Foreigner

Foreigner is a band that was formed in 1976 by British guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones, ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, and American vocalist Lou Gramm. Mick Jones worked with the band Spooky Tooth from 1971-1974 and briefly with The Leslie West Band in New York before linking up in New York with McDonald. [1] It was here in New York where the two would meet British drummer Dennis Elliot and other members from America. [2] The band, originally called Trigger, decided to switch its name to Foreigner due to the fact that the name Trigger had already been taken and that the name Foreigner represented the band due to the mixed origins of the band (no matter where the band played, at least one member of the band would not be native to that country’s crowd origin). [3]

The band’s premiere 1977 self-titled album Foreigner (providing famous songs like “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” and “Long Long Way from Home”) alongside their second 1978 album Vision catapulted the band to stardom. [4] However, by 1980, disputes within the band arose which forced Ian McDonald and other members out of the band. Mick Jones and Lou Gramm wanted more control over the creativity process and felt that the band was becoming complacent. Particularly, Gramm in a 1981 article interview said that Foreigner was “very close to not being a band at all” and that a revitalized Foreigner would have “a lot more personality” which would encompass everyone in the band. [5] By 1984, their extremely popular Agent Provocateur album debuted and Foreigner came to the 1985 Farm Aid concert with heavy, revitalized success.

Foreigner’s music has generally been described as a mix of rock with pop, with soul choruses and small blues elements to boot. The band’s ability to cut the line between pop and rock is what made this band special in the 1980s. [6]The band mixed genres such as hard rock, pop rock, soft rock, and (most importantly for them) arena rock. Their engagement with fans during their songs by using singalongs complemented their energetic riffs and vigorous drumming was their signature style of playing/making music; this style of audience engagement is of course reflective of the arena rock concerts of the 1980s and is primarily what they were known for.

Besides being known for their music, Foreigner has been also known for charitable work. Although they weren’t able to play at Live Aid (they wanted to, but there wasn’t enough space) they offered and were able to play at Farm Aid. [7] Foreigner's role at Farm Aid was one of mutual support as many of the British artists in the band wanted to show their support for their adopted homeland. In a 1985 interview, two days before the Farm Aid concert, Mick Jones revealed his reason as to why he wanted to help. Jones said that, “It [the Farm Aid concert] really appealed to me as something that was very relevant and happening in this country and concerns the American people.” However, as to his thoughts on how the concert might help, he did admit during the interview that “I don’t know how (the problem) can be put right, but perhaps this is a way to start addressing other problems affecting this country.” [8] No one in the band had a personal farming connection to the crisis. 

During the Farm Aid concert, Foreigner performed their classic hits “I Want To Know What Love Is,” "Urgent,” and “Hot Blooded.” [9] Their hit song, “I Want To Know What Love Is” (which recently came off of their 1984 Agent Provocateur album), had a live local choir perform with Foreigner during the concert; although the Farm Aid History Harvest was unable to find the name of the choir, the harvest was able to find out that it was a local black church choir. After Foreigner’s performance, the band left the concert to play at another farm charity concert in Omaha, Nebraska. [10]

The band fell apart/out of popularity in the late 1980s, but was reassembled in the 1990s as a “back catalog” band. [11]

1. Phil Hardy, “Foreigner” In The Faber Companion to 20th Century Popular Music (3rd ed. Faber and Faber Ltd, 2001).

2. Phil Hardy, “Foreigner” In The Faber Companion.

3. Foreignerfiles.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012.

4. Phil Hardy, “Foreigner” In The Faber Companion.

5. Colin McEnroe, Foreigner Streamlines And Likes the Results (Hartford Courant, October 16, 1981. p. D5), 67.

6. Steve Sullivan, I Want to Know What Love Is (1984)—Foreigner (written by Mick Jones) (Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2013).

7. "Live Aid F.A.Q''. Live Aid.free.fr. 13 July 1985. Retrieved 31 March 2014.

8. Detroit Free Press. Fri, Sep 20, 1985. 29.

9. Foreigner setlist at Farm Aid 1985. setlist.fm. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2023,

10. Detroit Free Press. Fri, Sep 20, 1985. 29.

11. Phil Hardy, “Foreigner” In The Faber Companion.