Goo Goo Dolls is an American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by guitarist and vocalist John Rzeznik, bassist and vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska.[1] Mike Malinin was the band's drummer from January 1995 until December 2013. Although renowned for their commercially successful 1998 single "Iris", they have had several other notable and popular singles including "Name" from 1995's A Boy Named Goo, "Broadway", "Black Balloon" and "Slide" from 1998's Dizzy Up The Girl, which produced a total of five successful singles, and "Here Is Gone", "Sympathy" and "Big Machine" from 2002's Gutterflower. The Goo Goo Dolls have had 14 top ten singles on various charts,[2] and have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.
In October 2012, "Iris" was ranked #1 on Billboard's "Top 100 Pop Songs 1992–2012" chart, which also featured Goo Goo Dolls hits "Slide", ranking at #9, and "Name" at #24. Their biggest hit, "Iris", from the City of Angels soundtrack (and later Dizzy up the Girl), spent nearly 12 straight months on the Billboard charts and held the number one position on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for 18 weeks. The first single from their 2010 album, Something for the Rest of Us,
"Home", extended the band's record to 14 top ten hits at the hot AC
radio format (more than any other artist in the history of that format).[3] The band's newest album, Magnetic, was released on June 11, 2013.[4]
Origins and early music (1986–1993)
The band's original lineup included John Rzeznik (guitar, vocals), Robby Takac (bass, vocals), and George Tutuska
(drums, percussion). In the beginning, Rzeznik would not sing, due to
his shyness. Takac and Tutuska had been long-time friends in school and
met Rzeznik while he was playing in the band The Beaumonts with Takac's
cousin, Paul Takac.[5] The trio picked their name from a True Detective ad for a toy called a Goo Goo Doll.[6]
"We were young and we were a garage band not trying to get a deal. We
had a gig that night and needed a name. It's the best we came up with,
and for some reason it stuck. If I had had five more minutes, I
definitely would have picked a better name," John stated. With Takac as
their lead singer, the band released their first album, Goo Goo Dolls in 1987 on Mercenary Records, but was picked up in 1988 by Celluloid Records,
a larger record company. They played around Buffalo's underground music
circuit opening for punk bands such as SNFU, Dag Nasty, ALL, The Dead
Milkmen, Gang Green, Doughboys, and DRI and playing with fellow Buffalo
bands. The band released its second album Jed in 1989.[7]
The band released its third album, Hold Me Up,
in 1990 and featured Rzeznik as the lead vocalist on five tracks,
including the single, "There You Are" – as well as their then concert
favorite, Two Days in February. After being embraced by local college radio and punk scenes (including playing such venues as CBGB), the Goo Goo Dolls' third release incorporated elements of heavy metal, pop rock, and punk rock. In 1991, the song "I'm Awake Now" was recorded for the soundtrack of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.
Superstar Car Wash,
released in 1993, received significant media attention. The critical
success and encouraging sales of their last album resulted in a larger
budget from Metal Blade Records. The album was partially recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. "We Are the Normal" (the single for which Rzeznik asked frontman Paul Westerberg of The Replacements
to write the lyrics) received a major push toward play on college and
independent radio, while its video was displayed on MTV's 120 Minutes program. "Fallin' Down" made it onto the 1993 soundtrack of Pauly Shore's hit film Son in Law.
Mainstream breakthrough, legal issues, and Tutuska's departure (1993–1997)
Shortly after recording the band's fifth album A Boy Named Goo, Tutuska was kicked out of the band. The band moved forward from this December 31, 1994 incident, hiring Mike Malinin, and toured rigorously.
A Boy Named Goo had a catchy rock sound, and became one of
most successful alternative rock albums of the mid-1990s. It sold
modestly in this time; however, it was not until the release of the
single "Name" that the band experienced any viable commercial success. A Boy Named Goo became the first album in Metal Blade
history to achieve double-platinum status. This success, however,
proved bittersweet, as the band found themselves in a legal battle with
Metal Blade records. The band filed suit against Metal Blade, claiming
they had not earned any royalties from their album's sales, which was
attributed to a "grossly unfair, one-sided and unenforceable contract"
which had been signed by the band in 1987.[8] The two sides reached a settlement which had the band signed to the Metal Blade's distributing label, Warner Bros. Records, under which the band released their sixth album, Dizzy Up the Girl, in 1998.[9]
The undisputed success of "Name" marked a fundamental change in the
band's sound from alt. rock to a more mainstream adult orientated rock
(AOR) direction which disappointed many of the original fans of the
band. It was "Name" that had made the band popular and they were able to
make guest appearances on Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed, and even presented an award to Michael Jackson.
