Supertramp

Supertramp info & bio

Supertramp were a unique and influential British rock band that formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that showcased Hodgson's distinctive playing on his Wurlitzer electric piano. The classic lineup, which lasted ten years from 1973 to 1983, comprised Davies, Hodgson, Dougie Thomson (bass), Bob Siebenberg (drums) and John Helliwell (saxophone), after which the group's lineup changed numerous times, with Davies eventually becoming the only constant member throughout its history.

The group found no success with their first two albums, but after a lineup change into what became their classic lineup, their third album, Crime of the Century, (1974) broke through for them. Initially a more experimental prog-rock group, they began moving towards a more pop-oriented sound with the album. The band reached their commercial peak with 1979's Breakfast in America, which yielded the international top 10 singles "The Logical Song", "Breakfast in America", "Goodbye Stranger" and "Take the Long Way Home". Their other top 40 hits included "Dreamer" (1974), "Give a Little Bit" (1977) and "It's Raining Again" (1982).

In 1982 the band released ...Famous Last Words... the last album to feature Hodgson, who left the group in 1983 to pursue a solo career. The band continued with Davies as the sole leader and released two albums until 1988, after which they disbanded and periodically reformed in various configurations, touring with two further albums, Some Things Never Change (1997) and Slow Motion (2002) resulting from these.

They attained significant popularity in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Their highest sales levels were in Canada, where they had two diamond-certified (ten-times platinum) albums (Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America), and their only number 1 singles anywhere ("The Logical Song" and "Dreamer"). As of 2007, Supertramp album sales exceeded 60 million.