Cheap Trick’s first two albums were both recorded and released in 1977. ‘Cheap Trick’ came out in February 77 and ‘In Color’ was out seven months later in September. That just doesn’t happen anymore.
Rick Nielsen told Noise11.com that Cheap Trick had so many songs when they first recorded that there was more than enough for two albums.
“We recorded the first album with Jack Douglas in New York and we did 27 songs in one week,” Rick tells Noise11.com. “We played clubs all the time. We played in all kinds of places. Before we whittled it down, because I think ‘I Want You To Want Me’ is on there, there was stuff on there we didn’t use”.
Cheap Trick lucked out when Queen’s manager heard them and liked them. “Right around that time we were signing to an agency and they were going to put us out with Procol Harum. I loved them but they would put the audience to sleep. Queen called us, they had heard some stuff and knew some stuff about us. Paul Korzilius, their manager, used to work for them. Back then he would dress up as superman and carry Freddie Mercury around on his shoulders. He is Bon Jovi’s manager now. We got the first two shows with Queen on that tour”.
Japan was the first country to get into Cheap Trick. “The Japanese press were there to see Queen but they liked us enough to write an article. All of a sudden within that year we started to get a ton of fan mail. After ‘In Color’ came out we opened for Kiss. Usually no-one wants to see the opening band for Kiss but they liked us and the Japanese press were there again. Our first two albums were only hits in Japan”.
Cheap Trick will be in Australia for Under the Southern Stars with Bush, Stone Temple Pilots and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The tour begins in Maitland, NSW on 11 March 2022.
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