Middle of Nowhere (Album)
Occupation
- Guitar, piano, vocals: Isaac Hanson
- Keyboards, Vocals: Taylor Hanson
- Drums, Vocals: Zac Hanson
Production
- Stephen Lironi
- The Dust Brothers
Middle of Nowhere is the debut album by the American band Hanson at a major label.
Middle of Nowhere was released in 1997 on Mercury Records. The success of the Pop album is repeatedly described as a trailblazer for other teen pop acts like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and * NSYNC in the press.
- 4.1 chart positions 4.1.1 album
- 4.1.2 Singles
Music style
After the two albums released in self- distribution Boomerang and MMMBop Middle of Nowhere is the first professionally produced album of the band. It is characterized by catchy pop melodies with hints of classic Motown rhythms, soul and rock.
Genesis
As Middle of Nowhere was released in 1997, the brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson were 16, 14 and 11 years old. This led occasionally to compare with the Jackson 5 Unlike the Jackson 5 Hanson played on stage but their instruments, although they were supported in the studio by a number of studio musicians.
Nine of the thirteen tracks on Middle of Nowhere Hanson also received support from professional songwriters, such as Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Desmond Child and Mark Hudson. Producer Steve Lironi worked with the band on the arrangements of the pieces. Only MMMBop and Thinking Of You was produced by the Dust Brothers.
Mercury Records fed the release of the album with a major public relations campaign. For the music video for MMMBop Tamara Davis was hired, who had already worked with Sonic Youth and Luscious Jackson. The campaign take root, and Middle of Nowhere sold more than eight million times.
In May 2007, ten years after the release of Middle of Nowhere, Hanson took the songs of the album at two concerts as acoustic versions scratch. They released Middle of Nowhere Acoustic in December of the same year, however, the album sold only on its website. In Middle of Nowhere Acoustic songs Thinking Of You, Speechless and With You In Your Dreams missing.
Title list
Between With You in Your Dreams and the bonus track Man from Milwaukee to eight three-second tracks are without sound.
Singles
The single MMMBop reached # 1 on the charts in 27 countries. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland subsequently Where's the Love and I Will Come To You were released, but the big success of MMMBop could not repeat.
In the UK, two more singles were released in addition: Weird and Thinking Of You. In the USA, the second single I Will Come To You was also the last.
Publications and chart success
Chart positions
Album
Singles
Gold in Austria
Platinum in the UK
Platinum in the U.S.
Awards
In addition to various gold and platinum records Hanson won with MMMBop at the MTV Europe Music Awards 1997 the award for the best song. Middle of Nowhere was nominated at the Grammys as Record of the Year, but could not win the prize.