Maps of Music

Foreigner (1977)

Where the lyrics of Foreigner take you, and where it was really made.

Most of the songs on this debut were written before the band existed, by guitarist Mick Jones alone or with others, and were later collected into the group's first album.

Key places

Overdubs at Atlantic Recording Studios (1977)

Recording site Atlantic Studios (New York City) — Overdubs for the album were recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York City. The studio also hosted the re-mix of the album by Jones, McDonald and Jimmy Douglass after the first mix at Sarm Studios in London was rejected. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Foreigner is the debut studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner
• Released March 8, 1977 through Atlantic
• Spun off three hit singles: Feels Like the First Time, Cold as Ice, Long, Long Way from Home
• Album tracks include Headknocker and Starrider
• Starrider features a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist and co-founder Mick Jones

Background

• Jones wrote several songs that appeared on the album before the band was formed
• Lead singer Lou Gramm sang three of them in his audition: Feels Like the First Time, Woman Oh Woman, At War with the World
• After the band formed, Gramm and Jones wrote more songs, including Long, Long Way from Home (with Ian McDonald), Cold as Ice and I Need You
• Jones wanted Roy Thomas Baker to produce the album, but Baker was not available
• Sarm Studios owners Gary Lyons and John Sinclair served as producers, along with Jones and McDonald
• Lyons had worked as an engineer on several Queen albums that Baker produced
• Accounts of the roles Jones and McDonald played in production disagree

Recording

• Basic tracks recorded at The Hit Factory and Atlantic Recording Studios
• Overdubs recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios
• The first mixing attempt was done at Sarm Studios in London, but the result was not satisfactory
• The album was re-mixed at Atlantic Recording Studios by Jones, McDonald and Jimmy Douglass
• Mastering by George Marino at Sterling Sound
• In July 2010 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released the album on SACD in a Mini Vinyl replica cardboard case, without bonus tracks

Cover

• Art direction by Bob Defrin, cover illustrations by Alex Gnidziejko, hand lettering by Gerard Huerta
• A French article describes the cover as a drawing of the six members standing side by side before railway tracks, dressed in the style of immigrants, with the band name meaning stranger

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Foreigner is a British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976.
• Mick Jones led the band from the start; the original lineup included Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi.
• The name came from the band's mix of British and American members: at least three members were foreigners in any country they played.
• The band's debut album came out in March 1977 and reached No. 4 in the US.

Members

• Mick Jones (guitar, keyboards, vocals) is the founder and only constant member.
• Lou Gramm (vocals) was an original member who left in 1990, rejoined in 1992, and left again in 2003.
• Gagliardi was replaced by Rick Wills in 1979; Greenwood and McDonald were dismissed in 1980.
• Kelly Hansen became lead singer in 2005; Luis Maldonado took over lead vocals in 2025.

Career

• Foreigner is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales exceeding 80 million records.
• The 1981 album 4 was its first and only US No. 1 album.
• The 1984 single "I Want to Know What Love Is" topped the charts in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
• The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Hartford Courant critic Henry McNulty said there was something good beginning here
• Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn said the production was crisp and the vocals eager, but there was too little point of view to make the album commanding
• Annison Star reviewer Mike Stamler felt most songs were sanitized into three basic chords with immature lyrics, leaving little variety, and suggested more instrumental solos would have helped

Reappraisal

• Allmusic critic Andy Hinds praised the band's pure rock craftsmanship and called the album the perfect soundtrack for suburban teenagers cruising in the 1970s
• PopMatters critic Evan Sawdey felt the non-single album tracks were more successful than their counterparts on later Foreigner albums, and said Woman Oh Woman started skirting into cheesy ballad territory
• Billboard reviewer Gary Graff rated four songs from the album, the three singles plus Headknocker, among the ten greatest Foreigner songs, and described Headknocker as a gritty, stomping rocker
• Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated Feels Like the First Time, Cold as Ice and Fool for You Anyway among the band's top 10 songs
• Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated Starrider and Long, Long Way from Home among Foreigner's most underrated songs
• Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia rated Fool for You Anyway and Long, Long Way from Home among the band's most underrated songs

Records

• Billboard 200: number 4 in 1977
• Canada: entered the chart and stayed for 49 consecutive weeks, reaching number 9 on the RPM Magazine chart of 9 July 1977
• United States: quintuple platinum certification from the RIAA
• Canada: platinum certification

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• McDonald claimed he had a significant role in writing several songs on the album, although he received a writing credit only on Long, Long Way from Home
• Lyons said Jones and McDonald did very little on the production side, while Jones described the work as a joint effort
• The 2002 Rhino Records reissue added four demo versions, including Feels Like the First Time, Woman Oh Woman, At War with the World and Take Me to Your Leader
• Guitarist Mick Jones has rated four songs from the album among his 11 favorite Foreigner songs

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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