Foreigner on Stage at Pine Knob during the 94.7 WCSX Anniversary Show on June 15, 2024.
The Foreigner Box Set is to be released this October from Rhino Records.
Foreigner was formed in New York City in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi, and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald.
In 1977, Foreigner released its self-titled debut album, the first of six consecutive albums (including the 7x platinum 1982 greatest hits album Records). The album produced two US Top 10 singles, “Feels Like the First Time” and “Cold as Ice.”
Their 1978 follow-up, Double Vision, was even more successful and included two more US hits, “Hot Blooded” and the title track. Rick Wills replaced Gagliardi on bass before Foreigner recorded their third album, Head Games, in 1979. This album included the US Top 20 singles “Dirty White Boy” and the title track.
Foreigner – Head Games
Hall Of Fame Bound Box Set
Foreigner, one of the most successful bands in music history, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on October 19. In celebration of this much overdue honor, the band will release a career-spanning box set collection that includes “Turning Back The Time,” a new song featuring original members Mick Jones and Lou Gramm.
The set is scheduled to be released on October 4. Rhino Records presents Turning Back The Time on 2-LP and CD.
Pre-Order HERE. The music will also be available from digital and streaming platforms on the same day.
Duane Prokop/Getty Images for CARE USA
A general view of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (Duane Prokop/Getty Images)
Why It Took So Long For Foreigner To Get To The Hall of Fame?
The band has hit after hit and has sold millions of records. However, original singer Lou Gramm says the group has essentially been shunned from the Rock Hall.
Gramm detailed this in an appearance on Good Day Rochester. He said that guitarist Mick Jones and Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner were once close friends.
Lots of other 70s and 80s acts with far less were getting in, so a meeting was set up between Jones, Wenner, and Foreigner’s manager. This meeting was scheduled to see what Foreigner did or didn’t do to be ignored by the Rock Hall.
Gramm said, “[The meeting] got real heated, and when our manager and Mick got up to leave, [Wenner] said, ‘It’ll be a cold day in hell before Foreigner gets into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
The Foreigner Announcement Also Came With A Surprize
A lot of fans were caught off guard by something extra. Timed to the group’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on Oct. 19, an unreleased song, “Turning Back the Time,” appears on a new 18-song, best-of compilation of the same name that releases Oct. 4 via Rhino.
The new single “Turning Back The Time” debuts today. Listen HERE.
A number of songs that Lou Gramm and Mick Jones wrote together are now being released—just in time for the box set.
Lou Gramm Will Appear At Bret Michaels Pardi Gras
WCSX will present Bret Michaels’ “Parti-Gras 2.0” performance at Pine Knob Music Theatre on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m.
Michaels hit the stage with unbelievable energy and was then joined by Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame nominated Lou Gramm with Don Felder, Dee Snider, Chris Janson, and more.
It will be a rock and roll night you will never forget, with the crew of WCSX broadcasting live from Pine Knob. Tickets are still available.
Foreigner is a band that has helped define classic rock radio for decades. They have a catalog of hits that most bands only dream of. Those tracks helped the British-American band sell over 80 million albums worldwide.
Foreigner has had many lineup changes over the decades, but the constant has always been Jones, who started the band in 1976. After nearly 50 years, Foreigner is saying goodbye. They kicked off their farewell tour on July 6, 2023 in Alpharetta, Ga.
When the tour was announced, Jones said in a statement, “While I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.”
In honor of their farewell tour and their incredible run, here’s our ranking of Foreinger’s ten best songs.
2024 Rock Hall Nomination & Induction
As previously stated, Foreigner finally received their first nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. They’ve been eligible for induction since 2003 and are considered one of the Rock Hall’s most notable snubs over the years.
Guitarist/founding member Mick Jones said in a statement about the Rock Hall Nomination, “I deeply appreciate the recognition from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee … Getting this news today is an incredible endorsement of what we have achieved over time.”
On April 21, it was announced Foreigner was part of the 2024 Rock Hall class. The classic rock band is being inducted in the Performer category along with Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest.
Founder/guitarist Mick Jones told Billboard, “I think it means more to me now than perhaps 20 years ago. I’ve had a great career, and this is like the whipped cream and cherry on top.”
Former Foreigner bassist Rick Wills also told Billboard, “It’s been over 20 years since we’ve been waiting for this day. I suppose we were frustrated, to be perfectly honest, but we tried to hide it as best we could because we didn’t want to appear like we were sad people. (laughs).”
When is the Rock Hall 2024 Induction Ceremony?
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. As previously reported, the 2024 ceremony will live stream on Disney+. An edited special will air on ABC at a later date, which will be available on Hulu the next day.
