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
We Can Make It
Boston Lyrics
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You're my strength and weakness
I give it all for you
I would climb any mountain
How can I make you see?
Though the stars may fall, it will always be you and me
There's so much you can give
Your smile is my reason to live
Just take my hand, we'll make a stand
I know that we can make it
(Hey) It's you and me. The world will see
I know that we can make it, you and me
I see you, full of sadness
Wondering 'bout this world we've made
There's a space between us all
Love has seen some better days
Oh we can make it
Oh we can make it
The love in your eyes is all I need to know
I'm never letting go
I'm here for you heart and soul
Just take my hand, we'll make a stand
I know that we can make it
(Hey) It's you and me, the world will see
I know that we can make it
I know that we can make it (Hey, yeah)
Just take my hand, we'll make a stand
I know that we can make it
(Hey) It's you and me. The world will see
I know that we can make it
I know that we can make it
You and me
Boston's song "We Can Make It" is a power ballad that speaks of love and hope, and the strength that comes from being together. The lyrics are a declaration of love and loyalty, as the singer promises to do anything for his beloved. He is willing to climb any mountain and take any risk to show her how much she means to him. The light in her eyes is all the hope he needs, and her smile is the reason for his existence.
Despite the world's problems and the sadness that surrounds them, the singer remains determined that they can make it together. He believes that their love can overcome any obstacle, and he invites her to take his hand and make a stand with him. This song is a powerful statement about the strength and determination that can come from love, and it is an anthem for anyone who believes in the power of a committed relationship.
The lyrics of "We Can Make It" are simple and straightforward, but they are infused with emotion and sincerity. They speak to the heart and soul, and they encourage listeners to believe in the power of love. The song's message is one of hope, and it is a tribute to the enduring strength of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I would do anything, anything a man can do
I am willing to do anything and everything in my power to make this work
You're my strength and weakness
You are the source of my strength and my weakness, as I am willing to do anything for you
I give it all for you
I am willing to give up everything to make this work, even if it means sacrificing my own needs and desires
I would climb any mountain
I am willing to overcome any obstacle that stands in our way, no matter how difficult or daunting it may be
How can I make you see?
I am struggling to show you how much you mean to me and how much I am willing to do for you
Though the stars may fall, it will always be you and me
No matter what happens, no matter what obstacles we may face, we will always be together and make it through
The light in your eyes is all the hope I need
The hope I have is fueled by the love and brightness I see in your eyes
There's so much you can give
You have so much to offer, and I want to be the one to receive and cherish it all
Your smile is my reason to live
Your very existence brings joy to my life and keeps me going
Just take my hand, we'll make a stand
We will face everything together, holding each other's hand and being each other's support
I know that we can make it
I am confident that we can overcome any obstacle as long as we have each other
(Hey) It's you and me. The world will see
We are the ones that matter, and together we will show the world what we are capable of achieving
I see you, full of sadness
I can see the sadness in your eyes, and it pains me to know that you are not as happy as you could be
Wondering 'bout this world we've made
We are both wondering how we could have created such a world where we are not as happy as we should be
There's a space between us all
There is a gap between us that we need to fill with love and understanding
Love has seen some better days
Our love has seen better times, but we are determined to bring it back to its former glory
The love in your eyes is all I need to know
The love I see in your eyes gives me the reassurance that we can make this work and overcome any challenge
I'm never letting go
I will never let go of you no matter what happens, and I am committed to making this work
I'm here for you heart and soul
I am here for you with all my heart and soul, and I am willing to do anything to make you happy
I know that we can make it (Hey, yeah)
I am certain that we can make this work, and I won't let anything come between us
You and me
We are in this together and will see it through to the end
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ARTHUR SIKES, ROBERT CEDRO, TOM SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind