Lou Gramm recently commented on unreleased material and his relationship with former bandmate Mick Jones. He addressed the topic in a statement shared on American Songwriter.
Gramm revealed that he and Jones have a substantial collection of unfinished songs from their collaboration in the early 2000s. He expressed hope that this material will eventually be completed.
“There’s almost a whole album’s worth of songs that Mick and I wrote in the early 2000s, and it’s some of our best stuff,” Gramm said. “It hasn’t been fully finished yet, but I hope it gets done.”
The former Foreigner frontman reflected on the past tensions between the two musicians. Their earlier falling out prevented them from continuing to work together and release new material.
“I wish that Mick and I didn’t have that falling out years ago, ’cause we would have been playing right along, you know,” Gramm continued. “Probably there would have been a lot of good new material out, but things happen. It’s not the first time that kind of thing has happened.”
Gramm also acknowledged Jones’s absence from Foreigner’s recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. He expressed optimism about the recognition.
“I feel bad that he couldn’t have performed at the Rock Hall of Fame, but good enough that he’s certainly aware that we are in the Rock Hall now,” Gramm said. “I hope he feels great about it, because it has a lot to do with him.”
Gramm’s comments come at a significant moment for the legendary rock band. Foreigner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2024, marking a major career milestone for the founding members. This recognition has reignited conversations about the band’s history and the creative partnership between Gramm and Jones, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock.
The unreleased material Gramm references represents a substantial body of work. Lou Gramm and Mick Jones co-wrote approximately 10 to 12 unreleased songs from the early 2000s that remain awaiting completion, according to Ultimate Metal. This collection represents a significant portion of their collaborative output during that period.
Despite the long separation between the two musicians, signs of renewed creative activity have emerged. One notable unreleased track titled “Turning Back the Time” was originally recorded in 1996 and co-written by Jones, Gramm, and Marti Frederiksen. The song was revisited and reworked in 2024, then released as part of a career-spanning Foreigner collection coinciding with the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, as detailed by Frank Vermont. This release signals some reconciliation between the original members.
Gramm’s departure from Foreigner in 2003 marked a turning point in the band’s history. Recent developments suggest the possibility of completing their collaborative work. The release of “Turning Back the Time” and Gramm’s participation in the Rock Hall induction performance indicate that both musicians may be open to finishing the substantial body of unreleased material they created together. Whether the remaining 10 to 12 songs will see the light of day remains to be seen, but Gramm’s recent comments suggest he remains hopeful about the project’s future.
