Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls |
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The Goo Goo Dolls are an alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York by guitarist/vocalist Johnny Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac. They are perhaps most famous for the hit "Iris," featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film "City of Angels" and on their album "Dizzy Up the Girl".
Members
- Johnny Rzeznik – vocals, guitar (Founding member)
- Robby Takac – vocals, bass guitar (Founding member)
- Mike Malinin – drums, percussion (Hired in 1995, made official member in 1998)
History
Founded in Buffalo, New York in 1986 by guitarist/vocalist Johnny Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, the Goo Goo Dolls initially consisted of the two founders and George Tutuska on drums. The band named themselves the Goo Goo Dolls (the name was picked out from an ad in a True Detective magazine) at the request of a local club owner who refused to let them play otherwise. They were originally signed by the short-lived indie label Mercenary Records and they released their self-titled debut album in 1986. A little over a year later, a Los Angeles performance brought the band to the attention of Metal Blade Records, who would later distribute their first wide release.
In their early career, they were often dismissed by critics as "The Replacements wannabes." (Rzeznik has stated on many occasions that Paul Westerberg is a major influence on his writing.) While they were embraced by college radio and the local punk scene (playing such venues as CBGB's), especially after the release of their third album, Hold Me Up (1990), by this time, the Goo Goo Dolls had emerged with their own sound which incorporated a metallic edge, the pleasant melodies, harmonies and simple song structures of pop and, sometimes, furious blasts of punk energy. In 1991, the song "I'm Awake Now" was recorded for the soundtrack of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, the video for which featured a cameo of Robert Englund in character as Freddy and was played on the major video channels of the time.
Superstar Car Wash was released in 1993 to even more media fanfare. The critical success and encouraging sales of the last album resulted in a larger budget from Metal Blade. (It was recorded in the same studio where Rush had produced multi-platinum albums.) The single "We Are the Normal" received a major push toward college and independent radio, while its video was displayed on MTV's 120 Minutes program. "Fallin' Down" made it onto the soundtrack of Pauly Shore's hit film Son in Law. Superstar Car Wash is held as a benchmark album in the group's career, with many calling it their best work.
Their follow-up, A Boy Named Goo, marked the end of the line for drummer George Tutuska, by this time locked in a personal feud with Rzeznik. Bassist Takac basically had to choose between the breakup of the band that Rzeznik threatened or the dismissal of the drummer with whom he was still friendly. A Boy Named Goo is the final recording the talented drummer would make with the band. For several months, the album sold modestly, while the band, with newly-hired Texan Mike Malinin on drums, toured rigorously. It was not until the release of their single "Name" from the same album that the Goo Goo Dolls experienced any commercial success. A Boy Named Goo became the first album in Metal Blade history to achieve double platinum status. Their mainstream success, however, was bittersweet as they faced a lengthy legal battle with Metal Blade Records over royalties that were being withheld from the band; hence, the Goos eventually switched to Metal Blade's parent company, Warner Brothers. In addition, many of the fans the Goo Goo Dolls had at the time felt they had sold out to garner commercial success. The undisputed success of "Name" marked a fundamental change in the band's sound toward a more polished, commercial direction.
In 1998, "Iris" was released on the City of Angels soundtrack, and the Goos were propelled to stardom, as the song stayed on the Billboard charts at number one for 18 weeks and was nominated for three Grammys that year. The song was also included on their sixth album, Dizzy Up the Girl, which was released that same year and spawned single hits "Slide", "Iris", "Black Balloon", "Broadway" and "Dizzy." The album's slick production and toned-down edge put off many long time fans, feeling the Goo Goo Dolls had abandoned their college/indie rock roots. However, they were replaced with legions of new fans; a result of the band's mainstream exposure. (Most Goo Goo Dolls concert sets feature few, if any, songs the band wrote before 1995, reflecting the band's more current mainstream sound.) In 2001, the Goos released their first ever compilation CD, What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce. Next, Gutterflower (2002) achieved gold certification, producing the hits "Here Is Gone", "Sympathy", and "Big Machine". 2004 saw the release of the Goo's Live in Buffalo: July 4th 2004 which propelled "Give a Little Bit" to #1 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.
In 2006, the Goo Goo Dolls marked their 20th anniversary with their new album Let Love In, which included the studio recording of Supertramp's "Give A Little Bit" as well as other top 10 radio singles "Better Days," "Stay With You," and "Let Love In".
April 13, 1996 and July 4, 2004 were proclaimed "Goo Goo Dolls Day" in their hometown of Buffalo, New York.
