Supertramp are a British group playing a mix of progressive rock and pop ro… Read Full Bio ↴Supertramp are a British group playing a mix of progressive rock and pop rock that notably had a series of top-selling albums in the 70s, producing several hit singles. The band was formed in the United Kingdom in 1969. All the group's members were musicians capable of playing multiple types of instruments, including brass and woodwinds. Co-founder, composer and lead singer, Roger Hodgson left the band in 1983 to bring up his children. In 1988, Supertramp re-formed with some former members plus several new ones, and they continue to tour.
Music in their early period consisted of ambitious concept albums, but they are best known for their pop-influenced tracks such as "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit"," Goodbye Stranger", and "The Logical Song", among others. Going for an arena-friendly sound in the 70s and 80s, they achieved the same sort of vibe as contemporaries Asia, Boston, Styx, and so on. The band's name was taken from W.H. Davies' 1908 novel The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp.
Their 'golden era' albums 'Crime of the Century' (1974) and 'Even in the Quietest Moments' (1977) were both notably produced by former Beatles producer Ken Scott. Their 1979 album 'Breakfast in America' also reached number one on the Billboard album charts (number three in the U.K. as well) and was certified platinum four times by the RIAA.
A more thorough Bio:
Supertramp are an English rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming themselves in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock, pop and art rock into their music. The band's work is marked by the songwriting of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, the voice of Hodgson, and the use of Wurlitzer electric piano and saxophone in their songs.
While the band's early work was mainstream progressive rock, they would enjoy greater critical and commercial success when they incorporated more conventional and radio-friendly elements into their work in the mid-1970s, going on to sell more than 60 million albums. They reached their peak of commercial success with 1979's Breakfast in America, which has sold more than 20 million copies.
Though their albums were generally far more successful than their singles. Supertramp did enjoy a number of major hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including "Bloody Well Right", "Give a Little Bit", "The Logical Song", "Goodbye Stranger", "Take the Long Way Home", "Dreamer", "Breakfast in America", "It's Raining Again", and "Cannonball". The band attained significant popularity in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Since Hodgson's departure in 1983, founder Rick Davies has led the band by himself.
1969–72: Early years
In 1969 Stanley 'Sam' August Miesegaes, a Dutch millionaire, became disappointed with, then dropped, The Joint, the band he was financially supporting. He offered Swindon-born keyboardist Rick Davies, whose talent he felt had been "bogged down" by the group,an opportunity to form his own band, again with Miesegaes's financial backing. Davies assembled Roger Hodgson (bass and vocals), Richard Palmer (guitars), and Keith Baker (percussion) after placing an advertisement in the weekly music newspaper, Melody Maker.
Davies and Hodgson had radically different backgrounds and musical inspirations: Davies was working class and fiercely devoted to blues and jazz, while Hodgson had gone straight from private school to the music business and was fond of pop and psychedelia. Despite this, they hit it off during the auditions and began writing virtually all of their songs together, with Palmer as a third writer in the mix. Since none of the other band members was willing, Palmer penned all their lyrics.
The group initially dubbed themselves Daddy. Baker was almost immediately replaced by former stage actor Robert Millar, and after several months of rehearsal at a country house in West Hythe, Kent, the band flew to Munich for a series of concerts at the P. N. Club.One 10 minute performance there of "All Along The Watchtower" was filmed by Haro Senft (Supertramp Portrait 1970).The rehearsals had been less than productive, and their initial repertoire consisted of only four songs, two of which were covers.[15] To avoid confusion with the similarly named Daddy Longlegs,the band changed its name to "Supertramp", a moniker inspired by The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp by William Henry Davies.
Supertramp Mark II. L-R:
Roger Hodgson, Frank Farrell, Rick Davies, Kevin Currie, and Dave Winthrop.
Supertramp were one of the first groups to be signed to the UK branch of A&M Records and their first album, Supertramp, was released on 14 July 1970 in the UK and Canada (it would not be issued in the US until late 1977). Stylistically, the album was fairly typical of progressive rock of the era and Supertramp's sound bore obvious similarity to their British progressive rock predecessor Cressida.Despite receiving a good deal of critical praise, the album did not attract a large audience.
Dave Winthrop (flute and saxophone) joined the group after the release of the first record and soon after Supertramp performed at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. The membership continued to change in the six months following the album's release; Palmer left the band due to personality conflicts with Davies and Hodgson, followed by Millar, who had suffered a nervous breakdown following a disastrous tour of Norway.
For the next album, Indelibly Stamped, released in June 1971 in both the UK and US, Frank Farrell (bass) and Kevin Currie (percussion) replaced Palmer and Millar, while Hodgson switched to guitar and Davies served as a second lead singer. With Palmer's departure, Hodgson and Davies wrote the lyrics for this and the band's subsequent albums. The record sold even less than their debut.[9] In the aftermath, all members gradually quit except Hodgson and Davies,[18] and Miesegaes withdrew his financial support in October 1972.
