Foghat relocated to the United States after signing a deal with Bearsville Records. Its debut album, Foghat (1972), was produced by Dave Edmunds and featured a cover of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You", which received considerable airplay, especially on FM stations. The album also included a remake of Savoy Brown's bluesy ode to the road "Leavin' Again (Again!)", and "Sarah Lee", a classic blues burner featuring Price's slide guitar solo. The band's second self-titled album went gold. It was also known as Rock and Roll for its cover photo of a rock and a bread roll. Energized (1974) came out, followed by Rock and Roll Outlaws (1974) and Fool for the City (1975). In 1974, Stevens left the band due to its relentless touring schedule and was temporarily replaced by producer Nick Jameson for the recording of Fool for the City. During the next year, Jameson was replaced by Craig MacGregor, and the group released Night Shift (1976), a live album (1977) and Stone Blue (1978), each attaining gold status in record sales. Fool for the City spawned the hit single "Slow Ride" (which reached No. 20 in the United States and No. 14 in Canada), but the greatest sales figures were reached by Foghat Live, which went double platinum. More hits followed: "Drivin' Wheel", "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (from the live album), "Stone Blue" and "Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was a Fool)". Price left the band in November 1980, unhappy with the group's still constant touring and the shift away from the hard boogie sound toward a more new wave-influenced pop direction. By February 1981, after months of auditions, he was replaced by Erik Cartwright.
1980s
After 1978, Foghat's record sales began to slip, and its last album for the Bearsville label, Zig-Zag Walk (1983), only briefly touched the charts at number 192. MacGregor quit in 1982, and Jameson returned to play on In the Mood for Something Rude and Zig-Zag Walk before being replaced by Kenny Aaronson (1983) and then Rob Alter (1983-1984). MacGregor returned in 1984.
The band briefly disbanded in 1984 after Peverett left and returned to England. Earl, along with MacGregor and Cartwright, reformed with a new singer/guitarist, Eric (E.J.) Burgeson, and continued touring as Foghat into the early 1990s. MacGregor (1986-1987, 1991), Cartwright's brother Brett Cartwright (1987, 1988–1989) and Jeff Howell (1987-1988, 1989–1991) alternated on bass during that period, while Phil Nudelman (1989-1990) and Billy Davis (1990-1993) took over for Burgeson. Dave Crigger joined on bass in 1991–1993.
1990s
Peverett had returned to the United States by 1990 and formed his own version of the band, Lonesome Dave's Foghat, which featured Bryan Bassett (ex-Wild Cherry), Stephen Dees (bass) and Eddie Zyne (drums). Dees and Zyne had played with Hall & Oates, among others. Former Molly Hatchet bassist Riff West replaced Dees in 1991, and Price made several guest appearances.
In 1993, the original line-up reunited at the urging of producer Rick Rubin. Although Rubin ultimately proved to be unavailable to produce their comeback project, the group went ahead and released a studio album titled Return of the Boogie Men (1994) and the Road Cases live album (1998). Its final album of the decade, King Biscuit Flower Hour (taken from the syndicated radio show of the same name), was released in May 1999 and consisted of live recordings from 1974 and 1976.
After being back together for six years, the original line-up once again ended after Price decided to retire from touring for good. Bassett (who had been playing with Molly Hatchet), from Lonesome Dave's Foghat, was brought in on guitar.
2000s
The 2000s saw the deaths of founding members Peverett and Price. Peverett died on 7 February 2000, aged 56, from complications from kidney cancer. Charlie Huhn (formerly of Humble Pie, Ted Nugent, and Victory) was brought in to replace him on lead vocals and guitar. This line-up of Earl, Stevens, Bassett, Huhn and Steve "ih" Farrell on backing vocals and hand percussion recorded the album Family Joules (2003). Price died on 22 March 2005, aged 57, due to a fall resulting from a heart attack. Later that year, original bassist Stevens left the band and was replaced by former bassist MacGregor.
