Boston (band)
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| Boston | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Rock Arena rock Hard rock |
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| Years active | 1976–present | |
| Label(s) | Epic Records (1976–1986) MCA Records (1986–2002) Artemis Records (2002–present) |
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| Members | ||
| Tom Scholz Gary Pihl Kimberly Dahme Jeff Neal |
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| Former members | ||
| Brad Delp (deceased) Jim Masdea Barry Goudreau David Currier Sib Hashian Fran Sheehan David Sikes Doug Huffman Curly Smith Fran Cosmo Anthony Cosmo Tom Hambridge Tom Moonan Anthony Citrinite |
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Boston is an American rock band that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists. Boston's best-known works include the singles "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," "Foreplay/Long Time," "Don't Look Back," "Smokin'" and "Amanda."
[edit] Early years (pre-1976)
Boston began when Tom Scholz, an MIT engineering graduate who worked at Polaroid, began to create a series of tape recordings in his home studio accompanied by guitarist Barry Goudreau, drummer Jim Masdea, with whom Scholz played in a prior band and singer Ron Patti from the band Boston Creme. The roots of the first album were created in these early demo sessions with songs such as "More Than a Feeling," "Gonna Hitch a Ride," "Peace of Mind," "Long Time" and "Rock and Roll Band." Scholz soon became frustrated with the limitations of the technology at the time and his inability to capture the sound he wanted. He soon began building and designing his own equipment.
The first tapes Scholz produced were rejected by the record labels. A second set of tapes with Scholz on guitar (which he learned to play in Goudreau's band), newly hired singer Brad Delp on vocals and Masdea on drums, drew the attention of executives at Epic Records, a division of CBS. The label was dissatisfied with Masdea's performance, and he was replaced by Sib Hashian. The label also insisted that Scholz re-record the demo tapes in a professional studio with a full band, which led to the hiring of bassist Fran Sheehan. With the exception of "Let Me Take You Home Tonight," which was recorded in California, Scholz duped the record company and re-recorded the other seven tracks in his home studio.
[edit] Debut album (1976)
The resulting album, Boston, was an enormous success and helped revive the popularity of mainstream rock at a time when punk and disco were becoming more popular. It ranks as one of the best-selling debut albums in USA history, with over 17 million copies sold.
During the summer of 1976 Boston got great publicity when they toured with Black Sabbath and Moxy. The band then embarked on a worldwide tour to support the new album. This helped establish Boston as one of rock's top acts within a short time.[1]
[edit] Don't Look Back (1978)
Despite much bickering between Epic and Scholz, the second Boston album had the finishing touches put on it just two years after the debut album release. The result was Don't Look Back, which was officially released by Epic in 1978.
At the time this was considered a long gap between albums, but Scholz still considered Don't Look Back to be a rush job and was unhappy with the album's second side in particular. This was confirmed on the Third Stage episode of "In the Studio with Redbeard" when he said that "CBS had no confidence in a second Boston album" and "Epic/CBS was trying to cash in on the success of the debut album". Although it sold four million copies in its first month, Don't Look Back sold under one half as well as the first album.
Another tour followed, and the album's title track was a hit, but Scholz's relationship with Epic began to deteriorate as Scholz began the slow process of working on Boston's third album due to his determination to complete the album at his own pace.
[edit] Boston disintegrates (1979-1983)
In mid-1979,Scholz began writing new material and recording in the studio. In the meantime, Goudreau decided to record a solo project and produced a solo album which featured Boston members Delp and Hashian. The album was titled simply "Barry Goudreau" and featured a minor hit with the single "Dreams".
CBS began marketing the Goudreau project as "Almost Boston";which angered Scholz who sought to reduce corporate support for the project behind the scenes( Boston Magazine,2006). Goudreau later claimed Scholz attempted to derail his solo career. Goudreau, Hashian, and Sheehan later filed lawsuits against Scholz,which were settled out of court,for back royalties.
Scholz claims that Goudreau, Hashian, and Sheehan attempted to wrest the Boston name away from him, in order to continue on as a band with Goudreau as the only guitarist and that this attempt to remove him from Boston was done with the knowledge and assistance of Epic/CBS. In fact, the case later went to trial and Scholz emerged victorious. Scholz has stated on numerous occasions that this process left him extremely jaded and wary of record labels and outside musicians.
Goudreau and Hashian have continued to pursue solo careers and are currently involved with a charity organization run by prominent Boston area car salesman Ernie Boch Jr.
[edit] CBS lawsuit (1980-1985)
CBS filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, further slowing progress toward the next album, which was now being recorded in much the same way the original tapes were, in Scholz's home studio, with Delp, Masdea, and former Sammy Hagar guitarist Gary Pihl. The former members of Boston would later claim that they also played on the tracks recorded during this time, though none have officially received credit for playing on any of the tracks except for Delp who remained an official member of Boston.
