Inside Information (album)

Last updated
Inside Information
Foreigner - Inside Information.jpg
Studio album by
Foreigner
ReleasedDecember 7, 1987 [1]
RecordedJune−September 1987
Studio Right Track Recording (New York City)
Genre Rock
Length44:12
Label Atlantic
Producer
Foreigner chronology
Agent Provocateur
(1984)		Inside Information
(1987)		 Unusual Heat
(1991)
Singles from Inside Information
  1. "Say You Will"
    Released: November 1987 [2]
  2. "I Don't Want to Live Without You"
    Released: March 1988
  3. "Heart Turns to Stone"
    Released: July 1988

Inside Information is the sixth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1987.

Contents

Production

Inside Information was recorded from June to September 1987 at Right Track Recording in New York City. It was produced by Mick Jones and Frank Filipetti. It is the last Foreigner album to include the '80s core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills and Elliott.

"Out of the Blue" is the only song in the band's catalog to be credited to all four members from the classic 80's lineup.

In 1988 Lou Gramm released a solo album Long Hard Look , and Mick Jones released his solo album, the self-titled Mick Jones .


Releases

The album was released December 7, 1987 by the Atlantic record company.

"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." [3] The single reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late February of 1988 and became their fourth #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, holding the top spot for four weeks. The song 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. The 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 in late May 1988. 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". [4] 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.

The next single from the album was "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 in mid-1988. Cash Box said that even if "Heart Turns to Stone" could be called "corporate rock" the song works, and that "what Foreigner loses in pure originality they gain in accessibility and clarity." [5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
New Musical Express 2/10 [7]

The album debuted at 15 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, and was certified Platinum in the U.S. for sales exceeding one million copies. Although a commercial success, the band's sales were declining since the release of 4 in 1981, and Inside Information would be the band's last commercial success. [8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Heart Turns to Stone" 4:29
2."Can't Wait" 4:27
3."Say You Will" 4:12
4."I Don't Want to Live Without You" Mick Jones 4:52
5."Counting Every Minute" 4:11
6."Inside Information"Jones4:09
7."The Beat of My Heart" 5:10
8."Face to Face" 3:53
9."Out of the Blue"
4:42
10."A Night to Remember" 4:07

Personnel

Foreigner

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI) [22] Gold250,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [23] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "BRIT Certified". BPI.
  2. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Foreigner - Say You Will". hitparade.ch.
  3. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/song/t284520
  4. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/song/t284521
  5. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. July 9, 1988. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  6. ↑ Adams, Bret. Foreigner: Inside Information at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  7. ↑ Barron, Jack (9 January 1988). "Foreigner: Inside Information". New Musical Express . p. 23.
  8. ↑ Bret Adams. "Inside Information Review by Bret Adams". AllMusic .
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 116. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0940". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Foreigner – Inside Information" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  13. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Foreigner – Inside Information" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  14. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  15. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Foreigner – Inside Information". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Foreigner – Inside Information". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Foreigner – Inside Information". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Foreigner Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foreigner; 'Inside Information')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  23. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Inside Information')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  24. ↑ "British album certifications – Foreigner – Inside Information". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  25. ↑ "American album certifications – Foreigner – Inside Information". Recording Industry Association of America.
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