Remember When: Boston Took 8 Years Between Their Second and Third Albums

The phrase “strike while the iron is hot” has never applied to Boston’s founding member and musical mastermind, Tom Scholz. Time and again in the band’s career, Scholz proved that he’d take extra time to perfect the product, even when there was an insatiable demand for new Boston music.

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The epitome of this conundrum came during the years of 1978 to 1986, which was the stretch between Boston’s second and third albums. Scholz and company seemingly lost much of their commercial momentum in that hiatus. Yet their third album (Third Stage) ended up doing boffo business once finally released.

Studio Wizardry

Tom Scholz, accomplished in scientific endeavors from an early age, wanted to be a rock star. He formed a few bands in the early 70s in an effort to pursue his dream in the standard manner. But those bands struggled, causing Scholz to try a different way.

He installed a studio in his home and began creating elaborate demos of songs he had written. Along the way, several musicians with whom he’d played on the local scene helped, most notably powerhouse lead singer Brad Delp. Although these demos received plenty of rejection, Scholz kept tinkering and eventually found a label.

These demos, mostly rerecorded by Scholz in his home setup despite the label wanting it done in a pro studio, became Boston’s self-titled 1976 album, one of the biggest rock LPs of the decade. Don’t Look Back, which arrived two years later, solidified that success. Scholz was disappointed with the sophomore album, feeling it was rushed. Nobody would ever make that claim about their third album, which came a full eight years later.

‘Stage’ Interrupted

Scholz felt a bit burnt out from the touring required to make Boston’s first two albums so successful. Even so, he began the process of recording songs for a third Boston album in 1979. That’s when the distractions started to occur.

To start, Scholz had largely fallen out with Boston’s manager, Paul Ahern, due to what Scholz felt were unfavorable terms of the initial contracts he signed. While he tried to redo those deals, other Boston band members started to fall by the wayside. A debut solo album by guitarist Barry Goudreau angered Scholz when it was connected to Boston’s sound by the label in an effort to promote it.

Tensions also arose between Delp and Scholz. However, the main issue for Boston in this time period sprang from the impatience of Epic Records, the label that had taken the initial chance on them. By their calculations, Scholz had fallen way behind on his contractual obligations for delivering the product.

Thus began a spate of lawsuits between the parties. At one point, Epic tried to flush Scholz out of his recording cave by refusing to pay the royalties owed him from the first two records. Scholz dug in his heels and continued to tinker with songs years in the making. It soon became a fair question to wonder if Boston would ever record again.

A Major ‘Third’

Scholz’s refusal to budge could have stemmed from the fact that he found a new income source. He founded the company Scholz Research & Development, which focused on creating high-end musical equipment. One of the company’s amplifiers soon allowed other acts to create a sound similar to Boston’s crystalline guitar approach.

In the end, the lawsuit with Epic was settled, and Boston was free to move on to another label. MCA scooped them up. Third Stage finally hit shelves in September 1986. Many rock music experts wondered if there was still an audience for the band, since the arena rock boom had mostly waned by that time.

But Scholz proved that his meticulousness could still pay rewards. Third Stage became another No. 1 album for the band. In addition, the power ballad “Amanda” became their first-ever chart-topping single. Boston, and its fastidious creator, famously made their fans wait for the band’s signature sound. You can’t blame their tardiness when you consider the results.

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