This magnificent concert was recorded at KKL Luzern, Switzerland
on May 20th and 21st 2017 and thus became the very first
Foreigner album, recorded with orchestra and choir. Together with
the 21st Century Orchestra and Chorus, the performance showcases
some of rock n’ roll’s most enduring anthems and countless fan
favorites. Featuring original new arrangements and
instrumentation’s, Foreigner’s signature songs can be enjoyed
from a completely new perspective and with fantastic sound
quality.
* Major national TV launch for the album & DVD, with the
symphonic broadcast special featured on over 200 PBS Stations
during Pledge, throughout March and April.
* Foreigner undertaking a comprehensive tour schedule in support
of the album and DVD during March and April, and returing for a
major summer tour in amphitheaters
* Extensive marketing and promotional campaign via TV, press,
online and radio
* Focus on Foreigner’s 1.6 million US Facebook and social media
followers via a comprehensive advertising and promotional
campaign
* Mick Jones and Kelly Hansen available for press and promotional
appearances
* Premium product positioning at all major retailers
BIOGRAPHY:
----------
On September 13th, 2017 Foreigner’s catalog sales were celebrated
in Business Insidermagazine as hitting the Top 40 among the Best
Selling Music Artists of All Time. The Beatles were justifiably
#1, but Foreigner came in ahead of Britney Spears, Bob Dylan,
Phil Collins, Prince, Queen, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.
With ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits, Foreigner
is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the
world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel
sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 75 million.
Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems
including Juke Box Hero, Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, Waiting For A
Girl Like You, Feels Like The First Time, Urgent, Head Games, Say
You Will, Dirty White Boy, Long, Long Way From Home and the
worldwide #1 hit, I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner
continues to rock the charts more than 40 years into the game
with massive airplay and continued Billboard Top 200 album
success. Foreigneralso features strongly in every category in
Billboard’s Greatest of All Time listing. Catalog sales often
eclipse those of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, the
Who, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Aerosmith and most of their Classic
Rock peers. (Source: Nielsen SoundScan week ending 8/3/17).
Founded in 1976, Foreigner’s debut album produced the hits “Feels
Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice” and “Long, Long Way From
Home.” The album Double Vision followed, as did a string of hits
like “Urgent,” “Juke Box Hero” and “Waiting For A Girl Like You.”
Those songs helped give Foreigner’s next album, 4, its impressive
run at #1 on the Billboard chart. At the zenith of 80’s sound,
Foreigner’s fifth album, Agent Provocateur, gave the world the
incredible #1 global hit,” I Want To Know What Love Is.” This
musical milestone followed the record-breaking song “Waiting For
A Girl Like You.”
At Foreigner’s core is the founder and Songwriters Hall of Fame
member Mick Jones, the visionary maestro whose stylistic
songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents
continue to escalate Foreigner’s influence and guide the band to
new horizons. He reformed the band after a 2002 hiatus and
selected lead singer Kelly Hansen to help write an inspired new
chapter in the history of Foreigner. One of rock’s greatest
showmen, Hansenis known for his innate ability to connect with
the crowds. As a front man and lead vocalist, Hansen is among the
most respected, consummate professionals in rock and roll. With a
35-year career that spans almost every area of music, from the
role of lead vocalist to producing and engineering, Kelly has the
unique ability to advance and excel when faced with new
challenges.
Mick also brought in bassist Jeff Pilson, multi-instrumentalist
Tom Gimbel, guitarist Bruce Watson, Michael Bluestein on
keyboards, and Chris Frazier on drums. An unprecedented new level
of energy lead the group to a re-emergence of astounding music
that speaks to long time Foreigner fans and younger generations.
With renewed vitality and direction, Foreigner hit the Billboard
charts again with the 2005 release of their live greatest hits
album, Extended Versions. Can’t Slow Down followed in 2009 and
entered the Billboard chart in the Top 30, driven by two Top 20
radio singles, “In Pieces” and “When It Comes To Love.” To follow
was the release of the band’s 3-disc set, Feels Like The First
Time, which included an acoustic CD with an and unique
re-interpretation of many Foreignerclassics, studio re-records by
the new lineup and a live performance DVD showcasing the group’s
exceptional live energy.
Foreigner experienced another surge in popularity when several of
their hits were featured on the Rock of Ages soundtrack,
including “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Juke Box Hero” and
“Waiting For A Girl Like You” – more songs than any other one
band on the soundtrack. Hollywood quickly took note, and several
more tracks were featured in hit films “Anchorman 2,” “Magic
Mike” and “Pitch Perfect,” sending Foreigner downloads up 400%.
The video game industry was soon to follow with the blockbuster
release, “Grand Theft Auto V”.
Downloads continued to soar after their worldwide #1 hit “I Want
To Know What Love Is” was featured as the 2015 season finale end
title of “Orange Is The New Black.” Foreigner hits have also
recently been included in such primetime TV shows as “The Late
Show with Stephen Colbert” and “The Tonight Show with Jimmy
Fallon,” among others. Hot Blooded is on the trailer for the
Angry Birds movie and has been streamed more than 6 million
times. The high visibility of Foreigner’s songs continues to
introduce the band’s music to a whole future generation of fans,
exemplified by Jack Black’s version of “Juke Box Hero” in Kung Fu
Panda 3. “I Want To Know What Love Is” featured in the summer
2017 box-office #1 “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” and “Waiting For A
Girl Like You” is featured in Netflix’s “Stranger Things”.
In June 2013, Mick Jones was inducted to the Songwriters Hall Of
Fame. A multi-talented and multi-dimensional “musician’s
musician,” Jones has also written songs such as “Bad Love” with
Eric Clapton and “Dreamer” with Ozzy Osbourne, and produced
records for others including Billy Joel’s Storm Front and Van
Halen’s 5150. A Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter,
Jones is the winner of the prestigious British Ivor Novello
Songwriter Award for “The Flame Still Burns”, the soundtrack
music for the film Still Crazy.
In May 2014, Atlantic Records Chairman Craig Kallman presented
Mick Jones with RIAA gold and platinum digital awards for six
Foreigner songs. These awards signify 500,000 and 1,000,000
downloads of Foreigner hits. That is more individual awards than
any other heritage rock band, and an illustration of Foreigner’s
resonance in the digital era.
The year continued with Foreigner’s headline run in The
Soundtrack of Summer US amphitheater tour. The hits compilation
album of the same name was released to coincide with the tour and
immediately hit the Billboard Top 200 chart, peaking at #64. For
most weeks during the tour, Juke Box Heroes joined The Soundtrack
Of Summer in the Billboard Top 200 making Foreigner the only
Classic Rock band to have such a remarkable presence in today’s
chart.
Foreigner made headlines again in the summer of 2015 while
gaining legions of new fans by joining mega act Kid Rock on his
“Cheap Date: First Kiss Tour,” rocking amphitheatres and stadiums
across the United States.
Foreigner kicked off 2016 with a much hailed unplugged appearance
on The Today Show on February 11th followed by a short run of New
York area sold out a