Other important people
- William Howell was the uncredited A&R scout who helped sign the band to Metal Blade in 1987.
- Artie Kwitchoff was the original manager of the band up to the Metal Blade years. Currently, he is a club owner and concert promoter for Clear Channel entertainment. "Artie", featured on Jed, includes a recording of a prank phone call to Kwitchoff concerning the breakup of the band.
- George Tutuska, was the drummer for the Goo Goo Dolls from 1986 to New Year's Eve 1994. He was dismissed and replaced by Mike Malinin. George was fired because he and John could barely stand to be in the same room with each other. John quit the band, but Robby convinced him to rejoin, and fired George.
- Lance Diamond is a Buffalo, New York entertainer who has played live with the Goo Goo Dolls on many occasions, as well as recorded with them on the tracks Down On The Corner, Never Take The Place of your Man, My Girl, Do You Believe, and Bitch.
- Nathan December was the touring backing guitarist for the Dizzy Up the Girl tour.
- Dave Schulz was the touring keyboardist for the Dizzy Up the Girl tour. He is currently working as a producer and session player in Los Angeles.
- Greg Suran was the touring backing guitarist for the Gutterflower tour. He is currently working as a session player in Los Angeles.
- Jason Freese was the touring keyboardist/saxophonist for the Gutterflower tour; he's now on tour with Green Day.
- Brad Fernquist is the touring backing guitarist for the Let Love In tour.
- Korel Tunador is the touring keyboardist/guitarist/saxophonist for the Let Love In tour.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label(s) | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Goo Goo Dolls | Metal Blade | - |
| 1989 | Jed | Metal Blade | - |
| 1990 | Hold Me Up | Metal Blade | - |
| 1993 | Superstar Car Wash | Warner Bros. | - |
| 1995 | A Boy Named Goo | Warner Bros. | #27 Double Platinum |
| 1998 | Dizzy Up the Girl | Warner Bros. | #15 Triple Platinum |
| 2001 | What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce | Warner Bros. | #164 |
| 2002 | Gutterflower | Warner Bros. | #4 Gold |
| 2004 | Live in Buffalo: July 4th 2004 | Warner Bros. | #161 |
| 2006 | Let Love In | Warner Bros. | #9 Gold |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | US Adult Top 40 | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 1991 | "There You Are" | - | 24 | - | - | - | Hold Me Up |
| 1991 | "I'm Awake Now" | - | - | - | - | - | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Soundtrack |
| 1993 | "We Are the Normal" | - | 5 | - | - | - | Superstar Car Wash |
| 1995 | "Only One" | - | 36 | 21 | - | - | A Boy Named Goo |
| 1995 | "Flat Top" | - | - | 38 | - | - | A Boy Named Goo |
| 1995 | "Name" | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | A Boy Named Goo |
| 1995 | "Naked" | - | 9 | 8 | - | - | A Boy Named Goo |
| 1996 | "Long Way Down" | - | 25 | 7 | - | - | A Boy Named Goo |
| 1997 | "Lazy Eye" | - | 20 | 9 | - | - | Batman & Robin Soundtrack |
| 1998 | "Iris" 1 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 26 | City of Angels: Music from the Motion Picture and Dizzy Up the Girl |
| 1998 | "Slide" | 8 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 43 | Dizzy Up the Girl |
| 1999 | "Black Balloon" | 16 | 13 | 28 | 3 | - | Dizzy Up the Girl |
| 1999 | "Dizzy" | - | 9 | 13 | - | - | Dizzy Up the Girl |
| 2000 | "Broadway" | 24 | 38 | - | 5 | - | Dizzy Up the Girl |
| 2002 | "Here Is Gone" | 18 | 21 | 29 | 3 | - | Gutterflower |
| 2002 | "Big Machine" | 64 | - | - | 10 | - | Gutterflower |
| 2003 | "Sympathy" | - | - | - | 10 | - | Gutterflower |
| 2004 | "Give a Little Bit" | 37 | - | - | 1 | - | Live in Buffalo: July 4th 2004 and Let Love In |
| 2005 | "Better Days" | 36 | - | - | 3 | - | Let Love In |
| 2006 | "Stay With You" | 51 | - | - | 6 | 39 | Let Love In |
| 2006 | "Let Love In" | 107 | - | - | 9 | - | Let Love In |
1 "Iris" spent a record 18 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, but did not hit number one on the Hot 100 as Billboard (at the time) did not allow songs to enter the chart without a commercial single release.
Interviews
External links
- Goo Goo Dolls Official Website
- The Goo Goo Dolls discography at MusicBrainz