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Maroon 5
Background information
Genre(s) Pop, Rock, Alternative
Years active 1995 2001 as Kara's Flowers, 2001 Present as Maroon 5
Label(s) A&M Octone
Universal Music Group
Website maroon5.com
Members
Adam Levine
James Valentine
Jesse Carmichael
Mickey Madden
Matt Flynn
Former members
Ryan Dusick (1997 2006)
Maroon 5 is a Grammy-winning soul-influenced rock band from Los Angeles,
California comprising five members: Adam Levine (lead vocals, guitar), James
Valentine (guitar, backing vocals), Jesse Carmichael (keyboards, backing
vocals), Mickey Madden (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Matt Flynn (drums).
The band is best known for their hit singles "Harder to Breathe", "This
Love", "She Will Be Loved", "Sunday Morning" and most recently "Makes Me
Wonder".
Maroon 5 has won several awards for its debut album Songs About Jane.
Released in June 2002, the album enjoyed major chart success, going gold,
platinum, and triple platinum in many countries around the world.[1]
In support of Songs About Jane, Maroon 5 toured extensively throughout 2003
2005, in which a live album was released, entitled Live - Friday the 13th.
Original member Ryan Dusick left the band in September 2006, due to injuries
sustained by the constant touring, and was replaced by Matt Flynn.
After a hiatus from the music scene, Maroon 5 released their second studio
album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long in May 2007, five years after Songs
About Jane. The second set debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with first
week sales of 429,484 copies.
History
Kara's Flowers
Four members of Maroon 5 have known each other since attending junior high
school together in Los Angeles. While attending Brentwood School, Adam
Levine and Jesse Carmichael joined up with Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick to
form Kara's Flowers,[2] a garage/grunge band that played its first gig at
the Whisky a Go Go on September 16, 1995. Levine sang with a deeper "grunge"
voice at the time.
The band signed with Reprise Records while still in high school and released
its only album The Fourth World in the middle of 1997 just as three of the
four members were about to graduate (Ryan Dusick was completing his
sophomore year at UCLA). A video was made for the opening track "Soap
Disco", but it did not find success on MTV. Despite support slots on tours
with Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger, the album failed to take off commercially
and, in 1999, the band parted company with Reprise Records. (Due to the
later popularity of Maroon 5, more copies of The Fourth World were sold
after Songs About Jane's release than during the years prior.)
After the little success of Kara's Flowers, the pressure to make better
music was rising for the band.
After being released from Reprise Records, the four attended different
colleges across the USA. They discovered new musical styles and developed a
love for Motown, pop, R&B, soul, and gospel, experiences that would greatly
influence the style and sound of Maroon 5. The four original members of
Kara's Flowers remained in touch and started playing together again in 2001.
Jesse Carmichael switched from guitar to keyboards, so a need arose for an
additional guitarist. James Valentine, formerly with the band Square, joined
them to fill that void.
Formation
When Valentine joined Kara's Flowers in 2001, the band adopted the name
Maroon, changing it a few months later to Maroon 5. The band played showcase
gigs in New York City and Los Angeles. Levine credited the interim period
with influencing the band's new style stating:
During the time between our record deals, I spent a lot of time in New
York and , where I was exposed to an urban and hip-hop culture in a way that
had never happened to me in L.A. It turned me on to an entirely new genre of
music which has had a profound impact on my song writing.[3]
The band signed with Octone Records, an independent record label in New
York, with distribution through BMG and an artist development deal with
Clive Davis' J Records. They also signed a global music publishing deal with
BMG Music Publishing.
Songs About Jane
The band recorded Songs About Jane at Rumbo Recorders in Los Angeles with
record producer Matt Wallace, who had also produced for Train, Blues
Traveler, Kyle Riabko, and Third Eye Blind. Most of the material that wound
up on Maroon 5's debut album was directly inspired by Levine's tumultuous
relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Jane; "We were breaking up as the band
entered the studio," he explains. "After compiling a song list, we decided
to name the album Songs About Jane because it felt like the most honest
statement we could make with the title."[4]
The first single "Harder to Breathe" slowly started to pick up airplay which
helped spur sales of the album. By March 2004, the album had reached the Top
20 of the Billboard 200 and "Harder to Breathe" had made the Top 20 on the
Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard
200 in August 2004,[5] 26 months after its release; this was the longest
period between an album's release and its initial Top 10 appearance since
SoundScan results were included in the Billboard 200 in 1991.