1973–78: Initial success and commercial breakthrough[edit]
A search for new members brought aboard Dougie Thomson (bass), who had done stand-in gigs with the band for almost a year before auditions resumed. In 1973, auditions restarted and introduced Bob Siebenberg (initially credited as Bob C. Benberg; drums & percussion) and John Helliwell (saxophone, other woodwinds, occasional keyboards, backing vocals), completing the line-up. Hodgson would also begin playing keyboards (particularly the Wurlitzer electric piano) in the band in addition to guitar.[18] This lineup of Supertramp would remain in place for the next ten years.
Meanwhile, the bond between Davies and Hodgson had begun weakening. In July 1972 Hodgson had tried LSD for the first time, and offered some to Davies, who declined. Writing to Miesegaes in November 1972, Hodgson described taking LSD as "the happiest day of my life" and expressed his anxiety that Davies would not take it. He would later describe this divergence in their experiences as the root of the rift between them. Over Supertramp's history, their relationship would be amicable but increasingly distant as their lifestyles and musical inclinations saw less and less overlap. Their songwriting partnership gradually dissolved; though all of Supertramp's songs would continue to be officially credited as "written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson", most of them were written by Davies or Hodgson individually.
Supertramp needed a hit record to continue working, and finally got one with Crime of the Century. Released in September 1974, it began the group's run of critical and commercial successes, hitting number 4 in Britain, number 38 in the USA, and number 1 in Canada. The album underlined its ambitiousness: Many of its songs were heavily orchestrated, and some even featured Davies and Hodgson singing in dialogue, such as the 1975 UK Top 20 single "Dreamer". US listeners preferred its B-side, "Bloody Well Right", which hit the US Top 40 in May 1975 and would be their only hit in the country for more than two years. Most of the band have said they feel they hit their artistic peak on this album,[citation needed] though their greatest commercial success would come later.
With a hit album under their belt, pressures on the band increased, and the followup Crisis? What Crisis? had to be recorded in the few months between two scheduled concert tours. As a consequence, most of the material consisted of leftover songs from Crime of the Century, and decades later the band would continue to regard the album as one of their worst moments.Despite Supertramp's own misgivings, the album was well received by critics, and when released in November 1975, it broke both the UK Top Twenty and the USA Top Fifty in spite of its singles all being commercial flops.
The following album, Even in the Quietest Moments..., released in April 1977, spawned a hit single with "Give a Little Bit" (no. 15 US, no. 29 UK). As usual, the popularity of the album itself eclipsed that of its singles, and Even in the Quietest Moments... hit no. 16 in the USA and no. 12 in the UK. During this period, the band eventually relocated to the United States.
1979–88: Superstardom
The band's switch to a more pop-oriented approach peaked with their most popular album, Breakfast in America, released in March 1979, which reached number 3 in the UK and number 1 in the United States and Canada and spawned four successful singles (more than their first five albums combined): "The Logical Song" (no. 6 U.S., no. 7 U.K.), "Goodbye Stranger" (no. 15 U.S., no. 57 U.K.), "Take the Long Way Home" (no. 10 U.S.), and "Breakfast in America" (no. 9 U.K.). In March 1979, the group embarked on a 10 month 120 date tour for Breakfast In America that required 52 tons of gear, 10 miles of cable, $5 million worth of equipment and a 40 man crew.[citation needed] The tour broke all previous concert attendance records in Europe and Canada. Upon this tour's conclusion, the exhausted band members decided to take a rest from touring and recording for a while, though the band remained ongoing.
This run of successes was capped with 1980's Paris, a 2-LP live album recorded mostly at the Pavillon de Paris.It broke the top ten in both the USA and UK. The live version of "Dreamer" was released as a single in the U.S., where it reached no.15, even though the studio version had failed to even chart there.
At this point, Hodgson moved his family from the Los Angeles area to the mountains of northern California where he built a home and studio and focused on his family and spiritual life, while recording a solo album, Sleeping with the Enemy, which would never be released. This geographic separation widened the rift between him and the rest of the group; during the conceptualization and recording of their next album, ...Famous Last Words..., Davies and Hodgson found far greater difficulty in reconciling their musical ideas than they had before, and it was apparent to the rest of the band that Hodgson wanted out....Famous Last Words... was released in 1982, and scored two more hits with "It's Raining Again" and "My Kind of Lady". It peaked at no.5 in the USA and no. 6 in the UK. A worldwide tour followed in 1983, during which Hodgson announced he would not be continuing with the band. Hodgson has stated that his departure was motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family and make solo recordings, and that there were never any real personal or professional problems between him and Davies, as some people thought
The Davies-led Supertramp soldiered on to continued success, releasing Brother Where You Bound in 1985. The album was a deliberate step away from the pop approach of their last two studio albums, and reached no. 20 in the UK charts and no. 21 in the US charts. It included the Top 30 hit single "Cannonball", along with the title track, a 16-minute exposition on Cold War themes highlighted by guitar solos from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
1987's Free as a Bird experimented in heavily synthesised music, such as "I'm Beggin' You", which reached number 1 on the US dance charts.The stylistic change was generally not well-received, however, and the album itself reached only no. 93 in the UK and 101 in the USA, breaking a streak of seven consecutive top 100 efforts on the American charts.
In addition to their shift towards less commercially-oriented material, the band members decided to drop all of Hodgson's compositions from their setlist in order to further establish an identity separate from Hodgson. However, audiences were angered by the omissions of these songs, and though Supertramp toured again in 1985 using only Davies's compositions, in 1988 the pressure of their first Brazilian tour drove them to reintroduce a handful of Hodgson-penned hits to their set.
After 1988's tour, the group fragmented. Davies later explained, "We'd been out there for about 20 years just recording and touring and it seemed time to have a break with no ideas as to if or when we would come back. We decided not to actually say anything, just sort of fade away like an old soldier."
1996–2009: Later years
In 1996 Davies re-formed Supertramp with Helliwell, Siebenberg and guitarist/vocalist Mark Hart, who was new to the official lineup but had prominently contributed to Free as a Bird and its supporting tour. Four new members were added as well, bringing the band up to an eight-man lineup.The result of this reunion was Some Things Never Change, an album that echoed the earlier Supertramp sound, released in March 1997. It reached no. 74 in the UK.
In the summer of 1997, Supertramp returned to the road, resulting in the live It Was the Best of Times (1999), followed by Slow Motion in April 2002 and a 2002 worldwide tour, after which the band went inactive once again. Another attempt to bring Hodgson back into the band failed in 2005.
Supertramp continued to play several Hodgson-penned songs during live shows following their reunion. Hodgson subsequently claimed that the band's explanation for dropping his compositions from their setlist back in 1983 is a lie, and that the real reason was that he and Davies made a verbal agreement that they would not play those songs. Davies has never publicly alluded to such an agreement, and former member Dougie Thomson has commented "Nobody except Rick and Roger were privy to that conversation. Rick and Roger had several dialogues that no one else was privy to. Again, that's hearsay."
In 2008 it was announced that Supertramp's music would be featured in the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.In 2009 Hodgson said he could not see a Supertramp reunion ever happening: "We've looked at it and talked it over... I would never say never but Rick [Davies] has pretty much retired right now and I'm in the prime of my life. The reaction I am getting from fans is 'please don’t reunite'."
2010–present: Re-formation
Supertramp 2010. L-R: Cliff Hugo, Rick Davies, Bob Siebenberg, John Helliwell, Gabe Dixon, and Carl Verheyen
On 21 April 2010 it was announced that Supertramp would give 35 concerts in late 2010. Dates were announced for concerts in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, France and other European countries. This tour called "70-10" was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the group's first release.
Roger Hodgson embarked on a solo 2010 tour to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe, Canada, and the US, and thus was unable to rejoin the band for the 70-10 tour. However, in response to a fan campaign, Hodgson sent a letter to Rick Davies and had his manager send one to Davies' management, offering to join them for select dates during gaps in his tour schedule.Davies did not reply, but his agents notified Hodgson that his offer was declined.
In 2011 both Hodgson and Supertramp continued to tour separately. When asked whether Roger Hodgson might appear on some of the 2011 dates Davies replied, "I know there are some fans out there who would like that to happen. There was a time when I had hoped for that too. But the recent past makes that impossible. In order to play a great show for our fans, you need harmony, both musically and personally. Unfortunately that doesn’t exist between us any more and I would rather not destroy memories of more harmonious times between all of us.
Current members
Rick Davies – vocals, keyboards, harmonica, composition, melodica (1969–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
Bob Siebenberg – drums, percussion (1973–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
John Helliwell – woodwinds, keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
Carl Verheyen – guitars, percussion, backing vocals (1996–2002, 2010–present; touring musician: 1985-1986)
Cliff Hugo – bass (1996–2002, 2010–present)
Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet, keyboards, backing vocals (1996–2002, 2010–present)
Jesse Siebenberg – vocals, guitars, percussion (1997-2002, 2010-present), keyboards (2010–present)
Gabe Dixon – keyboards, tambourine, vocals (2010–present)
Discography
Supertramp (1970)
Indelibly Stamped (1971)
Crime of the Century (1974)
Crisis? What Crisis? (1975)
Even in the Quietest Moments... (1977)
Breakfast in America (1979)
...Famous Last Words... (1982)
Brother Where You Bound (1985)
Free as a Bird (1987)
Some Things Never Change (1997)
Slow Motion (2002)
Music in their early period consisted of ambitious concept albums, but they are best known for their pop-influenced tracks such as "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit"," Goodbye Stranger", and "The Logical Song", among others. Going for an arena-friendly sound in the 70s and 80s, they achieved the same sort of vibe as contemporaries Asia, Boston, Styx, and so on. The band's name was taken from W.H. Davies' 1908 novel The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp.
Their 'golden era' albums 'Crime of the Century' (1974) and 'Even in the Quietest Moments' (1977) were both notably produced by former Beatles producer Ken Scott. Their 1979 album 'Breakfast in America' also reached number one on the Billboard album charts (number three in the U.K. as well) and was certified platinum four times by the RIAA.
A more thorough Bio:
Supertramp are an English rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming themselves in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock, pop and art rock into their music. The band's work is marked by the songwriting of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, the voice of Hodgson, and the use of Wurlitzer electric piano and saxophone in their songs.
While the band's early work was mainstream progressive rock, they would enjoy greater critical and commercial success when they incorporated more conventional and radio-friendly elements into their work in the mid-1970s, going on to sell more than 60 million albums. They reached their peak of commercial success with 1979's Breakfast in America, which has sold more than 20 million copies.
Though their albums were generally far more successful than their singles. Supertramp did enjoy a number of major hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including "Bloody Well Right", "Give a Little Bit", "The Logical Song", "Goodbye Stranger", "Take the Long Way Home", "Dreamer", "Breakfast in America", "It's Raining Again", and "Cannonball". The band attained significant popularity in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Since Hodgson's departure in 1983, founder Rick Davies has led the band by himself.
1969–72: Early years
In 1969 Stanley 'Sam' August Miesegaes, a Dutch millionaire, became disappointed with, then dropped, The Joint, the band he was financially supporting. He offered Swindon-born keyboardist Rick Davies, whose talent he felt had been "bogged down" by the group,an opportunity to form his own band, again with Miesegaes's financial backing. Davies assembled Roger Hodgson (bass and vocals), Richard Palmer (guitars), and Keith Baker (percussion) after placing an advertisement in the weekly music newspaper, Melody Maker.
Davies and Hodgson had radically different backgrounds and musical inspirations: Davies was working class and fiercely devoted to blues and jazz, while Hodgson had gone straight from private school to the music business and was fond of pop and psychedelia. Despite this, they hit it off during the auditions and began writing virtually all of their songs together, with Palmer as a third writer in the mix. Since none of the other band members was willing, Palmer penned all their lyrics.
The group initially dubbed themselves Daddy. Baker was almost immediately replaced by former stage actor Robert Millar, and after several months of rehearsal at a country house in West Hythe, Kent, the band flew to Munich for a series of concerts at the P. N. Club.One 10 minute performance there of "All Along The Watchtower" was filmed by Haro Senft (Supertramp Portrait 1970).The rehearsals had been less than productive, and their initial repertoire consisted of only four songs, two of which were covers.[15] To avoid confusion with the similarly named Daddy Longlegs,the band changed its name to "Supertramp", a moniker inspired by The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp by William Henry Davies.
Supertramp Mark II. L-R:
Roger Hodgson, Frank Farrell, Rick Davies, Kevin Currie, and Dave Winthrop.
Supertramp were one of the first groups to be signed to the UK branch of A&M Records and their first album, Supertramp, was released on 14 July 1970 in the UK and Canada (it would not be issued in the US until late 1977). Stylistically, the album was fairly typical of progressive rock of the era and Supertramp's sound bore obvious similarity to their British progressive rock predecessor Cressida.Despite receiving a good deal of critical praise, the album did not attract a large audience.
Dave Winthrop (flute and saxophone) joined the group after the release of the first record and soon after Supertramp performed at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. The membership continued to change in the six months following the album's release; Palmer left the band due to personality conflicts with Davies and Hodgson, followed by Millar, who had suffered a nervous breakdown following a disastrous tour of Norway.
For the next album, Indelibly Stamped, released in June 1971 in both the UK and US, Frank Farrell (bass) and Kevin Currie (percussion) replaced Palmer and Millar, while Hodgson switched to guitar and Davies served as a second lead singer. With Palmer's departure, Hodgson and Davies wrote the lyrics for this and the band's subsequent albums. The record sold even less than their debut.[9] In the aftermath, all members gradually quit except Hodgson and Davies,[18] and Miesegaes withdrew his financial support in October 1972.
1973–78: Initial success and commercial breakthrough[edit]
A search for new members brought aboard Dougie Thomson (bass), who had done stand-in gigs with the band for almost a year before auditions resumed. In 1973, auditions restarted and introduced Bob Siebenberg (initially credited as Bob C. Benberg; drums & percussion) and John Helliwell (saxophone, other woodwinds, occasional keyboards, backing vocals), completing the line-up. Hodgson would also begin playing keyboards (particularly the Wurlitzer electric piano) in the band in addition to guitar.[18] This lineup of Supertramp would remain in place for the next ten years.
Meanwhile, the bond between Davies and Hodgson had begun weakening. In July 1972 Hodgson had tried LSD for the first time, and offered some to Davies, who declined. Writing to Miesegaes in November 1972, Hodgson described taking LSD as "the happiest day of my life" and expressed his anxiety that Davies would not take it. He would later describe this divergence in their experiences as the root of the rift between them. Over Supertramp's history, their relationship would be amicable but increasingly distant as their lifestyles and musical inclinations saw less and less overlap. Their songwriting partnership gradually dissolved; though all of Supertramp's songs would continue to be officially credited as "written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson", most of them were written by Davies or Hodgson individually.
Supertramp needed a hit record to continue working, and finally got one with Crime of the Century. Released in September 1974, it began the group's run of critical and commercial successes, hitting number 4 in Britain, number 38 in the USA, and number 1 in Canada. The album underlined its ambitiousness: Many of its songs were heavily orchestrated, and some even featured Davies and Hodgson singing in dialogue, such as the 1975 UK Top 20 single "Dreamer". US listeners preferred its B-side, "Bloody Well Right", which hit the US Top 40 in May 1975 and would be their only hit in the country for more than two years. Most of the band have said they feel they hit their artistic peak on this album,[citation needed] though their greatest commercial success would come later.
With a hit album under their belt, pressures on the band increased, and the followup Crisis? What Crisis? had to be recorded in the few months between two scheduled concert tours. As a consequence, most of the material consisted of leftover songs from Crime of the Century, and decades later the band would continue to regard the album as one of their worst moments.Despite Supertramp's own misgivings, the album was well received by critics, and when released in November 1975, it broke both the UK Top Twenty and the USA Top Fifty in spite of its singles all being commercial flops.
The following album, Even in the Quietest Moments..., released in April 1977, spawned a hit single with "Give a Little Bit" (no. 15 US, no. 29 UK). As usual, the popularity of the album itself eclipsed that of its singles, and Even in the Quietest Moments... hit no. 16 in the USA and no. 12 in the UK. During this period, the band eventually relocated to the United States.
1979–88: Superstardom
The band's switch to a more pop-oriented approach peaked with their most popular album, Breakfast in America, released in March 1979, which reached number 3 in the UK and number 1 in the United States and Canada and spawned four successful singles (more than their first five albums combined): "The Logical Song" (no. 6 U.S., no. 7 U.K.), "Goodbye Stranger" (no. 15 U.S., no. 57 U.K.), "Take the Long Way Home" (no. 10 U.S.), and "Breakfast in America" (no. 9 U.K.). In March 1979, the group embarked on a 10 month 120 date tour for Breakfast In America that required 52 tons of gear, 10 miles of cable, $5 million worth of equipment and a 40 man crew.[citation needed] The tour broke all previous concert attendance records in Europe and Canada. Upon this tour's conclusion, the exhausted band members decided to take a rest from touring and recording for a while, though the band remained ongoing.
This run of successes was capped with 1980's Paris, a 2-LP live album recorded mostly at the Pavillon de Paris.It broke the top ten in both the USA and UK. The live version of "Dreamer" was released as a single in the U.S., where it reached no.15, even though the studio version had failed to even chart there.
At this point, Hodgson moved his family from the Los Angeles area to the mountains of northern California where he built a home and studio and focused on his family and spiritual life, while recording a solo album, Sleeping with the Enemy, which would never be released. This geographic separation widened the rift between him and the rest of the group; during the conceptualization and recording of their next album, ...Famous Last Words..., Davies and Hodgson found far greater difficulty in reconciling their musical ideas than they had before, and it was apparent to the rest of the band that Hodgson wanted out....Famous Last Words... was released in 1982, and scored two more hits with "It's Raining Again" and "My Kind of Lady". It peaked at no.5 in the USA and no. 6 in the UK. A worldwide tour followed in 1983, during which Hodgson announced he would not be continuing with the band. Hodgson has stated that his departure was motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family and make solo recordings, and that there were never any real personal or professional problems between him and Davies, as some people thought
The Davies-led Supertramp soldiered on to continued success, releasing Brother Where You Bound in 1985. The album was a deliberate step away from the pop approach of their last two studio albums, and reached no. 20 in the UK charts and no. 21 in the US charts. It included the Top 30 hit single "Cannonball", along with the title track, a 16-minute exposition on Cold War themes highlighted by guitar solos from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
1987's Free as a Bird experimented in heavily synthesised music, such as "I'm Beggin' You", which reached number 1 on the US dance charts.The stylistic change was generally not well-received, however, and the album itself reached only no. 93 in the UK and 101 in the USA, breaking a streak of seven consecutive top 100 efforts on the American charts.
In addition to their shift towards less commercially-oriented material, the band members decided to drop all of Hodgson's compositions from their setlist in order to further establish an identity separate from Hodgson. However, audiences were angered by the omissions of these songs, and though Supertramp toured again in 1985 using only Davies's compositions, in 1988 the pressure of their first Brazilian tour drove them to reintroduce a handful of Hodgson-penned hits to their set.
After 1988's tour, the group fragmented. Davies later explained, "We'd been out there for about 20 years just recording and touring and it seemed time to have a break with no ideas as to if or when we would come back. We decided not to actually say anything, just sort of fade away like an old soldier."
1996–2009: Later years
In 1996 Davies re-formed Supertramp with Helliwell, Siebenberg and guitarist/vocalist Mark Hart, who was new to the official lineup but had prominently contributed to Free as a Bird and its supporting tour. Four new members were added as well, bringing the band up to an eight-man lineup.The result of this reunion was Some Things Never Change, an album that echoed the earlier Supertramp sound, released in March 1997. It reached no. 74 in the UK.
In the summer of 1997, Supertramp returned to the road, resulting in the live It Was the Best of Times (1999), followed by Slow Motion in April 2002 and a 2002 worldwide tour, after which the band went inactive once again. Another attempt to bring Hodgson back into the band failed in 2005.
Supertramp continued to play several Hodgson-penned songs during live shows following their reunion. Hodgson subsequently claimed that the band's explanation for dropping his compositions from their setlist back in 1983 is a lie, and that the real reason was that he and Davies made a verbal agreement that they would not play those songs. Davies has never publicly alluded to such an agreement, and former member Dougie Thomson has commented "Nobody except Rick and Roger were privy to that conversation. Rick and Roger had several dialogues that no one else was privy to. Again, that's hearsay."
In 2008 it was announced that Supertramp's music would be featured in the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.In 2009 Hodgson said he could not see a Supertramp reunion ever happening: "We've looked at it and talked it over... I would never say never but Rick [Davies] has pretty much retired right now and I'm in the prime of my life. The reaction I am getting from fans is 'please don’t reunite'."
2010–present: Re-formation
Supertramp 2010. L-R: Cliff Hugo, Rick Davies, Bob Siebenberg, John Helliwell, Gabe Dixon, and Carl Verheyen
On 21 April 2010 it was announced that Supertramp would give 35 concerts in late 2010. Dates were announced for concerts in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, France and other European countries. This tour called "70-10" was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the group's first release.
Roger Hodgson embarked on a solo 2010 tour to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe, Canada, and the US, and thus was unable to rejoin the band for the 70-10 tour. However, in response to a fan campaign, Hodgson sent a letter to Rick Davies and had his manager send one to Davies' management, offering to join them for select dates during gaps in his tour schedule.Davies did not reply, but his agents notified Hodgson that his offer was declined.
In 2011 both Hodgson and Supertramp continued to tour separately. When asked whether Roger Hodgson might appear on some of the 2011 dates Davies replied, "I know there are some fans out there who would like that to happen. There was a time when I had hoped for that too. But the recent past makes that impossible. In order to play a great show for our fans, you need harmony, both musically and personally. Unfortunately that doesn’t exist between us any more and I would rather not destroy memories of more harmonious times between all of us.
Current members
Rick Davies – vocals, keyboards, harmonica, composition, melodica (1969–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
Bob Siebenberg – drums, percussion (1973–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
John Helliwell – woodwinds, keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
Carl Verheyen – guitars, percussion, backing vocals (1996–2002, 2010–present; touring musician: 1985-1986)
Cliff Hugo – bass (1996–2002, 2010–present)
Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet, keyboards, backing vocals (1996–2002, 2010–present)
Jesse Siebenberg – vocals, guitars, percussion (1997-2002, 2010-present), keyboards (2010–present)
Gabe Dixon – keyboards, tambourine, vocals (2010–present)
Discography
Supertramp (1970)
Indelibly Stamped (1971)
Crime of the Century (1974)
Crisis? What Crisis? (1975)
Even in the Quietest Moments... (1977)
Breakfast in America (1979)
...Famous Last Words... (1982)
Brother Where You Bound (1985)
Free as a Bird (1987)
Some Things Never Change (1997)
Slow Motion (2002)
Hide in Your Shell
Supertramp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hide in your shell, 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride
What will you gain, making your life a little longer?
Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave you eyes of steel?
Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker
Too frightening to listen to a stranger
Too beautiful to put your pride in danger
You're waiting for someone to understand you
But you've got demons in your closet (you've got demons in your closet)
And you're screaming out to stop it (and you're screaming out to stop it)
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Don't let the tears linger on inside now
'Cause it's sure time you gained control
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
Well let me show you the nearest signpost
To get your heart back and on the road
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
All through the night as you lie awake and hold yourself so tight
What do you need, a second hand movie star to tend you?
I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?
Too frightening the fire's becoming colder
Too beautiful to think you're getting older
You're looking for someone to give an answer
But what you see is just illusion (what you see is just illusion)
You're surrounded by confusion (you're surrounded by confusion)
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Don't let the tears linger on inside now
'Cause it's sure time you gained control
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
Well let me show you the nearest signpost
To get your heart back and on the road
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
I wanna know, I wanna know,
I wanna know, I've got to know
I wanna know you, I wanna know you,
Well let me know you, I wanna feel you
Oh, I wanna touch you,
Please let me near you, let me near you
Can you hear what I'm sayin'?
Well I'm hopin', I'm dreamin', I'm prayin'
And I know what you're thinkin'
See what you're seein'
Never, ever let yourself go
Hold yourself down, hold yourself down
Why don't ya hold yourself down?
Why don't you listen, you can trust me (So what you gonna take him to?)
Oh there's a place I know the way to (So what you gonna make him do?)
A place there is no need to (So what's he gonna)
To feel you (So what's he gonna)
To feel that you're not alone (So what's he gonna do?)
Oh won't you hear me? (So what you gonna take him to? )
I know exactly what you're feelin' (So what you gonna make him do?)
'Cause all your troubles are within you (So what's he gonna)
So begin to (So what's he gonna)
To see that I'm just bleeding too (So what's he gonna do?)
Love me love you, love is the way to (So what you gonna take him to?)
Help me help you (So what you gonna make him do?)
Why must we be so cool? (So what's he gonna)
Oh so cruel? (So what's he gonna)
Oh, we're such damn fools (So what's he gonna do?)
(So what you gonna take him to?)
(So what you gonna make him do?)
(So what's he gonna)
(So what's he gonna)
(So what's he gonna do?)
What will you gain, making your life a little longer?
Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave you eyes of steel?
Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker
Too frightening to listen to a stranger
Too beautiful to put your pride in danger
You're waiting for someone to understand you
And you're screaming out to stop it (and you're screaming out to stop it)
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Don't let the tears linger on inside now
'Cause it's sure time you gained control
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
Well let me show you the nearest signpost
To get your heart back and on the road
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
All through the night as you lie awake and hold yourself so tight
What do you need, a second hand movie star to tend you?
I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?
Too frightening the fire's becoming colder
Too beautiful to think you're getting older
You're looking for someone to give an answer
But what you see is just illusion (what you see is just illusion)
You're surrounded by confusion (you're surrounded by confusion)
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Don't let the tears linger on inside now
'Cause it's sure time you gained control
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
Well let me show you the nearest signpost
To get your heart back and on the road
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
I wanna know, I wanna know,
I wanna know, I've got to know
I wanna know you, I wanna know you,
Well let me know you, I wanna feel you
Oh, I wanna touch you,
Please let me near you, let me near you
Can you hear what I'm sayin'?
Well I'm hopin', I'm dreamin', I'm prayin'
And I know what you're thinkin'
See what you're seein'
Never, ever let yourself go
Hold yourself down, hold yourself down
Why don't ya hold yourself down?
Why don't you listen, you can trust me (So what you gonna take him to?)
Oh there's a place I know the way to (So what you gonna make him do?)
A place there is no need to (So what's he gonna)
To feel you (So what's he gonna)
To feel that you're not alone (So what's he gonna do?)
Oh won't you hear me? (So what you gonna take him to? )
I know exactly what you're feelin' (So what you gonna make him do?)
'Cause all your troubles are within you (So what's he gonna)
So begin to (So what's he gonna)
To see that I'm just bleeding too (So what's he gonna do?)
Love me love you, love is the way to (So what you gonna take him to?)
Help me help you (So what you gonna make him do?)
Why must we be so cool? (So what's he gonna)
Oh so cruel? (So what's he gonna)
Oh, we're such damn fools (So what's he gonna do?)
(So what you gonna take him to?)
(So what you gonna make him do?)
(So what's he gonna)
(So what's he gonna)
(So what's he gonna do?)
'Hide in Your Shell' is a song by Supertramp that explores feelings of isolation, anxiety, and confusion. The lyrics begin by warning the listener against the dangers of a harsh world that can hurt and deceive them. The singer urges the listener to take control of their life and not let their tears linger on, but to grab onto what they can scramble for. Amidst this vulnerable plea for help, the singer assures the listener that they are not alone and offers to show them the nearest signpost to get their heart back on the road.
The song speaks to the pervasive feeling of being misunderstood and of not having anyone to talk to. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that as they lie awake at night holding themselves tightly, they are looking for answers and someone to understand them. However, they are surrounded by confusion and illusion, which leaves them feeling increasingly isolated. The singer again offers to help, to know the listener, to feel them, and to touch them, in the hopes of alleviating their pain.
Overall, 'Hide in Your Shell' is a call for empathy and connection with those who may be struggling silently. It acknowledges that life can be difficult and that people can feel alone, but offers hope that through connection and understanding, we can help each other find our way back to the road.
Line by Line Meaning
Hide in your shell, 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride
Retreat from the world because it will exploit and take advantage of you.
What will you gain, making your life a little longer?
What is the point of prolonging your life?
Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave you eyes of steel?
Did a difficult journey make you hardened and cynical?
Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker
Hide behind your facade and pretend to be carefree.
Too frightening to listen to a stranger
It is scary to trust someone you do not know.
Too beautiful to put your pride in danger
You are too proud to let your guard down and be vulnerable.
You're waiting for someone to understand you
You are hoping for someone to empathize with you.
But you've got demons in your closet (you've got demons in your closet)
You have unresolved issues and personal struggles.
And you're screaming out to stop it (and you're screaming out to stop it)
You are pleading for things to get better.
Saying life's begun to cheat you
You feel like life is treating you unfairly.
Friends are out to beat you
Your friends may be taking advantage of you.
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Hold on to whatever scraps you can get.
Don't let the tears linger on inside now
Do not hold on to your sadness.
'Cause it's sure time you gained control
It is time to take charge of your life.
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can be of assistance to you,
Just let me know
Please tell me.
Well let me show you the nearest signpost
Let me guide you in the right direction.
To get your heart back and on the road
To mend your emotional wounds and get back on track.
All through the night as you lie awake and hold yourself so tight
As you lay awake at night, holding yourself tightly.
What do you need, a second hand movie star to tend you?
Do you need someone famous to care for you?
I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
As a child, I thought that love was the solution to all problems.
How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?
What would it be like if you could have my perspective?
Too frightening the fire's becoming colder
The passion is fading and becoming less intense.
Too beautiful to think you're getting older
You are too attractive to acknowledge aging.
You're looking for someone to give an answer
You are searching for someone to provide a solution.
But what you see is just illusion (what you see is just illusion)
What you believe is not real.
You're surrounded by confusion (you're surrounded by confusion)
You are enveloped in chaos and disarray.
I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know, I've got to know
I am curious and eager to find out.
I wanna know you, I wanna know you, Well let me know you, I wanna feel you
I want to understand you and empathize with you.
Oh, I wanna touch you, Please let me near you, let me near you
I want to comfort you and be close to you.
Can you hear what I'm sayin'?
Are you listening to me?
Well I'm hopin', I'm dreamin', I'm prayin'
I have hope, dreams, and prayers.
And I know what you're thinkin'
I understand what you are thinking.
See what you're seein'
I see what you see.
Never, ever let yourself go
Do not give up on yourself.
Hold yourself down, hold yourself down
Stay grounded and level-headed.
Why don't ya hold yourself down?
Why not remain calm and in control?
Why don't you listen, you can trust me
Why not listen to me, you can rely on me.
Oh there's a place I know the way to
I know a place that I can guide you to.
A place there is no need to
A place where there is no need to be worried.
Oh so cruel?
Why so harsh?
Oh, we're such damn fools
We are foolish and stupid.
(So what you gonna take him to?)
(Where will you bring him?)
(So what you gonna make him do?)
(What will you have him do?)
(So what's he gonna)
(What will he do?)
(So what's he gonna do?)
(What will he do?)
(So what's he gonna)
(What will he do?)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RICHARD DAVIES, ROGER HODGSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@kplkpl8526
My girlfriend bought me this album in a cassette for my car and I played it relentlessly. It was the first thing she ever bought me. We have our 40th wedding anniversary very soon.
@davidrhodes7655
That's beautiful my friend I'm so happy love still exists
@carlhartley4327
❤
@bluebird3042
That's beautiful 😍 💕
@josefuentes7310
Que recuerdos es alucinante la abre escuchado más de 1000 veces y con 60 años que tengo todavía me pone los pelos de punta empecé a escucharla a los 14 años y todavía me emociona que grande supertramp
@Purist-dc4vk
Thanks for reminding me how I only got 11 years with my spouse buddy. I am so sick and tired of hearing people brag about their 20 to 40 years with their spouses. Yes I am very bitter about it. God is EVIL and cruel! This is how unfair my whole entire life has ever been. I have lost everything that ever meant anything to me!
@Savahax
Best song ever written. Let's not kid ourselves.
@blairflairontheair2574
One of the most amazing tunes of supertramp. I had to hide in my shell from abuse and this song has protected me all my life
@slyspy9819
I hope you emerged a better person with resilience
@slyspy9819
@@Dorkwarasylumpt1sequelworth I hear ya