Studio Album · No. 3
Head Games Songwriting Credits by Foreigner
Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, Mick Jones, Ian McDonald · Engineered by Geoff Workman
Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Foreigner carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Head Games is a Mick Jones-led writing record. Jones wrote 'Women,' 'I'll Get Even with You,' 'The Modern Day,' and 'Blinded by Science' alone and co-wrote 'Dirty White Boy,' 'Love on the Telephone,' 'Seventeen,' and 'Head Games' with Lou Gramm, so his name is on eight of the ten songs. The two exceptions come from other members: Ian McDonald co-wrote 'Do What You Like' with Gramm, and keyboardist Al Greenwood co-wrote 'Rev on the Red Line' with Gramm. In the composer column the stage names give way to legal names, Louis Grammatico for Lou Gramm and Michael Leslie Jones for Mick Jones, while McDonald and Greenwood are credited under their own names. Gramm sings lead throughout except on 'The Modern Day,' where Jones takes the lead vocal.
Head Games is the third studio album by Foreigner, released on September 11, 1979 by Atlantic Records. It was the first album to feature bassist Rick Wills, who replaced Ed Gagliardi, and the last to feature the six-piece lineup before the band cut down to four for 4. Written and recorded over a couple of months in 1979 at Atlantic Studios in New York and Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, it is the only Foreigner album co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker, whose punchier approach followed his work with Queen and The Cars. Mick Jones and Lou Gramm wrote or co-wrote most of the record, with Jones the dominant author and Gramm handling lead vocals across the album. It reached number 5 on the Billboard 200 and went Platinum, driven by the top-fifteen singles 'Dirty White Boy' and 'Head Games.'
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Dirty White Boy
#12
|
Mick JonesLou Gramm | Michael Leslie JonesLouis Grammatico | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals, Percussion)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 2 |
Love on the Telephone
|
Mick JonesLou Gramm | Michael Leslie JonesLouis Grammatico | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 3 |
Women
#41
|
Mick Jones | Michael Leslie Jones | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 4 |
I'll Get Even with You
|
Mick Jones | Michael Leslie Jones | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 5 |
Seventeen
|
Mick JonesLou Gramm | Michael Leslie JonesLouis Grammatico | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 6 |
Head Games
#14
|
Lou GrammMick Jones | Louis GrammaticoMichael Leslie Jones | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 7 |
The Modern Day
|
Mick Jones | Michael Leslie Jones | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Mick Jones (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar)Lou Gramm (Backing Vocals, Percussion)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 8 |
Blinded by Science
|
Mick Jones | Michael Leslie Jones | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 9 |
Do What You Like
|
Ian McDonaldLou Gramm | Ian McDonaldLouis Grammatico | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |
| 10 |
Rev on the Red Line
|
Al GreenwoodLou Gramm | Al GreenwoodLouis Grammatico | Roy Thomas BakerMick Jones | Lou Gramm (Lead Vocals)Mick Jones (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)Ian McDonald (Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals)Al Greenwood (Keyboards, Synthesizers)Rick Wills (Bass, Backing Vocals)Dennis Elliott (Drums) |