Did You Know...

The band got its start when a couple of British guitarists, Ian McDonald and Mick Jones (not the Mick Jones of the Clash), teamed up with American singer Lou Gramm, keyboardist Alan Greenwood and bass player Ed Gagliardi, as well as British drummer Dennis Elliott. Within a few months they released their first album, Foreigner, which spawned two Top Ten singles, the #4 'Feels Like the First Time' and the #6 'Cold As Ice.'

The hit album and singles called for a tour, and Foreigner sold a lot of tickets even though most of the band had little stage experience. A big problem was the size of their repertoire: Foreigner had recorded their only ten songs on the first album, and after they performed them at concerts, there was nothing left for encores. Even so, word got around that the band's stage presence made for a good show, so tickets were in high demand.

Once Foreigner released their second album, Double Vision, in June of 1978, the issue of short concerts was resolved. Now that fans knew who they were, the second album and its singles sold incredibly well. 'Hot Blooded' reached #3 in the summer of 1978, and the follow-up, 'Double Vision,' spent two weeks at #2. Both singles went gold.