During this time, CBS withheld royalty payments to Scholz, leaving him without funds to continue recording a new Boston album. However, Scholz rallied and was able to finance the new album with his successful musical instrument company, Scholz Research & Development, Inc.. The most notable of the products from Scholz Research & Development, Inc. is the Rockman (amplifier).
[edit] Third Stage (1986-1990)
Throughout all of the adversity, progress continued to be made on the still untitled third Boston album. A tape of a song they had been working on, "Amanda", leaked out of the studio in 1984 and was widely bootlegged throughout the fan community who were eager for new material. While the sound was somewhat different from the first two Boston albums, the result was strong praise and support from the band's fans.
"Amanda" became the lead single when Third Stage was finally released in 1986, after MCA Records bought out Boston's contract. Loosely built around the theme of life's "third stage" (the onset of middle age), the album was a big hit and was widely discussed in the non-music press. During Boston's subsequent tour the new album was played, in sequence, in its entirety.
Boston also participated in a local charity concert sponsored by Tea Party Concerts to benefit AIDS. This move was lauded by local radio personalities, owing to the stigma attached to AIDS at that time. Boston has continued involvement in a number of charities, including anti-domestic violence groups and local homeless programs. (Boston Herald, 1988; Boston Globe, 1988; bandboston.com). In 1990 a jury ruled in favor of Scholz in the CBS lawsuit, and the court awarded him 1.6 million dollars in punitive damages.
[edit] Delp departs and Walk On (1991-1994)
In the wake of Third Stage, Scholz headed back to the studio to work on an album tentatively titled Boston IV. This was the first album without Delp, because of his prior commitment to Barry Goudreau's band RTZ. The departure of Delp officially reduced Boston to a one-man band, and left Scholz as the last original member.
With Scholz working at his usual slow pace, 8 years passed before Walk On was released. Walk On included vocalist Fran Cosmo who had previously performed in Goudreau's band, Orion the Hunter, a project that also featured songwriting and backing vocals from Delp. Unlike the previous albums, Walk On only went platinum and reached #7 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, somewhat lower than the multi platinum and Top 5 placing Boston had achieved with previous efforts. It produced no hit singles, although "I Need Your Love" did well on rock radio and did chart on the Billboard Top 100 Singles chart.
Delp left RTZ and re-joined Boston for the Walk On tour, sharing lead vocal duties with Cosmo on stage.
[edit] Later history (1994-2006)
On the heels of the Walk On tour, Boston released their first ever Greatest Hits package in 1997, titled simply "Boston: Greatest Hits". The album was a moderate success, going double platinum. The album featured all of the charting classics, along with 3 new songs, including "Higher Power", the first new Boston song with Delp on vocals since 1986. The album also included "Tell Me" with bassist David Sikes on vocals and a live version of the "Star Spangled Banner".
Scholz again headed back to the studio in 1998 in order to work on their fifth album. Three songs were leaked prior to the release of the album: "Someone" (featuring Delp on vocals) and "Turn It Off" (featuring Cosmo) were aired on the Rockline radio program in 1999. "Corporate America" was uploaded by Tom Scholz to MP3.com under the name "Downer's Revenge" in early 2002 in order to test the album's appeal to a non-biased (college) demographic.
Four years passed before the official release of Corporate America on Artemis Records in 2002. This album featured the largest Boston lineup ever; returning members include Delp and Cosmo on guitar and lead vocals, Scholz on lead Guitar and Organ, Gary Pihl on guitar, along with new members Jeff Neal on drums, Fran Cosmo's son Anthony on rhythm guitar, and Kimberly Dahme on bass and vocals. The influx of new talent seemed to energize the band with ideas and inspiration. Dahme contributed lead vocals to a country song she wrote, "With You", and Anthony Cosmo wrote and produced three songs, "Stare Out Your Window", "Cryin'" and "Turn it Off". Although the CD didn't produce any hits, they still embarked on a highly successful tour in support of the album in 2003, and continued touring on into 2004.
In 2006, Anthony and Fran Cosmo departed from Boston and formed the band Cosmo, which left Delp as the sole remaining lead vocalist in Boston. Tom Scholz later sued Anthony Cosmo for allegedly performing live billed as Boston. [1]. The lawsuit was later dropped by Scholz.
Another significant piece of news for Boston was that Scholz and guitarist Barry Goudreau overcame their previous differences and rekindled their friendship.Both Scholz and Goudreau have expressed regret for their past actions.(Boston Magazine,2006)
In 2006, Epic records attempted to remaster the first two Boston albums; however, this was done without any input from Scholz, who is notoriously protective of his work. Scholz was astounded that the quality of the remastering was so poor and personally took over the reins of the project in order to ensure that the final product was of the highest quality. June 13, 2006 saw the official release of the remastered works and they were both well received by critics and fans alike.
