The "Rock" Group Foreigner is Making a Comeback.....(Crickets)

[Brian Damage]

NEW YORK – Mick Jones has watched classic rock bands like the Eagles, AC/DC and Journey reach new levels of popularity thanks to Wal-Mart; now he wants to get his band, Foreigner, in on the action.

"To me, the most important thing is that the band regains recognition again and proves in a way that it is a force. It's been around for 30 years, and there are few other bands that have been around for that long," said Jones, a founding member of the band. "I'd like to regain our position in that club."

Foreigner is releasing a three-disc set of new and classic material in Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Sept. 29. "Can't Slow Down" will include a CD of new material, another of remixed versions of Foreigner hits and another live DVD of performance footage, all for $12.

Jones says the Wal-Mart exclusive deal is the perfect way for the band — best known for hits like "Hot Blooded," "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "Urgent" — to re-establish themselves.

"As we've been off the album scene for some time, we need a lot of support to get the word out," Jones said in an interview Wednesday. "Although we've played a tremendous amount of shows, a lot of the public doesn't realize that we're back."

With the decline of traditional record stores and the challenge of veteran acts getting onto Top 40 radio stations, exclusive deals with stores like Wal-Mart have given bands such as Foreigner the media splash and advertising support that record labels used to provide.

"The whole system has changed," said Jones. "We felt that this was a really good opportunity to get the maximum exposure for our album. ... For us at this stage, I think it's really good."

Foreigner — which these days includes lead singer Kelly Hansen, bassist Jeff Pilson, guitarist Tom Gimbel, keyboardist Michael Bluestein and drummer Bryan Head — worked with Aerosmith producer Marti Frederiksen as well as Jones' stepson, Grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson. Ronson has been a producer for Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and others.

"We had never worked officially before — obviously when he was growing up we would jam and we would do all kinds of stuff; I knew from an early age that he had a special talent and he had the passion for music," said Jones.

"This time, it was kind of funny. I kind of sat there and let him do all the work," he laughed. "It was a lot of fun and he introduced a completely different flavor on this one track to the rest of the album ... It's all come together really well. I think it will be quite a surprise when people hear it."

As for the band's new sound, Jones said it's contemporary, but not so modern that people won't know they are listening to Foreigner.

"We've kept the kind of identity I guess but in a way I guess we have brought it up to the present," he said. "I think it stands up to anything that's out there at the moment."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090730/...usic_foreigner

[catlover79]

To me, Foreigner without Lou Gramm is just like Journey without Steve Perry. No dice.

[TJL]

Great!
Now they can finally tel me what love is!

I've been wanting to know for years.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by TJL

Great!
Now they can finally tel me what love is!

I've been wanting to know for years.

[ABlairican Pie]

^Jeff Pilson, the former bassist for Dokken?? Wow, who else is not part of the original lineup??

[Brian Damage]

EATON, Ohio -- Foreigner fans and Preble County Fair officials were disgruntled and disappointed by the weather-related cancellation of Tuesday's Foreigner concert.



Tuesday was a miserably wet day with heavy rain, wind and even hail wreaking havoc throughout Indiana and rolling on into Ohio, leaving the fairgrounds' grandstand and track filled with mud and standing water.

Fair manager Duane Grimme and fair board president Dean Petry said the concert was canceled at about 4 p.m. after the production company contracted to set up the stage, sound and lighting refused to do so, citing the bad weather.

"The fair board wanted to have the concert. The band wanted to play. The production company wouldn't set up the stage," Grimme said.

"It was out of our control," Petry said. "We feel awful about it."

Grimme said that the production company likely shied away from setting up the concert after an incident during a storm in Camrose, Canada, where a concert stage collapsed, killing one woman and injuring about 75 others.

Ironically, by 6 p.m. Tuesday the rain had stopped in Eaton and the setting sun was shining. A hand-written sign at the fair office noted that there would be no Foreigner show, no rescheduling of the concert and no refunds.

Would-be concertgoers were unhappy to discover that the ticket notations "rain or shine" and "no refunds" applied to the $22 tickets when the show was called off for weather issues.

Brad and Diana Harman drove from Richmond to the fair planning to see the concert in celebration of Brad's upcoming birthday.

"There's a lot of upset people," Brad Harman said.

The Harmans chose to go ahead and visit the fairgrounds, seeking some tasty "fair food."

Yet Brad Harman was sorry not to get to re-live memories of when he was a kid. "I enjoyed the music," he said.

An Eaton woman, knowing the show had been canceled, came to the fairgrounds to claim her tickets as souvenirs.

Another man, who came from Connersville, Ind., didn't think that it was right not to offer refunds when there was no "rain or shine" concert to attend.

Foreigner publicist John Lappen said this is the first Foreigner concert canceled "by an act of God" since he began working with the group.

Petry said the loss of the concert was a financial blow to the fair budget because they still had to pay Foreigner even though the concert didn't take place.

"We lost a big day at the fair," Petry said. He did add, however, that the loss wouldn't stop the 2010 fair from taking place. "There will be a fair next year."

Foreigner moves to the Ohio State Fair today and the Wisconsin State Fair on Thursday.

http://www.pal-item.com/article/2009...NTPAGECAROUSEL

[Marvo301]

I'd say Foreigner is a pretty fair band.