Inside Information (album)

''Inside Information'' is the sixth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 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 '80s core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills, and Elliott.

" 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." 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. 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. 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". 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 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."

"Heart Turns to Stone" was followed by 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. 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.

"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.

Track listing

Personnel

Foreigner

* Lou Gramm – lead vocals, percussion
* Mick Jones – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
* Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
* Dennis Elliott – drums

Additional personnel

* Peter-John Vettese – keyboards
* Tom Bailey – additional keyboards (4)
* Kevin Jones – Synclavier
* Hugh McCracken – Spanish guitar (7)
* Sammy Merendino – electronic percussion
* Mark Rivera – saxophone (1), backing vocals
* Ian Lloyd – backing vocals

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

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

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Foreigner (band) albums
1987 albums
Albums produced by Mick Jones (Foreigner)
Atlantic Records albums