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Revision as of 14:34, 7 April 2006

Cheap Trick
File:Cheaptrick.jpg
Cheap Trick
Background information
OriginRockford, Illinois
Years active1974 - present
MembersRick Nielsen
Robin Zander
Tom Petersson
Bun E. Carlos

Cheap Trick is an U.S. rock and roll band from Rockford, Illinois that gained popularity in the late 1970s. The band members are Rick Nielsen (guitarist and main songwriter), Bun E. Carlos (born Brad Carlson) (drums), Robin Zander (vocals and guitars), and Tom Petersson (bass guitar). While their stints of mainstream success tended not to last long, Cheap Trick has held a substantial following through regular touring and a hard-edged yet blissful pop sound that combined the tunefulness of The Beatles with the speed and energy of the emerging punk rock scene. The band's biggest hits over the years include "I Want You to Want Me", "Surrender", "Dream Police", "Don't Be Cruel", and "The Flame".

History

(1968-1974) Early years

Cheap Trick's roots lie in Fuse, a late-1960s Rockford, IL, band formed by Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson, who released an unsuccessful album on Epic in 1969. After the record failed to gain any attention, the band relocated to Philadelphia and changed their name to Sick Man of Europe. The group toured Europe unsuccessfully in 1972, returning to Illinois in 1973. Upon their return to Rockford, Nielsen and Petersson ended up naming their band Cheap Trick after adding drummer Bun E. Carlos and vocalist Randy "Xeno" Hogan. Hogan left the following year and ex-folk singer Robin Zander joined the group. Between 1974 and the band's first album in 1977, Cheap Trick toured constantly, playing over 200 concerts a year, including opening slots for Queen, The Kinks, Kiss, and Santana. During this time, the band built up a solid catalog of original songs that would eventually comprise their first three albums; they also perfected their kinetic live show.

(1976-1979) Success in Japan

Cheap Trick signed with Epic Records in 1976, releasing their self-titled debut album in early 1977. The record sold well in the U.S., yet it failed to chart. However, the group became a massive success in Japan, going gold upon release. Later that year, the band released their second album, In Color. Epic A&R man/producer Tom Werman backed In Color away from the harder rocking Cheap Trick, featuring a slicker production and quieter arrangements that spotlighted the band's melodic skills. Due to their constant touring, the record made it into the U.S. charts, peaking at number 73; in Japan it became another gold-seller. The band realized that they were virtual superstars in Japan when they toured the country in early 1978. Their concerts were selling out within two hours and they packed the Budokan Arena. Cheap Trick's concerts at the Budokan Arena were recorded for a television program – which ended up becoming an album that appeared after their third album, 1978's Heaven Tonight. Heaven Tonight captured both the energy of their debut and the hook-laden song craft of In Color, leading to their first Top 100 single, "Surrender", which peaked at number 62. However, the live performances on At Budokan (1979) captured the band's energetic live show, resulting in their commercial breakthrough in the U.S. The album stayed on the charts for over a year, peaking at number four and eventually selling over three million copies; a live version of "I Want You to Want Me" pulled from the album became their first Top Ten hit. Later that year, the group released their fourth studio album, Dream Police, which followed the same stylistic approach of Heaven Tonight. It also followed At Budokan into the Top Ten, selling over a million copies and launching the Top 40 hit singles "Voices" and "Dream Police". In the summer of 1980, the group released Found All the Parts, an EP of tracks recorded between 1976 and 1979.

(1980-1987) Post Petersson years

Petersson left the group in the summer of 1980 after recording the George Martin produced All Shook Up, released toward the end of 1980. The album performed respectably, peaking at number 24 and going gold, yet the single "Stop This Game" failed to enter the Top 40. For subsequent tours Pete Comita, and shortly thereafter Jon Brant, replaced Petersson. The first album recorded with Brant was One on One, the group's seventh album that appeared in 1982. Although it peaked at number 39, the record was more successful than All Shook Up, eventually going platinum. Next Position Please, released in 1983, failed to launch a hit single and spent only 11 weeks on the charts. Standing on the Edge (1985) and The Doctor (1986) suffered similar fates.

(1988-1997) Record label problems

Petersson rejoined the band in 1988 and under CBS Record's direction the group began working on a new album with the help of several outside songwriters. The resulting album, Lap of Luxury, was a platinum Top 20 hit, featuring the number one power ballad "The Flame" and a Top Ten version of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel". Busted (1990) wasn't as successful, peaking at number 48 and effectively putting an end to the group's tenure with CBS Records. Over the course of the 1990s the band experienced several new lows when Sony Music, the successor to the band's CBS Records contract, put Cheap Trick's name on several budget compilations including Voices, I Want You To Want Me, Don't Be Cruel, and several others without their prior knowledge, consent, or agreement. Robin Zander's self titled record produced by Jimmy Iovine was released in 1993 and quickly cut out. In 1994, Cheap Trick signed with Warner Brothers and released Woke Up With A Monster; the record spent two weeks on the chart, peaking at 123. That same year, Sony Records released a sequel to At Budokan, entitled Budokan II. Following the poor performance of Woke Up with a Monster, Cheap Trick decided to go back to the basics. They left Warner Brothers and over the next few years several alternative rockers, who were influenced by Cheap Trick, gave the band opportunities to restore their reputation. The Smashing Pumpkins had the band open some shows in 1995, and the group performed on the 1996 Lollapalooza tour. That same year, the box set Sex America Cheap Trick appeared to good reviews and the band signed with the fledgling independent label/distributor Red Ant/Alliance. Early in 1997, the group released a Steve Albini produced single, "Baby Talk", on Sub Pop, which was followed in the spring by Cheap Trick, their critically acclaimed debut for Red Ant/Alliance. Seven weeks after releasing the record, Red Ant/Alliance declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, causing a furious music retail community to yank the record from stores and nearly bankrupting the band in the process.

