…Famous Last Words…

Infobox Album |
Name = ...Famous Last Words...
Type = Album
Artist = Supertramp


Released = October 1982
Recorded = November 1981 to summer 1982
Genre = Progressive Rock
Length = 47:35
Label = A&M
Producer = Peter Henderson,
Russel Pope, Supertramp
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1bklu325an7k~T1 link]
Last album = "Paris"
(1980)
This album = "...Famous Last Words..."
(1982)
Next album = "Brother Where You Bound"
(1985)

"...Famous Last Words...", the eighth album by progressive rock band Supertramp was released in October 1982 (see 1982 in music).

The album was the studio follow-up to 1979's Breakfast in America and was the last with original guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Roger Hodgson.

Relations between Hodgson and Rick Davies were becoming more strained. They fought over musical, creative and personal directions daily during the recording sessions for Famous Last Words. One instance saw Hodgson wanting to dismiss the other band members whilst Davies defended their right to stay in the band.

The album was mainly recorded and mixed at Hodgson's house dubbed Unicorn Studios in Nevada City, California as he didn't want to leave his wife, his then 2-year old daughter Heidi and newborn son Andrew behind. Davies wound up recording his vocal parts at his home studio dubbed The Backyard Studios in Encino, California. Other overdubs were at Bill Schnee Recording Studios in Los Angeles.

"...Famous Last Words..." reached #5 on the Billboard Pop Albums Charts in 1982, sold a million copies in the US and went Platinum according to the band's label A&M Records (although the RIAA has "...Famous Last Words..." listed at Gold in US sales).

A remastered CD version of the album was released on July 30 2002 on A&M Records. The remastered CD comes with all of the original album art and the CD art features a green pair of scissors and a black background.

Miscellanea

* In a 2004 interview, Supertramp member John Helliwell revealed that Rick Davies played the melodica solo on "It's Raining Again", not himself as previously believed.
* "...Famous Last Words..." was the first album to have drummer Bob Siebenberg's last name spelled properly as he had been previously credited as Bob C. Benberg.
* This is the only Supertramp studio album to give John Helliwell credit as a keyboard player.
* Roger Hodgson on In the Studio with Redbeard spotlighting Breakfast in America stated that "Breakfast in America," in retrospect, should have been the last Supertramp album. I think that "...Famous Last Words..." was a last ditch attempt effort to make something happen but as the title tells you it was definitely the end, of that era anyway".
* "...Famous Last Words..." was also the last project with longtime manager Dave Margereson who resigned as Supertramp's manager because of the on-going fighting between Hodgson and Davies.
* The final song Roger Hodgson recorded with Supertramp was ironically titled "Don't Leave Me Now". The track served as the final encore at his final concert with Supertramp in Los Angeles in September of 1983.

Track listing

"...Famous Last Words..." also marked the first time in which songs were credited to Hodgson and Davies separately in the sleeve notes, although they were technically still credited to Rick Davies/Roger Hodgson in the liner notes.

#"Crazy" (Hodgson) – 4:44
#*"Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson
#"Put on Your Old Brown Shoes" (Davies) – 4:22
#*"Lead vocals: Rick Davies plus Roger Hodgson, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson
#"It's Raining Again" (Hodgson) – 4:24
#*"Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson
#"Bonnie" (Davies) – 5:37
#*"Lead vocals: Rick Davies
#"Know Who You Are" (Hodgson) – 4:59
#*"Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson
#"My Kind of Lady" (Davies) – 5:15
#*"Lead vocals: Rick Davies
#"C'est le Bon" (Hodgson) – 5:32
#*"Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson
#"Waiting So Long" (Davies) – 6:35
#*"Lead vocals: Rick Davies
#"Don't Leave Me Now" (Hodgson) – 6:24
#*"Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson

Personnel

*Rick Davies - keyboards, Vocals, melodica solo in middle of "It's Raining Again"
*John Helliwell - saxophones, clarinet, keyboards, vocals
*Roger Hodgson - guitars, keyboards, vocals
*Bob Siebenberg - drums
*Dougie Thomson - bass

Additional personnel
*Clair Diament - vocals, background vocals
*Ann Wilson - vocals, background vocals
*Nancy Wilson - vocals, background vocals

Production

*Producers: Peter Henderson, Russel Pope, Supertramp
*Engineer: Peter Henderson
*Assistant engineer: Norman Hall
*Mastering on original issue: Doug Sax, Mike Reese
*Mastering on 2002 Remaster: Greg Calbi, Jay Messina
*Concert sound: Russel Pope
*Technician: Bud Wyatt
*String arrangements: Richard Hewson
*Art direction: Mike Doud, Norman Moore
*Design: Mike Doud, Norman Moore
*Cover design: Mike Dowd, Norman Moore
*Cover art concept: Mike Dowd
*Artwork: Mike Dowd
*Photography: Jules Bates, Tom Gibson
*Cover photo: Jules Bates, Tom Gibson
*Sleeve photo: Tom Gibson2002 A&M reissue: The 2002 A&M Records reissue was mastered from the original master tapes by Greg Calbi and Jay Messina at Sterling Sound, New York, 2002. The reissue was supervised by Bill Levenson with art direction by Vartan and design by Mike Diehl, with production coordination by Beth Stempel.

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)