Song:Dreamer
Album:Crime Of The Century
The British group Supertramp were one of the most popular bands of the 70s. They started out as a Pink Floyd influenced progressive rock band but didn't have much success until they went in a pop direction. Supertramp started in 1969 when Dutch millionaire Stanley August Miesagaes hired drummer Rick Davies (born July 22, 1944 in Eastcott Hill, England) to put an ad in Melody Maker Magazine and put a band together. He found vocalist guitarist keyboardist Roger Hodgson (born Mar. 21, 1950 in Portsmouth, England) along with guitarist Richard Palmer and percussionist Robert Millar. They signed with A & M Records. Their first two albums didn't sell and they started to have problems with Palmer & Millar. They were replaced but the replacements didn't help and Miesagaes withdrew his support. The early Supertramp albums have a cult following but Davies & Hodgson wanted more commercial success. They held auditions and hired bassist Dougie Thomson, drummer Bob Siebenberg and sax player John Helliwell. The 1974 album Crime Of The Century was the breakthrough they were looking for and the album reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 200. It's not their most popular album as 1979's Breakfast In America was much bigger but I think Crime Of The Century is their best album. Like most Supertramp songs, Dreamer was written by Davies & Hodgson. It became a hit in 1980 when it was released as a single from the live album In Paris. Supertramp continued to have success until Hodgson left in 1983 because his wife didn't get along with Davies' wife. Hodgson has recorded solo and Davies continued to lead Supertramp until they split up in 2005. Here's Supertramp performing Dreamer on The Old Grey Whistle Test 1974.
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