After a triumphant tour with Journey that saw Foreigner play to tens of thousands of new fans and earn great critical acclaim, Foreigner announces the release of a brand new album, ‘Acoustique’.
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| Photo credit - Bill Bernstien |
Foreigner first saw success throughout the world with their ground breaking debut album that featured chart hits such as ‘Feels Like The First Time’ and ‘Cold As Ice’, and scored multi platinum sales and a world tour. The band went on to sell over 70 million albums, driven by some of the most important songs in the Classic Rock era. ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ was a worldwide number one hit and ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You’ is in the Top 50 Billboard magazine’s All Time Greatest Pop Songs. The rocking side of Foreigner was always key to their success, and songs like ‘Hot Blooded’, ‘Dirty White Boy’, ‘Urgent’ and ‘Juke Box Hero’ took the band to new levels.
‘Acoustique’ will be released on Edel’s international rock label, earMUSIC distributed in the UK & and Republic of Ireland by Absolute via Universal on 26September. It takes a fresh look at some of Foreigner’s hits and offers some unique surprises. The stripped down version of these great songs shows Foreigner in an entirely new light, and the release will be supported by unplugged tour dates and multiple television appearances. Foreigner inject new life into all their hits, pay tribute to Elvis Presley with a unique recording of ‘That’s All Right’ and throw in a couple of previously unreleased tracks. ‘The Flame Still Burns’ was co-written by Mick Jones for 1998 cult rock movie, ‘Still Crazy’, where it was performed by Jimmy Nail. Mick won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for that song. The album features a brand new song, ‘Save Me’, which was co-written with Mick Jones’ step-daughter and well-known DJ and musician, Samantha Ronson.
‘Acoustique’ will also be available in a special limited edition box set that includes a DVD and a CD of brand new digital recordings of Foreigner’s greatest hits by the current line-up. The DVD features a full-length live concert in high definition that was recorded in Chicago earlier this year and some bonus features that include one of Foreigner’s first acoustic performances at Schloss Kronberg in Frankfurt that inspired the making of the Acoustique CD.
‘Acoustique’ features Mick Jones on guitars and vocals; Kelly Hansen, lead vocals and percussion; Jeff Pilson, guitars and vocals and Tom Gimbel, guitars, saxophone and vocals. The quartet is joined by Michael Bluestein on keyboards and vocals, and Mark Schulman on drums for the digital recordings of the hits and the DVD.
Talking about the special edition box set Mick Jones said “When doing the ‘Hot Blooded’ solo I did my damnedest to set the amp on fire, which is what originally happened,” Mick says laughing, “I turned it up to 11, I kicked it. . . “
“My feeling over the years is that if you can write a song on an acoustic instrument, and it sounds good, you know you have a good song,” Mick explains. “The first time we approached these songs this way I was flabbergasted about how well they adapted back to their nucleus. It’s been an eye opener how stripping the songs bare brings fresh meaning and emotion out of them. The reaction has been so strong that it made me rethink the whole thing and put more attention to the unplugged show. People feel the intimacy, I talk about the songs and how they came about.”
"Its' been 6 years since the new line-up has been in place. The success, for me, merited giving the public studio recordings of songs by the new band,” Mick Jones asserts. “People know the new Foreigner, so the Foreigner they see live is the same Foreigner they can get on record."
Singer Kelly Hanson said that "This is an extra rubber stamp on our claim to these songs You are constantly having to re-establish yourself. There was a time in the late 90s when the band suffered in reputation, and I think we've spent a good part of the last six years going all over the world to re-establish that this band is very strong and relevant and full of great songs."
"We were doing these live acoustic shows that were being broadcast," he recalls, "and we got a huge response. It was kind of shocking and surprising, and also something that was really new for us. We've never really done that, kind of laying yourself out naked, without lights and amps or anything. It was a real different feeling and a challenge, so we came back and decided to record it. We're still working out the details for touring but it should be interesting,"
Rockgig hope to be able to bring you review of Acoustique soon, and if we keep our figures crossed we may be able to bring you an interview as well.
CD: Acoustique - The Classics Unplugged:
1. Long, Long Way From Home
2. Cold As Ice
3. The Flame Still Burns (brand new song!)
4. Double Vision
5. Fool For You Anyway
6. Say You Will
7. Starrider
8. Waiting For A Girl Like You
9. Feels Like The First Time
10. Juke Box Hero
11. That’s All Right
12. Save Me (brand new song! Electric version)
13. I Want To Know What Love Is (Electric version)
14. When It Comes To Love (Electric version)
2CD+DVD (Digi-pak)
CD 1: Acoustique - The Classics Unplugged:
1. Long, Long Way From Home
2. Cold As Ice
3. The Flame Still Burns (brand new song!)
4. Double Vision
5. Fool For You Anyway
6. Say You Will
7. Starrider
8. Waiting For A Girl Like You
9. Feels Like The First Time
10. Juke Box Hero
11. That’s All Right
CD 2: Juke Box Heroes - Brand new rock recordings of Foreigner‘s greatest hits
1. Save Me (brand new song!)
2. Feels Like The First Time
3. Cold As Ice
4. Long, Long Way From Home
5. Hot Blooded
6. Double Vision
7. Head Games
8. Dirty White Boy
9. Urgent
10. Waiting For A Girl Like You
11. I Want To Know What Love Is
12. Juke Box Hero
DVD: Live In Chicago 2011 85 min. show filmed in HD + bonus material
1. Double Vision
2. Head Games
3. Cold As Ice
4. Waiting For A Girl Like You
5. When It Comes To Love
6. Blue Morning, Blue Day
7. Dirty White Boy
8. Starrider
9. Feels Like The First Time
10.Urgent
11. I Want To Know What Love Is
12. Hot Blooded
13. Juke Box Hero
