FOREIGNER - I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU

I DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU

FOREIGNER

SONGWRITER: MICHAEL LESLIE JONES

COUNTRY: U. K. X U. S. A.

ALBUM: INSIDE INFORMATION

LABEL: ATLANTIC RECORDS

GENRE: ROCK

YEAR: 1987

 

    Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran British guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones and fellow Briton and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, along with American vocalist Lou Gramm. Jones came up with the band's name as he, McDonald and Dennis Elliott were British, whereas Gramm, Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi were American.

          In 1977 Foreigner released its self-titled debut album, the first of four straight albums to be certified at least 5x platinum in the US. Foreigner peaked at Nº 4 on the US album chart and in the Top 10 in Canada and Australia, while yielding two Top 10 hits in North America, "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice". Their 1978 follow-up, Double Vision, was even more successful peaking at Nº 3 in North America with two hit singles, “Hot Blooded” a Nº 3 hit in both countries, and the title track, a US Nº 2 and a Canadian Nº 7. Foreigner's third album, Head Games(1979), went to Nº 5 in North America producing two Top 20 singles, including its title track.

           Reduced to a quartet, their álbum 4(1981) hit Nº 1(for 10 weeks) in the US and Nº 2 in Canada, while becoming Foreigner's break-through album outside of North America, going Top 5 in the UK, Germany and Australia. Three of 4’s singles were hits: "Urgent" reached Nº 1 in Canada and on the new US Rock Tracks chart, rose to Nº 4 on the US Hot 100 and became their first Top 15 hit in Germany; the ballad “Waiting for a Girl Like You” peaked at Nº 2 in both the US(for a record 10 weeks) and Canada, topped the US Rock Tracks chart and became their first Top 10 hit in the UK and Australia; and "Juke Box Hero" reached Nº 3 on the Rock Tracks chart and the Top 30 on the Hot 100. In 1982 Foreigner released its first greatest hits album, Records, which has gone on to sell 7 million copies in the US. In 1984 Foreigner had its biggest hit single, the anthemic ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is", which topped the US, UK, Canadian and Australian charts, while hitting Nº 3 in Germany and the Top 10 in numerous other countries. Its source album, Agent Provocateur, was the band's most successful in the UK, Germany and some other countries in Europe, where it peaked at Nº 1, and in Australia where it peaked at Nº 3, while making the Top 5 in the US and Canada.

    After a break, Foreigner released Inside Information(1987), which despite the Nº 6 US and Australian hit, “Say You Will” (which also rose to Nº 1 on the US Rock Tracks chart), had a large sales drop-off, only hitting the Top 10 in a few European countries with a Nº 15 peak in the US. The band's most recent albums, Unusual Heat(1991), without Gramm, who departed due to the band's shift towards the use of synthesizers, Mr. Moonlight(1994), with Gramm back on vocals, and Can't Slow Down(2009), once again without Gramm, were not major sellers; the highest chart positions were obtained in Germany, where the last album peaked at Nº 16. Foreigner is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time with worldwide sales of more than 80 million records, including 37.5 million in the US. Leader Mick Jones has been for many years the only founding member still involved.

         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 '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. 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". 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 in 1988, 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. 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.

I find myself in a strange situation

And I don't know how

What seemed to be an infatuation

Is so different now

I can't get by if we're not together

Ooh can't you see

Girl, I want you now and forever

Close to me

I'm longing for the time

I'm longing for the day

Hoping that you will promise to be mine

And never go away

 

I don't want to live without you

I don't want to live without you

I could never live without you

Live without your love

 

I ask myself but there's no explanation

For the way I feel

I know I've reached the right destination

And I know it's real

 

I'm longing for the time

I'm longing for the day

When I'll be giving you this heart of mine

Believe me when I say

 

I don't want to live without you

I don't want to live without you

I could never live without you

Live without your love

 

Now I don't want to live without you

I don't want to live without you

I could never be without you

Be without your love

 

I don't want to live without you

Live without your love

(Live without your love)

Live without your love

(Live without your love)

You see I'm lost without your love

(Live without your love) oh, oh.