Supertramp
Biography Supertramp
Supertramp
Once upon a time in 1969, a young Dutch millionaire by the name of Stanley August Miesegaes gave his acquaintance, vocalist and keyboardist Rick Davies a genuine opportunity to form his own band; he could form the band of his dreams and Miesegaes would pay for it. After placing an ad in Melody Maker, Davies assembled Supertramp.
Supertramp released two long-winded progressive rock albums before Miesegaes withdrew his support. With no money or fan base to speak of, the band was forced to redesign their sound. Coming up with a more pop-oriented form of progressive rock, the band had a hit with their third album, Crime of the Century. Throughout the decade, Supertramp had a number of best-selling albums, culminating in their 1979 masterpiece, Breakfast in America.
Breakfast in America marked their first album that tipped the scale completely in the favor of pop songs; on the strength of the hit singles Goodbye Stranger, Logical Song, and Take the Long Way Home it sold over 18 million copies worldwide. After that album, Supertramp continued to develop a more R&B-flavored style; the change in direction was successful on 1982's Famous Last Words, but they soon ran out of hits. The band continued to sporadically record and tour into the '90s. (Source: Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide)
