Foreigner Biography, Photos and Posters

Foreigner

Biography

Started: 1976
City and Country of Origin: New York City
Music Background: Mick Jones former member of Nero and the Gladiators, Spooky Tooth, and The Leslie West Band; Ian McDonald ex-King Crimson member;
Awards:
Top Recordings: "Feels Like The First Time," "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," "Urgent," "Waiting For A Girl Like You," "I Want to Know What Love Is"
Foreigner Biography: Foreigner is a hard rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, along with then unknown vocalist Lou Gramm (Louis Grammatico). Foreigner has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, 30 million of which have been sold in the U.S.

The band consists of British journeyman rocker Mick Jones 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.

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 spawned "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".

The band under went personnel changes in 1980 so that it now was a quartet with Rick Wills playing bass. 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 number 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. 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, the band dissolved again .

Mick Jones reformed Foreigner, in 1990, 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 number 117 on the Billboard 200, although "Lowdown and Dirty" was a minor mainstream rock hit, reaching number 4 on the chart.

Lou Gramm rejoined Foreigner, in 1992, (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 number 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 number 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.

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