Tony Cummings and Mike Rimmer quizzed "the voice of Foreigner", LOU GRAMM

Lou Gramm

"I Want To Know What Love Is" is considered by many one of the greatest rock ballads of all time. It was recorded by the classic lineup of Foreigner - Lou Gramm (vocals), Mick Jones (lead guitar, keyboards), Bob Mayo (keyboards, rhythm guitar), Mark Rivera (sax, flute), Rick Wills (bass) and Dennis Elliott (drums). Gramm left Foreigner for the second time in 2002 and formed the Lou Gramm Band with his brother Ben on drums, Don Mancuso on guitars, AD Zimmer on bass and Andy Knoll on keyboards. Their self-titled debut album was described by critic Ray Shasho as "one of the best Christian rock albums ever; it's the heyday of Foreigner with a metaphysical directive." Lou was quizzed by Mike Rimmer and Tony Cummings.

Mike: For many you were the voice of Foreigner all those years, with all those massive hits. You must have got over to the UK to play with the band.

Lou: Oh, more than a few times.

Mike: Did you ever make it onto Top Of The Pops?

Lou: I think we did do Top Of The Pops, yes.

Tony: What memories do you have of England? What stands out in your mind?

Lou: How beautiful the countryside was, the age of the cities and how the architecture is just unbelievable. And the people really like to rock.

Mike: There was a time, particularly in the first part of the '80s, when we really loved you and you had all those huge hits. It must be fantastic to have hits not only in your own country but internationally. It must have been an exciting time of your life.

Lou: It was. We toured the world and I got to see some places I'd never been before and really enjoyed playing in front of audiences I hadn't played in front of before.

Mike: There were tensions within the band in terms of the direction of the band because as the '80s developed and there were more synthesizers on Foreigner records, this wasn't something that pleased you was it?

Lou: Not necessarily. I didn't mind a little touch of it for effect but pretty soon the songs had no guitars in them anymore. I was not happy about that.

Mike: Sure. Now you first met Mick Jones when he was in Spooky Tooth and you were doing something else as well, weren't you?

Lou: I was in a band called Black Sheep. We had two albums on Capital records. Our manager was an A&M Records rep and got us into Spooky Tooth.

Mike: Oh, right. Never guessing that you'd end up forming a band with him?

Lou: Yeah, because I was expecting to see Luther Grosvenor on guitar and was quite surprised that he wasn't there.