[edit] Death of Brad Delp (2007)
Longtime lead singer Brad Delp died on March 9, 2007, at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire.[2] Police responded to a call for help and found Delp dead. Police Lt. William Baldwin called the death "untimely" and that no foul play was indicated. Delp was alone at the time of his death according to the police report. According to a New Hampshire TV website, Delp was preparing for a summer tour and marriage[3]. The death would be ruled a suicide by local police.
Despite Delp's death and Scholz's confirmation that the Spring/Summer 2007 tour has been canceled, there is no information yet on whether the band will continue.
On March 16, Boston radio station WZLX held a tribute in his memory.
[edit] Innovations and style
Guitarist and primary song writer Tom Scholz is regarded as a musical genius by some. His blend of musical styles, ranging from classical to 1960s English pop, has resulted in a unique sound, most consistently realized on the first two albums (Boston and Don't Look Back). This sound is characterized by multiple lead and blended harmonies guitar work, often alternating between and then mixing electric and acoustic guitars. Scholz and Brian May are well regarded for the development of complex, multi-tracked guitar harmonies. Another contributing factor is the use of handmade high tech equipment, such as the Rockman, used by artists such as Journey guitarist Neal Schon, the band ZZ Top and Ted Nugent. Def Leppard's album 'Hysteria' was created using only Rockman technology. Scholz' production style combines deep, aggressive, comparatively short guitar riffing and nearly ethereal, generally longer note vocal harmonies. A heavier, lower and darker overall approach came in the next two albums (Third Stage and Walk On). The original track Higher Power on the Greatest Hits album exhibits a near Germanic, almost Techno influence with its sequencer-sounding keyboards, a sound most fully realized on Corporate America's title track.
The late singer Brad Delp, who was strongly influenced by the Beatles, is also credited for helping to create Boston's sound with his signature vocal sound, one that associates him with Boston as closely as Steve Perry is with Journey, Dennis DeYoung with Styx, Peter Cetera with Chicago and Steve Walsh with Kansas - all fellow classic rock bands.
Boston's albums are played on heavy rotation on Classic Rock stations, with an emphasis on the earlier works.
[edit] Live performances
While concerts in the 1970s were widely disparaged as not being able to faithfully reproduce the band's blended guitar and vocal harmonies from their recordings, Boston did develop a startling ability to match their studio quality during live play in the mid 2000s. This is partly due to Tom Scholz, a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of sound, designing his own sound equipment. Another factor is the inclusion of Boston's formerly alternating lead singers, Delp and Cosmo, who are sonically similar. What is heard on the album is nearly identical to a live concert, with an expanded cast playing meticulously arranged parts.
The stage debut for Kimberley Dahme and Anthony Cosmo was in front of 70,000 people at the Fiesta Bowl in 2002 when the group played the National Anthem.
The band also performed at the Red, White, & Blue Award ceremony for Doug Flutie on November 13, 2006. Doug Flutie joined the band for an encore to play drums on the song "Smokin'." This turned out to be the final live performance by Boston with its lead singer Brad Delp, due to Delp's death on March 9, 2007.
A planned tour for either the Spring or Summer of 2007 was canceled as a result of Delp's death. There is no information yet on whether Boston will ever tour again.
[edit] Band members
- Main article: List of musicians in the band Boston
[edit] Current members
- Tom Scholz: Founding member; Lead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Piano, Keyboards, Organ (1969-present)
- Gary Pihl: Guitar (1985-present)
- Kimberley Dahme: Bass, Guitar, Harmony & Backing Vocals (2001-present)
- Jeff Neal: Drums - (2002-present)
[edit] Past members
- Brad Delp (d. March 9, 2007) - Lead & Harmony Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1971-1991, 1994-2007)
- Jim Masdea - Drums (1969-1975, 1983-1988)
- Barry Goudreau - Guitar (1970-1981)
- Sib Hashian - Drums (1975-1982)
- Fran Sheehan - Bass (1975-1983)
- David Sikes - Bass (1987-1997)
- Doug Huffman - Drums (1987-1994)
- Curly Smith - Drums (1994-2000)
- Fran Cosmo - Vocals, Guitar (1990-2006)
- Anthony Cosmo - Vocals, Guitar (1998-2006)
[edit] Discography
- For a complete list of Boston albums and singles, see Boston discography.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Rockwell, Jorn (February 12, 1977). Rock: Boston Heads a Triple Bill. New York Times
[edit] External links
- bandboston.com (Official Site)
- Boston: Heaven is a Reel to Reel Tape, originally published in Goldmine magazine, written by columnist Chuck Miller
- Boston at Rollingstone
| Boston |
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| Brad Delp • Tom Scholz
Albums: Boston • Don't Look Back • Third Stage • Walk On • Corporate America Compilations: Greatest Hits |
