Foreigner’s Jeff Pilson Teases Unreleased ‘Head Games’ Track: “We Found Somebody Very Perfect to Put a Guitar Solo On It”
Society of Rock
Mick Jones’s Health and the Band’s Support
In a recent interview on Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern, Foreigner bassist and musical director Jeff Pilson shared an update on founding guitarist Mick Jones. More than a decade ago, Jones was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He continued to tour for years after the diagnosis, but three years ago the illness made it too difficult for him to perform onstage.
Pilson spoke openly about Jones’s condition. “ He’s good. It’s just not practical for him to play live anymore. Parkinson’s is a pretty debilitating physical disease, neurologically speaking. So he’s in great spirits. He’s got his family around him — his kids whom he adores, grandchildren he adores. So, headspace-wise, he’s in a good place. I mean, of course he’s disappointed he can’t play. That’s what he did all his life. So it’s been a hard transition for him. But he is really excited about the band. I mean, the fact that he and [original FOREIGNER singer] Lou [Gramm] both now are so excited about our new singer Luis [Maldonado] and just excited for all the future possibilities. The fact that we’re doing songs in Spanish now. There’s so many things about the band that really excite him. It feels like a new lease on life for him as well, as well as for us. So, he’s still very much there. He’s still very much our leader and founder. So, yeah, he’s in as good a spirit as you could imagine being if you were de debilitated from playing.”
Lou Gramm’s Return and Unearthed Recordings
Pilson said fans and bandmates have shown strong support for Jones. “He feels the love, trust me. And again, like I say, for us, especially now that Lou has become more involved of late — I mean, he did a few songs with us when we did the FOREIGNER ‘4’ album in its entirety, which was a great show. And having Lou being more involved has been so wonderful.”
The renewed connection with Lou Gramm has led to the discovery of older material. Pilson revealed that the group found unfinished tracks from earlier albums. “We’ve found some unfinished tracks from some of the earlier records,” Jeff revealed. “You should have seen my face when I started finding some of this stuff. It was, like, ‘Wow.’ … We did one [song] that we released when we came out with a re-release of FOREIGNER ‘4’ a few months back. And we’re gonna be doing the same with the ‘Head Games’ album at some point soon. So, there’s unreleased tracks. Lou is really excited about that, for them seeing the light of day. We’ve got some real good special surprises coming.”
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A Mystery Guitar Solo on ‘Head Games’
Pilson also praised current singer Luis Maldonado. “Mick, from the minute he heard Luis’s voice singing FOREIGNER songs, he’s been real excited and he’s only gotten more excited over time as he sees videos, as he sees Luis developing as a frontman. He’s really excited. So knowing that the founder guys are really enthused about the band couldn’t give us a better sense of direction than we do have. So, yeah, we’re very thankful. And it just feels like everything is firing on all cylinders.”
When asked about the unearthed songs, Pilson held back details but offered a hint. “We have a special guest that I just spoke to yesterday who said yes, it’s okay to use his name, but I don’t wanna do it yet. I wanna wait till it’s announced. There’s a song that was unreleased that never got a guitar solo on it, from the ‘Head Games’ record, and we found somebody very perfect to put a guitar solo on,” Pilson explained. “I’m gonna wait until there’s an announcement, but it’s a friend of Mick’s. So, that’s partly how it all came about. But it’s really exciting. But yeah, there’s some cool stuff coming, let me put it that way.”
Revisiting the Past While Moving Forward
One recent example of this archival work is “Fool If You Love Him,” written by Jones and Gramm during sessions for the 1981 album 4. The song was left unfinished at Electric Lady Studios in New York. Decades later, Gramm recorded a new verse and fresh vocals. The completed track appeared on a super deluxe edition of the album released last September.
In 2024, the band also issued “Turning Back The Time,” an archived 1996 recording featuring Gramm, as part of a compilation of the same name. Gramm’s voice defined many of the group’s best-known songs, including “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Gramm stepped away from the band in the early 2000s and was replaced by Kelly Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member, faced additional health problems starting in 2011 and underwent heart surgery in 2012. At recent concerts, Gramm has joined the band onstage for select hits, sharing vocals with Maldonado.
As Foreigner prepares to revisit Head Games and other albums, Pilson’s comments suggest that fans may soon hear music that has remained hidden for decades.
