The group first formed in the mind of Tom Scholz, who had long expressed interest in melodic rock and the fine particulars of recording technology. Even as a child, he tinkered with just about anything mechanical or electronic that he could get his hands on. Prior to his musical career, Scholz received both a bachelor's degree, in 1969, and a master's degree, in 1970, in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He then began working for the Polaroid Corporation as a senior product design engineer. Scholz would then reside in Boston.
Creating demos in his own home, inspired by contemporary 70s progressive rock and what came to be known as "album oriented rock" ("aor"), Scholz attracted the interest of Epic Records, who signed Scholz to a recording contract. Vocalist Brad Delp, who was born in Peabody, Massachusetts in 1951 (Scholz is about four years older) to French-Canadian immigrants and was inspired to sing after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, served as a sort of not-so secret weapon for Scholz's project. Delp's "golden voice" has inspired numerous later rock artists to take up the microphone.
Scholz believed that his demos were good enough to be the released album but Epic told him to rerecord them. Most of the guitar, bass, and keyboards were performed by Scholz, although other players were involved sporadically throughout the recording of the album. Epic did not want the album recorded entirely in Scholz's home as Scholz intended (they suggested using a recording studio), but most of what ended up on the album was ultimately recorded by Scholz in his basement.
'Boston' was first released by Epic Records on August 25, 1976. Few industry insiders thought a guitar-heavy rock record could make much of a dent in the charts as disco ruled the airwaves at the time. The album broke out of Cleveland first, and the following week it had been added at 392 stations. Scholz, then 29, still worked at Polaroid during the first few weeks of the record's success and felt wary, changing his mind when the album quickly sold 200,000 copies. Critical praise also came to the band; for example, Rolling Stone wrote that Boston's "affinity for heavy rock & roll provides a sense of dynamics that coheres magnetically with sophisticated progressive structures."
The album was certified gold just two months after its release, and it sold another 500,000 copies within 30 days, going platinum for the first time in November 1976. With songs that became rock anthems such as the evergreen "More Than a Feeling", 'Boston' is the second best-selling debut album of all time in the United States, falling just short of Guns N' Roses' 'Appetite for Destruction'. Many critics have named it as one of the best American albums of all time. Its popularity was not only huge, but also durable: into the 2000s it was believed to be the only 1970s album that still had every single track in regular rotation on classic rock radio.
With a touring unit coming together around the line-up of Barry Goudreau, Tom Scholz, Sib Hashian, Brad Delp, and Fran Sheehan, the band played to a wide variety of crowds big and small, receiving strong fan support. Feeling an essentially unbearable amount of pressure to come up with another commercial mega-hit, Scholz still desired to experiment with his sound and had a growing sense of perfectionism. 'Don't Look Back' came out on August 2, 1978, viewed by Scholz as a hurried effort but picking up widespread success. It's been certified as multi-platinum, and its title track has become a classic rock staple.
Acrimonious fighting with label Epic Records, which soon became a long, drawn-out legal fight, left the future of the band stalled. Their next work, 'Third Stage' , came out in September 23, 1986, quite a while after their sophomore work. Bad luck and ill-will seemed to trail the group, with floods and power failures halting many studio sessions. Still, the album went to #1 on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for four weeks.
In addition, 'Third Stage' was only the second album to ever be certified triple-platinum in its first month of release, in November of 1986. As stated before, the first was Lionel Richie's 'Dancing On The Ceiling', which did it one month earlier. Nonetheless, Boston seemed to have gotten stuck.
On March 9th, 2007, Brad Delp (vocals) committed suicide at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. He was 55. Delp sang all the lead and harmony vocals on Boston's first three albums. Though well known for his "golden" voice with soaring vocals and range, Delp was also a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, harmonica and keyboards. Additionally he wrote or co-wrote several songs for Boston and many other artists.
More than 10 years in the making, Boston came out with a new studio album, "Life, Love & Hope" in 2013. Founding member, Tom Scholz stated, "These are songs from the heart, each of them taking many months of effort to write, arrange, perform and record, always up to the demands of Boston's harshest critic, me. They have all been meticulously recorded to analog tape on the same machines and equipment used for Boston's hits for the past 35 years."
The band, with Scholz and a new lineup, toured extensively in 2016-2017.
Boston's web site is at www.bandboston.com
14 Tell Me
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And wonder if you've ever been alone
with all the world around you
Say the word; I'd be there
And like a fool I'd go anywhere
just like the day I found you
Tell me what you see
Tell me what you need
Tell me you believe in my love
I don't understand what to say
You take my breath and then you walk away
Your life goes on without me
And you can look right at me
But in your eyes it's a mystery
What do you feel about me?
