Supertramp – Fool’s Overture (Live 1979)
Supertramp history
Supertramp followed an unusual path to commercial success in the 1970s, fusing the stylistic ambition and instrumental dexterity of progressive rock with the wit and tuneful melodies of British pop, and the results made them one of the most popular British acts of the ’70s and ‘80s, topping the charts and filling arenas around the world at a time when their style of music was supposed to have fallen out of fashion.
Supertramp was formed in 1969 by pianist and vocalist Rick Davies. Davies had been a member of a group called the Joint, who had found a financial backer in Dutch millionaire Stanley August Miesegaes; Miesegaes had grown disenchanted with the Joint, but saw promise in Davies, and he offered to bankroll a new band if Davies wanted to launch a fresh project.
Davies placed an ad in the British music weekly Melody Maker, and recruited guitarist Richard Palmer, percussionist Robert Millar, and vocalist/bassist Roger Hodgson. Davies initially dubbed the new band Daddy, but to avoid comparison with a number of other paternally named acts, he changed their billing to Supertramp, taking the name from a book by Welsh author William Henry Davies.
In 1970, Supertramp signed a deal with A&M Records, and their debut album was released later the same year. Dominated by extended prog-based compositions, the album didn’t win a large audience, and Supertramp‘s lineup shifted, as Richard Palmer and Robert Millar left the group, Hodgson moved from bass to guitar, and bassist Frank Farrell, percussionist Kevin Currie, and Dave Winthrop on flue and sax joined the act. The new edition of Supertramp released the album Indelibly Stamped in 1971, but it fared little better in the marketplace than the debut, and Miesegaes cut off his funding of the group.
Left to their own devices, Supertramp came close to collapse as most of the group’s members moved on, but Davies and Hodgson put together a new version of the group — Davies on piano and vocals, Hodgson on guitar, electric piano, and vocals, Dougie Thomson on bass, Bob C. Benberg on drums and percussion, and John Anthony Helliwell on sax, woodwinds, and keyboards.
This edition of Supertramp boasted a more concise and pop-oriented sound than the band that recorded the first two albums, and 1974’s Crime of the Century became Supertramp‘s commercial breakthrough, spawning the singles “Dreamer” and “Bloody Well Right.” 1975’s Crisis? What Crisis? didn’t fare quite as well commercially, but 1977’s Even in the Quietest Moments earned the band another hit single in “Give a Little Bit,” and Supertramp‘s steady road work earned them a reputation as an impressive live act.
1979’s Breakfast in America elevated Supertramp to true superstar status; three of its songs (“Goodbye Stranger,” “Take the Long Way Home,” and “The Logical Song”) would became Top 20 hits, and the album went to number one on the Billboard charts, selling four million copies in the United States and reaching platinum status in Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Supertramp followed the success of Breakfast in America with a live album, 1980’s Paris, but it wasn’t until 1982 that the group released a new studio LP, Famous Last Words, and in a sense the title was prophetic — the working relationship between Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson had become contentious, and in 1983, Hodgson, the lead vocalist on the band’s biggest hits, left to pursue a solo career.
With Davies taking the lead, Supertramp released Brother Where You Bound in 1985, which found the band easing back on their pop side and exploring their progressive influences; the album also featured guest appearances from Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. 1987’s Free as a Bird found Supertramp experimenting with synthesizers and electronic dance music, but after a world tour in support of the album, Davies quietly retired the band.
In 1996, Davies re-assembled Supertramp for a concert tour; the new lineup featured Davies, John Anthony Helliwell, guitarist Mark Hart (who had toured with the band in support of Free as a Bird), and percussionist Jesse Siebenberg. The new Supertramp went into the studio after the tour, and Some Things Never Change was released in 1997. More touring followed, which was documented on the album Live 1997. Another studio set, Slow Motion, appeared in 2002.
In 2010, Supertramp regrouped for a world tour to celebrate their fortieth anniversary, but while rumors suggested Hodgson might rejoin the band for the occasion, both he and Davies issued statements saying they were not likely to ever work together again, and Hodgson mounted a solo tour concurrently with Supertramp‘s anniversary celebration.
Download Supertramp’s sheet music books from our Library.
