Roger Hodgson
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Roger Hodgson
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| Born Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson March 21, 1950 in Portsmouth, England; son of Charles and Jill Hodgson; married Karuna, March 7, 1979. First performance at age 12 for friends at a boarding school; wrote “Mr. Boyd” for his first band People Like Us; his first single “Argosy” released, 1969; formed Supertramp together with Rick Davies, 1969; wrote many of Supertramp’s hits, sang and played keyboards and guitar, 1970-1983; set up UNICORN studio at his home in Nevada City, 1983; released solo album In The Eye of The Storm, 1984; second solo album Hai Hai released, 1987; third album, Rites Of Passage released, 1997. Awards: “The Logical Song” named Best Song, Musically & Lyrically at the 25th Annual Ivor Novello Awards, held at London’s Grosnevor House Hotel, May 9, 1980. Addresses: Record company—Unichord Productions, P.O. Box 1656, Nevada City, CA 95959; Website—http://www.unichord.com. |
Rock musician
Roger Hodgson collected credentials as one of the driving forces of the legendary rock group Super-tramp. Together with Rick Davies he founded the band in 1969 and went on to write at least half of their songs. Hodgson’s plaintive singing style, the bright melodies and the ironic yet introspective lyrics of his songs, and his staccato piano contributed a great deal to Super-tramp’s distinctive sound. After Supertramp’s success had peaked, Hodgson, looking for new personal and musical directions, left the band to pursue a solo career. After leaving Supertramp he recorded three solo albums. Throughout 1998 he promoted his album Rites of Passage with live performances in the United States and Canada. By 1999, Hodgson was working on his new album Open The Door.
At age 12, Roger Hodgson played his own songs for his schoolmates at a private boarding school in Surrey, England. Soon after that he played in his first band, People Like Us, which recorded four demo songs, including one written by Hodgson. When Lionel Conway of Blue Mountain Music heard Hodgson’s "Mr. Boyd," he
invited him to record a single, which was released under the name "Argosy" and contained "Imagine" on the B side. According to Hodgson’s web site, one of the session musicians on the side was Elton John.
Supertramp
After Hodgson returned home from boarding school, his mother Jill encouraged him to respond to a "genuine opportunity" ad that English rock musician Rick Davies had placed in Melody Maker. Davies had found a wealthy sponsor to financially back up his new band and Hodgson was one out of hundreds of musicians who showed up to audition. He played acoustic guitar and sang Traffic’s "Dear Mr. Fantasy." He had a beer with Davies during a break, and they soon became friends and formed the rock band Supertramp. When Supertramp’s second album failed to sell, the band disintegrated and could have spelled the end of Supertramp. Hodgson and Davies remained together, however, and in 1973 they reformed the group with different musicians.
While Davies and Hodgson co-wrote songs on the first two Supertramp albums, they now wrote and sang their own songs but continued to share the songwhting credit for them. The well-educated optimist Hodgson was driven by dreams and aspirations for a better world, and his creative energy was not diminished by the lack of any musical equipment. According to Hodgson’s web site, he even "recorded a demo of ‘Dreamer’ in his mother’s back room, banging on boxes and over-dubbing all the voices and instruments." Hodgson wrote many of Supertramp’s most popular songs, including "Dreamer," "Sister Moonshine," "Give a Little Bit," "The Logical Song," "Breakfast In America," "Take the Long Way Home," and "It’s Raining Again."
Superior sound combined with films, slides and a computer-controlled light show became hallmarks of Supertramp’s live performances. However, this perfectionism—primarily Hodgson’s—led critics to complain about the band’s overly polished sound. Famous Last Words, Supertramp’s 1982 studio album, was released three years aftertheir breakthrough album, Breakfast in America. Unhappy with the heavy blues influence and feeling that the band’s creativity was vanishing, Hodgson left Supertramp in 1983.
Faced challenges as solo artist
After his departure from Supertramp Hodgson set up a 48-track studio in his home. Hodgson’s first solo album was released in 1984 by A&M Records. In The Eye of The Storm included seven tracks, many of which had been written for Supertramp. The songs on the album covered wide stylistic ground, including "Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)" which some fans believed resembled Pink Floyd more than Supertramp.
