Editing Boston (band) (section)

===Early years (1969–1975)===
Tom Scholz first started writing music in 1969 while he was attending [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), where he wrote an instrumental song, "Foreplay".<ref name="bioofficial">{{cite web |url= http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |title= History | website= bandboston.com| publisher= Boston |access-date=August 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120601000627/http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |archive-date=June 1, 2012 }}</ref> While attending MIT, Scholz joined the band Freehold, where he met guitarist [[Barry Goudreau]] and drummer Jim Masdea,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/jm_html.html |title=Musicians | website= bandboston.com| publisher= Boston |access-date=November 25, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120608015726/http://www.bandboston.com/html/jm_html.html |archive-date=June 8, 2012 }}</ref> who would later become members of Boston. Vocalist [[Brad Delp]] was added to the collective in 1970.  After graduating with a master's degree in mechanical engineering from MIT,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alum.mit.edu|title=MIT Alumni Association's Infinite Connection – MIT Alumni Association's Infinite Connection |website= alum.mit.edu| publisher= Massachusetts Institute of Technology| access-date=June 25, 2016}}</ref> Scholz worked for [[Polaroid Corporation|Polaroid]], using his salary to build a recording studio in his basement, and to finance demonstration tapes recorded in professional [[recording studio]]s.<ref name="bioofficial"/> These early demo tapes were recorded with (at various times) Delp on vocals, Goudreau on guitar, Masdea on drums, and Scholz on guitar, bass, and keyboards. The demo tapes were sent to record companies, but received consistent rejections.<ref name="bioofficial"/> In 1973 Scholz formed the band Mother's Milk with Delp, Goudreau, and Masdea.<ref name="bioofficial"/> That group disbanded by 1974, but Scholz subsequently worked with Masdea and Delp to produce six new demos, including "[[More Than a Feeling]]", "[[Peace of Mind (Boston song)|Peace of Mind]]", "[[Rock and Roll Band]]", "Something About You" (then entitled "Life Isn't Easy"), "Hitch a Ride" (then entitled "San Francisco Day"), and "Don't Be Afraid". Scholz stated they finished four of the six by the end of 1974, and they finished "More Than a Feeling" and "Something About You" in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|title=Feelin' Satisfied: An Interview with Tom Scholz of Boston |url= http://www.thirdstage.ca/boston/articles/online-articles/523-feelin-satisfied-an-interview-with-tom-scholz-of-boston| website= Thirdstage.ca| access-date=June 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Boston shows, myths, and truths |last= Scholz| first= Tom |author-link=Tom Scholz |url=http://www.rockhistorybook.com/artist/boston_tom_scholz_press_release_blog_april_2009.html |publisher= | work= RockHistoryBook.com |access-date=June 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213145740/http://www.rockhistorybook.com/artist/boston_tom_scholz_press_release_blog_april_2009.html |archive-date=December 13, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Scholz played all the instruments on the demos, except for the drums, which were played by Masdea, and used self-designed pedals to create the desired guitar sounds.<ref name="bioofficial"/>

This final demo tape attracted the attention of promoters Paul Ahern and Charlie McKenzie.  Masdea left the band around this time. According to Scholz, the managers insisted that Masdea had to be replaced before the band could get a recording deal.<ref name="bioofficial"/> Years later, Delp told journalist Chuck Miller: "[Jim] actually told me he was losing interest in playing drums. I know Tom felt very bad when the whole thing happened. And then, of course, we started getting some interest."<ref name="miller-boston">{{cite web|url=http://www.chuckthewriter.com/boston.html |title=The Chuck Miller Creative Writing Service: Boston |website=Chuckthewriter.com |access-date=February 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="musicians-magazine-87">{{cite web|url=http://www.gonnahitcharide.com/en/media-library/articles/musician-magazines/249-musician-magazine-1987 |title= Boston blasts through its hit list at casino| first= Steve| last= Kirchman| work= Musician Magazine| year= 1987 |via=Gonnahitcharide.com |access-date=February 19, 2012}}</ref> Scholz and Delp signed a deal with [[Epic Records]] after Masdea's departure, thanks to Ahern and McKenzie. Before the deal could be finalized, the band had to do a live audition for the record-company executives.  The duo recruited Goudreau on guitar, bassist [[Fran Sheehan]], and drummer Sib Hashian to create a performing unit that could replicate Scholz's richly layered recordings on stage.  According to Scholz, Masdea had insisted on performing a [[drum solo]] during the audition.<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=November 6, 1976|page=47|author=McGee, David|accessdate=2023-03-03|title=Boston - A Rock and Roll Explosion|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/76/Record-World-1976-11-06.pdf}}</ref>  Scholz stated that "The night before we auditioned I was going over a few things, trying to get everybody psyched up, and this guy says, 'You know, I don't think we're going to get this contract unless we have something flashy like a good drum solo right in the middle.' We'd only been working on arrangements and on this set for a month ...so we got Sib, whom I'd known for quite awhile."<ref name=rw/> The showcase was a success and the band agreed to put out 10 albums over the next six years.<ref name="bioofficial"/><ref name="miller-boston"/>
In addition to the firing of Masdea, the record label insisted that Scholz re-record the demo tapes in a professional studio. However, Scholz wanted to record them in his basement studio so that he could work at his own pace.<ref name="bioofficial"/>  Scholz and producer [[John Boylan (record producer)|John Boylan]] hatched a plan to send the rest of the band to Los Angeles to make the record label happy, while Scholz recorded most of Boston's debut album at home, with Masdea playing drums on the track "Rock and Roll Band" and Scholz playing the other instruments.<ref name="bioofficial"/> The multitrack tapes were then brought to [[Los Angeles]], where Delp added vocals and the album was mixed by Boylan. Then, the band was named "Boston", by suggestion of Boylan and engineer Warren Dewey.<ref name="bioofficial"/>