"Iris" and superstardom (1997–2005)
Rzeznik was approached to write a song for the City of Angels soundtrack, and the end product was "Iris". This song propelled the band to stardom, as it stayed on top of Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
charts for a record-breaking 18 weeks, and was nominated for three
Grammys that year. According to several interviews with Rzeznik, he was
experiencing serious bouts of writer's block when he was approached, and
was on the verge of quitting the band days before he wrote the song.[10]
"Iris" was included on the triple-platinum Dizzy Up the Girl, and was among top-ten hits "Slide", "Black Balloon", "Broadway", and "Dizzy" from the same album. In 2001, the Goos released their first ever compilation CD, What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce. Next, Gutterflower (2002) achieved gold certification, producing the hits "Here Is Gone", "Sympathy", and "Big Machine".
On July 4, 2004, the band performed a free concert in their hometown of
Buffalo, continuing through a deluge of rain that can be seen on the
DVD released later that year. The DVD also contained a studio version of
the Goo Goo Dolls' cover of "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp. The single reached the top of the Adult Top 40 chart in 2005.
July 4, 2004 has been proclaimed "Goo Goo Dolls Day" in their native Buffalo, New York.[11] April 13, 1996, is also considered by some to be "Goo Goo Dolls Day"[citation needed].
Let Love In (2005–2007)
In 2006, the Goo Goo Dolls marked their 20th anniversary with their new album Let Love In, which included the studio recording of "Give a Little Bit" as well as other top 10 radio singles "Better Days,"
"Stay With You," and "Let Love In". With their third consecutive single
("Let Love In") from the album, the Goo Goo Dolls hit a record 12 top
10 hits in Adult Top 40 history, beating Matchbox Twenty and Sheryl Crow until Matchbox Twenty's release of Exile on Mainstream and the Goo Goo Dolls' release of "Before It's Too Late"
from the Transformers Soundtrack, which left both groups with 13 top 10
hits in the Adult Top 40. Goo Goo Dolls planned to release another
single from Let Love In, "Without You Here", as well as a song from the July 2007 Transformers
movie called "Before It's Too Late", originally titled "Fiction". To
promote the new single, the Goo Goo Dolls performed "Before It's Too
Late" at both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 8, 2007, and again at The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on June 22, 2007.[12] In July 2007 the band discussed their career as a whole and gave a live performance on A&E's Private Sessions. Rzeznik stated that after the release of "Without You Here" and their summer tour with Lifehouse and Colbie Caillat, the band would return to the studio to begin work on their next album, their ninth overall.[citation needed]
On June 27, 2007, the Goo Goo Dolls performed to a sold out crowd at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison,
Colorado. The performance premiered on HDNet in high–definition on
Sunday, September 30. The entire concert was released as a DVD on the
limited edition version of their 2008 release, Vol.2.
The Goo Goo Dolls and the NHL Buffalo Sabres
came together to create a video for the Sabres 2007 playoff run. The
video was a compilation of shots from the Buffalo area and Sabres
players played to the song "Better Days". It was played on jumbotron and
at the HSBC Arena before every playoff game.
Though not certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the album is said to have gone Gold by various music sites.[13]
The song "Better Days" was used in the trailer for the 2009 film Love Happens. It was also used in the pilot episode of the CBS TV show, Jericho and in a promo for WGRZ aired during Super Bowl XLVI.
Greatest hits albums (2007–2008)
On November 13, 2007, the Goo Goo Dolls released a greatest hits album entitled Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles,
which includes a new version of "Name" recorded and mixed by Paul David
Hager, and a remix of "Feel the Silence" by Michael Brauer.[14] On August 19, 2008, a second greatest hits album was released entitled Vol.2, which includes b-sides, rarities, and a live performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre from their "Let Love In" tour.
