukebox 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
US ,
UK ,
Australia ,
Norway ,
Sweden , etc.), "
I Want To Know What Love Is ", a gospel-inspired ballad backed by the
New Jersey Mass Choir . In the late 1980s, Jones and Gramm each put out solo efforts and the band went on hiatus. But in
1987 Foreigner regrouped and 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 again .
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 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 joins 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.
- Mick Jones : lead guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals (1976–Present)
- Jeff Jacobs : keyboards, synthesizers, background vocals (1992–Present)
- Thom Gimbel : saxophone, guitar, flute, background vocals (1993, 1995–Present)
- ) (2005-Present)
- drummer John Bonham .) (2004-present)
- and Dio ) (2004-present)
- 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)
- Denny Carmassi : drums (2002)
- Chaz West : lead vocals (2004)
- 2001: ''Foreigner (Concert)''
- 2001: ''4 (Concert)''
- 2003: ''Foreigner: All Access Tonight (Live In Concert)''
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Double_Vision_(album)" class="copylinks">Double Vision '''<br/><center> (1978)<br/><center>#3 US #32 UK<br/><center>7x Platinum
|
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Head_Games" class="copylinks">Head Games '''<br/><center>(1979)<br/><center>#5 US<br/><center>5x Platinum
|
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/4_(Foreigner_album)" class="copylinks">4 '''<br/><center>(1981)<br/><center>'''#1''' US #4 UK<br/><center>6x Platinum
|
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Agent_Provocateur" class="copylinks">Agent Provocateur '''<br/><center>(1984)<br/><center>#4 US '''#1''' UK<br/><center>3x Platinum
|
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Inside_Information" class="copylinks">Inside Information '''<br/><center>(1987)<br/><center>#15 US #64 UK<br/><center>2x Platinum
|
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Unusual_Heat" class="copylinks">Unusual Heat '''<br/><center>(1991)<br/><center>#117 US #56 UK
|
| |
"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Mr_Moonlight" class="copylinks">Mr Moonlight '''<br/><center>(1994)<br/><center>#136 US #59 UK
|
| |
"wikitable"
|
