FSOTD #40/Headknocker (1977)

After dining and much wining this past Saturday night, up from the iPod came my favorite Foreigner tune and today's FSOTD.  "Headknocker" is a short, straight-forward rocker from the band's 1977 debut album Foreigner.  By a wide margin, it's my favorite Foreigner song.  

Dig these opening lyrics:   "He drives a '57 coupe, walks with a stoop, swears James Dean isn't dead.  He's a dedicated rocker, a real headknocker, don't look at his lady again...".  Neither released as a single nor included on the 1982 greatest hits release Records, "Headknocker" nonetheless received some decent AOR airplay.  It did make the grade, finally, on certain subsequent Foreigner collections, including 2002's Complete Greatest Hits. 

I found this story about the song, posted as a comment from IsitJan20Yet on YouTube:  "This song was written about Ian Lloyd, who was the singer for the band 'Stories' ("Brother Louie").  Ian was a friend of Mick Jones, who, prior to Lou Gramm entering the scene, sang on some of the demos that would evolve into Foreigner.  Ian was a badass who enjoyed the occasional fisticuffs, hence the title, "Headknocker"."

Whatever anyone may say or think about Foreigner, they sold an ocean liner's worth of records, with five way multi-platinum albums from 1977 to 1984.  Yet it wasn't until 1984's "I Want To Know What Love Is" that the band scored a #1 hit song (their only #1).  Over the course of their career they had a #1, two #2's, a #3, two  #4's , a #5 and two #6's.  That's knockin' a few heads, huh?  To date, the band has sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

Finally, a goofy trivia question.  Name one thing (besides both having sold an ocean liner's worth of records) Foreigner and Cat Stevens have in common?  They both put out an album named Foreigner.

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