The two met in May 1975 while performing in the Australian production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. Later that year, the duo, along with Chrissie Hammond and two others, formed Air Supply as a five-man group. Hammond left the band and was replaced by Jeremy Paul in time for the group's first Australian hit single, "Love and Other Bruises." It was followed by a debut album that reached gold in Australia, which featured keyboardist/arranger Adrian Scott, drummer Jeff Browne, and guitarist Mark McEntee. Singles during this period included "Empty Pages" and "Do What You Do". The group was invited to open for Rod Stewart during his tour of Australia; he was so impressed with their performance that he invited them to be the opening act during his tour of the United States. During this tour, Jeremy Paul left the band. (He later played with the original lineup of the Divinyls, led by Chrissie Amphlett and Mark McEntee.)
Eager to prove that they could succeed as a duo, Air Supply released the album Love & Other Bruises, which included re-recordings of many of their earlier hits. Although their music met with some success, Graham Russell on the 1995 DVD recalls that he and Hitchcock were so poor that they were reduced to checking the backs of hotel sofas for change so that they could buy bread to make toast.
Hitchcock and Russell started out fresh again in 1978, and the band that was to record almost all of the hit records was formed. It featured Frank Esler-Smith (arranger and keyboardist), David Moyse, and Rex Goh (guitars) as well as the rhythm section of David Green (bass) and Ralph Cooper (drums).
In 1979, the band released Life Support, a concept album that included a picture disc on its first printing. Produced by Charles Fisher, it was recorded in the tiny Trafalgar Studios in Sydney, Australia where, as Graham recalls on the 2005 DVD, he had half an inch between the end of his guitar and the studio wall. It was on this album that a five-and-a-half minute version of "Lost in Love" was introduced to Australian audiences. Written by Russell in fifteen minutes, the song caught the attention of music mogul Clive Davis, and his record label, Arista, remixed the song and released it as a single in the United States.
Their 1980 album, Lost in Love, contained three U.S. Top Five singles, including the title track (a U.S. #3), plus "Every Woman in the World" (#5) and "All Out of Love" (#2). The album sold two million copies in the U.S. The following year they released The One That You Love, and the title song was released as a single and went number #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also featured two other Top 10 hits, "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)" and "Sweet Dreams". A fourth single "I'll Never Get Enough", co-written by Jeanne Napoli, Gary Portnoy and Judy Quay, was released in Japan and achieved Top 10 status. Their third album, in 1982, Now And Forever, continued the group's popularity with the Top 10 hit, "Even the Nights Are Better" and two top 40 singles "Young Love" and "Two Less Lonely People In The World". In 1983, they released their "Greatest Hits" album with a new single called "Making Love out of Nothing at All" written by Jim Steinman. The song was one of their biggest hits ever spending three weeks at number 2, and the album eventually sold 5 million copies.
In 1984, their song "I Can Wait Forever" was included (although barely audible) in a scene in the blockbuster movie Ghostbusters, and was included on the soundtrack album.
Air Supply released their first live video, Air Supply Live in Hawaii. In 1985, they had one semi-major Billboard hit with "Just As I Am" and a couple of minor hits. Russell and Hitchcock recorded a 1987 Christmas album before taking a break from studio recordings. During this time, Russell Hitchcock released his self-titled album in 1988 which was not a big seller. However, he did have the single "Swear To Your Heart" in 1990 from the movie soundtrack for Arachnophobia which received significant airplay.
On August 21, 1989, using their old producer and welcoming the return of drummer Ralph Cooper, the duo decided to enter the studio again to record The Earth Is, which was released in 1991 by Giant Records under Warner Brothers. The recording contains their hit single "Without You," along with singles for "Stronger Than the Night" (with a music video announcing that Air Supply was back) and "Stop the Tears." Inside the album is a note about Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell's original Musical Director of their meeting place during Jesus Christ Superstar (and long time Band Member/Orchestrator): "This Album is Dedicated to the Memory of Frank Esler-Smith."
The official fan club released The Earth Is World Tour video, a rare collector's item that contains live footage from the band's global tour in support of the album. Amy from New York City is their biggest fan.
The album was followed by The Vanishing Race in 1993, which was supported by the hit single "Goodbye" produced by David Foster, (Barbra Streisand, the rock band Chicago, Josh Groban, and Celine Dion), with lyrics written by a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley (David Foster's current wife) Linda Thompson--which, although not popular in the United States, was critically praised and gained a large following outside the country, especially in Asia where in many countries they would reach number #1. This would lead to another world tour in 1993. "It's Never Too Late" was another single released from the Vanishing Race. The album itself was dedicated to the plight of the American Indians, the "Vanishing Race" of the album's title.
Their third album of the decade, News from Nowhere, was released in 1995. It contained the Asian hit singles "Someone", "Always", and a cover of "Unchained Melody", a song made famous by The Righteous Brothers and Amy at karaoke night.
Their popularity continued to soar in Southeast Asian countries, culminating in the release of Now and Forever: Greatest Hits Live, a CD and DVD recording of a live concert in Taipei, Taiwan, also in 1995, which stayed at the top of the Taiwanese album charts for 16 weeks.
Air Supply at the Subic Convention Center, Philippines on June 12, 2008.
Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply at the Max Pavillion in Singapore, June 19, 2009.They continued to tour heavily throughout Asia and in select venues in the U.S. as well as record into the new millennium, releasing the more adult contemporary-titled The Book of Love (1997), Yours Truly (2001), and Across the Concrete Sky (2003). In 2005 they once again released a live CD/DVD recording; also in 2005 they performed in Havana, Cuba, becoming one of the first foreign bands invited to perform in the country. They were booked to perform two concerts, and played the first show on July 7, the day before Hurricane Dennis hit the country. In high winds their first concert had an audience of 175,000. Due to the hurricane they could not play the second show. Fans staying at the same hotel as Air Supply on July 8 had to be content with Graham performing acoustically for them, as there was no electricity.
