Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band formed in 1975 by Tom Scholz in Boston, Massachusetts, that experienced significant commercial success during the 1970s and 1980s. The band's core members include multi-instrumentalist, founder and leader Scholz, who played the majority of instruments on the band's 1976 self-titled debut album, and former lead vocalist Brad Delp, among a number of other musicians who varied from album to album.[1]
Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
1975–present
- Tom Scholz
- Gary Pihl
- Jeff Neal
- Tommy DeCarlo
- Tracy Ferrie
- Beth Cohen
- Curly Smith
- Brad Delp
- Jim Masdea
- Fran Sheehan
- Sib Hashian
- Barry Goudreau
- David Sikes
- Doug Huffman
- Fran Cosmo
- Anton Cosmo
- Anthony Citrinite
- Michael Sweet
- David Victor
- Kimberley Dahme
Boston's best-known songs include: "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Foreplay/Long Time", "Rock and Roll Band", "Smokin'", "Don't Look Back", "A Man I'll Never Be", "Hitch a Ride", "Party", "Amanda" and "Feelin' Satisfied". The band has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 31 million units sold in the United States, of which 17 million were the band's debut album and seven million copies of the band's second studio album, Don't Look Back (1978), placing the group amongst the world's best-selling music artists.[2][3] Altogether, the band has released six studio albums in a career spanning over 49 years. Boston's recorded output has been minimal since the 1980s – with Third Stage, Walk On and Corporate America all released eight years apart, and the latter followed eleven years later by the band's most recent album Life, Love & Hope (2013) – although they have continued to perform live and have been hinting at an upcoming seventh studio album.[4] Boston was ranked the 63rd-best hard rock artist by VH1.[5]
After original longtime lead singer Brad Delp died in 2007, a number of vocalists have taken the stage, including Stryper frontman and vocalist Michael Sweet. Since 2013, Tommy DeCarlo has been the group's lead singer. Other current members of the band include guitarist Gary Pihl, bassist Tracy Ferrie, drummer Jeff Neal and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Beth Cohen.[6]
History[edit]
Early years (1969–1975)[edit]
Tom Scholz first started writing music in 1969 while he was attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he wrote an instrumental song, "Foreplay".[7] While attending MIT, Scholz joined the band Freehold, where he met guitarist Barry Goudreau and drummer Jim Masdea,[8] who would later become members of Boston. Vocalist Brad Delp was added to the collective in 1970. After graduating with a master's degree,[9] Scholz worked for Polaroid, using his salary to build a recording studio in his basement, and to finance demonstration tapes recorded in professional recording studios.[7] These early demo tapes were recorded with (at various times) Delp on vocals, Goudreau on guitar, Masdea on drums, and Scholz on guitar, bass, and keyboards. The demo tapes were sent to record companies, but received consistent rejections.[7] In 1973 Scholz formed the band Mother's Milk with Delp, Goudreau, and Masdea.[7] That group disbanded by 1974, but Scholz subsequently worked with Masdea and Delp to produce six new demos, including "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Rock and Roll Band", "Something About You" (then entitled "Life Isn't Easy"), "Hitch a Ride" (then entitled "San Francisco Day"), and "Don't Be Afraid". Scholz stated they finished four of the six by the end of 1974, and they finished "More Than a Feeling" and "Something About You" in 1975.[10][11] Scholz played all the instruments on the demos, except for the drums, which were played by Masdea, and used self-designed pedals to create the desired guitar sounds.[7]
This final demo tape attracted the attention of promoters Paul Ahern and Charlie McKenzie. Masdea left the band around this time. According to Scholz, the managers insisted that Masdea had to be replaced before the band could get a recording deal.[7] Years later, Delp told journalist Chuck Miller: "[Jim] actually told me he was losing interest in playing drums. I know Tom felt very bad when the whole thing happened. And then, of course, we started getting some interest."[12][13] Scholz and Delp signed a deal with Epic Records after Masdea's departure, thanks to Ahern and McKenzie. Before the deal could be finalized, the band had to do a live audition for the record-company executives. The duo recruited Goudreau on guitar, bassist Fran Sheehan, and drummer Sib Hashian to create a performing unit that could replicate Scholz's richly layered recordings on stage. According to Scholz, Masdea had insisted on performing a drum solo during the audition.[14] Scholz stated that "The night before we auditioned I was going over a few things, trying to get everybody psyched up, and this guy says, 'You know, I don't think we're going to get this contract unless we have something flashy like a good drum solo right in the middle.' We'd only been working on arrangements and on this set for a month ...so we got Sib, whom I'd known for quite awhile."[14] The showcase was a success and the band agreed to put out 10 albums over the next six years.[7][12]
In addition to the firing of Masdea, the record label insisted that Scholz re-record the demo tapes in a professional studio. However, Scholz wanted to record them in his basement studio so that he could work at his own pace.[7] Scholz and producer John Boylan hatched a plan to send the rest of the band to Los Angeles to make the record label happy, while Scholz recorded most of Boston's debut album at home, with Masdea playing drums on the track "Rock and Roll Band" and Scholz playing the other instruments.[7] The multitrack tapes were then brought to Los Angeles, where Delp added vocals and the album was mixed by Boylan. Then, the band was named "Boston", by suggestion of Boylan and engineer Warren Dewey.[7]
Innovation and style[edit]
Boston's genre is mostly described as hard rock and arena rock.[1][60] The band has also incorporated elements of progressive rock into its music.[37][61]
Boston founder, guitarist, and primary songwriter Tom Scholz's blend of musical styles, ranging from classical to 1960s English pop, has resulted in a sound characterized by multiple lead and blended harmonies guitar work (usually harmonized in thirds), often alternating between and then mixing electric and acoustic guitars. The band's harmonic style has been characterized as being "violin-like" without using synthesizers.[62] Scholz developed complex, multi-tracked guitar harmonies, using handmade, high-tech equipment, such as the Rockman, used by artists such as Journey guitarist Neal Schon and the band ZZ Top. Def Leppard's album Hysteria was created using only Rockman technology.[63]
Tom Scholz also credited Brad Delp with helping to create Boston's sound with his vocal style. Delp, who was influenced by the Beatles,[64] had an extended vocal range, shown on hits such as "More Than a Feeling".[65]