Hodgson’s search for a new beginning and new meaning in his life, as well as the challenges he was suddenly facing as a solo artist, were inspirations for these new songs. He performed, arranged and produced all of the songs on In The Eye of The Storm except for a few pieces on which Michael Shrieve played the drums, Jimmy Johnson fretless bass and Ken Allardyce harmonica. In The Eye of The Storm was frenetically embraced by the community of Supertramp fans and went platinum.
Hodgson’s second solo album Hai Hai was released in 1987. Recorded during a 16-month period with seasoned Los Angeles session musicians, the album did not match Hodgson’s expectations. The demanding perfectionist, according to his web site, "felt the album lacked focus and failed to express what he wanted as an artist. Unhappy with the outcome of Hai Hai and disillusioned by music industry pressures, Roger was further frustrated by his upcoming tour to promote an album that didn’t meet his high standards." One week after Hai Hai was released Hodgson broke his wrists in an accident, and was not able to play piano for two years. It would take him a decade to recover physically and emotionally, until his comeback in 1997.
Back on Track
After Hodgson’s numerous attempts to create satisfying results in his studio had failed, his wife Karuna took the initiative. Convinced that only live performing could enable her husband to overcome his self-doubt and perfectionism, and to re-awaken his joy in life and music, she conceived the idea of a live album that would get Hodgson back in touch with his music. Hodgson later told the Los Angeles Times: "She took the risk and was courageous enough to say, ‘Roger, all you have to do is show up and play. I’ll handle everything else.’" And that she did. Not only did she provide funding and successfully ensure that Hodgson and the band worked together instead of having the band work forhim, she also founded her own record label to avoid the pressure that comes with contracting for a major label.
Physically weakened by post-infectious arthritis resulting from a trip to South America and emotionally exhausted from witnessing his sister Caroline’s death from cancer, Hodgson managed to finish the work on the live album. A quickly assembled band including Hodgson’s son Andrew and Supertramp saxophonist John Heliwell performed at six quickly organized concerts in August 1996 during his son’s summer break from school. Although they planned to use the best recordings from all the performances for the album, all the songs on Rites Of Passage came from a concert performed in Hodgson’s hometown Nevada City. They included six new Hodgson songs, three of his Supertramp classics, two songs by band member Mikail Graham, and one by his son Andrew who also played drums, piano and harmonica.
Rites Of Passage was released in 1997, the same year Supertramp released its first studio album in a decade and reunited for a world tour. Hodgson went on his own tour called "Solo Tramp" in spring 1998. The national tour—his first in more than 14 years—took Hodgson to over 25 cities in the US and Canada. Like the album, the tour presented a mixture of Hodgson’s Supertramp hits and new material that he performed alone on guitar, keyboards and the old pump organ on which he composed hits for Supertramp back in the 1970s. In interviews posted on his official Web site Hodgson commented on renewed musical energy: "My creative juices are flowing again and I feel the best is yet to come… I’m very hungry to play for people again and I’m ready for a new love affair with my music and the world."
Selected discography
In The Eye of The Storm, A&M Records, 1984.
Hai Hai, A&M Records, 1987.
Rites of Passage, Unichord Productions, 1997.
Sources
Columbian, April 2, 1998.
Dallas Morning News, June 5, 1997.
Independent, September 17, 1997.
Los Angeles Times, August 16, 1997; April 11, 1998.
Rolling Stone, July 12, 1979; December 9, 1982.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 07, 1998.
Additional information for this profile was provided by Karuna Hodgson.