Browse in the Library:
Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
---|---|---|
Will B. Morrison – Melody in F (Syncopated Waltz) sheet music | ||
Will Young – Anything Is Possible | ||
William Best I Love You For Sentimental Reasons (Jazz Standard) | William Best I Love You For Sentimental Reasons (Jazz Standard) | |
William Eveleth – Blues Jazz and Rock Riffs For Keyboards | ||
William Gillock In Old Vienna Musescore File.mscz | ||
William Gillock Valse Etude In Romantic Style Musescore File.mscz | ||
William Joseph – Within (Songbook) (William Joseph) | William Joseph – Within (Songbook) (William Joseph) | |
William Robinson – My Girl | ||
William Russo Composing Music A New Approach (ebook) | ||
Willie Dixon Preacher Of The Blues (2011) Mitsutoshi Inaba (Book) Biography | ||
Willie Fugal S Blues Piano transcription | ||
Willie Nelson – Always on My Mind Sheet Music | ||
Willie Nelson – On My Mind | ||
Willie The Lion Smith – Finger Buster transcription | ||
Willie The Lion Smith Echo of Spring transcription | ||
Willow Weep For Me Words And Music By Ann Ronell 1932 Jazz Standard (Vintage sheet music) | ||
Wim Mertens – American Minimal Music La Monte Young Terry Riley Steve Reich Philip Glass | Book La Monte Young Terry Riley Steve Reich Philip Glass | |
Wim Mertens – Close Cover | Wim Mertens – Close Cover | |
Wim Mertens – Struggle For Pleasure | Wim Mertens – Struggle For Pleasure | |
Wim Mertens – Time Passing | ||
Wim Mertens Humility | ||
Wim Mertens Lir | ||
Windham Hill piano sampler | Windham Hill piano sampler | |
Windy Whistle (Le Renard et l’Enfant OST) Alice Lewis | ||
Wings (McCartney) – Greatest Hits | Wings sheet music | |
Winifred Atwell Album Of Rags No 1 Original arrangements Vintage songbook | Winifred Atwell Album Of Rags No 1 Original arrangements Vintage songbook | |
Winifred Atwell Marguerite Monnot The Poor People Of Paris ( La Goualante Du Pauvre Jean) Piano Solo | ||
Winnie The Pooh The Honey Tree Sheet Music (Disney) | Winnie The Pooh The Honey Tree Sheet Music (Disney) | |
Winter Sonata O.S.T. (Ryu) | ||
Winter Wonderland Other Christmas Favorites Songbook Piano Vocal guitar Chords | Winter Wonderland and Other Christmas Favorites Songbook Piano Vocal guitar Chords | |
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Within Temptation – Our Solemn Hour | ||
Without you (Maria Carey) | ||
Without You (Mariah Carey Piano Arr ) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth See You Again (Solo Piano) | ||
Wolf Wagner Paraphrase Über Die Walküre | ||
Wolfe Richard Legit Professional Fake Book More Than 1010 Songs | Wolfe Richard Legit Professional Fake Book More Than 1010 Songs | |
Wolfenzon – Stücke für Klavier | Wolfenzon – Stücke für Klavier | |
Womack, Bobby – Midnight Mover My Autobiography The True Story of the Greatest Soul Singer in the World (Book) | ||
Woman in love (Barbra Streisand) | ||
Women Of Pop Rock Songbook Twenty-Two Hot Hits for Easy Piano | Women Of Pop Rock Songbook Twenty-Two Hot Hits for Easy Piano | |
Wonderful Christmastime -Paul Mccartney (Wings) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Wonderful Life – Black (Easy Piano Solo Sheet Music) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Woody Allen – A propósito de nada (autobiografía)(2020) | ||
Woody Allen – Apropos of Nothing (2020) Autobiography | Woody Allen – Apropos of Nothing-Simon and Schuster (2020) Cover | |
Woody Guthrie This Land Is Your Land (Easy and Intermediate Piano Solo) | ||
World Hits Of Jazz Standard | World Hits Of Jazz Standard | |
Wuthering Heights (Ryuichi Sakamoto) | ||
Wynton Kelly – Autumn Leaves Solo transcription | Wynton Kelly – Autumn Leaves Solo transcription | |
Wynton Kelly – Dark Eyes Solo Piano transcription | ||
Wynton Kelly – Dark Eyes Solo Piano Transcription (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Wynton Kelly – Full transcriptions | Wynton Kelly – Full transcriptions | |
Wynton Kelly – I Dig of You Solo transcription | ||
Wynton Kelly – If I should Love You Solo transcription | ||
