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.
Sandy
Air Supply Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forcin' a light into all those stoney faces left stranded
On this warm July
And the boys from the casino dance with shirts open
Like Latin lovers on the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score
Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
Those pier lights, our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight, for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl, my, my, my baby.
Sandy, the waitress I was seein' lost her desire for me
I spoke with her last night, she said she won't set herself
On fire for me, anymore
Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie
For telling fortunes better than they do
For me this boardwalk life is through
You outta quit this scene, too
Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
Those pier lights, our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight, for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl, my, my, my baby.
Oh I mean it Sandy girl
Oh, my, my, my baby,
Oh I love you Sandy girl,
My, my, my baby...
The lyrics to Air Supply's song Sandy paint a vivid picture of a summer night in a place called Eden. The fireworks are lighting up the sky and it appears that everyone is enjoying themselves except for those that are stranded with stony faces. Meanwhile, the boys from the casino are dancing with their shirts open, trying to charm the silly New York virgins. The singer addresses someone named Sandy, urging her to love him tonight because he might never see her again.
In the second verse, the singer expresses his disappointment about a waitress he was seeing who has lost her desire for him. She no longer wants to set herself on fire for him, meaning she’s no longer willing to risk it all for this relationship. He then speaks about Madame Marie who got busted by the police for telling fortunes better than they do. The singer seems to have had enough of this boardwalk life and urges Sandy to quit it as well.
The aurora is rising behind them while the pier lights display the carnival life forever. The song oscillates between moments of fun and moments of sadness, capturing the essence of human experiences. Despite the urging to leave this boardwalk life, the singer still loves Sandy girl, his baby. Air Supply's Sandy touches on issues of desire, love, and disillusionment all within the context of a summertime fantasy.
Line by Line Meaning
Sandy, the fireworkds are hailin' over little Eden tonight
The sky is lit up with fireworks tonight, even in the small town of Eden where there's not much excitement.
Forcin' a light into all those stoney faces left stranded
The fireworks are bringing some joy to the people who are feeling stuck or sad.
On this warm July
It's a hot summer month when things should be carefree and fun, but not everyone is feeling that way.
And the boys from the casino dance with shirts open
Some guys from the nearby casino are dancing in a romantic, carefree way on the beach.
Like Latin lovers on the shore
Their dancing style is reminiscent of the passion and seduction seen in Latin cultures.
Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score
These guys are trying to catch the attention of inexperienced women from the city who are vacationing in town.
Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
The sunrise is happening behind them and it's a beautiful moment.
Those pier lights, our carnival life forever
The lights from the boardwalk pier are always shining and represent the carefree, fun life they're living.
Oh love me tonight, for I may never see you again
They're enjoying the moment, but have a sense that this good time won't last forever.
Hey Sandy girl, my, my, my baby.
Talking to his love interest, he affectionately calls her 'Sandy girl'.
Sandy, the waitress I was seein' lost her desire for me
The person he was seeing, a waitress named Sandy, has lost interest in him.
I spoke with her last night, she said she won't set herself
He recently talked with her and found out she won't try to be with him anymore.
On fire for me, anymore
She won't go out of her way to try to impress him anymore.
Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie
Madame Marie, a fortuneteller, has finally been caught by the police for practicing without a license.
For telling fortunes better than they do
Her fortunes were so accurate and popular that people preferred her over the cops.
For me this boardwalk life is through
He's tired of this carefree, temporary lifestyle and is ready for something different.
You outta quit this scene, too
He advises 'Sandy girl' to leave this carefree life along with him.
Oh I mean it Sandy girl
He's addressing her directly, saying that he is serious about leaving this life behind.
Oh, my, my, my baby,
He continues to be affectionate towards 'Sandy girl'.
Oh I love you Sandy girl,
He declares his love for 'Sandy girl'.
My, my, my baby...
He's still calling her 'baby' affectionately.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
enriquezapatae
Hermosa canción Sandy del dueto australiano air supply la tengo desde 1985 cuando compré el LP
Roseta Siamesa
me recuerda a mis años increíbles y nostálgicos de mi vida
joelma Cavalcante
Música PERFEITAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
enriquezapatae
Hermosa canción de air supply, gracias por compartir!!!
Shera Chavez
Come on now guys!! They didn't do to many of other peoples music if you remember!! Graham wrote most all their music only a very few got another person on it!! And frank esler smith did the music part where graham wrote the words!! Air supply proved time and again they could stand alone and they did just that and I'm proud of them! That's why they are my favorite group of all time!! Listen and enjoy OK!!
TopazDupree
"4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", often known just as "Sandy", is a 1973 song by Bruce Springsteen. Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band members Roy Bittan on keyboards and Max Weinberg on drums performed on Air Supply's 1983 hit "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All". Air Supply recorded "Sandy" as a way of saying thank you to Springsteen and his bandmates.
Mirta Leal
Amo esta canción, gracias Air
VH VH
Espetáculo de música e performance do gigante Air Surpply maior e mais espetacular ainda, voz única na história! ♥️♥️
That's Music
Very good version!
Gerardo Sánchez Rodríguez
Recordando escucharla con mi walkman en un autobús a medianoche ...habiéndole regalado el LP y dedicado ésta canción a una personita muy especial con ese nombre antes de mi partida , separados por un prolongado viaje por una decisión que marcaría muestras vidas debido a las disyuntivas de ese momento ... El irremediable daño colateral ...Just as I am !!!!