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Roger Hodgson
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Roger Hodgson
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Biography
Best known for his stint fronting art pop hitmakers Supertramp, Roger Hodgson was born in Portsmouth, England, on March 21, 1950. He co-founded Supertramp in 1969, serving as their primary singer and songwriter for 13 years. Originally funded by Dutch millionaire Stanley August Mieseages, the group lost his patronages after their first two albums failed to generate much interest. However, 1974's Crime of the Century was a major hit, launching the radio favorites "Dreamer" and "Bloody Well Right." After scoring an international hit in 1977 with "Give a Little Bit" from the album Even in the Quietest Moments..., Supertramp reached their commercial peak with 1979's chart-topping Breakfast in America, which yielded the smashes "Take the Long Way Home," "The Logical Song," and "Goodbye, Stranger" on its way to selling close to 20 million copies. In the wake of 1982's ...Famous Last Words..., Hodgson left Supertramp to mount a solo career, issuing his debut effort, In the Eye of the Storm, in 1984. Within days of issuing the follow-up, 1987's Hai Hai, Hodgson fell and broke both of his wrists; the accident kept him out of action for several years, and he did not resurface until co-writing several songs on Yes' 1994 album Talk. A live solo album, Rites of Passage, followed three years later and featured Hodgson collaborating with son Andrew. Open the Door, his first new studio effort in 13 years, appeared in the spring of 2000. The album received positive responses from critics and fans alike, and Hodgson was subsequently recruited to tour with Ringo Starr as a member of the All-Starr Band. He continued to play solo shows as well, releasing a DVD of one such performance (Take The Long Way Home -- Live in Montreal) in summer 2006. The DVD would go platinum in Canada by that October. ~ Jason Ankeny & Andrew Leahey, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Roger Hodgson
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2010) |
| Roger Hodgson | |
|---|---|
 Roger Hodgson in France in 2008 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson |
| Born | 21 March 1950 |
| Origin | Portsmouth, England |
| Genres | Progressive rock, pop rock, art rock |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels | A&M, Unichord/Voiceprint, Epic |
| Associated acts | Supertramp, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Argosy |
| Website | RogerHodgson.com |
Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is a British musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman, and founding member, of progressive rock band Supertramp.[1][2][3]
Hodgson composed and sang on the majority of the band's hits, including "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit", "The Logical Song", "Breakfast in America", "Take the Long Way Home" and "It's Raining Again".
He left Supertramp in 1983 to pursue a solo career, but after two albums he retired from touring and other industry obligations. In 1997 he returned to doing solo tours, and released a third album in 2000. He is recognised for his tenor singing voice, which became a trademark of his former band Supertramp, and often writes about spiritual and philosophical topics.
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Biography
1950–1969: Early years
Hodgson was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, in 1950 and grew up in Oxford. He is the son of Charles Hodgson and Jill Hodgson (died in June 2009). He attended Woodcote House near Wallingford, Oxfordshire, where he was the first boy to learn electric guitar, and Stowe School near Buckingham, Buckinghamshire. His first guitar was a parting gift from his father at age 12 when his parents divorced.[4] He took it to boarding school with him, where his teacher taught him three chords. He began composing his own music and lyrics and within a year gave his first concert at school with nine original songs. Hodgson's first band at school consisted of him on guitar and his friend Roy Hoby playing snare drums. They were dubbed the "H-bombs" because of their last names.
At age 19, Roger Hodgson made his first appearance in a recording studio as guitarist for People Like Us, a band he formed shortly after graduating from boarding school.[4] The group recorded a single, "Duck Pond" b/w "Send Me No Flowers", which was never released.[5]
After People Like Us disbanded, Hodgson auditioned for Island Records, with Traffic's road manager providing him a foot in the door with the label.[4] Island set him up in a recording studio as vocalist for the one-off "flower power" pop band Argosy, which also included Reginald Dwight (later known as Elton John), Caleb Quaye, and Nigel Olsson.[6] Their sole single, "Mr. Boyd" b/w "Imagine", consisted of two pieces of orchestrated pop (both penned by Hodgson) and was issued in 1969 on the DJM (U.K.) and Congress (U.S.) record labels.[6] It sold poorly and consequently has become rare and sought after. "Mr. Boyd" was covered in 1997 by Jake Shillingford and his band My Life Story on their album "The Golden Mile".
1969–1983: Supertramp
After the breakup of Argosy, Hodgson, responding to an advert placed in Melody Maker by Rick Davies, auditioned for the guitarist spot in the progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson was offered the job, but when Richard Palmer arrived the next day to audition for the same spot, Hodgson agreed to learn how to play bass instead.[7]
The songs on Supertramp's self-titled first album, released in 1970, were composed by Roger Hodgson, Rick Davies, and Richard Palmer; however, since both Hodgson and Davies were unwilling to write lyrics, Palmer wrote all the album's lyrics.[7] Palmer left shortly after the album's recording, allowing Hodgson to switch back to guitar, but leaving him and Davies no choice but to serve as the band's lyricists. Paralleling fellow British prog rockers Genesis and their search for a new lead vocalist, Supertramp auditioned 93 guitarists before turning the role over to Hodgson.[8] The hugely successful Crime of the Century was released in 1974. Crisis? What Crisis?, released in 1975, was followed by Even in the Quietest Moments in 1977. In 1979, they released their most successful album, Breakfast in America. This album has sold over 20 million copies to date.[9] The live album, Paris, was released in 1980. …Famous Last Words…, released in 1982, included Hodgson's first solo recording, "Know Who You Are".
