Sugar Ray
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the band Sugar Ray. For the boxers, see Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
or Sugar Ray RobinsonSugar Ray RobinsonSugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
.
Sugar Ray is a band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly
Fly (Sugar Ray song)
"Fly" is a song by rock band Sugar Ray. It appears on their 1997 album Floored twice: one version with reggae artist Super Cat and the other without ....
". This song's success, coupled with its 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...
sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time, led the band into changing into a mainstream, pop music style. Subsequent albums shared this similar style, and the band landed a number of hits with "Every Morning
Every Morning (Sugar Ray song)
"Every Morning" is the second track off Sugar Ray's third album 14:59. It was one of Sugar Ray's most successful singles, climbing all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", "Someday
Someday (Sugar Ray song)
"Someday" is a single from the rock band Sugar Ray from their album 14:59. The song reached #7 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, as well as #4 on the Hot 100 Airplay and #4 on Canada's RPM singles chart....
", and "When It's Over
When It's Over (Sugar Ray song)
"When It's Over" is a single from the rock band Sugar Ray from their self-titled album, Sugar Ray. The song reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #32 on the UK Singles Chart.-Music video:...
".
Formation and Lemonade and Brownies (1988-1996)
Prior to Sugar Ray, in the late 1980s, Rodney SheppardRodney Sheppard
Rodney Sheppard is the guitarist of rock band Sugar Ray.Rodney was born in Trinidad, but raised in Newport Beach, California. His mother's name is Gloria and he has an older brother named Alan. While attending Corona del Mar High School Rodney & friends formed a cover band inspired by the group...
and Stan Frazier
Stan Frazier (musician)
Stan Frazier is the drummer of rock band Sugar Ray.He was born and raised in Orange County, California.He is married to Jennifer Casinelli-Frazier. They have one daughter: Anabelle Frazier....
had been together in a band under the name The Tories. Later additions Murphy Karges
Murphy Karges
Murphy Karges is the American bassist of rock band Sugar Ray.-Biography:...
and Mark McGrath
Mark McGrath
Mark Sayers McGrath is an American singer of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of Extra, and he was the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in 2010...
changed the band's name to "Shrinky Dinx". After signing with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, the name was changed to Sugar Ray upon threat of lawsuit from the Milton Bradley Company
Milton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
, maker of the Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks are a children's toy/activity kit consisting of large flexible sheets which, when heated in an oven, shrink to small hard plates without altering their color or shape. They reached the height of their popularity in the 1980s...
toy.
The band's debut album
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...
, Lemonade and Brownies
Lemonade and Brownies
Lemonade and Brownies is the name of Sugar Ray's debut album, released in 1995.DJ Lethal produced for the album, providing all of the DJing...
, was released in 1995 and though it failed to produce a major hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
it did earn them recognition in alternative circles. Their early work was strongly influenced by funk metal
Funk metal
Funk metal is a subgenre of funk rock that fuses elements of heavy metal and funk. Allmusic has claimed that "funk metal evolved in the mid-'80s when alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Infectious Grooves, Mordred and Fishbone began playing the hybrid with a stronger...
, hip-hop, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. This first album leaned on experimenting with those many influences, combining genres.
After they gained fame with the 1997 album Floored in 1998, the single "Speed Home California" and "Mean Machine" off Lemonade and Brownies was featured in the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game Road Rash 3D, and it's Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
counterpart Road Rash 64, respectively.
Floored (1997-1998)
Sugar Ray's first mainstream hit came in the summer of 1997 with their songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Fly
Fly (Sugar Ray song)
"Fly" is a song by rock band Sugar Ray. It appears on their 1997 album Floored twice: one version with reggae artist Super Cat and the other without ....
," which was released on the album Floored and featured reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Super Cat
Super Cat
Super Cat is a deejay most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. Super Cat was born in Jamaica and was nicknamed Wild Apache. His nickname, the "Wild Apache" was given to him by his mentor Early B...
. "Fly" was notable for not sounding anything at all like the rest of the tracks on the album and received frequent radio play, resulting in a number one rank on the Billboard's Hot 100 List. As a result of the success of "Fly," Floored sold well and was certified
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
double platinum. However, by the end of 1997, critics were skeptical that Sugar Ray could put out another successful song and labeled them a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
. The same year, Sugar Ray was featured in the movie Father's Day
Fathers' Day (film)
Fathers' Day is a 1997 comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Nastassja Kinski...
, starring Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
and Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
. Floored featured a strong nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
influence and was the band's last "heavy" album before they moved into a more adult contemporary direction.
14:59 (1999-2000)
Their 1999 album 14:5914:59
14:59 is the third album by the band Sugar Ray, released on January 12, 1999. It entered the top 20 on the Billboard 200, peaking at #17 and certified triple-platinum by the RIAA. The album shows the band moving into a more adult contemporary style, away from their earlier alternative metal...
was the reply to these accusations, with the title implying that their 15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame is short-lived, often ephemeral, media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to...
were not quite up — their "fame clock" reading 14:59. "Every Morning
Every Morning (Sugar Ray song)
"Every Morning" is the second track off Sugar Ray's third album 14:59. It was one of Sugar Ray's most successful singles, climbing all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
," which received widespread comparisons to "Fly," rose to similar success during the spring of 1999, reaching No. 3 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. Their follow-up single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Someday
Someday (Sugar Ray song)
"Someday" is a single from the rock band Sugar Ray from their album 14:59. The song reached #7 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, as well as #4 on the Hot 100 Airplay and #4 on Canada's RPM singles chart....
