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To celebrate their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year, Foreigner will release a new greatest hits collection, including a new track that reunites the group's two most notable members.
Turning Back the Time, in stores October 4 from Rhino, brings together 18 of the group's most notable radio staples, including "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold As Ice," "Hot Blooded," "Urgent," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Juke Box Hero," "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Say You Will" and others. The set will also include two tracks from the group's 2009 effort Can't Slow Down; "The Flame Still Burns," off a 2016 vinyl EP of the same name; and the title track - a 1996 outtake that serves as the first Foreigner track to feature founding guitarist Mick Jones and original vocalist Lou Gramm since 1994's Mr. Moonlight.
No less an authority than Paul McCartney said it best in a cheeky video earlier this year: "Foreigner - not in the Hall of Fame? What the fuck!" Indeed, as one of the most prominent acts on classic rock radio on the 2024 RRHOF ballot, both longtime listeners and famous fans like Jones' stepson, producer Mark Ronson, lobbied hard to see them included in this year's class. And the fans prevailed: Jones, Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Ed Gagliardi, bassists Rick Willis and the late Ed Gagliardi and deceased multi-instrumentalist Ian MacDonald will get their due this fall in Cleveland. (Foreigner's current line-up, in the midst of a farewell tour, will no doubt attend as well, though this arrangement features none of the original members - including Jones, sidelined from touring after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.) Turning Back the Time will be a potent reminder, ahead of the induction, of the group's muscular pop/rock proficiency and even a few moving ballads or two.
Turning Back the Time is available on CD or vinyl now and can be pre-ordered below. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
Turning Back the Time (Atlantic/Rhino, 2024)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
- Feels Like the First Time
- Cold As Ice
- Long, Long Way from Home
- Hot Blooded
- Double Vision
- Dirty White Boy
- Head Games
- Urgent
- Waiting for a Girl Like You
- Juke Box Hero
- Girl on the Moon
- I Want to Know What Love Is
- That Was Yesterday
- Say You Will
- Can't Slow Down
- When It Comes to Love
- The Flame Still Burns
- Turning Back the Time
Tracks 1-3 from Foreigner - Atlantic SD 19109, 1977
Tracks 4-5 from Double Vision - Atlantic SD 19999, 1978
Tracks 6-7 from Head Games - Atlantic SD 29999, 1979
Tracks 8-11 from 4 - Atlantic SD 16999, 1981
Tracks 12-13 from Agent Provocateur - Atlantic 81999, 1984
Track 14 from Inside Information - Atlantic 81808, 1987
Tracks 15-16 from Can't Slow Down - Rhino R2 521324, 2009
Track 17 from Atlantic Record Store Day 10" EP R1 557233, 2016
Track 18 is previously unreleased
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Certainly intrigued by the return of Lou Gramm for the title track and, maybe, "The Flame Still Burns," but otherwise....Why? These guys have had more greatest hits collections than you can shake a stick at. The omissions here are pretty glaring.
Inside Information in particular is given short shrift, where is, "Don't Want to Live Without Your Love" which was their last top 10 hit? Or the gorgeous, "Out of the Blue," the only song which was ever credited to all four members from the 80's lineup?
They've also left off the best track from Can't Slow Down, "In Pieces" in favor of the far less appealing "Can't Slow Down" - "I'll Be Home Tonight" would also have been a preferable choice.
Pointless release,
Agreed with every one of your comments!
“Two Different Worlds” from Agent Provovateur: A great, great track which I’ve never heard on radio, and has never appeared on any compilation. A tearjerking ballad featuring Lou Gramm pulling out all the stops. Check it out.
Yet another Foreigner compilation, to go right alongside the live (and terribly documented) live compilation with STYX and (one live track by ) John Waite from earlier this summer. It should be noted that the new track is a re-working of a song recorded by Jones/Gramm in 1996. So post "Mr Moonlight", but recently retouched by Jones and Marti Fredricksen. (theres even a tape "warble" left in the mix that is smile producing....!). The one song does prove there was more in the tank - even if the band relationship was empty.
“The Flame Still Burns” has been issued on CD, on the “Foreigner 40” compilation.
Track 18 is previously unreleased, not newly recorded. According to the caption on the official lyric video, it was recorded in 1996.
Whoops! Sorry about that. This was not noted in the press release, which also erroneously suggested this was a box set.
We really don't need another compilation. We need an expanded edition of 'Agent Provocateur' with all the promo and commercial 12 inch mixes. Warner, get those mastertapes out of the vaults! This is taking too long now.
A label may have put in a request for that a while back…
That would have to be either the recently shuttered Intervention Records, or some other label beginning with “I”. Based on what I’ve read about getting licenses for reissues, “I” wish that label the best of luck. They’ll need it.