Supertramp
born in 1969 when an old and rich dutch-man Stanley August
Miesages, saw Rick Davies on a concert with 'The Joint' at Monaco
and he was impressed from Rick's talent. So he gave to Rick, the
chance to compose a own band. He find his members on 'Melody
Maker' journal with an insertion which offered a 'genuin
oppurtinity' for create a new band. From this selection, it came
out the first line-up : Roger Hodson (bass), Richard Palmer (guitar)
and Bob Miller (drums). Band name is Supertramp, suggested by
Palmer from a romance of WSupertramp". .H. Davies, "The
Autobiography Of A
Supertramp
signed a contract with A&M Records and on August, 1970 they
released the first homonymous album. The results weren't good; it
seemed an anomynous progressive rock. Dave Winthrop joined with
the band at Sax and the band maked its first exibition at Isle of
Wight Festival. On December of the same year, Palmer left the
band after own nervous problems and then at the beginning of 1971,
Miller left, too. So the band changed its face: Kevin Currie on
Drums, Farrel on bass while Hodgson switched on guitar. The new
album was released on 1971 and was called 'Indelebely Stamped'
but as the first, it was a flop. People talks about Indelebely
more for the cover than for the music.
After
these two flop albums, Sam left the band extingueshed own debits
with 60,000 pounds for instruments and recording. Then Farrel and
Currie left the band, too but Hodgson and Davies with their
headstrongness re-create the band on 1973. In the new line-up
there were John Anthony Helliwell (sax), Dougie Thompson (bass)
and Bob Siebenberg (drums) and with ex Bowie's producer Ken Scott,
the band seclude itself for work at new album. On 1974, it came
out 'Crime Of The Century' the first of many hit album on their
long career. The people appreciated it, and the criticism, too.
The first single, Dreamer was a great hit which broked UK's and
US's classment, and was follwed by 'Bloody Well Right' a tracks
that Supertramp loves play on live. The album was #1 in England.
In
this job, we can find all the elements that distinguish
Supertramp's sound: the voices Davies/Hodgson, Helliwell's sax
and the electric piano Wurlitzer are the ingredients of a magic
formule that someone called melodic prog-rock. Lonelyness,
madness and paranoia are the themes that Davies told on his
lyrics and that make 'Crime' a semi-conceptual album. After few
months, the band released Crisis? What Crisis? (1975) with the
same producer. The album was good and Supertramp's songs came in
the radiofonic heavy rotation. The next 'Even In The Quietest
Moments' confirmed all, altough they met a new musical wave : the
punk.
In
1979, Supertramp recorded 'Breakfast In America', their
masterpiece which came in all the houses. It's a real and a great
exploit : "The Logical Song", "Breakfast In
America", "Goodbye Stranger" and "Take The
Long Way Home" were indelebily stamped as classics
of the pop. The album stayed for six weeks on the first place on
USA's classment, it received a platinum awards and it sold over
four million copies.
The
mixing of voice-keyboard-wind instrument became the trademark of
the band. On 1980 in London, "The Logical Song" was
elected on the 25th edition of Awards Ivor Novello as 'The Best
Song Of The Year', from a musical and lyrical point of view.
After the live album 'Paris' the band came back on studio for
next album that addressed their sound in a R&B direction,
with 'Famous Last Words' (1982).
This
was a crossroad for the band: Hodgson didn't appreciate the new
sound and chose to left the band for own solo career. After 'Famous'
Supertramp with only Davies as composer, released two weak album:
'Brother Where you Bound' on 1985 and 'Free As A Bird' on 1987.
This was the last studio album with "I'm Beggin' You"
which became a disco-hit. Then the failure of "Live '88"
seemed underscored the decline.
But
Rick, he's an headstrong and his fibre is too strong for left all.
He's only 8 years when his parents presented him an old
grammophone. "The previous owner left some albums - recall
Davies - one of this was "Drummin' Man' by Gene Krupa. This
song it was an hit for me: I listened and played it for a
thousand of times". After the experience with his school
band "Rick's Blues" he created Supertramp, the band of
his career and he couldn't left it so.
Recently,
Davies thinks on a solo-project but at the end, he decides to
reunite the band. He call John Helliwell (actually member of a
Musical College) and Mark Hart, ex-Crowded House that he already
worked with the band on 'Free'. With other original member
Siebenberg and with other new guys the band released on 1997 a
new album with Jack Douglas as producer. "Some Things Never
Change" seems an old Supertramp album: the sound is the same
and the melody, too. One of the more famous band of pop-rock
history is back. We hope that we don't wait another ten years for
another chapter of this story.
Italian
version by Chiara Calpini
Translation
and rearrangements by Helenio Guiducci
