European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Looking for the Rock n Roll Edge by Anita Gosch staff writer he was a Rock n Roll Singer in an Oas listening ban Lou Gramm the voice of foreigner wanted an out for More than a decade Gramm powered the million Selling super group to he top of the charts Wilh his distinctive Gutsy vocals but As the years went by and the number or hits grew things changed. The band Hal bucked America s listening habits in is late 70s with such rockers As hot bloc Jetland dirty while boy was now going Wilh lha Grain Wilh the ballads waiting for a girl like you and i want to know what love is. Only Lou Gramm did t change. He still wanted to Rock. Wilh the mass acceptance of the ballads thought foreigner lost its Rock n Roll Edge and was appealing to a much More adult contemporary Middle of the Road audience Gramm said in an interview in Nurnberg Germany last week i m not quite ready Lor that yet. I still Leel juvenile end rebellious and contradictory and All the things Hal go along Wilh Rock n Roll Gramm kept on writing Rock n Roll songs Kepi trying to bring the Edge Back to foreigner s music bul the band kept on rejecting them. Ill feelings began to brew. When 1 can write a Good Rock song end resent it to the band and it s not accepted and when the album comes out and i hear songs Hal Don t measure up to what i offered. Ii does t Leel like a real band to Gramm decided to do in his own Way. Last february the 37-year-old released his debug Solo album ready or not. He did t do ii to be vindictive he said he just needed an outlet Tor his songs. I need tha room to grow and the recognition As a songwriter he said. I m not particularly interested in being a Sappy mor writer. Want to write Rock n Roll songs i want losing Rock n Roll songs. If the band i had been in for Over a decade is going in another direction. Loyally Means a certain amount Lomo but Iho Bollom line is i m not Strong words no doubt for a Singer who had been plucked out of nowhere to hit the big tone in 1976. The Rochester ny., native had been Lead vocalist Lor the regionally popular Black sheep when he was introduced to Mick Jones former member of Britain s spooky tooth and founder of foreigner. It was Gramm s voice coupled Wilh Jones melodic compositions Hal made the band an overnight Success. Or Amin b Tola release also turned out to be an instant hit both among the critics and the Public. Ii was called Tho Best album foreigner Nevor recorded and it spawned two smash singles. Midnight Btu and is title track. Wilh the album s Success the ill feelings Between Gramm and foreigner began to boil Over. At first the Bandon ambors regarded the project merely As Lou s Hobby Gramm said something he needed to get out of his they were really afraid that the album was going to fail so miserably and that my tailed attempt was going to destroy the reputation of the band now he said they View ii As a reason and an infidelity and a disloyalty the management and Iho personnel of foreigner were laying ultimatums on me if you do a Lour you re out. If you put your Solo career As a lop priority we need another Singer " rumours sprung up thai Gramm would indeed leave foreigner and that the ban members had already auditioned for another Singer. But Gramm i Day with the band Aren t Over jus yet. He recently completed work on a new album with foreigner one which he said has a liar Dar Edge to it Gramm is also beginning to write a second Solo p. As far As he s concerned he feels capable of handling both his Solo career and his work with foreigner. If they can just live with in i can live Wilh it i m wilting he said. But the Bollom line is please Don l push me to a Choice because you la be looking for another Singer " foreigner Lead Singer Lou or Tom t Hant rocking debut Tolo album was an Init int Succetti. On tour Lou Gramm Wilh guests Stan Bush & barrage Bobingen sport Hatle oct. 7 Hannover capital oct. B Bremen Sta Thalle 2 oct. 10 Dortmund Westfa Lenealle a oct. 12 Munich circus Krone oct. 13 Offenbach Sta Thalle oct. 14 so you want to be a recording Star by Joe Edwards associated press or $9.95, you can become a recording recording studios of America inc. Has 40 studios mostly in amusement Parks and shopping malls where would be Willie Nelsons can spend just 15 minutes and walk away with their voice on record. The studios provide tha background music and background vocals and copies of the words to 275 songs. The customers provide the courage and gel to take Home a cassette tape with the title of the song and their name proudly emblazoned on it. It s fun and it s a fantasy tul filler says Ted Mccracken president of the 4-year-old company. We be had people 70 or 80 years old come and record and said they d wanted to do in for a Long customers pick out a song to record then Are handed a list of the lyrics. They go into the recording Booth practice a couple of limes and then make the recording it t All Dona under the direction of a helpful recording Engineer. Customers Wear headphones in the Booth and sing into an authentic microphone while the recording sign flashes on outside. There s a curtain for privacy if needed. It s just like singing along to the radio says the sign outside the company s studio on Nashville s music Row the firm s first. Neil year the firm will have a studio Al expo 88 in Australia. For an exlra$19 95, customers get their photo on a plaque with a Gold album inset into in just like the Gold albums presented to such stars As Kenny Rogers Michael Jackson and Dionne Warwick. For the More ambitious customers the studios also can make a music video for $29.95. Wella Faye Peebles of grand Prairie Texas waa among 33 excited members of Calvary Baptist Church who crowded into the Nashville studio to record i la Fly away and amazing Grace. Amid laughter and a few Knolley nerves they assumed the name the recycled teen causing a comuo1ion this Ono on Siil a olm by id House nation boy i wednesday october 1987 the stars and stripes Page 17