Wynton Kelly – Jazz Piano Collection | Wynton Kelly Piano Collection- | |
Wynton Kelly – Someday my prince will come (Piano solo) | ||
Wynton Marsalis Trumpet Genius Gourse, Leslie (Book) | ||
Wynton Marsalis – Caravan (Solo) | ||
Wynton Marsalis – Darn That Dream (Solo) | Wynton Marsalis – Darn That Dream (Solo) | |
Wynton Marsalis – Dealfayos Dillema (Solo) | ||
Wynton Marsalis – Standards (sheet music transcriptions) | Wynton Marsales – Standards (sheet music transcriptions) | |
Wynton Marsalis In The Court Of King Oliver (Trumpet and rhythm section) | ||
Wynton Marsalis Omnibook For B Flat Instruments Transcribed exactly from his recorded solos | Wynton Marsalis Omnibook For B Flat Instruments Transcribed exactly from his recorded solos | |
Wynton Marsalis Struttin’ With Some Barbeque (Live) Wynton Marsalis’ Trumpet Solo | ||
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Loneliness Kenji Hiramatsu | Xenoblade Chronicles Opening Theme Game sheet music | |
Xenoblade Chronicles Opening Theme Game sheet music Yoko Shimomura | ||
Yamaha E443 Songbook digital keyboard PSR-E443 | ||
Yamaha Keyboard Songbook | Yamaha Keyboard Songbook | |
Yamaha Keyboard Songbook Song-Buch | ||
Yamaha PSR E373 YPT-370 PSR-EW310 Song book | ||
Yamaha Song Book | Yamaha Song Book | |
Yamaha Song book | Yamaha Songbook | |
Yamaha Songbook | Yamaha-Songbook | |
Yamaha songbook 50 Piano Greats for the piano (Yamaha collection) | 50 Piano Greats for the piano (Yamaha collection) | |
Yamaha Songbook Contemporary Vol. 1 | Yamaha Songbook Contemporary Vol. 1 | |
Yana Bobalik Mysterious Music Я.Бобалік Songbook | ||
Yana Bobalik Secret Music From Mysterious Music Я.Бобалік Таемна Музыка | ||
Yann Tiersen Rue des Cascades (sheet music) | yann tiersen cascades sheet-music | |
Yann Tiersen Mother’s Journey | ||
Yann Tiersen – Tabarly Sheet Music | ||
Yann Tiersen – Comptine Dun Autre ete | ||
Yann Tiersen – La Dispute – Amelie Poulain | ||
Yann Tiersen – La Valse d’Amelie Poulain | Yann Tiersen – La Valse Damelie | |
Yann Tiersen – Le moulin – Amelie Poulain | Le Moulin – Amelie Poulain | |
Yann Tiersen – Six pièces pour piano – Volume 2 – Amélie Poulain | Yann Tiersen – Six pieces pour piano – Volume 2 – Music Sheet | |
Yann Tiersen – Summer 78 | ||
Yann Tiersen – Sur Le Fil | ||
Yann Tiersen – Pièces pour piano vol 1 et 2 + divers | Yann Tiersen – pièces pour piano vol 1 et 2 + divers | |
Yann Tiersen Eusa 2015 Songbook | ||
Yann Tiersen J’Y Suis Jamais Alle piano solo (Amélie) | ||
Yann Tiersen Onze Pièces Pour Piano | Yann Tiersen Onze Pièces Pour Piano | |
Yann Tiersen Partitions intégrales Piano Works 1993-2004 | Yann Tiersen Partitions intégrales Piano Works 1993-2004 | |
Yann Tiersen Tabarly Complete Book For Piano | ||
Yanni In My Time (Piano Solos) Sheet Music | Yanni In my time piano solos | |
Yanni One Man’s Dream | ||
Yanni – Per Piano (Piano book) | Yanni – Per Piano | |
Yanni – In The Morning Light | ||
Yanni – Nostalgia | ||
Yanni – One Man’s Dream (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Yanni -The Best of | ||
Yanni Ethnicity Book | Yanni Ethnicity Book | |
Yaron Herman – Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) transcription | ||
Yashal (Elisa) | ||
Yasuharu Takanashi – Naruto Shippuden OST – Loneliness | ||
Yedidia, Ronn Piano Sonata No 3 outcries (manuscrit) | ||
Yehezkel Raz Ballerina Piano Solo sheet music | ||
YES Fragile | YES Fragile | |
YES – Complete Deluxe Edition | YES – Complete Deluxe Edition | |
Yes Close To The Edge The Story Of Yes (Book) | ||
Yes The Best Of Guitar Songbook with TABs | Yes The Best Of Guitar Songbook | |
Yesterday Piano Cello – Piano Sheet Music – Paul McCartney | ||
Yesterday Piano vocal guitar Songbook Featuring Music From the OST | ||
Yesterday The Beatles For Jazz Piano (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Yesterday when I was young (Charles Aznavour) | ||
Yimkin Law ( Et maintenant on va où OST) Racha Rizk | ||
Yiruma – 27 May | ||
Yiruma – Destiny Of Love | ||
Yiruma – Dream | ||
Yiruma – Dream A Little Dream Of Me | Yiruma – Dream A Little Dream Of Me | |
Yiruma – Falling |