Friday Geek Out: Foreigner “That Was Yesterday”

Agent Provocateur album (yes, my first version of this was vinyl, not a CD). I got into the band a few years before when 4 came out back in ‘81. It was hard to not get into the hits on that album with “Urgent” and “Juke Box Hero.”

Agent Provocateur’s first single was the instant classic “I Want to Know What Love Is.” It was impossible to avoid that in the winter if ‘84-’85. It was the next song up on the album that I went ga-ga for though, “That Was Yesterday.” It had a great rhythm track and Lou Gramm’s powerful vocals.

Foreigner went out on tour for the album in ‘85 and I caught them at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. I camped out for those tickets overnight at the BJCC to get those tickets, since this was before anything like a Ticketmaster system or the Internet. Back in those days, the best tickets were at the venue box office. I got good tickets for the level I could afford at 16.

It was an awesome show! The, of course, did all their great hits. And… they filmed the music video for “That Was Yesterday” during the show. For a long time I was convinced I could spy myself in the audience, at 16 you do that sort of thing, but now I have no idea, especially watching it at YouTube size. I know I’m at least in that audience somewhere… and that it’s a great song… and it’s a great performance video… and remembrance of that great show!

So for this particular Friday… some 23 years later (oy, I’m old)… enjoy Foreigner’s “That Was Yesterday.”