They "MMMBop"-ped their way into America's heart amid the Boy Band Offensive of the '90s. Power-popping their way thru its follow-up, Bowling For Soup adds some punch'n'crunch two dozen years later!
As always Brad, a deep dive into yet another pool I didn't know about. Paradoxically, I immediately recognized "Where's the love", though I had no idea who did it. I guess I had the radio on. I did search out MMMBop because, after the shade you threw on it, I just had to. I did not recognize it but see your point!
Glad you enjoyed, Charles! In the grand scheme of all things Hanson, I guess "MMMBop" had to happen. It's cute when they were, but lest they become the house band for Nickelodeon or some such, growth had to happen. What amazed me, from the research, was the enlisting, by the record label, of the brother trio from 2 decades prior to "tutor" the boys!
I knew Mark Hudson had the co-write, but just thought he was in the neighborhood or whatever---I had no idea he was part of the "overall plan" by Mercury/Polygram to almost "secret weapon" his way into the process! Amazing what goes on behind closed doors before we get a chance to stream/purchase/hear on the radio!
I will say that as adults, it's Taylor that stands above his brothers, in terms of his musical diversity and open-mindedness. His work as lead singer with the supergroup Tinted Windows rose above any claims of novelty.
Tinted Windows, sadly, was a one-and-done, but what a band!
James Iha - guitarist of Smashing Pumpkins
Bun E. Carlos - drummer of Cheap Trick (well, ex-drummer - as Rick Neilsen's son Daxx has been the drummer since 2010)
Taylor Hanson - vocals
and
Adam Schelssinger (R.I.P.) - Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, countless songs for other artists, on bass and backing vocals
Your pulling out Tay is what I was thinking yesterday when I saw my first TW video. Tay has been a "lead singer" his whole life, but it was cool/weird to see him actually.....yo....frontin', out from behind a keyboard! I'm not sure what Isaac's been doing, and Zac's got at least 5 kids, and as you say, it seems Tay, at the very least, is the one who has actively pursued a music career!
It'll be fun to dig into just how TW actually formed. That's a lot of "have your people call my people" to gather 4 previously-engaged artists together like that! Again, I'd love to have your input, even if it's just how you found them, fave tunes, analysis, etc. Toodles!
Will do. I actually discovered that Isaac and Zac (if I'm to believe the internet) are fairly right-wing conservatives and Zac got caught up in the fabricated "war on Christmas" bluster a few years back. I think perhaps that the truth is somewhere in the middle like it usually is. Maybe Taylor (or Tay as his good friends such as yourself call him) wanted more of a music career than his brothers. Who knows.
In the video you posted in your recent "Bonus Paid Subscribers" piece (hint hint for those who want to read it), clearly all 3 of them can still sing amazingly and in a wide variety of genres.
Yep, all three are great singers, and like all the bro singers thru the decades (Everlys, Beach Boys' Wilsons, Hudsons, Hanson, Isleys, Bee Gees, Alessi Bros, et al), their genetics give them all an incredible sonic merge! From the "Mask" Show, I'd love to know just who was singing lead when! Especially the Michael Jackson song, although I suspect that was Tay.
BTW, I only have a familiarity with Tay and his bros from following them in their hit years in the monthly "Pop Star" mag! Hanson, Dream Street, and the late Aaron Carter, too!😱
I am so glad that the Hanson brothers grew up much better looking than the Hudsons. Oof the mustache and poofy hair and wide lapel look hasn't aged well. But I'm being Shallow Steve.
The level of your puns is reaching stratospheric levels. I can no longer play in this sport from my amateur ranking!:) Before the body of the piece you've already used the wonderful "boy band offensive" and "humble big innings." And I've already stolen (I mean borrowed) your previous Santaclaustrophobia.
And then you save the best for (almost) last: "CentralTrack.com was beside themselves in June 2021, covering the new cover song Bowling For Soup covered: The coverers dutifully covering, and with the coverees themselves!"