Tell me if it's real
Tell me what you feel in my love
Tell me what you see
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell me what to give
Tell me I can live for your love
Tell me not to leave
Tell me to believe in your love
I don't really know what to say
I don't know how but I could learn to pray
If praying makes you hear me
I could stay on my own
and wonder if I'd have ever known
I just want you near me
Tell me if it's real
Tell me what you feel in my love
Tell me what you need
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell what to give
Tell me how to live for your love
Tell me what you see
Tell me to believe in your love
The lyrics of Boston's song "Tell Me" express the singer's desperate longing for his partner's love and attention. He talks directly to his partner, wondering whether she's ever felt alone and wishing that she would ask him to be there for her. The singer acknowledges his own foolishness in going wherever she wants him to go, without regard for his own needs or desires. He admits that he doesn't really understand what his partner wants from him and feels mystified by her lack of verbal expression about her feelings. He questions whether she really loves him, and if so, if her love is real or just a construct of his own imagination. The singer pleads with her to tell him what she sees, what she needs, what to give, and what he needs to do to earn her love. He even offers to learn how to pray if it will make her hear him. Ultimately, though, he just wants her to be near him and to believe in his love.
The song's lyrics contain a palpable sense of vulnerability and a need for reassurance. The singer's uncertainty about his partner's feelings and his own place in the relationship creates an emotional depth that draws the listener into his experience. The lyrics also highlight the importance of communication and verbal affirmation in romantic relationships. The singer's partner's lack of communication causes him great pain and confusion, and he longs for her to express her feelings and desires openly.
Line by Line Meaning
I stand on my own
I am alone
And wonder if you've ever been alone
I am curious if you have experienced being alone
with all the world around you
even though the world surrounds you
Say the word; I'd be there
I will be there if you just say the word
And like a fool I'd go anywhere
I would go anywhere for you even if it makes me look like a fool
just like the day I found you
just like the day I first met you
Tell me what you see
Can you tell me what you perceive
Tell me you believe in my love
Let me know that you have faith in my love
Tell me what you need
Please inform me of what you want
Tell me you believe in my love
Let me know that you have faith in my love
I don't understand what to say
I am unsure of what to say
You take my breath and then you walk away
You make me breathless, but then you leave
Your life goes on without me
Your life carries on without me
And you can look right at me
You can stare right at me
But in your eyes it's a mystery
But I can't interpret the look in your eyes
What do you feel about me?
What are your emotions towards me?
Tell me if it's real
Let me know if it's genuine
Tell me what you feel in my love
Can you tell me how my love makes you feel?
Tell me what you see
Can you tell me what you perceive
Tell me you believe in my love
Let me know that you have faith in my love
Tell me what to give
What do I need to provide you?
Tell me I can live for your love
Let me know that I can live for your love
Tell me not to leave
Please ask me to stay
Tell me to believe in your love
Please encourage me to believe in your love
I don't really know what to say
I am still unsure of what I should say
I don't know how but I could learn to pray
I may not know how to express myself, but I could learn
If praying makes you hear me
If my praying can make you hear me
I could stay on my own
I could exist by myself
and wonder if I'd have ever known
and ponder if I would ever have discovered this without you
I just want you near me
I just long for you to be close to me
Tell me if it's real
Confirm if this is authentic
Tell me what you feel in my love
Let me know how my love makes you feel
Tell me what you need
Inform me of what you desire
Tell me you believe in my love
Let me know that you have faith in my love
Tell what to give
Tell me what to provide
Tell me how to live for your love
Indicate to me how I can live for your love
Tell me what you see
Can you tell me what you perceive
Tell me to believe in your love
Please encourage me to believe in your love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AMEL LARRIEUX, BRYCE WILSON, DARRYL BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Abram Jones
This is the most informative talk I've ever seen on this period of history. Very funny too 🤣
yapapay
Excellent presentation once again. Kudos 👍🏻 Thoroughly enjoyed it. Btw, George III had as much power as Elizabeth II has today. By 1714, Parliament had total power. The Monarch had nothing. It didn't mean George III wasn't capable of meddling in parliamentary decisions. But the one time he tried, Parliament censured George III by voting in favour of a motion condemning any attempt by a sitting monarch to influence Parliament as a "high crime".
Demetri Us
Love your delivery on the subject matter, we need your podcast brother!
Happylabs
Oh yessss 🤤
ΣИ1GMΛ
This is an amazing channel. I think the reason for its lack of views is the channel's name. When you search 'Historo' there are too many other similar words that take its place!
Happylabs
Why doesn't this channel have more views! I've watched an episode a day. Love it!
John Massoud
Love your channel thanks!
enak413
53:34 I'm imagining Jimmy Fallon's Boston guy character from SNL stumblin' out of a port-a-potty accidentally firin' off his musket . "What's up guys ? Oops my bad . Hey Is Paul Revere back from the packy yet ?"
Ryan Gerrard
Kind of strange watching as an American with part English ancestry who’s ancestors fought in the revolution 😅, Great video you should have more views for sure
Nick McDaniel
Is this the version they teach England? Lmao