On June 3, 1997, Epic Records released the Greatest Hits of one of the most popular and influential bands of the rock era: Boston. This 16-track anthology includes not only Boston's best-known and best-loved songs, but also three brand-new Boston songs recorded and produced by group founder, guitarist and composer Tom Scholz.
Boston was founded by Tom Scholz, an MIT-trained engineer and senior product designer for Polaroid whose home demo tapes led to the formation of the band and their signing to Epic Records.
Released in the fall of 1976, the group's Epic debut album Boston peaked at No. 3 but remained on the Billboard Pop Albums chart for more than two and a half years. Two decades later, Boston still holds the RIAA record as the best-selling debut album of all time. (The album was recently certified 16X platinum in the US.) Boston spun off the Top 5 single, "More Than A Feeling," and two additional hits, "Long Time" (No. 22) and "Peace Of Mind" (No. 38).
The Rolling Stone Album Guide states: "Boston's soaring combination of high-tech metal guitar punch and smooth pop vocal hooks quickly became the cornerstone of Album Oriented Radio. But as slick as it sounds, 'More Than A Feeling' also strikes an un-commonly resonant emotional note."
Two years later, Boston released its second Epic album, Don't Look Back. This No. 1 album includes the No. 4 title single and two other hits, "A Man I'll Never Be" and "Feelin' Satisfied". Following the recording of Don't Look Back (now certified 7X platinum), Tom Scholz invented a new type of guitar mini-amplifier. He dubbed it "The Rockman" and successfully marketed this and other sonic inventions through his own company, Scholz Research & Devel-opment.
Boston released their next album, Third Stage, in October, 1986 on MCA. Featuring Tom Scholz and Brad Delp, Third Stage topped the Billboard chart for four straight weeks. With sales of over four million copies. Third Stage produced the No. 1 single "Amanda" and the follow-up hits "We're Ready" (No. 9) and "Can'tcha Say (You Believe In Me)/Still In Love" (No. 20). In June 1994, Boston released a second MCA album, Walk On, which was quickly certified platinum.
Boston's Greatest Hits includes the hit singles "More Than A Feeling," "Feelin' Satisfied," "A Man I'll Never Be," "Long Time," "Peace of Mind," and "Amanda." Also featured are the classic album tracks "Rock & Roll Band" and "Smokin'," from Boston; "Party," from Don't Look Back; "Cool The Engines," from Third Stage; and "Livin' For You," from Walk On. But it is the three new recordings which will be of greatest significance to the band's long-time fans. "Tell Me," Greatest Hits' opening track, is a memorable and melodic ballad, written by Tom Scholz. It is followed by the Scholz/David Sikes composition "Higher Power," a potent rocker which takes addiction and recovery as its lyrical subject and features the signature voice of Brad Delp along with newcomer Fran Cosmo. The third new track is a storming instrumental medley of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Scholz's own "4th Of July Reprise."
On July 1, 1997, Boston will begin a major headlining tour encompassing 40+ cities across North America. The personnel for the tour is Tom Scholz (guitar, keyboards, pipe organ, vocals), Brad Delp (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Fran Cosmo (vocals, guitar), Gary Pihl (guitar, keyboards, vocals), David Sikes (bass, vocals), Curly Smith (drums, harmon- ica, vocals).
