Inside Information
Encyclopedia
Inside Information is the sixth studio album
by American
rock
band Foreigner
, released in 1987. The album hit #15 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and was certified Platinum in the U.S. for sales exceeding one million copies.
"Say You Will
" was released as the album's first single. Allmusic later noted that the single was a "good example" of the band's "balancing act" as "the guitar-heavy style of their early work gave way to slick arrangements that pushed electronics to the fore...temper(ing) its rock guitar edge...and Lou Gramm's quasi-operatic vocals...by thick layers of chiming synthesizers and an array of electronic textures." The single reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
and became their fourth #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, holding the top spot for four weeks. The song also became the band's third-highest charting hit in Germany, where it reached #22, faring even better in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and particularly Norway, where it reached #4. A rare CD single featured an extended remix version of the track.
The second single, "I Don't Want to Live Without You", reached #5 on the Hot 100. Markedly softer than any of their work to date, the record was their first and only #1 on the Adult Contemporary
chart, after the more rousing ballads "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" had reached #5 and #3 on that chart respectively. Allmusic would later observe that while "the end result lacked the distinctive rock touches of past Foreigner ballads," Lou Gramm
"contributes a lead vocal that avoids histrionics in favor of an emotional but very smooth delivery" over "washes of synthesizer...fleshed out by some meditative electric piano riffs". Nevertheless, the song charted at mainstream rock radio, where it peaked at #18. The #5 Hot 100 peak was their best showing in six singles, yet despite being followed up by more impassioned, up-tempo material it would be their last major pop hit to date.
Further singles from the album included "Heart Turns to Stone", which had peaked at #7 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in an earlier non-commercial release only to rock radio but only managed #56 on the Hot 100 several months later, and the harder "Can't Wait", which matched the #18 Mainstream Rock Tracks charting of "I Don't Want To Live Without You" but failed to crack the Hot 100. It was the last album to feature the classic '80s core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills and Elliott. The following year saw a successful solo album and singles
from Lou Gramm and found Mick Jones
releasing an album
and producing for artists including Billy Joel
.
Singles - Billboard (U.S.)
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
, released in 1987. The album hit #15 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and was certified Platinum in the U.S. for sales exceeding one million copies.
"Say You Will
Say You Will (song)
"Say You Will" is a song by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was the first single released from the album Inside Information , and was co-written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones...
" was released as the album's first single. Allmusic later noted that the single was a "good example" of the band's "balancing act" as "the guitar-heavy style of their early work gave way to slick arrangements that pushed electronics to the fore...temper(ing) its rock guitar edge...and Lou Gramm's quasi-operatic vocals...by thick layers of chiming synthesizers and an array of electronic textures." The single reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and became their fourth #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, holding the top spot for four weeks. The song also became the band's third-highest charting hit in Germany, where it reached #22, faring even better in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and particularly Norway, where it reached #4. A rare CD single featured an extended remix version of the track.
The second single, "I Don't Want to Live Without You", reached #5 on the Hot 100. Markedly softer than any of their work to date, the record was their first and only #1 on the Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart, after the more rousing ballads "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" had reached #5 and #3 on that chart respectively. Allmusic would later observe that while "the end result lacked the distinctive rock touches of past Foreigner ballads," Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm is an American rock vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist and co-writer of many of the songs for the rock band Foreigner. He also had a successful solo career...
"contributes a lead vocal that avoids histrionics in favor of an emotional but very smooth delivery" over "washes of synthesizer...fleshed out by some meditative electric piano riffs". Nevertheless, the song charted at mainstream rock radio, where it peaked at #18. The #5 Hot 100 peak was their best showing in six singles, yet despite being followed up by more impassioned, up-tempo material it would be their last major pop hit to date.
Further singles from the album included "Heart Turns to Stone", which had peaked at #7 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in an earlier non-commercial release only to rock radio but only managed #56 on the Hot 100 several months later, and the harder "Can't Wait", which matched the #18 Mainstream Rock Tracks charting of "I Don't Want To Live Without You" but failed to crack the Hot 100. It was the last album to feature the classic '80s core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills and Elliott. The following year saw a successful solo album and singles
Long Hard Look
Long Hard Look is the second solo album from Lou Gramm, released in 1989 .-Track listing:#"Angel With A Dirty Face" - 5:14#"Just Between You and Me" - 4:56#"Broken Dreams" - 5:54...
from Lou Gramm and found Mick Jones
Mick Jones (Foreigner)
Michael Leslie "Mick" Jones is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner.-Life and career:...
releasing an album
Mick Jones (album)
Mick Jones is singer-songwriter Mick Jones's self-titled debut/studio album, released in 1989. Jones is one of the original members of the group Foreigner. The album was Mick Jones' only solo release....
and producing for artists including Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
.
