Dinosaurdays - Supertramp

Supertramp's roots go back to 1969 when they evolved out of a British band called " The Joint ", which featured vocalist/keyboard player Richard Davies. Davies was approached by Dutch millionaire Stanley August, who offered to sponsor Davies if he formed a new band. He recruited bassist/lead guitarist Roger Hodson, guitarist Richard Palmer and drummer Bob Miller,all of whom featured on the bands' debut, self-titled album, released on A & M Records, in 1970. Palmer and Miller left after the albums' release and were promptly replaced by Kevin Currie (drums) and Frank Farrell (bass), with the addition of sax player Dave Winthrop. Both albums unfortunately didn't do particularly well, and all the members, baring Davies and Hodson, left. It was at this stage that their fortunes changed for the better: recruiting ex-Alan Bown members, John Helliwell (sax) and Doug Thompson(bass) and ex- Bees Make Honey drummer Bob Benberg, they recorded " Crime of the Century", the album that set them on their way to fame and fortune, ( it reached number 4 on the British charts ). Subsequent albums saw the band go from strength to strength, and they peaked with 1979's "Breakfast in America". They're still around today after being dormant for a number of years, with 1999's live album, " It was the best of times", being their latest release.

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Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Once upon a time in 1969, a young Dutch millionaire by the name of Stanley August Miesegaes gave his acquaintance, vocalist and keyboardist Rick Davies a "genuine opportunity" to form his own band; he could form the band of his dreams and Miesegaes would pay for it. After placing an ad in Melody Maker, Davies assembled Supertramp. Supertramp released two long-winded progressive rock albums before Miesegaes withdrew his support. With no money or fan base to speak of, the band was forced to redesign their sound. Coming up with a more pop-oriented form of progressive rock, the band had a hit with their third album, Crime of the Century. Throughout the decade, Supertramp had a number of best-selling albums, culminating in their 1979 masterpiece, Breakfast in America. Breakfast in America marked their first album that tipped the scale completely in the favor of pop songs; on the strength of the hit singles "Goodbye Stranger," "Logical Song," and "Take the Long Way Home" it sold over 18 million copies worldwide. After that album, Supertramp continued to develop a more R&B-flavored style; the change in direction was successful on 1982's Famous Last Words, but they soon ran out of hits. The band continued to sporadically record and tour into the '90s.

Roger Hodgson
Bob Benberg
Kevin Currie
Rick Davies
Frank Farrell
Mark Hart
John Helliwell
Bob Miller
Richard Palmer
Bob Siebenberg
Carl Verheyen
Dave Winthrop
Dougie Thomson