(1998-2003) Rebuilding

1998 saw the band rebuilding by trying to restore normal relations with Sony and the music retail community, and establishing their own record company, Cheap Trick Unlimited. They toured behind the re-mastered re-releases of Budokan: the Complete Concert, and their first three records. One of the multi-night stands from this tour resulted in Music For Hangovers, a vibrant live effort. Amid much criticism, Cheap Trick Unlimited sold the CD exclusively on Amazon.com for 8 weeks prior to releasing it in stores. To support the record they headlined, co-billed with Guided By Voices, and opened for Pearl Jam. In early 2000, Cheap Trick entered into a license with Musicmaker.com to directly download and create custom CDs for over 50 songs. After spending a good part of 2001 writing songs and about six weeks of pre-production, Cheap Trick went into Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, NY in March 2002 where the band put together their first studio album in six years, Special One. Zanders said, "This time each of us had songs and bits and pieces of songs – like a verse here, a chorus there, or a melody with no lyric. After putting it all together for this album, we'd lost track of who wrote what and just decided to put all of the writers on each song equally." Petersson added, "What I think is great about this record is that it sounds like an entire piece of music rather than a bunch of assorted, unrelated songs."

(2004-2006) Independence

Cheap Trick have been running their own label, Cheap Trick Unlimited, for 10 years now, controlling a substantial inventory of master recordings, including Cheap Trick 97 (Red Ant), Woke Up with a Monster (Warner Bros. 1994), Silver (a double live CD/DVD), Music for Hangovers (live CD/DVD), various singles including "That 70s Show" and "Cold Turkey", Bun E. in a Box (a drum sample CD), plus various videos and live footage. Nielsen comments, "Running our own label has been a lot of fun. One day Bun E. gets to be President and one day I get to play President." Zander adds, "It's been a little tedious and a little overwhelming at times but we've got more control over our chaos." In May 2003, Cheap Trick decided to bring their record label to Big3 Entertainment. Under the deal, Cheap Trick Unlimited/Big3 Records released Special One. Bun E.: "We brought our label to Big3 because we got tired of being record moguls and riding around in limos and making the big bucks. We thought we'd give Big3 a chance." Cheap Trick is now set to release their new studio album Rockford on June 6th, 2006 via Cheap Trick Unlimited/Big3 Records. The first single "Perfect Stranger" (produced by Linda Perry and co-written by Cheap Trick and Perry) is currently available for download on iTunes.

Trivia

In 1977, Cheap Trick opened for KISS in California where KISS was to record their KISS Alive II album. Bun E. Carlos said that before the show started KISS's drummer Peter Criss was so intoxicated that Carlos almost had to put on makeup and take his place.

Cheap Trick wrote and performed songs for the animated films Heavy Metal (1979) and Rock & Rule (1983). They also appeared on the Top Gun soundtrack with Mighty Wings.

The band has also been referenced several times on The Simpsons: in one episode, Apu was interrupted while singing along to "Dream Police".

Bassist Tom Petersson is credited for having the idea for a 12-string bass. The first 12-string bass was designed by Jol Dantzig and custom made by Hamer Guitars following a request from Petersson. Petersson has also used 12-string basses made by Kids (a Japanese guitar maker), Chandler, and Waterstone, as well as an array of 4, 5 and 8 stringed basses from other manufacturers.

According to Bun E. Carlos, Robin Zander plays a Hamer 12-string guitar (as opposed to bass) in addition to a Gibson Firebird, Chandler "Telecaster" and Rickenbacker 325. Rick Nielsen is an avid collector who, despite rationalising his guitar collection, still has over 250 guitars currently in his possession. He has collaborated with manufacturers for some personalised custom designs, including three 5-necked guitars.

An all-female tribute band impersonates them humorously, Cheap Chick.

Cheap Trick's song "Surrender" was featured in a Universal Studios commercial.

On March 7th, 2006, Cheap Trick's "Surrender" became the theme song to the new ABC show, "Sons and Daughters".

Discography

Studio albums

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Live albums

Compilations


Singles

  • (1978) "Surrender" - #62 US
  • (1979) "I Want You To Want Me" - #7 US
  • (1979) "Ain't That A Shame" - #35 US
  • (1979) "Dream Police" - #26 US
  • (1980) "Voices" - #32 US
  • (1980) "Everything Works If You Let It" - #44 US
  • (1980) "Stop This Game" - #48 US
  • (1982) "If You Want My Love" - #45 US
  • (1982) "She's Tight" - #65 US
  • (1985) "Tonight It's You" - #44 US
  • (1988) "The Flame" - #1 US
  • (1988) "Don't Be Cruel" - #4 US
  • (1988) "Ghost Town" - #33 US
  • (1989) "Never Had A Lot To Lose" - #75 US
  • (1990) "Can't Stop Fallin' Into Love" - #12 US
  • (1990) "Wherever Would I Be?" - #50 US

See also

External links

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