I was wondering if you were going to mention the band Bowling For Soup in this expose and you did!
And then you taught me a whole bunch about not just their band name being from a Hanson song but then inviting Hanson to perform on the cover of a Hanson song! Meta-meta-morphosis!
Thanks so much, Steve! You make even ME impressed by me! I know you're a word-play guy, so your appreciation of my palabra folderol is gratifying! This was another stumble-into...I had no idea BFS had covered my fave Hanson song. I guess I was trying to see what/how I could write about "Where's the Love," when the BFS cover popped up. You sound like you were well aware of their cover, and I'm sure far more aware of the band than I was (only having heard of them, and not knowingly heard them).
The fact that one of them was friends with Tay, and their unique cover (with the original band accompanying....I mean, has THAT ever happened?) was thoroughly bitchin' made it all the more I-can't-wait-to-get-this-written!!
Thanks again for chiming in, Steve! Always dig your perspectives! I just noticed your new comment, and I'll reply above to that one!
I don't actually know much about BFS other than a couple songs that I remember getting airplay about 15 years ago. I have to say their pop-punk sound didn't do that much for me at the time. I'm curious if my opinion has changed at all. As a person who loves both pop and punk, most of the so-called "pop-punk" bands kind of annoy me. I am thinking of bands like Blink-182, Panic At the Disco, Good Charlotte, etc. Whiny vocals above generic sounding music and not much to say in the lyric department.
We're def on the same page re: "pop-punk" bands, all of whom I had little to no patience for! I mentioned "Pop Star" earlier....Good Charlotte was a virtually monthly feature around the turn of the century, even an occasional cover pic/story!
Surprising just because of their mega-tats and facial hair, and looking far more "dangerous" (different, anyway) than the Clearasil clan otherwise featured in that mag!
If that's what BFS was being called, their rep (in my 👀, anyway) goes up for having become friends with, at least, Tay. I noticed BFS is from Wichita Falls via Denton (where I spent a year in college at NTSU)....both cities near the OK/Red River border....with Hanson from nearby Tulsa, I wonder how much geography played into their meeting/friendship.
As always Brad, a deep dive into yet another pool I didn't know about. Paradoxically, I immediately recognized "Where's the love", though I had no idea who did it. I guess I had the radio on. I did search out MMMBop because, after the shade you threw on it, I just had to. I did not recognize it but see your point!
Glad you enjoyed, Charles! In the grand scheme of all things Hanson, I guess "MMMBop" had to happen. It's cute when they were, but lest they become the house band for Nickelodeon or some such, growth had to happen. What amazed me, from the research, was the enlisting, by the record label, of the brother trio from 2 decades prior to "tutor" the boys!
I knew Mark Hudson had the co-write, but just thought he was in the neighborhood or whatever---I had no idea he was part of the "overall plan" by Mercury/Polygram to almost "secret weapon" his way into the process! Amazing what goes on behind closed doors before we get a chance to stream/purchase/hear on the radio!
I will say that as adults, it's Taylor that stands above his brothers, in terms of his musical diversity and open-mindedness. His work as lead singer with the supergroup Tinted Windows rose above any claims of novelty.
Tinted Windows, sadly, was a one-and-done, but what a band!
James Iha - guitarist of Smashing Pumpkins
Bun E. Carlos - drummer of Cheap Trick (well, ex-drummer - as Rick Neilsen's son Daxx has been the drummer since 2010)
Taylor Hanson - vocals
and
Adam Schelssinger (R.I.P.) - Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, countless songs for other artists, on bass and backing vocals
I still play their self-titled album regularly.
Your pulling out Tay is what I was thinking yesterday when I saw my first TW video. Tay has been a "lead singer" his whole life, but it was cool/weird to see him actually.....yo....frontin', out from behind a keyboard! I'm not sure what Isaac's been doing, and Zac's got at least 5 kids, and as you say, it seems Tay, at the very least, is the one who has actively pursued a music career!
It'll be fun to dig into just how TW actually formed. That's a lot of "have your people call my people" to gather 4 previously-engaged artists together like that! Again, I'd love to have your input, even if it's just how you found them, fave tunes, analysis, etc. Toodles!
Will do. I actually discovered that Isaac and Zac (if I'm to believe the internet) are fairly right-wing conservatives and Zac got caught up in the fabricated "war on Christmas" bluster a few years back. I think perhaps that the truth is somewhere in the middle like it usually is. Maybe Taylor (or Tay as his good friends such as yourself call him) wanted more of a music career than his brothers. Who knows.
In the video you posted in your recent "Bonus Paid Subscribers" piece (hint hint for those who want to read it), clearly all 3 of them can still sing amazingly and in a wide variety of genres.
Yep, all three are great singers, and like all the bro singers thru the decades (Everlys, Beach Boys' Wilsons, Hudsons, Hanson, Isleys, Bee Gees, Alessi Bros, et al), their genetics give them all an incredible sonic merge! From the "Mask" Show, I'd love to know just who was singing lead when! Especially the Michael Jackson song, although I suspect that was Tay.
BTW, I only have a familiarity with Tay and his bros from following them in their hit years in the monthly "Pop Star" mag! Hanson, Dream Street, and the late Aaron Carter, too!😱
I am so glad that the Hanson brothers grew up much better looking than the Hudsons. Oof the mustache and poofy hair and wide lapel look hasn't aged well. But I'm being Shallow Steve.
The level of your puns is reaching stratospheric levels. I can no longer play in this sport from my amateur ranking!:) Before the body of the piece you've already used the wonderful "boy band offensive" and "humble big innings." And I've already stolen (I mean borrowed) your previous Santaclaustrophobia.
And then you save the best for (almost) last: "CentralTrack.com was beside themselves in June 2021, covering the new cover song Bowling For Soup covered: The coverers dutifully covering, and with the coverees themselves!"
I was wondering if you were going to mention the band Bowling For Soup in this expose and you did!
And then you taught me a whole bunch about not just their band name being from a Hanson song but then inviting Hanson to perform on the cover of a Hanson song! Meta-meta-morphosis!
Thanks so much, Steve! You make even ME impressed by me! I know you're a word-play guy, so your appreciation of my palabra folderol is gratifying! This was another stumble-into...I had no idea BFS had covered my fave Hanson song. I guess I was trying to see what/how I could write about "Where's the Love," when the BFS cover popped up. You sound like you were well aware of their cover, and I'm sure far more aware of the band than I was (only having heard of them, and not knowingly heard them).
The fact that one of them was friends with Tay, and their unique cover (with the original band accompanying....I mean, has THAT ever happened?) was thoroughly bitchin' made it all the more I-can't-wait-to-get-this-written!!
Thanks again for chiming in, Steve! Always dig your perspectives! I just noticed your new comment, and I'll reply above to that one!
I don't actually know much about BFS other than a couple songs that I remember getting airplay about 15 years ago. I have to say their pop-punk sound didn't do that much for me at the time. I'm curious if my opinion has changed at all. As a person who loves both pop and punk, most of the so-called "pop-punk" bands kind of annoy me. I am thinking of bands like Blink-182, Panic At the Disco, Good Charlotte, etc. Whiny vocals above generic sounding music and not much to say in the lyric department.
We're def on the same page re: "pop-punk" bands, all of whom I had little to no patience for! I mentioned "Pop Star" earlier....Good Charlotte was a virtually monthly feature around the turn of the century, even an occasional cover pic/story!
Surprising just because of their mega-tats and facial hair, and looking far more "dangerous" (different, anyway) than the Clearasil clan otherwise featured in that mag!
If that's what BFS was being called, their rep (in my 👀, anyway) goes up for having become friends with, at least, Tay. I noticed BFS is from Wichita Falls via Denton (where I spent a year in college at NTSU)....both cities near the OK/Red River border....with Hanson from nearby Tulsa, I wonder how much geography played into their meeting/friendship.