Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, exploration of music across genres, and devoted fan base. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983, the band's four members performed together for over 20 years until an official breakup in...
. That summer, commercial popularity heated up, as radio and
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
began playing "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" and "Two Princes". The album went gold in September 1992, and then received another boost in sales after the band's appearance on
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
in October 1992. Additional videos and singles followed for "What Time Is It", "How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)", and "Jimmy Olsen's Blues". By June 1993 the album was triple platinum. Ultimately it sold over five million copies in the U.S. and another five million overseas, and peaked at # 3 on the Billboard top 200 album chart.
"[Their] popularity is based on universal rock & roll virtues," said
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
, which put the band on the cover of its January 7, 1993 issue. "The Doctors aren't trying to blaze new trails. They know we've been down this way with the
StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
,
Curtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly. From these works and others, he is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of...
, and a few of their other touchstones. But the proof—plenty of it—is in the party." The Spin Doctors made an appearance on
Sesame StreetSesame Street is an American educational children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. Sesame Street is well known for its Muppets characters created by Jim Henson. It premiered on November 10, 1969, and...
, singing a modified version of "Two Princes" that emphasized the importance of sharing. In late 1993 they recorded a cover of "
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a song written by John Fogerty and released in 1970 on the album Pendulum of American roots rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1971. On Cash Box pop chart, it peaked at number three....
", originally by
Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
, for the film
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia is a 1993 film. The film's subjects include HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas, Mary Steenburgen, Anna Deavere Smith, Lisa...
..
The Spin Doctors' second studio album,
Turn It Upside DownTurn It Upside Down is the second studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1994.-Track listing:#"Big Fat Funky Booty" – 4:15#"You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast" – 3:49...
, released in June 1994, was not quite as commercially successful as
Pocket Full of Kryptonite, though it did sell a million copies in the U.S. and a million overseas. The second single, "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast," was a modest hit (# 42 on the pop chart). This album also featured "Cleopatra's Cat", "Mary Jane", "Hungry Hamed's" and "Bags Of Dirt." The band set out on a three-month headlining tour, and played to immense crowds at
Woodstock '94Woodstock '94 was a music festival organized in order to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music." The famous poster used to promote the first concert was revised to feature two birds perched on a guitar .The...
and the
Glastonbury FestivalThe Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. The festival is best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and...
. Shortly after the release of
Turn It Upside Down, original guitarist Eric Schenkman left the band in September 1994, by walking offstage during a concert in
Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
citing musical/personal differences, and being weary of the road. Eric was replaced by Anthony Krizan.
Featuring new guitarist Krizan, the Spin Doctors released
You've Got to Believe in SomethingYou've Got to Believe in Something is the third studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1996.-Track listing:#"You've Got to Believe in Something" – 4:02...
(May 1996). It produced the single and video "She Used To Be Mine". They performed on
David LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman...
's television show and did some touring, with
Ivan NevilleIvan Neville is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to members of the Neville Brothers....
joining the band on keyboards. During this period, the Spin Doctors contributed the theme song to Seasons 2 and 3 of the television show
Spin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on ABC. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York...
. After touring wrapped up in the fall of 1996, guitarist Anthony Krizan eventually left the band, for reasons that remain relatively unknown. He was replaced by Israeli musician Eran Tabib after auditioning nearly 200 candidates.
You've Got To Believe In Something did not live up to previous album sales, selling only 750,000 copies. Epic dropped the band in 1996.
In 1998, the Spin Doctors signed to
UptownUptown Records was an American record label, founded by André Harrell in 1987. It went on to become one of the most popular hip-hop and R&B labels of the early 1990s. Featured on the roster were such luminaries as Guy, Heavy D & The Boyz, Al B. Sure!, Jeff Redd, Christopher Williams, Jodeci, Mary J...
/
UniversalUniversal Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
and released
Here Comes the BrideHere Comes the Bride is the fourth studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1999.-Track listing:#"Here Comes the Bride" – 3:13#"Vampires in the Sun" – 2:57...
in June 1999. During the recording of
Here Comes The Bride, Mark White left the band. The bass tracks on the album were finished by original band member Aaron Comess. During the tour supporting
Here Comes the Bride, Chris Barron lost his voice due to a rare acute form of vocal cord paralysis that severely affected his ability to talk, let alone sing. He was told he had a 50-50 chance of ever talking or singing normally again. Keyboardist Ivan Neville took over vocal duties for a few dates, but the band eventually cancelled the remainder of its tour. Barron's voice came back in early 2000 (first comeback [solo] shows in March 2000), at which point he began performing with his band Chris Barron and the Give Daddy Five. Barron undertook what he calls "a journeyman songwriting experience," composing tunes with
Blues TravelerBlues Traveler is an American rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock...
's John Popper and with former
BMIBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
executive Jeff Cohen.
The Spin Doctors remained inactive as a band until September 2001, when news about the closing of legendary NYC venue
WetlandsThe Wetlands Preserve was a live music venue in Tribeca, New York City, that closed in 2001. The club was located on Hudson and Laight Streets, near the Holland Tunnel...
sparked the original four members to reunite. On September 7, 2001, the classic, original line-up took the stage for the first time since 1994 to play at Wetlands. It was the final closing week of the club. The landmark show was a great success for the fans and the band.
Odd shows followed in 2002 through 2005, which eventually led to a brand new studio album,
Nice Talking to MeNice Talking to Me is the fifth studio album by the Spin Doctors. It was officially released on September 13 2005 and features the original four members of the band.-Track listing:#"Nice Talking To Me" – 3:59#"Sugar" – 4:18#"Margarita" – 3:01...
, released on September 13, 2005. The single "Can't Kick The Habit" was included on the soundtrack to the movie
Grandma's BoyGrandma's Boy is an American comedy film produced by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison in 2006. The film stars Allen Covert, who also co-wrote and co-produced, and Linda Cardellini....
. It received moderate radio airplay, along with the songs "Margarita" and the title track "Nice Talking to Me". While the record received good reviews, follow-up proved difficult when the record company that released it went out of business.
Recently their song "Two Princes" was featured on the television show "
The Sarah Silverman ProgramThe Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series starring comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab. The show premiered on February 1, 2007 on Comedy Central...
", where comedian Brian Posehn's character, Brian Spukowski, has a five-year-old iPod with only that song on it, which he listens to repeatedly whilst claiming to be an enthusiastic metalhead.
In 2008, the band continues to play one-off live shows in the USA and Europe.
Band member details
- Mark White (born 7 July 1962, New York
New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
) - bassist, active 1989-1998, 2001-Present
- Eric Schenkman (born 12 December 1963, Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
) - guitarist, active 1989-1994, 2001-Present
- Chris Barron (born Christopher Barron Gross, 5 February 1968, Pearl Harbor, HI) - vocalist, active 1989-Present
- Aaron Comess (born 24 April 1968, Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
) - drummer, active 1989-Present
- Anthony Krizan (born North Plainfield, New Jersey
North Plainfield is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 21,103.-Geography:North Plainfield is located at ....
http://www.spindoctors-archive.com/faq/band_members.html) - guitarist, active 1994-1996
- Eran Tabib (born 1972, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually called Tel Aviv, is the second largest city in Israel, with an estimated population of 391,300. The city is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, with a land area of...
, IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
http://www.spindoctors-archive.com/faq/band_members.html) - guitarist, active 1996-1999
- Ivan Neville (born 19 August, 1959 http://offbeat.com/artman/publish/printer_1060.shtml, New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major U.S. port and the largest city in the state of Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, the largest metro area in the state....
) - keyboardist, active 1996-1999
- Carl Carter http://www.spindoctors-archive.com/faq/band_members.html bassist, active 1999
Studio albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
Sales |
U.S. certifications |
| U.S. |
UK The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus.To qualify for the UK albums...
|
NORNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
|
| 1991 |
Pocket Full of Kryptonite Pocket Full of Kryptonite is the first studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in August 1991. It peaked at #1 and #3 on Billboard's Heatseekers and Billboard 200 albums charts, respectively...
|
3 |
2 |
2 |
5,000,000 |
5x Platinum |
| 1994 |
Turn It Upside Down Turn It Upside Down is the second studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1994.-Track listing:#"Big Fat Funky Booty" – 4:15#"You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast" – 3:49...
|
28 |
3 |
16 |
2,000,000 |
2x Platinum |
| 1996 |
You've Got to Believe in Something You've Got to Believe in Something is the third studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1996.-Track listing:#"You've Got to Believe in Something" – 4:02...
|
— |
— |
— |
750,000 |
|
| 1999 |
Here Comes the Bride Here Comes the Bride is the fourth studio album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1999.-Track listing:#"Here Comes the Bride" – 3:13#"Vampires in the Sun" – 2:57...
|
— |
— |
— |
|
|
| 2005 |
Nice Talking to Me Nice Talking to Me is the fifth studio album by the Spin Doctors. It was officially released on September 13 2005 and features the original four members of the band.-Track listing:#"Nice Talking To Me" – 3:59#"Sugar" – 4:18#"Margarita" – 3:01...
|
— |
— |
— |
|
|
Compilation albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
Sales |
U.S. certifications |
| U.S. |
UK The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus.To qualify for the UK albums...
|
NORNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
|
| 2000 |
Just Go Ahead Now: A Retrospective Just Go Ahead Now: A Retrospective is the first official compilation album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in October of 2000.-Track listing:#"Jimmy Olsen's Blues" – 4:37...
|
— |
— |
— |
|
|
| 2001 |
Can't Be Wrong |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
| 2003 |
Two Princes - The Best Of |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
| 2007 |
Collection |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
Live albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
Sales |
U.S. certifications |
| U.S. |
UK The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus.To qualify for the UK albums...
|
NORNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
|
| 1991 |
Up for Grabs...Live Up for Grabs...Live is the first live album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1991.-Track listing:all songs by Spin Doctors#"Big Fat Funky Booty" – 6:55#"At This Hour" – 6:05#"Freeway of the Plains/Lady Kerosene" – 10:41...
|
— |
— |
— |
|
|
| 1992 |
Homebelly Groove...Live Homebelly Groove...Live is the second live album by American jam band Spin Doctors, released in 1992.-Track listing:all songs by Spin Doctors#"What Time Is It?/Off My Line" – 12:19#"Freeway of the Plains/Lady Kerosene" – 10:53#"Yo Baby" – 5:50...
|
145 |
— |
— |
|
|
Singles
| Year |
Single |
U.S. |
UK The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
|
Ireland |
Norway |
Also Contains |
| 1992 |
"Little Miss Can't Be Wrong "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" is a song by the rock band Spin Doctors. It was the third track on their 1991 album Pocket Full of Kryptonite and was also its second single...
" |
17 |
23 |
27 |
- |
UK: "Big Fat Funky Booty" and "At This Hour" |
| 1993 |
"Two Princes "Two Princes" is a song by the New York City-based alternative rock band Spin Doctors. As a single, it reached #7 in the U.S., #2 in Canada, and #3 in the UK. It was the band's most popular song. It also ranked at #21 on Blender magazine's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever"...
" |
7 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
UK:"Intro - Yo Mama's A Pajama" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong",Euro: "Off My Line" and "Rosetta Stone" |
| "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" |
28 |
40 |
- |
2 |
UK:"Off my line" and "Rosetta Stone" |
| "What Time Is It" |
- |
56 |
- |
- |
- |
| 1994 |
"Cleopatra's Cat" |
84 |
29 |
- |
- |
UK:"Uranium Century" and "Stop Breaking Down" |
| "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Euro:"What Time Is It?", "Jimmy Olsen Blues" and "Two Princes" |
| "Mary Jane" |
- |
55 |
- |
- |
UK:"Woodstock" and "Hungry Hamed's" |
| "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast" |
42 |
66 |
- |
- |
- |
| 1996 |
"She Used to be Mine" |
- |
55 |
- |
- |
- |
| 1999 |
"The Bigger I Laugh The Harder I Cry" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 2005 |
"Can't Kick the Habit" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 2006 |
"Nice Talking To Me" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Awards nominations
1994
- Nominated for American Music Award for favorite pop/rock album. (Pocket Full of Kryptonite)
- Nominated for a Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
for best vocal performance by duo or group. ("Two Princes")
External links