Middle of Nowhere (Hanson album)
Encyclopedia
Middle of Nowhere is the third album
by American
pop rock
group Hanson
, and the first to be released on a major label, which was Polygram Records and Mercury Records
. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang
and MMMBop
. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, had never been performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic
on May 5, 2007.
The album was received extremely well by critics. Most reviewers praised Hanson as a welcome alternative to the critically panned post-grunge
bands that were dominating the radiowaves at the time. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."
Middle of Nowhere yielded 5 hits: "MMMBop
", "Where's the Love
", "I Will Come to You
", "Weird
", and "Thinking of You
".
, Taylor Hanson
and Zachary Hanson
; additional writers are noted below.
Note: "Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because it has a live version of "MMMBop
" as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere.
Session musicians
Other
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
group Hanson
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
, and the first to be released on a major label, which was Polygram Records and Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang
Boomerang (Hanson album)
Boomerang is the first album by American pop rock group Hanson. Released in 1995 , it was an independent release, funded by the group's father. It is very uncommon to find this CD for sale anywhere, for only a large handful were produced...
and MMMBop
MMMBop (album)
MMMBop was released in 1996 and is Hanson's second independent album after Boomerang . It contains a few songs that were later rerecorded for their third studio album Middle of Nowhere . Many of these songs were also rereleased on 3 Car Garage . This album was not available in many stores and was...
. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, had never been performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic
Middle of Nowhere Acoustic
Middle of Nowhere Acoustic is a live acoustic album and DVD by Hanson. It was recorded on May 5, 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album Middle of Nowhere...
on May 5, 2007.
The album was received extremely well by critics. Most reviewers praised Hanson as a welcome alternative to the critically panned post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
bands that were dominating the radiowaves at the time. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."
Middle of Nowhere yielded 5 hits: "MMMBop
MMMBop
"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally...
", "Where's the Love
Where's the Love
"Where's the Love" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson. It was the second single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere .-Track listing:All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, and Zac Hanson...
", "I Will Come to You
I Will Come to You
"I Will Come to You" is a song written and performed by the American pop-rock band Hanson. It was the third single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere . "I Will Come to You" reached number five in the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.-Track...
", "Weird
Weird (Hanson song)
"Weird" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson. It was the fourth hit single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere . It was also featured in the 1997 film The Borrowers, playing during the end credits....
", and "Thinking of You
Thinking of You (Hanson song)
"Thinking of You" is a song written and performed by the American pop-rock band Hanson. It was the fifth and final single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere .The single was a success in Australia and Finland, where it reached the top 10....
".
Worldwide sales
Total sales worldwide are 10 million copies. The album sold just under 4 million in the US (4 times platinum) and sold 600,000 copies in UK (2 times platinum).Track listing
All songs written by Isaac HansonIsaac Hanson
Isaac Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock trio Hanson, which includes his two younger brothers Taylor and Zac...
, Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
and Zachary Hanson
Zac Hanson
Zachary Walker "Zac" Hanson is an American musician, best known as a member of the pop band Hanson. He plays drums, percussion, piano, guitar and also sings back-up and lead vocals...
; additional writers are noted below.
- "Thinking of YouThinking of You (Hanson song)"Thinking of You" is a song written and performed by the American pop-rock band Hanson. It was the fifth and final single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere .The single was a success in Australia and Finland, where it reached the top 10....
" – 3:13 - "MMMBopMMMBop"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally...
" – 4:28 - "WeirdWeird (Hanson song)"Weird" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson. It was the fourth hit single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere . It was also featured in the 1997 film The Borrowers, playing during the end credits....
" – 4:02 (Desmond ChildDesmond ChildDesmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
) - "Speechless" – 4:20 (Stephen Lironi)
- "Where's the LoveWhere's the Love"Where's the Love" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson. It was the second single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere .-Track listing:All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, and Zac Hanson...
" – 4:13 (Mark Hudson, Sander Salover) - "Yearbook" – 5:29 (Ellen Shipley)
- "Look at You" – 4:28 (Stephen Lironi)
- "Lucy" – 3:35 (Mark Hudson)
- "I Will Come to YouI Will Come to You"I Will Come to You" is a song written and performed by the American pop-rock band Hanson. It was the third single from the band's third album Middle of Nowhere . "I Will Come to You" reached number five in the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.-Track...
" – 4:11 (Barry MannBarry MannBarry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
, Cynthia WeilCynthia WeilCynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....
) - "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson)
- "Madeline" – 4:13 (Cliff Magness)
- "With You in Your Dreams" – 3:56
- "Man from Milwaukee" [CD-only bonus track] – 3:38
Note: "Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because it has a live version of "MMMBop
MMMBop
"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally...
" as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere.
Personnel
Hanson- Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals
- Taylor HansonTaylor HansonTaylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
– keyboards, piano, vocals - Isaac HansonIsaac HansonIsaac Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock trio Hanson, which includes his two younger brothers Taylor and Zac...
– guitar, vocals
Session musicians
- Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, percussion, programming, producer, keyboards
- Peter Kent – violin
- Michael Fischer – percussion
- Carole Mukogawa – viola
- John Wittenberg – violin
- Michito Sanchez – percussion
- Larry Corbett – cello
- Steve Richards – cello
- Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
- Nick VincentNick VincentNick Vincent is an American rock and roll, jazz, and studio drummer, producer and composer. Artists he has performed and/or recorded with include Frank Black, Donnie and Marie, Art Garfunkel, John Fogerty, Carole King, Jackie DeShannon, Ann-Margret, Hilary Duff, Hanson, Charlotte Hatherley, Ian...
– drums - Endre GranatEndre GranatEndre Granat,former Asst. Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra ,Concertmaster of the Goteborg Symphony.Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth International Competition,Recipient of the Ysaye Medal.Frequent participant of the Marlboro Festival and the Casals Festival.The former Fulbright scholar taught...
– violin - Abe Laboriel Jr.Abe Laboriel Jr.Abe Laboriel Jr. is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr. and brother of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel....
– drums - David Campbell – conductor, string arrangements
- Abraham LaborielAbraham LaborielAbraham Laboriel, Sr. is a Mexican bassist of Garifuna descent who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player Magazine described him as "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and...
– bass - Neil StubenhausNeil StubenhausNeil Stubenhaus is an American bass guitarist.-Career:He started his musical training playing drums and switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. He studied at the Berklee College of Music where he graduated in 1975...
– bass - B.J. Cole – pedal steel
- Sandy Stein – keyboards
- Stevie Wonder – harmonica
- Murray Adler – violin
Other
- Roger Love – vocal director
- Margery Greenspan – art direction
- Steven GreenbergSteven GreenbergSteven Greenberg may refer to:* Steven Greenberg , writer and producer of "Funkytown"; and owner of October Records* Steven Greenberg , openly gay rabbi with Orthodox ordination* Steve Greenberg , owner of S-Curve Records...
– executive producer - Barry Mann – vocal director
- Marina Chavez – photography
- Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– mastering - The Dust Brothers – programming, producer
- Mark Hudson – vocal director
Charts
This table indicates the highest position the album reached on each country's album charts.| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 1 |
| Austria | 2 |
| Belgium (Flanders chart) | 2 |
| Belgium (Wallonia chart) | 15 |
| Finland | 4 |
| France | 15 |
| Germany Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
1 |
| Holand | 7 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Netherlands | 5 |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
4 |
| Norway | 7 |
| Sweden | 4 |
| Switzerland | 2 |
| 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... |
1 |
| USA Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 89 |