[3] Now based in California, Edwards teamed up with the band Northrup whose members were approached by drummer Carmine Appice to join forces in a new version of King Kobra.
Mick Jones, the founding member, lead guitarist, and main songwriter of Foreigner had been at home recovering from having the flu.
Jones was in the process of listening to audition tapes of various singers to replace the newly departed Lou Gramm when he came upon a cassette of Johnny Edwards.
The album's first single, "Lowdown and Dirty" was included on the band's Rhino double-CD retrospective, "Juke Box Heroes".
Unusual Heat was a commercial failure, and Gramm returned the following year, immediately ending Edwards' tenure as Foreigner's lead vocalist.
At the time of his departure from Foreigner, Edwards had co-written ten songs with Jones, in anticipation of a follow-up album to Unusual Heat.
Edwards and Northrup also can be heard playing and singing together on two compilation rock albums released by the MelodicRock Records label and website.