The band performed "Better Days" and "Stay With You" at the halftime of the Detroit Lions' 2007 Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field, which focused on the United Way and the NFL's commitment to youth health and fitness.[15]
Something for the Rest of Us (2008–2011)
The Goo Goo Dolls announced recording sessions for a new album, on their official website, unrelated to their Volume Two in 2008.[16] In addition, the band performed as part of the O2 Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park in the summer of 2008,[17] at the Miller Lite Rock 'N Racing show at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during qualifying for the 2008 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race,[18] as well as performing a four-show tour across England.
On June 19, 2008 at a ceremony in New York City, the band's singer
and principal songwriter John Rzeznik was named that year's recipient of
the Hal David Starlight Songwriter Award. Past recipients of the
prestigious award include: Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer and John
Legend.
On June 12, 2009, the band mentioned on their Facebook page that the producer for their new album was Tim Palmer.[19] On August 15, 2009, Robby Takac
posted an update on his Twitter account stating that the recording for
the new album had been completed, and the mixing of the album was yet to
be done.[20] Then on September 18, 2009, John Rzeznik stated in an interview on Good Day L.A., that the new album had tentatively been titled Something for the Rest of Us.[21]
Something for the Rest of Us was released on August 31, 2010.[22]
While the album was full of the pop-rock that has sustained the band
for decades, lead singer/guitarist Rzeznik's songwriting took on a more
somber, serious tone.[23]
The band performed a live mini concert at the Apple Store in Manhattan,
New York on December 2, 2010. The show was recorded and was released in
2011 as a part of Apple's "Live at SoHo" collection which is sold
online at the iTunes Store.[24] On January 3, 2011, the band performed the halftime show at the Orange Bowl played between the Stanford Cardinal and the Virginia Tech Hokies. On January 30, 2011, they performed before the start of the Pro Bowl
in Hawaii. On February 7, 2011 they performed at the Delta Ballroom in
St. John's Newfoundland, beginning their 2011 Canadian tour.
Magnetic and Malinin's departure (2011–present)
During an interview with UpVenue on February 16, 2011, Rzeznik
confirmed that he was writing new material for a new album: "I've
actually been experimenting, in this last week, while we've been out on
this tour, just writing lyrics and then figuring out the melodic
structures," said Rzeznik. "We can't wait another four years to put
another album out; that's just a ridiculous waste of time."[25]
On May 23, 2011, it was announced that the band had recorded a song for the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon called "All That You Are", and was released on the film's soundtrack on June 14, 2011.
In September 2011, "Iris" reached the number three spot in the Top 40 in the UK, 13 years after its original release.
On August 9, 2012, the band announced that they had started recording their tenth studio album.[26]
In a column for Japanese Rock magazine InRock, Robby Takac revealed
some details about recordings sessions on the new album. The new album
is scheduled for an early 2013 release on the Warner Brothers record
label. The band will use a few producers like they did on Something for the Rest of Us. In August and September they had various recording sessions with John Shanks at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, LA and in October 2012 with Gregg Wattenberg (Let Love In, Real) at Quad Studios in New York City. More recording sessions were planned with Greg Wells in Los Angeles in November 2012.[27]
On January 18, 2013, the band released the first single off of their next studio album titled "Rebel Beat".[28]
Their latest album Magnetic was released on June 11, 2013 [4]
and debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. It was their
4th album in a row that debuted in the Top 10. On July 19, 2013 the Goo
Goo Dolls finally released their second single "Come to Me" off Magnetic. The song hit the airwaves on July 23, 2013.[29] On December 6, 2013, the band announced a tour of Canada in early-2014.[30] Additional dates were announced on December 10, 2013.[31] On December 27, 2013, Malinin announced his departure from the band via Twitter[32] and Facebook.[33] On January 23, 2014, the band announced an upcoming acoustic tour called The Otis Midnight Sessions.[34] On March 10, 2014, the band announced an upcoming tour during the summer of 2014 with Daughtry.[35]
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