2010s
The 2010 version of Foghat consisted of Earl, MacGregor, Huhn and Bassett. Former Rainbow and Black Sabbath drummer Bobby Rondinelli had temporarily replaced Earl for a summer 2010 concert, while Earl was recovering from surgery. At another Foghat concert that summer, after Earl had returned to the band, bassist Jeff Howell temporarily replaced an ill MacGregor. Foghat's next album, Last Train Home (released 15 June 2010), was the culmination of a dream shared by Earl and Peverett. It contained some of their favorite blues songs, three originals ("Born for the Road", "Last Train Home" and "495 Boogie"), and two songs by special guest performer and longtime friend Eddie Kirkland, who was 86 years old at the time. He had played with Foghat as a guest in 1977 at Foghat's "Tribute to the Blues" show at New York City's Palladium, and remained a good friend of the band until he was killed in a car accident on 27 February 2011.
Also performing on Last Train Home were Howell (bass), Colin Earl (piano) and Lefty Lefkowitz (harmonica). According to Earl, the album was "a testimony to Lonesome Dave. We always planned to do this. I am so fortunate to have partners in band members Charlie Huhn and Bryan Bassett who share the same passion for the blues. It was not hard work putting this album together; playing this kind of music is joyous. We had a blast!" The band released a DVD in December 2013 called Live in St. Pete.
On 10 November 2015, Foghat announced that they would start work on a new studio album, completely fan-funded through PledgeMusic. The album, titled Under the Influence, was released on 24 June 2016. The album went on to chart of Billboard and debuted at No. 17 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums, and peaked at No. 40 on the Independent Album charts.
The band went on to release another live album, Live at the Belly Up in June 2017. On 9 July 2017, Erik Cartwright, who played lead guitar from 1981 to 1984, died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, from a heart attack. He was 66 years old.
Longtime bassist MacGregor was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2015. The cancer was first detected at an earlier stage in 2012, but MacGregor was not informed until 2015. Following this incident, he became a proponent of a bill that would require physicians to communicate test results with patients promptly. Although still officially a member of Foghat, the effects of chemotherapy made him unable to play music. former Pat Travers bassist Rodney O'Quinn filled in for him on tours. MacGregor died on 9 February 2018.
Matt Barranti substituted on guitar for Bryan Bassett for a gig at Palace Theater in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on 11 February 2017.
2020s
The lineup of Earl, Bassett, Huhn and O'Quinn would go on to record a live record in November 2019 called 8 Days on the Road. The album was released in July 2021. In January 2022, lead singer Charlie Huhn retired. Scott Holt, formerly a guitarist for Buddy Guy, became the new lead singer and guitarist. Holt had previously lent his vocals for Under the Influence and was lead vocalist in Foghat side project Earl & the Agitators. In August 2023, Foghat announced plans to release their 17th studio album, Sonic Mojo, with first single being “Drivin' On,” co-written by Kim Simmonds from Savoy Brown in November 2023.
Members
Current
Roger Earl – drums (1971–1984, 1993–present)
Bryan Bassett – lead guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)
Rodney O'Quinn – bass guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)
Scott Holt – lead vocals, lead guitar (2022–present)
Former
Dave Peverett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1971–1984, 1993–2000; died 2000)
Rod Price – lead guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals (1971–1980, 1993–1999; died 2005)
Tony Stevens – bass guitar, backing vocals (1971–1975, 1993–2005)
Nick Jameson – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1975–1976, 1982–1983)
Craig MacGregor – bass guitar, backing vocals (1976–1982, 1984, 2005–2015; died 2018)
Erik Cartwright – lead guitar, backing vocals (1981–1984; died 2017)
Kenny Aaronson – bass guitar (1983)
Rob Alter – bass guitar (1983–1984)
Charlie Huhn – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2000–2022)
Studio albums
Foghat (1972)
Foghat (1973)
Energized (1974)
Rock and Roll Outlaws (1974)
Fool for the City (1975)
Night Shift (1976)
Stone Blue (1978)
Boogie Motel (1979)
Tight Shoes (1980)
Girls to Chat & Boys to Bounce (1981)
In the Mood for Something Rude (1982)
Zig-Zag Walk (1983)
Return of the Boogie Men (1994)
Family Joules (2003)
Last Train Home (2010)
Under the Influence (2016)
Sonic Mojo (2023)
Take Me to the River
Foghat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all the things that you put me through
You stole my money and my cigarettes
And I haven't seen why I should forget
I want to know, won't you tell me
I'd love to stay, yea yea
Take me to the river, wash me down
I don't know why she treat me so bad
After all the things that we could've had
Love is a notion that I can't forget
My sweet sixteen I will never regret
I want to know, won't you tell me
I'd love to stay, I'd love to stay
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
Hold me, love me, please me, squeeze me
Oh, 'til I can't, 'til I can't, 'til I can't, I can't take no more
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
{Rod - Solo}
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
The opening lines of Foghat's "Take Me to The River" are about the singer's confusion over his own feelings for someone who has treated him badly. He admits that he doesn't know why he loves this person, despite the fact that they have stolen from him and generally caused him trouble. Despite everything, he still wants to "stay" with this person and begs them to tell him why they behave the way they do. The chorus, "Take me to the river, wash me down, please my soul, put my feet on the ground," follows the verse as a plea for relief from his troubles.