Songs About Jane had also eventually made the Top 10 Australian albums
charts while "Harder to Breathe" had made the Top 20 singles charts in the
UK, and Top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. The album also eventually
climbed to #1 in the UK and Australia. The second single "This Love" had
also made the US and Australian Top 10 and even UK and Dutch Top 3 singles
charts. The third single, "She Will Be Loved", reached the Top 5 in both the
UK and the US, and went to #1 in Australia. The fourth single, "Sunday
Morning", also reached the Top 40 in the US, UK, and Australia.[6]
Constant touring and Dusick leaving
Maroon 5 was constantly on tour after the release of their album in
mid-2002. During this time the band toured with Michelle Branch, Nikka
Costa, and Vanessa Carlton. In early summer 2003, they toured with Graham
Colton, John Mayer, and Counting Crows. In August 2005, the band toured with
The Rolling Stones.[7]
Others they have toured alongside include Gavin DeGraw, Matchbox Twenty,
Sugar Ray, Phantom Planet, Big City Rock, The Like, Simon Dawes, Jason Mraz,
The Thrills, Thirsty Merc, Marc Broussard, The Donnas, The RedWest and
Guster. Maroon 5 also played Live 8 in Philadelphia in 2005. Their set
included a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" and frontman
Levine performed with one of his heroes, and the closing act, Stevie
Wonder.[8] On May 13, 2005, in Santa Barbara, California, the band wrapped
up the Honda Civic Tour, which they headlined.[9]
Over the years of touring with the band, percussionist and back-up vocalist
Ryan Dusick had been suffering from the touring life. His arms were injured
and, for a part of some tours, he wasn't able to drum. In his section of
Midnight Miles, Dusick detailed his pain and its progression through their
tours. It was during the band's early tour that he took his first break with
Ryland Steen taking his place for a few shows. He returned for the next tour
but was forced to take another break because, as he writes, "I deteriorated
to such a degree that both of my arms were pretty much useless."[10] Josh
Day was to be his replacement for a few shows while Dusick underwent tests
to determine the cause of his pain. Nine months passed and Matt Flynn, Gavin
DeGraw's former drummer, assumed the position of what was initially a
temporary replacement, but Dusick officially left Maroon 5 in September 2006
with Flynn replacing him permanently.[11]
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
On May 22, 2007, Maroon 5's second album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, was
released worldwide by A&M/Octone Records.[12] According to Levine, the
follow-up to Songs About Jane is "sexier and stronger",[13] gaining
inspiration from iconic 80s artists such as Prince, Shabba Ranks, Michael
Jackson and Talking Heads. Before its release, "Makes Me Wonder" was the #1
selling single and video on iTunes. It was also the #1 selling album, with
more than 50,000 digital pre-sales.[13] After its release, the album broke
iTunes sales records its week of release, selling over 101,000 albums.[14]
The first single, "Makes Me Wonder", was released to radio March 27, 2007.
The making of the music video was previewed on MTV's Total Request Live, and
premiered on the show March 29. The song debuted at number 84 on the
Billboard Hot 100, the lowest debuting single of the group's five chart
entries. In the first week of May, the single skyrocketed from a lowly
position of 64 to #1, the biggest jump in Billboard history.[15] "Makes Me
Wonder" has also achieved #1 on Billboards Hot Digital Songs and Pop
100.[16] The album is currently number five in sales according to iTunes.
To support the album, the band performed on a "six-date club tour" in which
they visited small venues in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis, Miami, and New York City in June 2007.[17] They also performed
in a concert that streamed live via MSN Music.[18] They are scheduled to
open for The Police, on July 10, in Miami, before making preparations for
their world tour scheduled for next fall.[19]
Controversy
In the song "Harder to Breathe", parts of the lyrics could be interpreted by
some as misogynistic. After accusing his lover of being "condescending and
unnecessarily critical", Levine sings, "I have a tendency of getting very
physical/So watch your step, 'cause if I do you'll need a miracle." Although
the lyrics seem to imply that he will physically strike the woman to whom he
is speaking, Levine has said that the song was written in response to the
record company pressuring the band into writing more material, because none
of the tracks were a single.[20]
Explicit content
The music video for "This Love" featured lead singer Adam Levine and his
then-girlfriend, model Kelly McKee, in extended sex scenes. The video used
creative camera angles to show as much as possible without actually
revealing any of the couple's genitalia, thereby avoiding possible FCC
action. A version of the video where a stream of computer-generated flowers
cover up more was created for more conservative markets. When asked about
his feelings on this, Levine commented, "That was ridiculous."[21] Bass
player Madden said that it was "an absurd over-reaction."[22]
More steamy scenes appeared in the video for "She Will Be Loved", which
featured a love triangle and sexual imagery involving Levine and actress
Kelly Preston, the wife of actor John Travolta.
Neither Songs About Jane nor It Won't Be Soon Before Long bears a Parental
Advisory label, in spite of the strong language and explicit nature of lines
in the the singles "Harder to Breathe" and "Makes Me Wonder".
