Supertramp
The band Supertramp, composed of vocalist Rick Davies, along with Bob Siebenberg, John Helliwell, Carl Verheyen, Cliff Hugo, Lee Thornburg, Jesse Siebenberg, Gabe Dixon, and Cassie Miller, was formed in 1969 in London, England. The group emerged after Stanley Miesegaes, a Dutch millionaire, decided against financing another band at the time and invested only in one of the members, keyboardist Rick Davies, who brought together bassist Roger Hodgson, guitarist Richard Palmer, and percussionist Keith Baker, forming the band Daddy.
To avoid confusion with another musical group that was popular at the time, the band changed its name to Supertramp, inspired by the book The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, by author William Henry Davies.
The keyboardist and vocalist represented different musical genres; Davies brought blues and jazz, while Hodgson came from pop music and psychedelia. Richard Palmer, the guitarist, was in charge of writing the lyrics, since none of the other members were interested in that role.
Supertramp was one of the first groups to sign with the UK branch of A&M Records, and with that, the band managed to release their self-titled debut album which, despite being praised by critics, did not attract a large audience.
Flautist and saxophonist Dave Winthrop joined the band shortly after their first production and performed at a festival with the original members. From then on, the group began to experience changes in members and departures, marked by the exit of guitarist Richard Palmer, who had disagreements with Davies and Hodgson.
After the release of their second album, Indelibly Stamped, in 1971, all members except Hodgson and Davies left the band, and millionaire Miesegaes also withdrew his investment. Despite the obstacles, Supertramp persevered and sought new members to complete the group.
Bassist Dougie Thomson, percussionist and drummer Bob Siebenberg, and saxophonist John Helliwell joined the band in 1973, a lineup that lasted ten years. Despite finding new members, the band lacked financial support and needed a hit album, or it would have to break up.
Then came the explosive "Crime of the Century," considered the album that launched the group's climb to stardom, reaching number one in Canada and number thirty-eight in the United States. Due to the pressure of a successful album, and being between two scheduled tours, the 1975 album "Crises? What Crises?" became known as one of the band's worst moments, as it is a compilation of songs not released on the previous album.
However, in 1977 the band continued their rise to fame with "Even in the Quietest Moments...", along with the single "Give a Little Bit", which reached number fifteen in the United States and number twenty-nine in the United Kingdom. The song was inspired by "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles. The band's genre shift came with their most famous album, "Breakfast in America", released in 1979, considered the push they needed to become a star.
The lead single reached number one in the United States and Canada, in addition to three other tracks that also achieved incredible milestones in the market: The Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, and Take the Long Way Home. Starting with the next album, "Paris," founder Roger Hodgson began to show that he was no longer aligned with the group, seeking to develop a solo career.
In 1982, the last album with the artist was released, "...Famous Last Words...", which also spawned two hits, "It's Raining Again" and "My Kind of Lady," which reached the top 10 in the US and UK. The band then became more experimental, delving much deeper into the pop genre, which did not please many fans.
The situation worsened when the members decided to drop Hodgson's compositions from their setlist, seeking to separate themselves from the identity the bassist had created. After a very high-pressure tour in Brazil, where fans wanted to hear the old songs, the group fragmented, and in 1988, Supertramp broke up.
There were band reunions some time later, in 1996, for a tour, which led to the production of "Some Things Never Change," an album that returned to the band's earlier harmonies. During the band's slower period between 1997 and 2005, several attempts to bring Hodgson back failed; in fact, the artist said that Supertramp didn't play his songs because there was a verbal agreement between him and Rick Davies that the songs wouldn't be performed, but there is no proof of such an agreement.
In 2008 the band broke up again, but returned to activity in 2010. Since then, Hodgson and Davies have had some disagreements that led to the bassist's official exclusion from the group. Supertramp has won numerous awards, including two Grammys for the single "Breakfast in America," and has legions of fans of all ages worldwide.
SUPERTRAMP - FUTPEDIAMUSIC SELECTION
Supertramp
Futpediamusic Selection
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