From 1974 through 1983, all songs recorded by Supertramp were legally credited with a shared writing credit of Davies/Hodgson. Roger Hodgson was the writer of hits such as "Give a Little Bit", "Breakfast in America", "It's Raining Again", "Take the Long Way Home" and "Fool's Overture". Hodgson wrote "Breakfast in America", "The Logical Song", and some of "Fool's Overture" at home with a harmonium he had bought from a neighbour when he was 17 years old (this instrument is used in the background of "Breakfast in America", and prominently appears on "Two of Us" and his solo track "The Garden").
In 1981, Hodgson left Los Angeles and moved his family to Northern California, where he built a home studio and began contemplating solo recordings.[10] The rest of Supertramp remained in Los Angeles, and the geographic separation created a rift between them and Hodgson; there was little to no feuding, but the group harmony was lost. Hodgson felt increasingly constrained in the group context, and during the tour for …Famous Last Words… he made the final decision to leave Supertramp.[11] He has stated that there were not any real problems in his relationship with Davies, as was speculated.[12]
1984–present: Solo career
Hodgson recorded three solo albums at his new home studio, the first before his departure from Supertramp. Titled Sleeping With the Enemy, it was cut in the months between the release of …Famous Last Words… and its supporting tour, and mixed during Supertramp rehearsals for said tour in hopes of fitting in some solo promotion while on the road.[11] However, at the last minute Hodgson had second thoughts about the album's quality and decided to scrap it, planning to record a new and better album after his last tour with Supertramp.[11]
This second effort, In the Eye of The Storm, was released in 1984. Despite being heavily publicized as the solo album of a former member of Supertramp, it failed to break the top 40 in either the US or UK.[13][14] The single "Had a Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)" was able to reach no higher than number 48 in the US,[15] while the follow-up single, "In Jeopardy", failed to chart at all.
Though a major commercial disappointment after his last six albums with Supertramp, In the Eye of the Storm would prove to be Hodgson's biggest success without the group. His second album was Hai Hai (1987), however, just prior to the release of Hai Hai, Hodgson fell from a loft in his home and broke both wrists, which disabled him from promoting the album.[16] It would barely scrape into the Billboard 200,[17] and did not make the UK Chart. He decided to take a long break from both touring and recording in order to spend more time with his children.[16]
In 1990, Hodgson was approached by Yes to take the lead singer position but declined the offer. One of the songs he co-wrote with Trevor Rabin, "Walls", appears on Yes's 1994 Talk album, with lyrics revised by Anderson. A version of "Walls" with only Hodgson and Rabin on vocals was released on Trevor Rabin's 2003 archival release 90124.
After a long break, he launched into his first tour in over ten years, and released 1997's live Rites of Passage to document the tour. The live album was recorded at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City, California. He performed with a full band including his son Andrew and Supertramp sax player John Helliwell. The album was a total flop in both the UK and US, but gave Hodgson his only significant solo success in Germany, reaching number 34 in the charts there.[18]
Hodgson played King Arthur in the rock opera Excalibur: La Legende Des Celtes, and appeared on the album for two songs: "The Elements," and "The Will of God." The project was headed by Alan Simon and released in 1999. In 2000, he contributed vocals on a track titled "The Moon Says Hello" by Carlos Núñez, on the CD Mayo Longo.
Hodgson's fourth solo effort Open the Door was released in 2000 and continued in the vein of his previous work. He collaborated again with Alan Simon on the album. In August 2000, Hodgson guested with Fairport Convention at that years Cropredy Festival. He performed "Breakfast In America", "The Logical Song", "Open The Door" and "Give A Little Bit".
Hodgson toured as a member of the All-Starr Band in 2001, playing lead guitar, and has since collaborated with Trevor Rabin (who appears on the track "The More I Look" on Open the Door) and Ringo Starr.
Hodgson is still touring, often playing alone, but from time to time he is joined by other musicians or a full orchestra. He took part in the Night of the Proms concert series in Belgium and Germany in late 2004, as well as the rock festival Bospop in 2005. On 30 November 2005, he held his first concert in England in over twenty years, at Shepherd's Bush, London. While the performance was filmed and scheduled for a DVD release, the plan was scrapped. Instead, the concert recorded at the Place Des Arts in Montreal, Canada on 6 June 2006 was his first DVD, released on 22 August 2006, entitled Take The Long Way Home - Live In Montreal. In October 2006, the DVD was certified multi-platinum by the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association).
In May 2006, Hodgson was honoured by ASCAP in recognition of his song "Give A Little Bit" being one of the most played songs in the ASCAP repertoire in 2005. He received another ASCAP award on 9 April 2008 for the Gym Class Heroes' song "Cupid's Chokehold", recognized as one of the most played songs in ASCAP's repertoire in 2007.
Hodgson participated as a mentor on Canadian Idol along with Dennis DeYoung. He continued mentoring several of the finalists during his 2006 Canadian Tour.
Hodgson performed at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, UK on 1 July 2007. He sang a medley of his most popular songs: "Dreamer", "The Logical Song", "Breakfast in America" and "Give A Little Bit".
On 18 September 2007, Eagle Vision released the DVD Take the Long Way Home - Live in Montreal worldwide, achieving gold in Germany and France.
Hodgson toured the US, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe, and Canada in 2010. Though Hodgson's former bandmates in Supertramp announced a 40th Anniversary reunion tour, he was not invited to join them, and his own touring schedule would have prohibited him from any participation beyond the occasional guest spot in any case.[19] Both Hodgson and Supertramp released tour material on download only on their websites. Hodgson's Classics Live is a collection of recordings taken from solo, band, and orchestra shows from his 2010 world tour. Hodgson again toured worldwide in 2011 and is again on a world tour which started in February and will finish in November.[20]
Personal life
Hodgson has been a vegetarian all of his life. He said in a 1983 interview about the topic: "I've always loved going out in the woods with all the trees because I also have the respect for the wilderness because I am a vegetarian and I don't eat meat."[citation needed]
Discography
For his work with Supertramp, see Supertramp discography between 1969 and 1983
Main article: Roger Hodgson discography
References
- ^ Roger Hodgson at Allmusic
- ^ Supertramp biography at Allmusic
- ^ Supertramp biography at Rolling Stone
- ^ a b c Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. pp. 26–28. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7
- ^ Joynson, Vernon (1995). The Tapestry of Delights. London: Borderline Books. See entry on "People Like Us".
- ^ a b Joynson, Vernon (1995). The Tapestry of Delights. London: Borderline Books. See entry on "Argosy".
- ^ a b Interview with Richard Palmer-James in Calamity, Elephant Talk.
- ^ Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. p. 36. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7
- ^ Todd, Ben. Supertramp feud as Roger Hodgson accuses former bandmate Rick Davies of playing 'his songs'. Daily Mail. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. pp. 167–175. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7
- ^ a b c Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. pp. 177–192. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7
- ^ (8 March 2009). "30 Years on From Breakfast in America", Swindonweb.
- ^ In the Eye of the Storm in the Billboard charts, Allmusic. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ Roger Hodgson in the UK Charts, The Official Charts. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ "Had a Dream" chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ a b Coleman, Andy (2007-09-28). "Supertramp star plans tribute to city colleague". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/what-is-on-in-birmingham/rock-and-pop/2007/09/28/supertramp-star-plans-tribute-to-city-colleague-97319-19862843/. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
- ^ Hai Hai Billboard chart history, Allmusic. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ "Chartverfolgung / Roger Hodgson / Album" (in German). Music Line. Germany: Media Control Charts. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Roger+Hodgson/10777/longplay. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- ^ (April 21, 2010). Supertramp snub angers Hodgson, Jam! Music.
- ^ Roger Hodgson's World Tour Blog, Official Website. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
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Mentioned in
Ringo and His New All-Starr Band
(2002 Music Film)
Argosy
(Rock Band, '60s)
Live, 1997
(2006 Album by Supertramp)
Crisis? What Crisis?
(1975 Album by Supertramp)
» More