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1997's success debuted-hit "Push" by Matchbox
20.
Review.- Matchbox Twenty (or MB20, MBT,
matchbox twenty, originally spelled Matchbox
20) is a rock band formed in Orlando,
Florida. The current members of the band are
Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Brian Yale, and
Kyle Cook. (Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar) left
the band in 2005, after performing on their
first three studio albums.) Rob Thomas is the
principal songwriter and lead singer.
Rob Thomas, Brian Yale, and Paul Doucette
performed in the band Tabitha's Secret, which
originated in Orlando, Florida, with fellow
members John Stanley and John Goff, before
splitting to start a new band (what was to
become Matchbox Twenty). After recruiting the
talents of Adam Gaynor from Criteria
Recording Studios in Miami and Kyle Cook from
the Atlanta Institute of Music, the lineup
was complete and ready to begin.
Paul Doucette came up with the name Matchbox
Twenty when he was a waiter in a diner and
saw a guy with a number 20 softball shirt. It
was covered with patches and the only word
they could read was matchbox.
Matchbox Twenty released their debut album,
Yourself Or Someone Like You, in 1996. While
their first single, "Long Day", was a rock
radio-only smash, the album soon spun off
several Top 40 hit singles throughout 1997
and 1998, including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real
World", and "Back 2 Good". The album
eventually went on to sell over 12 million
copies in the U.S. alone, earning diamond
status. The band toured relentlessly for
several years, performing from the album,
along with some cover songs such as Cyndi
Lauper's "Time After Time" and The Beatles'
"Don't Let Me Down". Their fan base grew from
concert to concert based on their
electrifying live performances and the
longevity of their hit singles on radio. That
same year, Matchbox Twenty recorded a live
version of their Top-40 hit "3 AM" for
release on the charity album Live in the X
Lounge, benefiting cerebral palsy research.
Before recording their second album, Rob
Thomas collaborated with Itaal Shur on a song
called "Smooth" for Carlos Santana's comeback
album, Supernatural. The song had a
pop-tinged Latin beat and showcased Thomas'
lyrical talents. Thomas was supposed to act
solely as songwriter on "Smooth", but Carlos
Santana had him sing on it as well after
hearing the song's demo recording. "Smooth"
was the album's lead single and became a hit
in 1999; Thomas earned three Grammys for
writing and performing on "Smooth", including
Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In 2000, Matchbox 20 renamed themselves
Matchbox Twenty and released their second
album, Mad Season. The album featured lush
instrumental arrangements, and spun off
several hit singles, including "Bent" (which
went #1 on the Hot 100) and "If You're Gone".
The video for "Bent" poked fun of singer
Thomas' heightened profile from "Smooth" by
showing the other band members assaulting him
mercilessly. The evocatively arranged ballad
"If You're Gone" became a big hit, especially
on adult contemporary formats. The band's
next two singles, "Mad Season" and "Last
Beautiful Girl" were not as successful.
For their third album, More Than You Think
You Are, the band returned to a harder rock
sound. Thomas shared the songwriting efforts
with the other band members on several songs.
The album contained hit singles "Disease",
"Unwell", and "Bright Lights". Although it
was not as commercially successful as the
band's two earlier efforts, it had an
enormous radio presence for well over a year,
and received a large amount of critical
praise.
In May 2004, the band released a live concert
DVD, Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox
Twenty, filmed in Atlanta and featuring 20
songs, including all of their hit singles.
In February 2005, rhythm guitarist Gaynor
officially left the group, which had been on
hiatus to allow other members to pursue side
projects. Rob Thomas went on to release a
solo album, ...Something To Be, which became
the U.S. Billboard 200 #1 album the first
week of its release. The album featured four
hit singles: "Lonely No More", "This Is How a
Heart Breaks", "Ever the Same", and
"Streetcorner Symphony".
In January 2007, Rob Thomas released a
single, "Little Wonders", which he wrote for
the Disney movie, Meet the Robinsons.
The band has sold in excess of 37 million
albums worldwide from the releases of
Yourself Or Someone Like You, Mad Season, and
More Than You Think You Are. They released
their latest album, Exile on Mainstream, on
October 2, 2007.
Tags : 90's Matchbox 20 Push 1997 Yourself Or Someone Like You US Rob Thomas Alternative Rock Pop music video |
