Boston

An MIT engineer recorded most of a debut album in his basement and sold 17 million copies of it in the United States.

Origin: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Years active: 1975-present
Genres: hard rock, arena rock
Labels: Epic, MCA, Artemis, Frontiers

The basement

Tom Scholz began writing music at MIT, where he took a bachelor's degree in 1969 and a master's in mechanical engineering in 1970. He wrote the instrumental Foreplay in 1969, then worked as a product design engineer at Polaroid and played in local bands. With the drummer Jim Masdea and the singer Brad Delp he made demos at home. Scholz spent money he had saved for a house deposit on a used 12-track tape recorder and played every instrument except the drums. The six songs on his tape included More Than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Rock & Roll Band, Hitch a Ride and Something About You. Several labels turned it down.

The managers Paul Ahern and Charlie McKenzie championed the tape, and Epic offered a contract on condition of a live showcase. Scholz put together a band around Barry Goudreau, Fran Sheehan and Sib Hashian, and they auditioned for record company executives in a Boston warehouse in November 1975. A month later CBS signed them for ten albums over six years. Epic wanted the songs re-recorded in Los Angeles. Producer John Boylan took the band west while Scholz recorded most of the album at home in Watertown. Boylan and the engineer Warren Dewey suggested the name Boston.

A debut like no other

Boston came out on Epic on 25 August 1976. Delp's vocals were added at Capitol Studios. Three singles followed: More Than a Feeling, Foreplay/Long Time and Peace of Mind. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 132 weeks. By November 2003 the RIAA had certified 17 million US sales. Scholz was still working at Polaroid when it came out, and said he first heard More Than a Feeling on someone else's radio there.

The band opened for Black Sabbath and Foghat, then headlined through 1977 and played three sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden. Boston was nominated for the Grammy for Best New Artist. Paul Elliott of Classic Rock wrote that More Than a Feeling gave rise to a whole new subgenre, adult oriented rock. The album was ranked 43 on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200.

Six years between records

Don't Look Back followed on 2 August 1978 and went to number one in the United States and Canada. Its title track reached number four on the Hot 100, and the album was certified seven times platinum. Scholz said Epic pushed him to release it before it was ready, and that the album was only 29 minutes long. CBS later filed a $60 million lawsuit alleging that he had failed to deliver a new album on time, and the case ended in April 1990. Scholz Research and Development, which he founded, introduced the Rockman guitar processor in 1982. Gary Pihl joined him in 1985.

Third Stage appeared on MCA in September 1986. Scholz recorded it at his Hideaway Studio over six years, and wrote in the sleeve notes that 175 light bulbs burned out before he did. It reached number one on the Billboard 200. The lead single Amanda topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in November and remains the band's only number one there.

After Third Stage

Walk On, released in June 1994 with Fran Cosmo on vocals, reached number seven. Delp rejoined at the end of 1994. Corporate America followed on 5 November 2002 on Artemis, and Life, Love & Hope on 3 December 2013 on Frontiers, which includes vocals by Delp. Delp died on 9 March 2007. At a tribute concert on 19 August 2007 the singer Tommy DeCarlo, picked for his Boston covers online, took the stage, and he later became the band's lead singer.

Boston has not played live since 2017. In 2024 Scholz said he was still writing music, and in 2025 Pihl said he hoped for a tour for the first album's 50th anniversary. Scholz's Rockman has been used by players such as Journey's Neal Schon and ZZ Top.

Members

Tom Scholz guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion (1975-present)
Brad Delp lead vocals
Barry Goudreau guitar
Fran Sheehan bass
Sib Hashian drums
Gary Pihl guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1985-present)

Records

Boston 1976 · Epic
The debut that Tom Scholz recorded mostly alone in a basement and that went to number three in the United States.
Don't Look Back 1978 · Epic
The follow-up, which went to number one but which Scholz felt was unfinished.
Third Stage 1986 · MCA
The third album, made over six years, with Amanda at number one.

Songs

More Than a Feeling Boston · 1976
The lead single and opening track of the debut, and the song most people mean when they say Boston.
Peace of Mind Boston · 1976
A song about the corporate ladder, written by a man who worked at Polaroid.
Foreplay/Long Time Boston · 1976
An instrumental written in 1969 and a rock song joined to it.
Rock & Roll Band Boston · 1976
A song about a bar band's rise, written before the band had played live.
Smokin' Boston · 1976
The B-side of the first single.
Amanda Third Stage · 1986
A power ballad with no video, and Boston's only number one.

The Left Banke, Stryper, Nirvana, Journey

Where to go next

Reference

Boston (band) A history of the band and its line-ups.
Boston (album) How the debut was made and sold.
Tom Scholz The founder's life, inventions and charity work.

Discography and data

thirdstage.ca: albums Release dates for each album.
thirdstage.ca: Boston Track list, credits, recording locations and the original liner notes of the debut.
thirdstage.ca: Don't Look Back Track list and credits.
thirdstage.ca: Third Stage Scholz's sleeve notes on making the album over six years.
thirdstage.ca: remasters The 2006 remasters of the first two albums.

Writing and criticism

The 10 greatest Boston songs ever A ranked list by Paul Elliott of Classic Rock.
Top 10 Boston songs Another ranked guide, with notes on each song.

Interviews

thirdstage.ca: interviews An index of interviews with the band, 1987 to 2017.
Feelin' Satisfied: Tom Scholz interview Scholz on the basement tapes, the CBS case and the three early albums.
Tom Scholz of Boston on music and more Scholz on his influences and the early touring.

Fan sites and communities

thirdstage.ca A long-running Boston site with news, press, legal documents and interviews.

Sources

Boston (band), Wikipedia
Tom Scholz, Wikipedia
Boston (album), Wikipedia
Feelin' Satisfied: an interview with Tom Scholz of Boston, Classic Rock Revisited (2008)
The 10 greatest Boston songs ever, Louder
Tom Scholz of Boston on music and more, San Diego Union-Tribune (2014-07-20)
Albums, thirdstage.ca