" received extensive airplay later that year as well and reached No. 7 in the U.S. 14:59 outsold its predecessor and was certified triple platinum. Another Billboard hit, "Falls Apart," gained popularity as well.
Sugar Ray (2001-2002)
In 2000, Sugar Ray did a cover version of John Cale and Brian Eno's "Spinning Away" for the soundtrack to "The Beach." Their 2001 self-titled album Sugar RaySugar Ray (album)
Sugar Ray is Sugar Ray's fourth album released on 2001. It features the hit single, "When It's Over." The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and has reached Gold status since its release.-Track listing:...
produced another hit with "When It's Over
When It's Over (Sugar Ray song)
"When It's Over" is a single from the rock band Sugar Ray from their self-titled album, Sugar Ray. The song reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #32 on the UK Singles Chart.-Music video:...
," which failed to reach the same level as their previous singles.
In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003-2005)
Sugar Ray's 2003 effort In the Pursuit of LeisureIn the Pursuit of Leisure
In the Pursuit of Leisure is Sugar Ray's fifth studio album released on 2003. Hip-hop artists Esthero and Shaggy guest-start on the album. Stylistically, it represents a move away from the groups previous funk metal sound of their first few albums in the 90s towards the lighter, hook-filled...
, and the first single from that album, "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)," received a lukewarm reception. The album also contained the band's cover of Joe Jackson's famous "Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Is She Really Going Out with Him?
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" is the first single released by Joe Jackson in September 1978. The track was included on Jackson's debut album, Look Sharp!, the following year...
". In 2005, Sugar Ray released a greatest hits album
The Best of Sugar Ray
The Best of Sugar Ray is a 2005 Sugar Ray greatest hits album, released by Warner Bros. Records, consisting of 12 previous hits and 3 new recordings. Tracks 1, 9, and 14 are new tracks...
, with three new songs, "Shot of Laughter," "Time After Time," and "Psychedelic Bee".
Music for Cougars (2006 - present)
After releasing their Greatest Hits album, in 2005, the band went into a period of relative inactivity for a number of years, with Mark McGrath starting a new job as an anchor on the television show ExtraExtra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
. In January 2006, Sugar Ray was released from their recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. An exception to this was during mid 2007, with their inclusion of the previously unreleased song "Into Yesterday" on the Surf's Up
Surf's Up (film)
Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others....
movie soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, and a brief tour in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in August 2007 where they headlined SingFest, the nation's first international music festival.
Sugar Ray appeared on the May 18, 2008, season 3 finale of American Dad, titled "Spring Break-Up," as themselves, playing "Fly" at a Spring Break party. They also starred in the first live-action Scooby-Doo movie as themselves performing the song "Words to Me."
An announcement came the next day, on May 19, 2008, that the band would be entering the studio to record their first album of new material since 2003. It was also announced that the band signed a new record deal with Pulse Recordings and that the new album should be released in the summer of 2009.
On March 6, 2009, Mark McGrath posted an update on Facebook announcing that a new album, titled Music for Cougars
Music for Cougars
Music for Cougars is Sugar Ray's sixth studio album. The album was not as successful commercially as previous Sugar Ray albums. It only reached #80 on the Billboard charts, with none of the album's three singles charting.-Track listing :...
, was on the way. It was released on July 21, 2009. The first single was "Boardwalk."
On August 22, 2010, Sugar Ray's Twitter page announced that Craig 'DJ Homicide' Bullock has left the band.
Sugar Ray released on their blog a song called "Down With Whatever" that was previously unreleased. Also on their blog, they make mention of new music before planning another tour.
Band members
Current- Mark McGrathMark McGrathMark Sayers McGrath is an American singer of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of Extra, and he was the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in 2010...
- lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Rodney SheppardRodney SheppardRodney Sheppard is the guitarist of rock band Sugar Ray.Rodney was born in Trinidad, but raised in Newport Beach, California. His mother's name is Gloria and he has an older brother named Alan. While attending Corona del Mar High School Rodney & friends formed a cover band inspired by the group...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - Murphy KargesMurphy KargesMurphy Karges is the American bassist of rock band Sugar Ray.-Biography:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Stan FrazierStan Frazier (musician)Stan Frazier is the drummer of rock band Sugar Ray.He was born and raised in Orange County, California.He is married to Jennifer Casinelli-Frazier. They have one daughter: Anabelle Frazier....
- drums, percussion, backing vocals
Former
- Craig 'DJ Homicide' BullockDJ HomicideDJ Homicide is the former DJ for rock band Sugar Ray.He was born and raised in Pasadena, California...
- turntables, keyboards, backing vocals