Foreigner live on the Spectrum stage- Long Way from Home and Blue Morning Blue Day- 12/1/1978

0:05 SPEAKER_00: Hey everybody, welcome back to the concert room. I'm your host, Bob Hill. The concert room is a podcast session dedicated to concert performances, performers, bands, and artists who played on the stage at the legendary Philadelphia Spectrum Arena and all the surrounding venues in the Philadelphia area back in the heyday years of concerts and shows. And thanks again for joining. Really appreciate it. Gonna feature one of my favorite bands today. I got a great show lined up for us. I'm gonna feature Foreigner.

0:37 SPEAKER_00: And we are all familiar with Foreigner's uh career and how successful they were. But if you're familiar with my podcast, I really like to go back to the early days of bands, especially in a case like Foreigner, who were just basically a legendary band with all those great albums and and hits. But I'm gonna go back to the early days when they first started, because I think it's really interesting. But really, just kind of a background. Uh, if you're not familiar, Foreigner is a British American rock band.

1:13 SPEAKER_00: They were formed in New York City in 1976. And it's kind of a cool hybrid of influences that helped separate them from their peers in this rock genre. And it's also where the name uh kind of came from, since about half were British and half were American, and I think their thought was, you know, someone in the band was a foreigner, regardless of what country they were in. So in 1977, Foreigner released their self-titled debut album, the first of six consecutive albums to be certified multi-platinum, and reached the top ten in the US.

1:52 SPEAKER_00: I actually got this album for a present when it came out. Uh, one of the great benefits uh of having older siblings that were really into music and different kind of genres, I always got an album for my birthday or for Christmas. So I think I got this on A-Track, actually, if I remember. And uh if you're too young to know what an A-Track is, I suggest you look it up or Google it. And if you're old enough like me, I'm gonna guess a good percentage also had this on A-Track. Um I actually found this on vinyl in a bin in my local.

2:33 SPEAKER_00: Um, so that was really cool to add to my vinyl collection. Which kind of makes me think that I uh originally got this back in 1977 as a gift on A-Track. I don't think I have any in my A-Track. Um I have some electronic cassette. And of course, uh I just mentioned albums. I do collect vinyl uh albums. Um, but I might have a few A-tracks left. I wouldn't even know how to play them. Um I guess maybe you can get an A-track player out there. We had these in our car and in our home and in our studios.

3:12 SPEAKER_00: Um and that was the way music was delivered. Back then it was a vinyl album, it was a cassette, or it was an A-Track. So Foreigner didn't really spend a lot of time opening for bands, uh, especially due to the success of this debut album. Um, in other words, by May 1977, Foreigner was already headlining theaters and had earned a gold record for their debut album. So shortly afterward, the band began selling out uh US Arenas. Um, a la The Forum in LA, Madison Square Garden, and of course our legendary Philadelphia Spectrum.

3:54 SPEAKER_00: And it's really here that I want to go back and talk about. If you're familiar again with my podcast, I like going back to the beginnings of a band, regardless of their success at that point. Whether they're just getting notice or they're slogging through the clubs, trying to get uh the you know, reach that first goal of uh you know, recording their album, uh or already selling out to large crowds. And in this case with Foreigner, they achieved success from that debut album, headlining arenas on the back of it, along with their second album already recorded and ready to go.

4:29 SPEAKER_00: And by nineteen seventy-eight they're now touring in Europe and overseas. Uh but these role shows and tours are still vibrant, tight arrangements, great hooks melodies, of course, with a guitar player like Mick Jones and uh Lou Graham's soulful powerful voice. They were absolutely a great live band. Right out of the gate. Which leads us to my show today. We all know about the subsequent success Foreigner had in the early eighties, mid-eighties, even the late eighties, with more great albums, hits, radio-friendly songs, MTV, um that kind of all that great mixed cocktail catapulted them into the mainstream of success.

5:18 SPEAKER_00: But it's on the 1978 tour, with the release of their second album, Double Vision, that I will feature today. Foreigner rolled into the spectrum on December 1st, 1978, on the Double Vision Tour with the Cars opening. That's a great night of cartoons on this tour. Uh, with the cars debut album. Well, what a great era. You know, the late 70s era. Um with uh Foreigner and the Cars. Of course, Van Halen debut album. So really, really a great end of the decade for music uh to go right into the eighties.

6:00 SPEAKER_00: And then they actually played the first time at the Spectrum on September 16th, 1977. They were with uh Derninger, Rick Dringer, and Little River Band, another great night of tune. So this December 1st, 1978 show that I'm gonna feature uh is actually the second time that they rolled into the spectrum and played it. So again, I'm just gonna reiterate and go back that this band put off their debut album in 77. They formed in 76, put out their debut album in 77, and by 78 they're headlining uh Large and selling out large arenas.

6:39 SPEAKER_00: Um quite a feat. They also played in Philly at JFK Stadium on June 1978, uh, opening for the Stones. And they went on to play The Spectrum uh about three more times. I believe the last show with Foreigner of the Spectrum was 1985. So let's get to this great performance. I picked out two for this show today. The show was broadcast on FM radio. I'm not sure if this was a King Biscuit Flower Hour simulcast, but that kind of helps explain the uh quality of the recording. And I picked out two of my favorite songs from this era.

7:19 SPEAKER_00: Uh The Evening Opener, Long Long Way from Home. That's a great opening set tune for any band. Great, great song. And uh also a few songs later in the set, um Blue Morning Blue Day. Let's Enjoy Farner on the Spectrum stage December first, nineteen seventy-eight, with two from that evening.

12:04 SPEAKER_01: Stop how we do it together, and that's what I'm saying.

14:48 SPEAKER_00: Foreigner on the spectrum stage, that's December 1st, 1978. Long, long way from home, the set opener, and then a couple songs later in the set Blue Morning, Blue Day. And it sounded really, really wonderful. I wish I could be in the spectrum that night. Uh, because for me I never really got a chance to see them in the early days, or not in the heyday days of the big concerts of the eighties. Um however, I was lucky to see them around 2014 here in town. And you really get reminded with a band like Foreigner when you see them live how many great songs they have behind them.

15:26 SPEAKER_00: Um, especially after many albums. And this tour here in 1978, um, it was still chock full of great hits and deep cuts on the back of just two albums. Really, really a powerful powerhouse legendary band. Love Foreigner. And uh I hope you were able to see them whether it was early days or later days, and if not, I hope this kind of gives you the feeling of being in the arena that night to experience this band's live show. Just absolutely great, great band. I hope my podcast kinda gives you an idea of what it was really like to experience uh going to shows and the excitement and the thrill of seeing your band in your uh local venue.

16:11 SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, please feel free to leave a comment to all friends, of course, subscribe to our show. We're in the middle of season two, and I have a lot of things in store for us, so thanks much, and I look forward to seeing you again in the concert room.