In a new interview with Ryan Vacey, music photographer and host of the Beyond The Vibe podcast, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about the band’s upcoming shows where he will guest on some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group’s biggest hits. Gramm will share the stage with Luis Maldonado, who is replacing current frontman Kelly Hansen on lead vocals. Asked why now is the right time for him to return to FOREIGNER as a guest singer, Gramm said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, I know that since we were inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame, there’s been a lot reinterest in the band — the early band and the band as it currently is. And I know [FOREIGNER‘s founding guitarist] Mick [Jones] is not in good health. I think if he was in good health, he would be out there with this band, and maybe I would be joining him. But he’s not well enough to play, and I feel like I wanna help fly the flag for the band — the original band, and the current band right now, in these waning moments and moments when we’re getting so much attention for what we’ve accomplished over the years. I wanna be out there as one of the original members to wave the flag.”
FOREIGNER recently announced the September 12 release of extensive super deluxe editions of its 1981 smash multi-platinum album “4”.
Recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios in New York City alongside respected music producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange (DEF LEPPARD, AC/DC),“Foreigner 4 Deluxe” will be available in black vinyl and various other formats on September 12 via Rhino. The release will encompass newly remastered Stereo or Atmos versions, and a five-disc CD/Blu-ray package that includes a booklet containing over 60 exclusive photos, five previously unreleased songs, 14 early and alternate versions of various songs, 15 instrumentals, and 15 live performances from across the globe, spanning the band’s 1981 and 1982 “4” world tour. The digital deluxe release will also contain alternate versions, instrumentals, and live performances from the era.
Originally released July 2, 1981, “4” spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts than any artist in the history of Atlantic Records, including AC/DC, THE ROLLING STONES and LED ZEPPELIN, and went on to sell more than ten million albums worldwide. “4” is certified six times platinum in the U.S. (RIAA),four times platinum in Canada (Music Canada),platinum in Australia (ARIA) and Germany (BVMI),and gold in seven additional countries. It spawned three Billboard Hot 100 singles: “Waiting For A Girl Like You”, “Urgent” and “Juke Box Hero”. “Foreigner 4”, as it’s often referred to, is the fourth studio album by the legendary British-American rock band released during a time of transition as they famously went from six members to four.
Jones noted: “Recording our fourth album took the better part of two years. It was something that just had to be right and I truly believe that Mutt Lange, Lou [Gramm], Rick [Willis], Dennis [Elliott] and I accomplished something very special. This package, and particularly the stunning Atmos mixes, present a spectacular culmination of one of the most exciting periods of my life.”
To coincide with the deluxe package release, FOREIGNER — Luis Maldonado (lead vocals/guitar),Jeff Pilson (bass),Michael Bluestein (keyboards),Bruce Watson (guitars),Chris Frazier (drums) — will celebrate half a century of music with a new round of headlining tour dates which will include Gramm guesting on some of the songs he helped create almost 45 years ago. The upcoming “Foreigner 4 Deluxe Tour” signals yet another important transition for the band as these new dates will be the first major U.S. shows featuring Maldonado on lead vocals. On the season finale of “The Voice”, it was announced that this year’s summer tour would be the last for Hansen.
Of the transition, Maldonado had this to say: “Earlier this year, we toured Mexico and South America with the incredible Lou Gramm. We all had such a fantastic time performing and being together, and it’s with that same excitement I look forward to working with Lou again. He was an integral part of the writing and recording of the ‘Foreigner 4’ album and his presence will add a historic dimension to our forthcoming tour.”
Released in 1977, FOREIGNER‘s debut album produced the hits “Feels Like The First Time”, “Cold As Ice” and “Long, Long Way From Home”. The albums “Double Vision” and “Head Games” followed with more hits including “Hot Blooded”, “Blue Morning, Blue Day” and “Dirty White Boy”. Then came “Urgent”, “Juke Box Hero” and “Waiting For A Girl Like You”. Those songs helped give FOREIGNER‘s next album, “4”, its impressive 10-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. At the zenith of 1980s sound, FOREIGNER‘s fifth album, “Agent Provocateur”, gave the world the incredible No. 1 global hit “I Want To Know What Love Is”. This musical milestone followed the record-breaking song “Waiting For A Girl Like You”.
Check out the “Foreigner 4 Deluxe” show at any of the following tour stops:
December 03 – Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
December 04 – Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
December 06 – Staten Island, NY – St. George Theatre
December 07 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Theater
December 09 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theatre
December 11 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
December 12 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
December 13 – Williamsport, PA – Community Arts Center