Studio discography
Songs About Jane
* Released: June 25, 2002
* Label: Octone, J Records
* Chart position(s): #1 UK, #1 AUS, #1 NZ, #1 FR, #2 DEN, #2 NL, #6 U.S., #6
SWE
* Sales: 8,381,000
* Certification(s): U.S.: 4x Platinum, UK: 5x Platinum, AUS: 5x Platinum,
NZ: 5x Platinum
* Singles: "Harder to Breathe", "This Love", "She Will Be Loved", "Sunday
Morning", "Must Get Out"
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
* Released: May 22, 2007
* Label: Octone, A&M
* Chart position(s): #1 UK, #1 U.S.
* Sales: 1,828,000
* Certification(s): U.S.: 1x Platinum
* Singles: "Makes Me Wonder", "Wake Up Call"
Awards
2004
* MTV Europe Music Award Best New Act
* World Music Award World's Best New Group[23]
* MTV Video Music Award Best New Artist for "This Love"[24]
* New Music Weekly Award AC40 Group/Duo of the Year
* Billboard Music Award Digital Artist of the Year[25]
2005
* Grammy Award Best New Artist[26]
* Groovevolt Music and Fashion Award Best Collaboration, Duo or Group for
"She Will Be Loved"[27]
* NRJ Radio Awards International Breakout Act & Best International Song
for "This Love"[28]
2006
* Grammy Award Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "This
Love"[29]
References
1. ^ Lamy, Jonathan (December 21, 2004). Goodbye, 2004. Hello, 2005!. RIAA.
Retrieved on April 29, 2007.
2. ^ McIntosh, Gregory. kara's flowers. All Music Guide. Retrieved on April
28, 2007.
3. ^ Maroon 5 Bio. Artistdirect. Retrieved on June 28, 2007.
4. ^ MacSween, Ron. Maroon 5. International Talent Booking. Retrieved on May
1, 2007.
5. ^ Maroon 5 Discography - Songs About Jane. Billboard. Retrieved on April
28, 2007.
6. ^ Chart History - Maroon 5. Billboard (2007). Retrieved on April 28,
2007.
7. ^ The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang World Tour Warmup Acts. IORR.org
(2005). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
8. ^ Maroon 5 with Stevie Wonder at Live 8. Rolling Stone (July 2, 2005).
Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
9. ^ Maroon 5 Headlines 2005 Honda Civic Tour. Motor Trend (February 4,
2005). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
10. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (June 20, 2006). Maroon 5 Book Goes Backstage At
Jane Tours, Addresses Drummer's Health Struggles. MTV. Retrieved on April
28, 2007.
11. ^ Moss, Corey (March 6, 2007). Maroon 5 Back With 'Harder' Album After
Adam Levine Gets Sick Of Partying. MTV. Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
12. ^ Peters, Mitchell (March 12, 2007). Maroon 5 Finds Its Groove On
Sophomore Album. Billboard. Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
13. ^ a b Baber, Darren (April 26, 2007). Maroon 5 Dominates iTunes Sales
Chart With Three Simultaneous Number Ones. PR Newswire. Retrieved on April
28, 2007.
14. ^ Maroon 5 album breaks iTunes sales record. MacNN.com (May 30, 2007).
Retrieved on June 4.
15. ^ Bronson, Fred (May 2, 2007). Chart Beat. Billboard.com. Retrieved on
June 4, 2007.
16. ^ Artist Chart History: Maroon 5. Billboard.com (2007). Retrieved on
June 4, 2007.
17. ^ MTV News staff (May 4, 2007). Jessica Biel Wants Respect, Plus Nelly
Furtado, Hilary Duff, Sum 41, Borat, Eve, Diddy, Ozzy & More In For The
Record. MTV News. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
18. ^ Maroon 5 Live from Le Cabaret. MSN Music (June 14, 2007). Retrieved on
June 26, 2007.
19. ^ No Need to 'Wonder' - Maroon 5 Debuts at #1. PR Newswire. Retrieved on
June 8, 2007.
20. ^ Rolling Stones Top 25 Songs With a Secret. Rolling Stone #17 (April
16, 2007). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
21. ^ Voss, Brandon (May 22, 2007). Big Gay Following - Adam Levine. The
Advocate. Retrieved on June 4, 2007.
22. ^ Bergmann, Caitlin. An iVillage Exclusive Q&A with Maroon 5.
iVillage.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2007.
23. ^ World Music Awards storm Vegas. USA Today (September 16, 2004).
Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
24. ^ Full Biography - Maroon 5. MTV (2007). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
25. ^ 2004 Billboard Music Awards Winners. iVillage Entertainmant (December
2004). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
26. ^ Roth, Kaj (February 19, 2005). Maroon 5 wins GRAMMY!. Melodic.net.
Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
27. ^ Pop Awards. GrooveVolt.com (2005). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
28. ^ Maroon 5 Triumph at NRJ Music Awards. ContactMusic.com (January 23,
2005). Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
29. ^ Moss, Corey (February 24, 2006). They Just Won A Grammy, So Why Do
Maroon 5 Feel Like Losers?. MTV. Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
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