Boston (album)
Encyclopedia
The album soared, with three single
s becoming Top 40 hits. All eight of the songs on the album still receive regular airplay on classic rock
radio to this day, across the country. Taking a mere three months to earn an RIAA Gold Record Award (500,000 in unit sales) in 1976, and a Platinum Award (1,000,000 in unit sales) after three months, it was the fastest selling debut album for any American group. It has continued to sell very well, accumulating 9 million in sales by the tenth anniversary in 1986, reaching diamond in 1990, and 17x platinum by 2003.
on June 13, 2006. The original master tapes were digitally remastered by the band's leader, Tom Scholz, after he heard that the remastering project was to be handled by Sony
. This was unacceptable to him, and he took it on himself after negotiations with Legacy. "I've always wanted to make those albums sound good on CD, and the chance arrived," he said. The re-masters have received very high praise from magazine critics , and especially from the die-hard fan base.
A small number of the Sony-remastered versions briefly went on sale in Canada on April 4, 2006 before being yanked from the shelves. Those discs also included bonus tracks with live versions of "Smokin'" and "Foreplay/Long Time" from a 1976 Philadelphia concert.
Singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s becoming Top 40 hits. All eight of the songs on the album still receive regular airplay on classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio to this day, across the country. Taking a mere three months to earn an RIAA Gold Record Award (500,000 in unit sales) in 1976, and a Platinum Award (1,000,000 in unit sales) after three months, it was the fastest selling debut album for any American group. It has continued to sell very well, accumulating 9 million in sales by the tenth anniversary in 1986, reaching diamond in 1990, and 17x platinum by 2003.
Remasters
Legacy Records released a remastered version for compact discCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
on June 13, 2006. The original master tapes were digitally remastered by the band's leader, Tom Scholz, after he heard that the remastering project was to be handled by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. This was unacceptable to him, and he took it on himself after negotiations with Legacy. "I've always wanted to make those albums sound good on CD, and the chance arrived," he said. The re-masters have received very high praise from magazine critics , and especially from the die-hard fan base.
A small number of the Sony-remastered versions briefly went on sale in Canada on April 4, 2006 before being yanked from the shelves. Those discs also included bonus tracks with live versions of "Smokin'" and "Foreplay/Long Time" from a 1976 Philadelphia concert.
Track listing
Personnel
Per liner notes- Tom ScholzTom ScholzDonald Thomas "Tom" Scholz is an American rock musician, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, inventor, and mechanical engineer, best known as the founder of the hard rock band Boston. He is also the inventor of the Rockman guitar amplifier...
– electric guitarsElectric GuitarsElectric Guitars were formed early in 1980 by Neil Davenport and Richard Hall who were both studying English at Bristol University. The band soon increased to a five-man line-up, with Andy Saunders , Matt Salt and Dick Truscott , they also later added two backing singers: Sara and Wendy...
, acoustic guitarsGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, design consultant, remasteringRemasteringRemastering may refer to:*Audio mastering*Remaster*Software remastering...
, liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:... - Brad DelpBrad DelpBradley E. Delp was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Boston. Delp was known for his vocal histrionics, and especially his high range.-Early life:...
– leadLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and harmony vocalsVocal harmonyVocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
, acoustic guitar, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Sib HashianSib HashianJohn "Sib" Hashian is a drummer who was a member of the rock band Boston during their first and most successful lineup. Hashian currently lives in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Sib is of Armenian descent.-Boston years:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Jim Masdea – drums on "Rock & Roll Band"
- Barry GoudreauBarry GoudreauBarry Goudreau is a musician, best known as one of the original guitarists for the rock band Boston.- Before Boston :Goudreau had developed a musical interest at an early age and got his first guitar, an acoustic which he borrowed from a friend, at age 11. He began taking lessons and by age 13,...
– lead guitars, rhythm guitars on "Foreplay/Long Time" and "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" - Fran SheehanFran SheehanFran Sheehan is an American rock musician best known for being the bass player in the early incarnation of the rock band Boston.Fran was perhaps the most experienced musician in the original lineup of Boston. He had been gigging with his dad since he was 5 years old, & majored in vocals at the New...
– bass guitar on "Foreplay" and "Let Me Take You Home Tonight"
Additional personnel
- John Boylan – producer
- Paul Ahern – directionManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
- Charles McKenzie – direction
- Warren Dewey – engineer
- Deni King – assistant engineer
- Bruce Hensel – assistant engineer
- Doug Ryder – assistant engineer
- Steve Hodge – assistant in mixingMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
- Bill Ryan – remastering
- Toby Mountain – remastering
- Tom "Curly" Ruff – digital transfer
- Kim Hart – design consultant
- Jeff Albertson – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Ron Pownall – photography
- Gary PihlGary PihlGary Pihl is a guitarist most famous for playing for Sammy Hagar and the band Boston.At his home recording studio, Pihl worked with the founding members of a band that would eventually be called "Night Ranger." They recorded demos for their first and second albums at his home studio...
– photo editingImage editingImage editing encompasses the processes of altering images, whether they be digital photographs, traditional analog photographs, or illustrations. Traditional analog image editing is known as photo retouching, using tools such as an airbrush to modify photographs, or editing illustrations with any... - Roger Huyssen – cover illustrationCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Joel Zimmerman – reissue design
Charts
Album| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| Canada RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... 100 Albums |
7 |
| UK (The Official Charts Company UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... ) |
11 |
| Netherlands (Top 100 Albums) | 26 |
| New Zealand (Top 50 Albums) | 16 |
| Sweden (Top 60 Albums) | 26 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "More than a Feeling" | Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
5 |
| 1977 | "Long Time" | Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
| 1977 | "Peace of Mind" | Billboard Hot 100 | 38 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – United States | Gold | October 26, 1976 |
| Platinum | November 22, 1976 | |
| 9x Platinum | October 30, 1986 | |
| Diamond | January 29, 1990 | |
| 11x Platinum | December 10, 1992 | |
| 15x Platinum | November 9, 1994 | |
| 16x Platinum | January 10, 1997 | |
| 17x Platinum | November 20, 2003 | |
| CRIA – Canada | Platinum | January 1, 1977 |
| 2x Platinum | December 1, 1978 | |
| 3x Platinum | December 1, 1978 | |
| 4x Platinum | July 1, 1979 | |
| 5x Platinum | July 1, 1979 | |
| 6x Platinum | May 13, 1997 | |
| 7x Platinum | May 13, 1997 | |
| 8x Platinum | May 13, 1997 | |
| 9x Platinum | May 13, 1997 | |
| Diamond | May 13, 1997 | |
| BPI – UK | Gold | March 20, 1979 |
External links
Album online on Radio3Net a radio channel of Romanian Radio Broadcasting CompanyRomanian Radio Broadcasting Company
The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company , informally referred to as Radio Romania , is the public radio broadcaster in Romania. It operates four national radio channels, and, under the Radio România Regional umbrella, eleven regional radio stations. The four national radio channels are: Radio...