Foreigner (band)

Foreigner is a rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and Ian McDonald, along with then unknown vocalist Lou Gramm (Louis Grammatico). Despite accusations of formulaic commercialism, Foreigner's unique style of arena rock with keyboard flourishes has racked up sales of over 50 million records worldwide to date.

Biography

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 Elliot, Al Greenwood, and Ed Gagliardi as a sextet.

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

1980 brought personnel changes so that now the band was a quartet and Rick Wills played bass. Gagliardi reportedly fainted when he was dismissed from the band. He and Greenwood went on to the failed band Spys.

Foreigner's next album, their fourth, and appropriately named 4, was their biggest hit containing "Jukebox Hero", "Waiting for a Girl Like You", and "Urgent". Their next album, Agent Provocateur, released in 1984, gave them their only #1 hit, a gospel-inspired ballad backed by the New Jersey Mass Choir, "I Want to Know What Love Is". 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, once again, dissolved.

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 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. But by 1992, however, Lou Gramm rejoined Foreigner and produced, the band's second greatest hits album, "The Very Best and Beyond". 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. The reformed band stayed together through the hard times and toured throughout the United States until 2002.

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.

Members

Current members

Mick Jones: guitar, piano, keyboards, background vocals (1976–)
Jeff Jacobs: piano, organ, keyboards, background vocals (1993–)
Thom Gimbel: saxophone, guitar, background vocals (1995–)
Kelly Hansen: lead vocals (formerly of Hurricane) (2005-)
Jason Bonham: drums
Jeff Pilson: bass guitar (formerly of Dokken)

Former members

Lou Gramm: lead vocals, percussion, background vocals (1976–90, 1992–2003)
Bruce Turgon: bass guitar, background vocals (1993–2002)
Denny Carmassi: drums (2002)
Mark Schulman: drums, background vocals (1993–95, 2000–2002)
Brian Tichy: drums (1998–2000)
Ron Wikso: drums (1995–1998)
Rick Wills: bass guitar, background vocals (1979–1992)
Johnny Edwards: lead vocals, guitar (1990–1992)
Dennis Elliott: drums (1976–1991)
Ian McDonald: guitar, keyboards, saxes, flutes, b. vocals (1976–1980)
Al Greenwood: keyboards, synthesizers (1976–1980)
Ed Gagliardi: bass guitar, background vocals (1976–1979)
Andrew "Ravens Claw" Peters: drums (1992–1993)

DVDs

2001: Foreigner (Concert)
2001: 4 (Concert)
2003: Foreigner: All Access Tonight (Live In Concert)

Discography

Foreigner (1977) #4 US
Double Vision (1978) #3 US, #32 UK
Head Games (1979) #5 US
4 (1981) #1 US, #5 UK
Records (1982) #10 US, #58 UK
Agent Provocateur (1984) #4 US, #1 UK
Inside Information (1987) #15 US, #64 UK
Unusual Heat (1991) #117 US, #56 UK
The Very Best of (1992)
The Very Best of... and Beyond (1992) #123 US, #19 UK
Classic Hits Live/Best of Live (1993)
Best of (1994)
Mr. Moonlight (1995) #136 US, #59 UK
The Platinum Collection (1999)
Rough Diamonds #1 (1999)
Hot Blooded and Other Hits (2000)
Jukebox Heroes (2000)
Complete Greatest Hits (2002) #80 US
The Definitive (2002) #33 UK
The Essentials (2005)
Extended Versions (2006)
The Definitive Collection (2006)

Singles

From Foreigner:

"Feels Like The First Time" (1977) #4 US, #39 UK
"Cold as Ice" (1977) #6 US, #24 UK
"Long, Long Way From Home" (1978) #20 US

From Double Vision:

"Hot Blooded" (1978) #3 US, #42 UK
"Double Vision" (1978) #2 US
"Blue Morning, Blue Day" (1979) #15 US, #45 UK

From Head Games:

"Dirty White Boy" (1979) #12 US
"Head Games" (1979) #14 US
"Women" (1980) #41 US

From 4:

"Urgent" (1981) #4 US, #45 UK
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" (1981) #2 US, #8 UK
"Juke Box Hero" (1982) #26 US, #48 UK
"Break It Up" (1982) #26 US
"Luanne" (1982) #75 US

From Agent Provocateur:

"I Want to Know What Love Is" (1984) #1 US, #1 UK
"That Was Yesterday" (1985) #12 US, #28 UK
"Reaction to Action" (1985) #54 US
"Down on Love" (1985) #54 US

From Inside Information:

"Say You Will" (1987) #6 US, #71 UK
"I Don't Want to Live Without You" (1988) #5 US
"Heart Turns to Stone" (1988) #56 Uk

From Mr. Moonlight:

"Until the End of Time" (1995) #42 US

Trivia

In the "Revenge of the Mooninites" episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the Mooninites accquire the Foreigner Belt, a magical belt that makes literal the lyrics of Foreigner songs. For example: "Cold as Ice" freezes Carl solid, "Dirty White Boy" makes Meatwad act like a irreverent redneck, "Double Vision" messes up Frylock's vision, "Hot Blooded" heats up a pool the Mooninites are swimming in, and "Head Games" turns Carl's head into a Connect Four grid.
The Foreigner song "Double Vision" was used in 2003–04 in a Coors Light commercial where a white male who is on the beach sees the Coors Light Twins and twin Coors Light beer cases. "Double Vision" was also used in Burger King commercials circa 1997.
The Foreigner song "Urgent" was used in early 2006 in a Verizon Wireless commercial in the United States promoting its V-Cast service. It was also used in a 1996 Burger King commercial.
Lead guitarist Mick Jones is stepfather to British DJ Mark Ronson, who is the real son of Mick Ronson.
Latin superstar Julio Iglesias has recorded 2 of Foreigner's hits for his upcoming "Romantic Classics" album, in which he sings the hit's "I want to know what love is" and "I've been waiting for a girl like you" The album is due out September 19, 2006.
Junior Walker plays sax on "Urgent".

External links

American musical groups | Rock music groups | Bands with American and British members

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