Supertramp - Breakfast in America
On this weeks episode, we take on a big LP, the 1979 monster hit by Supertramp, Breakfast in America.
Supertramp struggled early in their career to find an audience. The two main song writers brought different strengths to the band. Founding member Rick Davies leaned more to the progressive rock side of things, where as Roger Hodgson was more pop oriented. While every album after their breakout LP Crime of the Century showed them gaining popularity, Breakfast in America is their magnum opus. It is the definitive Supertramp album, the culmination of Davies and Hodgson blending tier individual strengths into a distinctive sound (aided in no small part by heavy use of a Wurlitzer electric piano). Full of well crafted (and catchy) tunes like "The Logical Song," "Take the Long Way Home," and "Goodbye Stranger," and possessing one of the most iconic album covers of all time, Breakfast in America captured the hearts of millions of listeners worldwide.
No recommendation on this episode.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
In 1962, while attending Swindon College, Rick Davies (pictured 2nd from the right) starts a band called Rick's Blues.
Gilbert O'Sullivan (pictured far left) the man behind the hit song “Alone again, Naturally” played drums for the band.
In 1968, Davies meets Dutch millionaire Stanley August Miesegaes (better known as ‘SAM’) who is interested in financially backing The Joint, which was Davies’ band at the time.
SAM ends up managing the Joint and eventually talks Davies into leaving and starting his own band.
Prior to joining what would become Supertramp, Roger Hodgson recorded and released a single called “Mr. Boyd” under the name Argosy. The session musicians for the single were piano player Reg Dwight, also known as Elton John, and guitarist Caleb Quaye and drummer Nigel Olsson, who would latter back Elton John once his career was off and running.
After Davies left the Joint to form his own band, Daddy. He placed the following ad in Melody Maker and this is the ad that Hodgson answered.
German filmmaker Haro Senft released a short film called “Supertramp Portrait 1970.” The band was still know as Daddy at the time the band was filmed, but had changed their name to Supertramp prior to the film release. Here is a clip form the film of the band performing a long (and rather “prog rock”) version of “All Along the Watchtower.”
Supertramp circa 1970 setting off for Munich to work on score for a film.
Pictured (L to R) Bob Millar, Roger Hodgson, Richard Palmer, and Rick Davies,
A promotional shot of the band for Crime of the Century.
Hodgson and Davies circa 1974 manning their keyboard stations.
Rick Davies and saxophonist John Helliwell were interviewed in September of 1977 for Swiss TV. The following is from that program and includes a live performance of “Give a Little Bit” from their album Even in the Quietest Moments.
Here’s the original concept sketch drawn by Mike Doud for the cover of Breakfast in America. Notice he forgot to put a “K” in the word “Breakfast.”
Actress Kate Murtagh played the waitress Libby on the cover of Breakfast in America. She became an integral part of the marketing of the album. She appeared in magazine adds, on the sleeves of singles, and even made an appearance at the 1979 National Association of Recording Merchandisers convention in Miami, Florida.
The label held a contest in conjunction with the release of Breakfast in America.
The album's back cover (pictured) featured each of the bad members holding a different UK newspaper. For the contest,each paper picked a winner who got a 3-day trip to New York, with a friend, to see Supertramp perform at Madison Square Garden and to meet the band member holding the newspaper that chose them.
Supertramp performed “Goodbye Stranger” on The Midnight Special October of 1979.
Here’s the promotional video for “The Logical Song.”
While touring in France in support of Breakfast in America, Tthe badn recorded a double live album: Paris. The live version of “Dreamer” from the album reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
After Hodgson left the band, thee Davies-led Supertramp released Brother Where You Bound in May 1985. The title track, a 16-minute exposition the Cold War, has David Gilmour of Pink Floyd (pictured second from the left) playing lead guitar.