Track listing
- All Songs CopyrightCopyrightCopyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
Heavy Petal Music Inc. (ASCAP)/Intersong USA/Stray Notes Music (ASCAP), except where noted.
- "Heart Turns to StoneHeart Turns to StoneThe song, "Heart Turns To Stone" was remixed as the third single taken from the album, Inside Information, by the band, Foreigner, and released in 1988. The song was written by Lou Gramm & Mick Jones. The b-side features the song "Counting Every Minute"....
" (Lou GrammLou GrammLou Gramm is an American rock vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist and co-writer of many of the songs for the rock band Foreigner. He also had a successful solo career...
) – 4:29 - "Can't Wait" (Gramm, Mick JonesMick Jones (Foreigner)Michael Leslie "Mick" Jones is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner.-Life and career:...
) – 4:27 - "Say You WillSay You Will (song)"Say You Will" is a song by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was the first single released from the album Inside Information , and was co-written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones...
" (Gramm, Jones) – 4:12 - "I Don't Want to Live Without YouI Don't Want to Live Without You"I Don't Want to Live Without You" is a song from 1988 by the rock-pop band Foreigner. It was included on their 1987 platinum album, Inside Information....
" (Jones; Heavy Petal Music Inc.) – 4:52 - "Counting Every Minute" (Gramm, Jones) – 4:11
- "Inside Information" (Jones; Heavy Petal Music Inc.) – 4:09
- "The Beat of My Heart" (Gramm, Jones) – 5:10
- "Face to Face" (Gramm, Jones) – 3:53
- "Out of the Blue" – 4:42 (Jones, Gramm, Wills, Elliott; Heavy Petal Music Inc./Stray Notes Music)
- "A Night to Remember" (Gramm, Jones) – 4:07
Foreigner
- Lou GrammLou GrammLou Gramm is an American rock vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist and co-writer of many of the songs for the rock band Foreigner. He also had a successful solo career...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Mick JonesMick Jones (Foreigner)Michael Leslie "Mick" Jones is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner.-Life and career:...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, background vocals - Rick WillsRick WillsRick Wills , is a British bass player. He is best known for his work with rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces and Bad Company.-Career:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, background vocals - Dennis ElliottDennis ElliottDennis Leslie Eliott is most famous as the drummer who played for Foreigner from 1976 to 1992. In later years he became a professional sculptor.-Life and careers:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional personnel
- Tom Bailey - keyboard
- Kevin Jones - synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, synclavierSynclavierThe Synclavier System was an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation, manufactured by New England Digital Corporation, Norwich, VT. The original design and development of the Synclavier prototype occurred at Dartmouth College with the collaboration of... - Ian Lloyd - background vocals
- Hugh McCrackenHugh McCrackenHugh McCracken is a rhythm guitar player and session musician, arranger and producer based in New York.Especially in demand in the 60s, 70s and 80s, he appears on many recordings by Steely Dan, as well as albums by Donald Fagen, Jimmy Rushing, Billy Joel, Roland Kirk, Roberta Flack, B. B...
- Spanish guitar - Sammy Merendino - electronic percussion
- Mark RiveraMark RiveraMark Rivera is a musician, musical director and corporate entertainment provider. In addition to playing soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, Rivera's musical talents encompass vocals, guitar, percussion and keyboards.-Education:...
- background vocals - Peter-John VettesePeter-John VettesePeter-John Vettese , also known as Peter Vettese, is a British keyboardist, songwriter, arranger and record producer....
- keyboard
Production
- Producers: Frank Filipetti, Mick Jones
- Engineers: Frank Filipetti, Billy Miranda
- Assistant engineer: Billy Miranda
- Mixing: Frank Filipetti
- Mastering: Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
- Pre-production assistant: Warren Austerer
- Art direction: Bob Defrin
- Photography: E.J. Camp, Roger Corbeau
Certifications
Charts
Album - Billboard (U.S.)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Billboard 200 | 15 |
Singles - Billboard (U.S.)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "Heart Turns to Stone" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| 1987 | "Say You Will" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1987 | "Say You Will" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
| 1988 | "Can't Wait" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
| 1988 | "Heart Turns to Stone" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
| 1988 | "I Don't Want to Live Without You" | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1988 | "I Don't Want to Live Without You" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
| 1988 | "I Don't Want to Live Without You" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |