The spotlight shines on Foreigner -- again

Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner

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(CNN) -- The band Foreigner was one of the biggest acts of the late '70s and early '80s. The band had several hits, including "Cold As Ice," "Urgent," and "I Want to Know What Love Is," and its album "Foreigner 4" was one of the biggest sellers of the 1980s.

Almost 20 years later, the group is back together and touring. CNN anchor Daryn Kagan spoke to members Mick Jones and Lou Gramm Monday.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Boston Globe recently declared that the '80s are back, at least when it comes to hard rock music. One of the standout bands of that era also is back on the road in a big way, and two of the band's members are with us now. Lead singer Lou Gramm and songwriter and guitarist Mick Jones of Foreigner -- welcome.

LOU GRAMM, LEAD SINGER, FOREIGNER: Hey. Thank you very much.

MICK JONES, GUITARIST, FOREIGNER: Thanks.

KAGAN: It must be fun for you guys, because as you travel around, not just sharing your great music, but you were a big part of people's growing up, and people must share stories.

JONES: Yes, I think, in fact a lot of people come and say exactly that, you know, that we were there, sort of the backdrop, our music was the backdrop ...

GRAMM: A soundtrack.

JONES: The soundtrack.

KAGAN: Soundtrack of their lives. You guys have had a very interesting (career). Not just the success, but coming together, and breaking up, and other comebacks as well. And there have been medical challenges as well, have there not?

GRAMM: Definitely. Yes.

KAGAN: Yes. Share a little bit about that.

GRAMM: In late 1996, I was diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor, (a) brain tumor. It was a tumor that began growing at birth, apparently, and it was very large, and it was damaging my pituitary gland, and threatened to damage my optic nerve, and it was something that had to be taken care of immediately.

KAGAN: So the good news is that it was benign, and you didn't have to fight cancer, but there have been physical challenges that even have affected the comeback of the group, sometimes forgetting the lyrics of songs ...

GRAMM: Yes, I think it was just -- the aftermath of an operation like that takes quite a bit of time to heal and recover completely, and even now, I don't think I'm quite recovered completely, but I'm feeling real good.

KAGAN: Well, you are looking good, and we are glad to have you here with us.

GRAMM: Thanks.

JONES: I would say he is doing pretty good.

KAGAN: Let's go back to the height of the great success, the late '70s, the early '80s. Can we even imagine what it was like as you guys hit the road? It is one thing for a group to come out and have one hit, but, you know, hit after hit after hit.

JONES: Well, it was pretty heavy stuff. We started out as -- with kind of modest aspirations, you know, that we would spend some time building our name and et cetera, and the first album ("Foreigner") came out and shattered all the previous records on the label that we were on, and even, you know, we had ...

KAGAN: The "Foreigner" album. And some cuts off of that people will recognize?

JONES: "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice." That one just kind of -- just went through the roof, and from then on, it was wow, just holding on.

KAGAN: Just hold for the ride. So you had this great ride, and the great success, and there was a point where you decided to break up, like a lot of the great acts. ... What did bring you back together? It was in '92 that you started thinking about it, '91, '92 started thinking about coming back together.

GRAMM: Yes, I think it was -- we both realized that we had still potential to fulfill, and the band could be even much more than it had been to that point, and also the fact that we definitely had a good friendship and enjoyed working together, had a creative bond that was something very special.

KAGAN: Just kind of -- it was meant to be.

JONES: When you get a chemistry like that, it is very difficult to ignore it, because it is like, -- you know, you look at the partnerships, and it is always, I think something really good comes from partnership, and feed off each other.

KAGAN: So here we are, summer 2002. You guys are on the road again.

JONES: Yes. We are going across the world, actually. We have a European -- we are in America until, I guess, September, and then we go to Europe for an extensive tour over there.

KAGAN: As you go across America, what is the most -- I don't know that you take requests in the middle of your concert, but what song gets the biggest response from the crowds?

GRAMM: Somewhere between "Urgent" and "I Want to Know what Love Is."

KAGAN: And after all these years, any song that you are like, Oh, I would pay them $50 so I didn't have sing that one more time.

JONES: You mean, "It Feels Like the 2,031st Time?"

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: Doesn't have quite the same ring to it when you say it that way. So that one is a little bit old for you?

JONES: Well, no, I mean, that song was the song that started everything out, you know.

KAGAN: And I just have to imagine, even if it is a song you have been singing a thousand or a million times, when you get that warm response from the audience, and realize what it means.

JONES: Well, we have a great band, and we have kind of juggled around with some of the songs, and we are playing some songs that we have not played before, like from some older albums, and we are getting great response from them. So it's, you know, just the fact that it is our 25th anniversary.

KAGAN: Amazing.

JONES: We have to celebrate Lou's great recovery, and he is singing like a bird at the moment.

KAGAN: Lots to celebrate. What's your next stop?

JONES: Well, tonight, we are in Atlanta, right here.

KAGAN: Right here, very good. ...

Well, we wish you well. Mick Jones, Lou Gramm. Thank you. Continued good health, continued good success with Foreigner ...

GRAMM: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good to have you with us.

JONES: Thanks very much.