The second verse shifts focus to the singer's romantic relationship with someone else. He wonders why this person is treating him poorly despite the love they once shared. He is haunted by memories of their past together and the regret he feels over lost opportunities. However, he also admits that he can't forget the notion of love and that he will always cherish memories of his "sweet sixteen." The chorus repeats again as the singer searches for something to cleanse him of his troubles and put him back on solid ground.
Overall, "Take Me to The River" can be seen as a call for a fresh start, whether that be by forgetting someone who has hurt you or rekindling the flame of a lost romance. Despite the pain and uncertainty that the lyrics express, the repetition of the chorus suggests that the singer believes he can find the solace he's searching for if he can just get to the river.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why I love you like I do
I am confused about why I still have feelings for you
After all the things that you put me through
You have caused me a lot of pain and suffering
You stole my money and my cigarettes
You have taken away my possessions and my peace of mind
And I haven't seen why I should forget
I still can't understand why I should let go of what you've done
I want to know, won't you tell me
I am seeking answers from you
I'd love to stay, yea yea
Despite everything, I still want to be with you
Take me to the river, wash me down
I want to be cleansed and refreshed by the river
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
I want to feel grounded and whole again
I don't know why she treat me so bad
I am confused about why she mistreats me
After all the things that we could've had
We could have had a good relationship but something went wrong
Love is a notion that I can't forget
I still have strong feelings for her despite everything
My sweet sixteen I will never regret
I will always cherish the memories of my teenage love
I want to know, won't you tell me
I still want answers from her
I'd love to stay, I'd love to stay
Despite everything, I still want to be with her
Hold me, love me, please me, squeeze me
I am pleading for affection from her
Oh, 'til I can't, 'til I can't, 'til I can't, I can't take no more
I want her to love me until I can't handle it anymore
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am begging to be taken to the river for cleansing
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am begging again to be taken to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am still begging to be taken to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am still begging to be taken to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am still begging to be taken to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am still begging to be taken to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
I am still begging to be taken to the river
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Green, Mabon Lewis Hodges
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JRDRA997
I don't know why I love you like I do
After all the things that you put me through
You stole my money and my cigarettes
And I haven't seen why I should forget
I Want to know, won't you tell me
I'd love to stay, yea yea
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
I don't know why she treat me so bad
After all the things that we could've had
Love Is a notion that I can't forget
My sweet sixteen I will never regret
I want to know, won't you tell me
I'd love to stay, I'd love to stay
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
Hold me, love me, please me, squeeze me
Oh, till I can't, till I can't, till I can't, I can't take no more
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
Take me to the river, wash me down
Please my soul, put my feet on the ground
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Take me, take me, take me to the river
Jeff Cunningham
First version of this song I ever heard in the 70's. Still my favorite!
RandomActs58
RIP Craig. You were one of my all time favorite bass players.
Winterstick549
Craig also passed away?!
Damn!
foghat75
absolutely awesome! Foghat is tremendous!
Paul Metroka
My Favorite Band...17 times in concert....they always deliver
malcomlovejoy
Paul,seen em 6-7 times in their heyday and twice more thru 90s (with Dave) and 2005? (WITH JUST rOGER) THE BOOGIE-MEN IS RIGHT
Rob Diepenbroek
The radio station kept playing the Talking Heads version over and over, then I heard Foghat !
what a revelation, blows any other away. This is Rock and Roll.
malcomlovejoy
YOU TO?
JMJ19
First band I ever saw live. Awesome
foghat75
Rest in peace lonesome dave and rod" the slide" price! Charlie and Bryan are doing the name Foghat proud!