The Rock Hall noted in a press release, “Four out of the eight inductees in the Performer category were on the ballot for the first time, including Cher, Foreigner, Kool & the Gang and Peter Frampton.” However, it should also be noted that Ozzy Osbourne was on the ballot for the first time as a solo artist, despite being eligible since 2005.
10. 'Dirty White Boy' - 'Head Games' (1979)
A little bit cheeky and whole lot of fun, “Dirty White Boy” was the lead single off of Foreigner’s third studio album, Head Games. Guitarist Mick Jones told SongFacts that the song was loosely inspired by Elvis Presley. He said, “To me, he always was that dirty white boy who changed the shape of music completely. It was talking about the kind of heritage that he left, and I think that had an effect on all the musicians that came after, like Mick Jagger – he was also a dirty white boy.”
9. 'Cold As Ice' - 'Foreigner' (1977)
Mick Jones’ piano intro is so effective on this track. Just playing the first two or three notes makes most listeners recognize this hit right away. However, Mick Jones told Classic Rock, “I must admit though that I was surprised when it went into the Top 10 in America. But then we were a new band, and everything was exciting and surprising at the time.”
8. 'Head Games' - 'Head Games' (1979)
Man…Foreigner can’t seem to catch a romantic break on this one! Whoever inspired “Head Games” must have done a real number on Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. But that chorus is one earworm we just can’t quit. (Seriously, just try!)
7. 'Urgent' - '4' (1981)
Foreigner wasn’t wasting any time on 4. Out the gate, its lead single, “Urgent,” set the tone for this classic album, which is the band’s only album to top the Billboard charts. Fun fact: Thomas Dolby, who released “She Blinded Me with Science” the following year, plays synthesizers on this track. Here’s hoping that nugget will earn you a free drink at a trivia night in the future.
6. 'Double Vision' - 'Double Vision' (1978)
No, this jam isn’t about seeing double due to intoxication. Singer Lou Gramm said a game between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers actually inspired the song. During the game, Rangers goalie John Davidson was knocked out by an elbow from the Flyers left winger Dave Schultz. Gramm was watching the game on a small TV at the recording studio, and the announcer said Davidson wasn’t returning to the game due to experiencing double vision.
5. 'I Want to Know What Love Is' - 'Agent Provocateur' (1984)
“I Want to Know What Love Is” is an iconic power ballad. (In fact, we ranked it at number 11 on our list of the ‘50 Best Power Ballads of All Time.’) The track is notable for being Foreigner’s lone number-one hit when it was released in 1984 as the lead single off of Agent Provocateur. It also has one of the best choruses to scream-sing of all time.
4. 'Blue Morning, Blue Day' - 'Double Vision' (1978)
Lou Gramm, obviously, doesn’t need help in the vocal department. However, there’s truly something special about the harmony in the chorus thanks to backing vocals from Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Ed Gagliardi and Ian Lloyd. Al Greenwood’s keyboards are a secret weapon that adds another layer to this surprisingly moody track. “Blue Morning, Blue Day” is somehow both a hit and underrated in that regard.
3. 'Hot Blooded' - 'Double Vision' (1978)
The riff on “Hot Blooded” is such a monster hook it makes you forget Foreigner rhymes “mind” with “mind” in the first verse. (“You don’t have to read my mind/To know what I have in mind.”) Nitpicking the lyrics aside, the pressure Foreigner was under to follow up their hit debut must have been intense. However, they more than delivered with “Hot Blooded,” the lead single off of Double Vision, which topped out at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
2. 'Juke Box Hero' - '4' (1981)
Some of the biggest rock stars of all time likely have “Juke Box Hero”-esque origin stories. This is just one of the reasons this track never fails to hit you “right in the feels.” It never loses its grandness, even after repeated listens. If there’s a hallmark for an iconic track, it’s that.
1. 'Feels Like the First Time' - 'Foreigner' (1977)
As far as debut singles go, “Feels Like the First Time” is one of the best. And yet, it may be the most underrated in the grand scheme of classic rock. Foreigner gets a lot of love from its fans, but they never really got their due. Perhaps, to paraphrase the Adam Sandler comedy Big Daddy, they only caught a bad rap because most critics are cynical a–holes.
There’s no debating it, though; “Feels Like the First Time” is an undeniable classic. If you need a reminder, just listen to the track below and judge for yourself.
Born in Mt Clemens, Screamin’ Scott has been a part of the Detroit airwaves for 30-plus years. With 40 years of experience in radio. When he’s not out on the streets for WCSX, you can find him devoting time to local charities with his, “Screamin Angels”; and for 16 years with Rock 4 Tots charity. And last 10 years with his local band, "Chit!." Screamin Scott likes to write about nostalgic Detroit area memories, classic rock, and local metro Detroit topics.
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