G4 (band)
Encyclopedia
G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV
's talent show The X Factor
in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.
in 2004.
Mentored by Louis Walsh
, they reached the final, where they finished as runners-up to Steve Brookstein
. Simon Cowell
, who had mentored Steve Brookstein through the show, admitted later that G4 and Walsh were the real winners of the competition as they went on to outsell Brookstein.
said that his label decided to pursue the band because, "We felt that they were the best act on the show." With the rules of The X Factor allowing any band or artist that doesn't win to sign with anyone, Sony competed with Universal and EMI for G4's signatures. Raphael believes their manager Louis Walsh accepted Sony BMG's advances because,
Their debut album, G4
, was released on 28 February 2005. It reached Number One for Mother's Day
weekend 2005 and sold over 245,000 copies in the first week. Their debut single, a cover of Queen's
"Bohemian Rhapsody
", was released on 14 March 2005, and entered the charts at #9. Their second album, G4 & Friends
was released on 28 November 2005, and entered the charts at #6.
G4's third album Act Three
was released on 27 November 2006. It entered the charts at #21.
In 2006, G4 made a special appearance at the American 4 July party at Winfield House, home of the US Ambassador to the UK, and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner
".
On 5 April 2007, the band announced on GMTV
that they would be splitting after their 2007 tour due to disagreements within the band. G4 made their final performance at Romsey
on 28 July 2007.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's talent show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.
The X Factor
G4 auditioned for the first series of The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2004.
Mentored by Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
, they reached the final, where they finished as runners-up to Steve Brookstein
Steve Brookstein
Steve Brookstein is an English jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the UK in 2004 after winning the first series of The X Factor...
. Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, who had mentored Steve Brookstein through the show, admitted later that G4 and Walsh were the real winners of the competition as they went on to outsell Brookstein.
X Factor performances
- Last 9: "Everybody HurtsEverybody Hurts"Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the French Singles Chart.-History:Much of the song was written by...
" - Last 8: "Don't Look Back in AngerDon't Look Back in Anger"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis, released in 1996 as the fourth single from their hit second album Morning Glory?. The song was written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter, Noel Gallagher. The song became the band's second single to reach #1 in the UK...
" - Last 7: "Baby One More Time"
- Last 6: "Circle of LifeCircle of LifeThe song was re-recorded in 2003 by the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, a group of actors and actresses who have appeared in Disney Channel television series and original movies...
" - Last 5: "My WayMy Way (song)"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
" - Last 4: "You'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk Alone (song)"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
" and "Somebody to LoveSomebody to Love (Queen song)"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" - Semi-final: "O Holy NightO Holy Night"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
" and "Bohemian RhapsodyBohemian Rhapsody"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" - Final: "Nessun DormaNessun dormaNessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...
", "Bohemian RhapsodyBohemian Rhapsody"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" and "Creep"
Post-X Factor
After The X Factor, G4 signed a £1.5 million album deal with Sony BMG. Having not been picked up by Cowell, Sony A&R Nick RaphaelNick Raphael
Nick Raphael was born October 4, 1971 in London, United Kingdom. Raphael is a Music Industry Executive. He is currently President of London Records...
said that his label decided to pursue the band because, "We felt that they were the best act on the show." With the rules of The X Factor allowing any band or artist that doesn't win to sign with anyone, Sony competed with Universal and EMI for G4's signatures. Raphael believes their manager Louis Walsh accepted Sony BMG's advances because,
"We had a plan of how to work with the band, as opposed to our competitors who just had a desire to sign the band. ... We had a definitive release date, a definitive date to put out merchandise and we had already organised the structure to make the record."
Their debut album, G4
G4 (album)
G4 is the self-titled debut album from the vocal group G4, released in 2005. It debuted at the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart on the Mother's Day weekend selling over 245,000 copies in the first week. It became the fastest selling album of 2005...
, was released on 28 February 2005. It reached Number One for Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
weekend 2005 and sold over 245,000 copies in the first week. Their debut single, a cover of Queen's
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
"Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
", was released on 14 March 2005, and entered the charts at #9. Their second album, G4 & Friends
G4 & Friends
G4 and Friends is the second album released by X Factor group, G4. It entered at #6 in the UK charts with first week sales of 97,100. The album includes the band singing with guest stars Cliff Richard, Lesley Garrett and Robin Gibb.- Track listing :...
was released on 28 November 2005, and entered the charts at #6.
G4's third album Act Three
Act Three
Act Three was the third and final album to be released by X Factor runners-up G4. The album included a duet with Stephen Gately on the song "No Matter What", Gately having sung the lead on the original version of the song with his band Boyzone. This was the third album of rock, pop and...
was released on 27 November 2006. It entered the charts at #21.
In 2006, G4 made a special appearance at the American 4 July party at Winfield House, home of the US Ambassador to the UK, and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
".
On 5 April 2007, the band announced on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
that they would be splitting after their 2007 tour due to disagreements within the band. G4 made their final performance at Romsey
Romsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
on 28 July 2007.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
|||
| 2005 | G4 G4 (album) G4 is the self-titled debut album from the vocal group G4, released in 2005. It debuted at the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart on the Mother's Day weekend selling over 245,000 copies in the first week. It became the fastest selling album of 2005...
|
1 | 4 |
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... : Double Platinum |
| G4 & Friends G4 & Friends G4 and Friends is the second album released by X Factor group, G4. It entered at #6 in the UK charts with first week sales of 97,100. The album includes the band singing with guest stars Cliff Richard, Lesley Garrett and Robin Gibb.- Track listing :... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
6 | - |
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... : Platinum |
|
| 2006 | Act Three Act Three Act Three was the third and final album to be released by X Factor runners-up G4. The album included a duet with Stephen Gately on the song "No Matter What", Gately having sung the lead on the original version of the song with his band Boyzone. This was the third album of rock, pop and... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
21 | 50 |
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... : Platinum |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
IE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
|||
| 2005 | "Bohemian Rhapsody Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera... " |
9 | 11 | G4 G4 (album) G4 is the self-titled debut album from the vocal group G4, released in 2005. It debuted at the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart on the Mother's Day weekend selling over 245,000 copies in the first week. It became the fastest selling album of 2005... |
| "Life on Mars? Life on Mars? "Life on Mars?" is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. The song—which BBC Radio 2 later called "a cross between a Broadway musical and a Salvador Dalí painting"—featured guest piano work by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When released as a single in 1973,... " |
N/A | N/A | ||
| "First of May"/"When a Child Is Born" | N/A | N/A | G4 & Friends G4 & Friends G4 and Friends is the second album released by X Factor group, G4. It entered at #6 in the UK charts with first week sales of 97,100. The album includes the band singing with guest stars Cliff Richard, Lesley Garrett and Robin Gibb.- Track listing :... |
|
| "Happy Mother's Day" | N/A | N/A |