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Page 7 of 7
On December 12, 1994, Boston prepared for two benefit shows at the House of Blues in Cambridge, Mass, their first club date in their home town since the days of Mother's Milk. Scholz even requested (and the House of Blues acquiesced) that the sound system be rewired for the occasion, just so every note and beat be as perfect as on the records in their audience's memories.
"It's going to be fun, believe me," said Scholz before the event to the Boston Globe. "There's going to be some comedy to these shows ... It's pretty comical just trying to fit our production into the House of Blues. It's amazing what can grow out of a simple, 'Hey, let's have a Christmas party and jam at it.' You know, we might as well stay all week once we get our equipment in there. It's going to be so hard to shoehorn it in - we're tearing it down a bit just to fit in."
The show also offered fans a chance to see the new Boston lineup - in addition to Gary Pihl and David Sikes, Scholz added drummer William "Curly" Smith, from the 70's band Jo Jo Gunne, to replace the departed Doug Huffman.
Rumors circulated that there might be another performer joining Scholz and company at the House of Blues shows - a rumor that was later confirmed when Brad Delp took the stage. "When I finished with RTZ, Tom had finished Walk On. And then there was a period after that record came out, they were strongly considering going on tour. Fran Cosmo was a little apprehensive about going out and singing those old songs, because he was a little concerned about how he would be accepted - certainly I'm sure he could have sung them and done a fine job on them."
"I was home," said Delp, "and I think Tom knew that RTZ was pretty much finished at that point, so I got a call from him and he said, 'Look, we're going on tour, would you be interested in maybe going out with us?'
"I said, 'I really didn't want to go out and replace Fran on the other record - but I think it would be great if the two of us went out together.' Tom was thinking the same thing also."
Brad Delp and Fran Cosmo traded off on vocals, with Delp singing classics like "Don't Look Back," "Party" and "Long Time," while Cosmo took the lead vocals on newer songs like "What's Your Name" and "Walk On," as well as the "Smokin'" encore. Being a Christmas show, Boston added John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," as well as an old 50's classic, "Merry Christmas Baby" to the set list.
"It was really a terrific thing for the vocalists," said Delp, "I got to sing on some of the songs from Walk On that I didn't get to record. And Fran could hit the high notes on songs like 'More Than A Feeling' that might give me some trouble on tour."
As the House of Blues party wound down, Scholz handed out two $5,000 checks - one to the Boston Globe's Santa Claus campaign, and one for "Operation Christmas" in Fall River, Mass. The shows were so well received that Boston embarked on another summer tour in 1995, playing outdoor arenas and festivals.
One of the highlights of the 1995 tour was an appearance in Mansfield, Massachusetts, at the Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts. With the lead guitarists (Scholz, Delp, Cosmo and Pihl) playing in four-part harmony, and Delp and Cosmo continuing to share vocal duties on old and new Boston classics, the band performed for 2½ hours in front of a heavily enthusiastic crowd - then played more classics in the encores.
Tom Scholz also found new avenues to channel his creative energies. He shut down Scholz Research & Development, selling the Rockman line to Dunlop Manufacturing. An avid basketball player in his youth (he led his high school to the state championship game), Scholz continued to shoot baskets whenever he could find a court, a ball and a hoop. In fact, a 1996 package tour with Cheap Trick was cancelled because Scholz injured his hand while shooting hoops.
He also took up figure skating, even requesting rink time during concert tours. Ever the inventor, Scholz even came up with a brand new skating jump that Tara Lipinski might consider - a "Scholz" (jump from the wrong foot, spin, land on the wrong foot). "I saw skaters on TV doing jumps where you zip across the ice and launch into the air off of a sharpened steel blade and somehow come back down going backwards on one foot and live through it," said Scholz to the Boston Globe. "That looked too cool for me not to try, so I did. It's not easy, but you know what? I missed my calling, because I can do it."
In 1997, twenty-one years after the release of their debut album, Boston released a "Greatest Hits" CD. Included among the classic tracks - "More Than A Feeling," "Don't Look Back," "Amanda," "Cool The Engines," "Livin' For You," to name a few - are three new compositions: "Tell Me," which marks bassist David Sikes' debut as a lead vocalist; "The Star Spangled Banner/4th of July," featuring Tom Scholz' reinterpretation of the Francis Scott Key classic in 4/4 time; and "Higher Power," a song dedicated to those who found the strength to quit substance abuse (two versions of "Higher Power" appear on Greatest Hits: the original, which contains the famous "Serenity Prayer" heard at self-help meetings; and a shorter "Kalodner Edit," as remixed by Sony executive John Kalodner).
And although some of the band members have mixed feelings about their exodus from the band, they still look fondly at a time when their album was the hottest selling debut disc of all time (and may still be - every time someone like Whitney Houston or Guns 'N Roses eclipses Boston's sales total with their own debut albums, catalog sales of Boston still creep ahead to reclaim the title). "I still enjoy playing now and again," said Sib Hashian. "I still see Barry and Frannie on a regular basis, and we still have a good time. I don't want to sound vindictive or have sour grapes. I'm a happy guy. I'm happy with the success I had. I don't have the time to hate anybody.
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