Inside Information (album)
Inside Information is the sixth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 8, 1987. 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 huge standard by any country's charting method, the band's sales were certainly plummeting since the release of 4 in 1981. It was the last album to feature the 80's core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills, and Elliott.
Inside Information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 8, 1987 | |||
Recorded | June−September 1987 | |||
Studio | Right Track Recording (New York City) | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 44:12 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer |
| |||
Foreigner chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Inside Information | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"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."[2] 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".[3] 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 as it was a non-commercial release except in Canada.[4] "Out of the Blue" was notable for being the only song in the band's catalog to be credited to all four members from the classic 80's lineup. 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.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Heart Turns to Stone" | 4:10 | |
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" | Jones | 4:09 |
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
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals
- Mick Jones – guitar, keyboards such as the Roland D-50 and Yamaha DX7IIFD, backing vocals
- Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
Additional personnel
- Tom Bailey – additional keyboards (4)
- Kevin Jones – Synclavier
- Ian Lloyd – backing vocals
- Hugh McCracken – Spanish guitar (7)
- Sammy Merendino – electronic percussion
- Mark Rivera – saxophone (1), backing vocals
- Peter-John Vettese – keyboards
Production
- Producer – Mick Jones
- Co-Producer, Recording, and Mixing – Frank Filipetti
- Assistant Engineer – Billy Miranda
- Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (New York City, NY).
- Technical Support – Kevin Jones
- Pre-Production Assistant – Warren Austerer
- Art Direction – Bob Defrin
- Group Photography – E.J. Camp
- Front and Back Photography – Roger Corbeau
- Management – Bud Prager
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI)[5] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[6] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[8] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1987 | The Billboard 200 | 15 |
1988 | Australia Kent Music Report[9] | 33 |
Singles - Billboard (U.S.)
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | "Heart Turns to Stone" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
"Say You Will" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
The Billboard Hot 100 | 6 | ||
1988 | "Can't Wait" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
"Heart Turns to Stone" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 56 | |
"I Don't Want to Live Without You" | Adult Contemporary | 1 | |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 | ||
The Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
External links
References
- Adams, Bret. Foreigner: Inside Information at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- https://www.allmusic.com/song/t284520
- https://www.allmusic.com/song/t284521
- https://www.allmusic.com/album/r7624
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foreigner; 'Inside Information')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Foreigner; 'Inside Information')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- "British album certifications – Foreigner – Inside Information". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Inside Information in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American album certifications – Foreigner – Inside Information". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- 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.