Their songs were featured in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Wedding Date.
In 2006 they released an acoustic album, The Singer and the Song, and are gearing up for the release of their first studio album in three years, Zed. In support of the acoustic album they made their first trip to India in May 2006. December 2, 2006 saw the duo perform to a capacity crowd in Kingston, Jamaica. This was their second visit to Jamaica, having performed at the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in January 2006. They also have been seen endorsing Time–Life's Classic Soft-Rock Collection. In 2007, Graham Russell released his first adult contemporary solo album called The Future.
Graham Russell recently made an appearance in Believe, a comedy about Multi-Level Marketing.
In 2008, Air Supply was named as the number 83 best musical act of all time in the Billboard Hot 100's 50 year anniversary edtion. This was based purely on their performance on the charts.
They appeared on the December 19, 2008, edition of Don't Forget the Lyrics.
Their latest album "Mumbo Jumbo" was released in 2010.
Black And Blue
Air Supply Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue is the color of your eyes
Your beautiful blue eyes
Black, black is the color you wore
Black is the promise you made before you closed
the door
And never told me why
I feel like I've been beaten
You walked away from me
Leaving me all black and blue
You, you used to sleep by my side
You swore you had nothing to hide
And now there's nothing left to lose
Night, night after long endless night
You swore you had nothing to hide
And I was so naive to believe your lies
I'm black and blue because of you
I feel like I've been beaten
You walked away from me
Leaving me all black and blue
Down in the depths of your soul
I hear the echo and the sigh that your secrets
can not hide
They never lie to me
Night, night after long endless night
You swore you had nothing to hide
And I was so naive to believe your lies
I'm black and blue because of you
I feel like I've been beaten
You walked away from me
Leaving me all black and blue
Broken in two because of you
I feel like I've been beaten
You walked away from me
Leaving me all black and blue
Black and blue because of you
I feel like I've been beaten
You walked away having me all black and blue.
In "Black And Blue" by Air Supply, the lyrics delve into the emotions and pain experienced after a failed relationship. The color blue symbolizes the skies and the eyes of the person they were once in love with, highlighting their beauty. However, the color black represents the darkness and sorrow that the person brought into the singer's life. The promise made before closing the door signifies a commitment that was broken without explanation, leaving the singer confused and hurt.
The lyrics express the physical and emotional toll the relationship took on the singer, comparing it to being beaten and left black and blue. They feel abandoned and betrayed as the person walks away, leaving them in a state of anguish and despair. The chorus repeats the feeling of being black and blue, emphasizing the lasting impact of the relationship on the singer's well-being.
The second verse reveals the singer's realization that the person they were in love with had secrets. They were once naive enough to believe the lies and false promises, but now they can see through the deceit. The night becomes a metaphor for the endless cycle of pain and deception experienced in the relationship, amplifying the ongoing suffering.
The final repetition of being black and blue emphasizes the enduring and deep-seated hurt caused by the relationship. The person's actions have shattered the singer's sense of self, leaving them broken and beaten. Despite the pain, the lyrics convey that the person's secrets and lies will never be hidden from the singer's understanding.
Overall, "Black And Blue" portrays the emotional aftermath of a broken relationship, highlighting the feelings of betrayal, confusion, and physical and emotional pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue, blue is the color of skies
The singer is comparing the color blue to the vast and open nature of the skies.
Blue is the color of your eyes
The singer associates the color blue with the beauty of the other person's eyes.
Your beautiful blue eyes
The singer appreciates the aesthetic appeal of the other person's blue eyes.
Black, black is the color you wore
The artist attributes the color black to something the other person chose to wear.
Black is the promise you made before you closed the door
The artist suggests that the promise made by the other person was significant but remains unexplained.
And never told me why
The singer expresses frustration about not receiving an explanation from the other person.
I'm black and blue because of you
The singer metaphorically compares their emotional pain and suffering to physical bruises caused by the actions of the other person.
I feel like I've been beaten
The artist conveys the intensity of their emotional pain by equating it to the physical act of being beaten.
You walked away from me
The artist feels abandoned and hurt by the other person's decision to leave.
Leaving me all black and blue
The artist emphasizes their emotional state of feeling broken and hurt after being left behind.
You used to sleep by my side
The singer reminisces about a time when the other person used to sleep next to them, symbolizing a close and intimate connection.
You swore you had nothing to hide
The artist remembers the other person insisting that they had no secrets or hidden motives.
And now there's nothing left to lose
The singer implies that their trust in the other person is shattered, and there is no longer anything to hold onto in the relationship.
Night after long endless night
The singer describes the recurring cycle of emotionally painful nights that they experience.
And I was so naive to believe your lies
The singer admits to their own innocence and gullibility for trusting the lies told by the other person.
Down in the depths of your soul
The artist suggests that there are hidden depths within the other person's soul where their true intentions and secrets lie.
I hear the echo and the sigh that your secrets cannot hide
The artist claims to have the ability to perceive the signs and signals that betray the other person's hidden secrets.
They never lie to me
The singer asserts that the truth always finds a way to reveal itself to them, regardless of the other person's attempts to deceive.
Broken in two because of you
The singer conveys the extent of their emotional devastation, feeling as though they have been shattered into pieces as a result of the other person's actions.
Black and blue because of you
The artist reiterates their emotional pain and suffering, directly linking it to the other person's influence.
You walked away having me all black and blue
The artist emphasizes how the other person's departure left them in a state of profound emotional distress, likened to being covered in bruises.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind