Songoftheday 6/1/12 - Made myself a prisoner, locked myself away...

Foreigner - "Break It Up"

from the album 4 (1981)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #26 (two weeks)

Weeks in the top-40: 6

Today's Song of the Day is by the bi-national arena-rock group Foreigner. Formed in the late 70's with both English members like guitarist/songwrtier Mick Jones and Americans like singer Lou Gramm, the groups over-the-top rock crunch with pop sensibility had scored them five top-10 hits up to 1982, including the classic "Waiting For A Girl Like You", which spent ten weeks at the #2 position. That hit was the second from the band's fourth album, 4, and the fourth top-40 hit from that album was "Break It Up", a straightforward rock number that was my favorite from that LP. It helped make that disc the group's sole #1 album and most consistent one at that.

Oddly enough, the song never made the rock chart itself on Billboard, though the band would rectify that in a couple years with their biggest hit ever, the #1 pop and rock "I Want To Know What Love Is". Singer Lou Gramm went on to a solo career in the late 80s, but the band under Jones trods on at fairs and festivals nationwide.

"Break It Up" was remade by Norwegian metal singer Jorn Lande in 2000...

Up tomorrow: Jazz Fusion leader helps you remember.