Supertramp Caricature

Supertramp, illustrated here with (L to R) drummer Bob Siebenberg, singer-guitarist Roger Hodgson, singer-keyboardist Rick Davies, bassist Dougie Thomson and saxophonist John Helliwell, August 5, 1977 Atlanta, Georgia.

Supertramp were an English rock band formed in London, England in mid 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that relied heavily on Wurlitzer electric piano.
The group’s line-up changed numerous times throughout their career, with Davies being the only consistent member throughout the decades. Other longtime members included bassist Dougie Thomson, drummer Bob Siebenberg, and saxophonist John Helliwell.
This 1973 lineup of Supertramp would remain in place for the next ten years.

Originally called “Daddy”, the band changed it’s name to “Supertramp”, a moniker inspired by The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp by William Henry Davies.

The band were initially a prog-rock group, but starting with their third album, Crime of the Century (1974), they began moving towards a more pop-oriented sound.
This album spawned the hits “Dreamer” and “Bloody Well Right”.

The following album, Even in the Quietest Moments…, released in April 1977, spawned a hit single with “Give a Little Bit”

They reached their commercial peak with 1979’s Breakfast in America, which yielded the international top 10 singles “The Logical Song”, “Breakfast in America”, “Goodbye Stranger”, and “Take the Long Way Home”.
Their other top 40 hit is “It’s Raining Again” (1982). In 1983, Hodgson left the group to pursue a solo career. Davies took over as the band’s sole leader until 1988, after which they disbanded and periodically reformed in various configurations.

As of 2007, Supertramp album sales exceeded 60 million.

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