The Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe | |
---|---|
The Verve Pipe, 2007. | |
Background information | |
Origin | West Michigan, United States |
Genres | Alternative rock, post-grunge[1] |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Years active | 1992 | –present
Labels | RCA |
Website |
www |
Members |
Brian Vander Ark Sam Briggs Joel Ferguson Randall Sly Craig Griffith Lou Musa |
Past members |
Donny Brown A.J. Dunning Brad Vander Ark Brian Stout Doug Corella John Connors Andy Reed Todd Long Scott Stefanski |
The Verve Pipe is an American rock band now based out of West Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown.[2]
History
In November 1992, working with producer/engineer Jonathan Frazer, they released their first album, I've Suffered a Head Injury. The original 10-song version of the CD is no longer available. A seven-song version, without the original recording of "The Freshmen", was later released as an EP. The band, known for its energetic live performances, built strong followings during its early years, especially in the college towns of Kalamazoo and East Lansing.
In the fall of 1993, the band released a second album, Pop Smear, again working with Frazer, which helped them gain a devoted following in their native state of Michigan and their eventual signing with RCA Records in 1995. A.J. Dunning replaced Stout on guitar for the recording of Pop Smear and remained in the band for their three RCA records. This album featured the popular tracks "Spoonful of Sugar" and "Victoria".
Their first major label release was 1996's Villains, which was a minor hit and launched two respectably selling singles, first "Photograph",[3] then the No. 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit "The Freshmen", which was their one and only pop hit. They came back with a new album, The Verve Pipe, in 1999. The album, however, failed to contain the commercial appeal of its predecessor.
The band's 2001 release Underneath contained the song "Colorful", which was featured on the soundtrack of the film Rock Star, and "Happiness Is", featured on the soundtrack of the film Joe Somebody.
On September 15, 2009, Brian Vander Ark announced on his website that the band will be releasing a new album called A Family Album in October 2009. The band had been approached to contribute a song for a compilation album called Calling All Kids, which led to them creating an "entire album of family[-]friendly songs". It was also noted in the announcement that a new album of rock material would follow the family album.[4] Immediately after the release of the family album, the band undertook a series of small-venue performances, mostly around Michigan and the East Coast.[5]
On March 28, 2014, the band announced on their Facebook page that their first studio album since 2001, titled Overboard, would be released on June 17, 2014, and will be followed with a tour. The first single from the album, titled "Crash Landing", was released on April 1, 2014.[6]
Timeline
Discography
- Studio albums
- Pop Smear (December 1993)
- Villains (March 1996) No. 24 U.S. RIAA Platinum
- The Verve Pipe (July 1999) No. 158 U.S.
- Underneath (September 2001)
- A Family Album (October 2009)[2]
- Are We There Yet? (July 16, 2013)
- Overboard (June 17, 2014)
- EPs
- I've Suffered a Head Injury (1992)[2]
- A Homemade Holiday (December 18, 2007)
- Compilation albums
- Platinum & Gold Collection (March 2004)
- Super Hits (2007)
Singles
Year | Song | Chart peaks | Album | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] |
US Alt [7] |
US M. Rock [7] |
US Adult [7] |
CAN Rock [8] |
CAN [8] | ||||
1996 | "Cup of Tea" | — | — | 35 | — | — | — | Villains | |
"Photograph" | — | 6 | 17 | — | 5 | — | |||
"The Freshmen" | 5 | 1 | 9 | 7 | — | 6 | |||
1997 | "Villains" | — | 22 | 24 | — | — | — | ||
1999 | "Hero" | — | 17 | 32 | — | — | — | The Verve Pipe | |
2001 | "Never Let You Down" | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | Underneath | |
2014 | "Crash Landing" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Overboard | |
"—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||
Compilation appearances
- Yikes! Records: So This Is East Lansing Vol. 1 - "Spoonful of Sugar" (original mix) (1993)
- Aware Vol. 2 - "Spoonful of Sugar" and "What You Wanted" (1994)
- Jensen International Sampler - "Spoonful Of Sugar"
- Westwood One Entertainment Play Station Sampler (PSX)- "Drive You Mild" (remix) (1995)
- Yikes! Records Vol. 5...So This is a Compilation...Best of Michigan - "Blue Beret" (XTC) (1995)
- A Testimonial Dinner — The Songs of XTC - "Wake Up!" (XTC) (Thirsty Ear Records) (1995)
- CMJ New Music Monthly Sampler - "Photograph" (1996)
- WGRD RadioactivII - "Veneer" (live)
- EdgeFest 1996 (Dayton, Ohio) - "Photograph" (live) and "Cup of Tea" (live)
- LAUNCH CD-ROM (vol. 8) - Interview & "Villains" (live)
- WKLQHometown Music Search III - "Villains" and "Reverend Girl" (live) (1996)
- Aris' Big Disc 3 - "Villains" and "Reverend Girl" (live) (1996)
- SuperSnax Summer '96 - "Cup of Tea"
- SuperSnax Winter '96 - "Photograph"
- Singles Mix 1 Volume 33 - "Photograph"
- FMBQ Modern Rock Sampler 3/96 - "Photograph"
- Pulse Cuts Vol.1 - "Cup of Tea"
- Groove Wallet - "Cup of Tea"
- Album Network's Rock Tune-Up No. 151 1996 - "Cup of Tea"
- Virtually Alternative 70 - "Cup of Tea"
- Virtually Alternative - "Villains"
- 81 Disc A - "Villains"
- RCA Summer/Fall 1996 Sampler - "The Freshmen" (album version) and "Penny is Poison"
- FMBQ Vol. 25 Morning Sickness '96 - "The Freshmen" (mix 1) and "The Freshmen" (album edit)
- All-Star Cover Songs 4/28/97 - "Strawberry Fields" (live)
- Hit Zone (BMG) - "The Freshmen"
- Hits Post Modern Syndrome - "The Freshmen"
- Airwalk Sno-Core Tour '97 - "The Freshmen"
- WBCN Naked Disc - "The Freshmen" (acoustic live in studio performance) (1997)
- WGRD RadioActiv3 - "Cup of Tea" (acoustic live in studio performance) (1997)
- KNDD The End Sessions - "The Freshmen" (acoustic live in studio performance)
- Sam Goody/Musicland Class Of '97 - A Year In Review Sampler - "Photograph"
- MuchMusic Big Shiny Tunes Vol. 2 - "The Freshmen"
- Y-100FM Sonic Sessions - "The Freshmen" (live in studio performance) (1997)
- Sweet Digizine CD-ROM Vol. 1, Issue 2 (retail version)
- Great Expectations (soundtrack) - "Her Ornament" (1998)
- MTV 120 Minutes Live - "Villains" (live) (1998)
- The Avengers (soundtrack) - "Blow You Away" (1998)
- Clay Pigeons (soundtrack) - "1229 Sheffield" (1998)
- Best Of Rockline - "Drive You Mild" (live in studio performance) (1999)
- Rock Star (soundtrack) - "Colorful" (2001)
See also
- List of alternative rock artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. alternative rock chart
- List of post-grunge bands
- List of RCA Records artists
References
- ↑ Woodstra, Chris. "Villains Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
- 1 2 3 4 Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 1035. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ↑ The Verve Pipe#Singles
- ↑ Brianvanderark.com
- ↑ Thevervepipe.com
- ↑ The Verve Pipe (March 28, 2014). "The Verve Pipe - Timeline Photos - Facebook". The Verve Pipe on Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Allmusic.com Retrieved on April 14, 2009.
- 1 2 Collectionscanada.gc.ca
External links
- Official website
- Brian Vander Ark's official website
- The Verve Pipe collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive