Matchbox Twenty
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Matchbox Twenty | ||
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 Matchbox Twenty in 2001
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Matchbox 20 | |
| Origin |  Orlando, Florida, USA |
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| Genre(s) | Alternative rock | |
| Years active | 1996 – 2005 (hiatus) | |
| Label(s) | Warner Atlantic |
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| Associated acts |
Rob Thomas (solo) | |
| Website | www.matchboxtwenty.com | |
| Members | ||
| Rob Thomas Kyle Cook Brian Yale Paul Doucette |
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| Former members | ||
| Adam Gaynor | ||
Matchbox Twenty (originally Matchbox 20, typeset as "matchbox twenty" on most official merchandise) was a rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, who have sold in excess of 39 million albums worldwide. The current members of the band were Rob Thomas (vocals, piano), Paul Doucette (drums), Kyle Cook (lead guitar, vocals) and Brian Yale (bass). Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar), who has left the band, performed on all three of their albums, as well. Rob Thomas was the principal songwriter and lead singer.
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[edit] History
Thomas, Yale and Doucette performed in the band Tabitha's Secret out of Orlando, Florida before splitting apart to form Matchbox Twenty with Cook and Gaynor.
Matchbox Twenty released their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You in 1996. While their first single, "Long Day", was a rock radio-only smash, the album soon spun off several Top 40 hit singles throughout 1997 and 1998, including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World" and "Back 2 Good". The album eventually went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone, earning diamond status. The band toured relentlessly for several years, performing the songs from their one and only album, along with some beloved cover songs such as Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and The Beatles "Don't Let Me Down". Their fan base grew from concert to concert based on their electrifying live performances and the longevity of their hit singles on radio. That same year, Matchbox Twenty recorded a live version of their Top-40 hit "3 AM" for release on the charity album Live in the X Lounge, benefiting cerebral palsy research.
Before recording their second album, Rob Thomas collaborated with Itaal Shur on a song entitled Smooth for Carlos Santana's comeback album, Supernatural. The song had a pop-tinged Latin beat and showcased Thomas' lyrical talents. Thomas was supposed to act solely as songwriter on Smooth, but Carlos Santana requested he sing on it as well after hearing the song's demo recording. "Smooth", was the album's lead single and became a gigantic hit in 1999; Thomas earned three Grammys for writing and performing on "Smooth", including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In 2000, Matchbox 20 renamed themselves Matchbox Twenty and released their second album, Mad Season. The album featured lush instrumental arrangements and spun off several hit singles, including "Bent" (Number One on Hot 100) and "If You're Gone". The video for "Bent", poked fun of singer Thomas' heightened profile from "Smooth" by showing the other band members assaulting him mercilessly. The evocatively arranged ballad "If You're Gone" became a big hit, especially on adult contemporary formats. The band's next two singles, "Mad Season" and "Last Beautiful Girl" were not particularly successful.
For their third album, More Than You Think You Are, the band returned to a harder rock sound. Thomas shared the songwriting efforts with the other band members on several songs. The album spun off hit singles "Disease", "Unwell", and "Bright Lights".
In May 2004, the band released a live concert DVD, Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, filmed in Atlanta and featuring 20 songs, including all of their hit singles.
In February 2005, rhythm guitarist Gaynor officially left the group, which had been on hiatus to allow other members to pursue side projects. Rob Thomas went on to release a solo album entitled ...Something To Be which became the U.S. Billboard 200 #1 album the first week of its release. The album featured four hit singles: "Lonely No More", "This is How a Heart Breaks", "Ever the Same" and "Streetcorner Symphony".
In January 2007, Rob Thomas released a single entitled "Little Wonders" which he wrote for the Disney movie "Meet the Robinsons".
[edit] Lineup
- Rob Thomas – Vocals and piano
- Kyle Cook – Lead guitar and backing vocals
- Brian Yale – Bass guitar
- Paul Doucette – Drums, percussion and backing vocals
- Adam Gaynor – Rhythm Guitar and backing vocals (1996–2005)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Yourself or Someone Like You (1996) US: #5 (12x Platinum) AUS: #11 (9x Platinum) AUS: (End of year chart 1998): #1 [1] (WW: 20 million)
- Mad Season (2000) US: #3 (4x Platinum); UK: #31,(WW: 10 million)
- More Than You Think You Are (2002) US: #6 (2x Platinum); UK: #31, AUS: #3 (5x Platinum) (WW: 7 million)
- EP (2003)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Modern Rock | U.S. Mainstream Rock | U.S. Adult Top 40 | U.S. Top 40 Mainstream | UK | AUS | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Long Day" | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | Yourself or Someone Like You |
| 1997 | "Push" | - | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 38 | 8 | Yourself or Someone Like You |
| 1997 | "3 A.M." | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 64 | 31 | Yourself or Someone Like You |
| 1998 | "Real World" | 38 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 4 | - | 40 | Yourself or Someone Like You |
| 1998 | "Back 2 Good" | 24 | - | - | 4 | 8 | - | - | Yourself or Someone Like You |
| 2000 | "Bent" | 1 | 16 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 79 | 19 | Mad Season |
| 2000 | "If You're Gone" | 5 | - | - | 1 | 4 | 50 | 18 | Mad Season |
| 2001 | "Mad Season" | 48 | - | - | - | 20 | 76 | 42 | Mad Season |
| 2001 | "Angry" | - | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | Mad Season |
| 2001 | "Last Beautiful Girl" | - | - | - | 20 | - | - | - | Mad Season |
| 2002 | "Disease" | 29 | - | - | 4 | 21 | 50 | 31 | More Than You Think You Are |
| 2003 | "Unwell" | 5 | - | - | 1 | 3 | - | 12 | More Than You Think You Are |
| 2004 | "Bright Lights" | 23 | - | - | 2 | 15 | - | 26 | More Than You Think You Are |
| 2004 | "Downfall" | - | - | - | 27 | - | - | - | More Than You Think You Are |
| 2004 | "All I Need" | - | - | - | - | - | - | 32 | More Than You Think You Are |
