Foreigner: Night Life

Released in February 1982 as the third single from Foreigner’s album “4,” “Juke Box Hero” had been playing on album radio since July 1981. It had peaked on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart at #3; however, the single release only charted at #26 on the Hot 100 despite its immense popularity. This was probably due to the lack of coordination between album and Top 40 airplay.

Its “B” side, “Night Life” is our Friday Flipside feature. By the time of “Juke Box Hero’s” single release, album radio was already playing “Night Life” in rotation and the song charted at #14. Foreigner is a high energy band that was a must see in concert and I had an opportunity to see them twice – during fall 1981 and spring 1985.

Every hour for two solid weeks prior to the 1985  show, we gave away Foreigner prizes every hour that consisted of T-shirts, posters, albums, concert tickets (probably close to 100 total), a bus trip to the Charleston, WV show aboard our concert bus for 30 winners, and other Foreigner and Giuffria memorabilia - a total of 336 prizes and winners.  Thanks are extended to Atlantic Records, MCA Records, Bill Scull and Tri-State Promotions, both band's management, the concert promoters, and other sundry vendors.

This promotion was done over WOAY-FM – then known as Y-94. The grand prize in our Y-Ninety Foreigner promotion was drawing of all of our winners and was an all expense paid trip for two to Rochester, NY for Lou Gramm’s birthday concert in his home town. It was probably the most extensive promotion that I did during my entire radio career and it was perfectly timed during our spring rating sweeps as well.

The concert, as you may expect was great, we didn’t get to see the band backstage; however, guitarist Mick Jones came aboard our bus following the show and we had a chance to meet at least one member of the band. Somewhere I have his picture as he embarked on our concert cruiser.  It was one of the most memorable times I’ve had.