![]() ![]() 1 in Canada and on the new US Rock Tracks chart, rose to No. Three of 4's singles were hits: " Urgent" reached No. 2 in Canada, while becoming Foreigner's break-through album outside of North America, going Top 5 in the UK, Germany and Australia. Reduced to a quartet, their album 4 (1981) hit No. 5 in North America producing two Top 20 singles, including its title track. Foreigner's third album, Head Games (1979), went to No. 3 hit in both countries, and the title track, a US No. 3 in North America with two hit singles, " Hot Blooded" a No. Their 1978 follow-up, Double Vision, was even more successful peaking at No. 4 on the US album chart and in the Top 10 in Canada and Australia, while yielding two Top 10 hits in North America, " Feels Like the First Time" and " Cold as Ice". In 1977 Foreigner released its self-titled debut album, the first of four straight albums to be certified at least 5× platinum in the US. Jones came up with the band's name as he, McDonald and Dennis Elliott were British, whereas Gramm, Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi were American. All things considered, 4 remains Foreigner's career peak.Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran British guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones and fellow Briton and ex- King Crimson member Ian McDonald, along with American vocalist Lou Gramm. Three years later, Foreigner would achieve even greater success on a pop level with the uneven Agent Provocateur, but by then Jones and Gramm were locked in an escalating war of egos that would soon lead to the band's demise. Through it all, vocalist Lou Gramm does his part, delivering a dazzling performance that confirmed his status as one of the finest voices of his generation. And last but not least, the surprisingly funky "Urgent" proved to be one of the band's most memorable and uncharacteristic smash hits, thanks to Junior Walker's signature saxophone solo. As for the mandatory power ballad, the band also reached unparalleled heights with "Waiting for a Girl Like You." One of the decade's most successful cross-genre tearjerkers, it has since become a staple of soft rock radio and completely eclipsed the album's other very lovely ballad, "Girl on the Moon," in the process. "Nightlife" is only the first in a series ("Woman in Black," "Don't Let Go," the '50s-tinged "Luanne") of energetic, nearly flawless melodic rockers, and with "Juke Box Hero," the band somehow managed to create both a mainstream hit single and a highly unique-sounding track, alternating heavy metal guitar riffing, chorused vocals, and one of the ultimate "wanna be a rock star" lyrics. Lange's legendary obsessive attention to detail and Jones' highly disciplined guitar heroics (which he never allowed to get in the way of a great song) resulted in a collaboration of unprecedented, sparkling efficiency where not a single note is wasted. In producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange - fresh off his massive success with AC/DC's Back in Black - guitarist and all-around mastermind Mick Jones found both the catalyst to achieve this and his perfect musical soulmate. But the band was still looking for that grand slam of a record that would push them to the very top of the heap. ![]() Over the course of their first three late-'70s albums, Foreigner had firmly established themselves (along with Journey and Styx) as one of the top AOR bands of the era.
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