Source: Philippine News.com
LOS ANGELES: The boys are now men.
Some of them are already sporting beards and moustaches.
Three of them are in their 30s; one of them is already a dad.
But who cares? They are still the Backstreet Boys. And they are back.
After a five-year hiatus, the BSB, as they are also known, are seriously making their musical presence felt once more with the release of a new single, Incomplete, from the quintet's new upcoming album "Never Gone" which is due in US stores on June 14.
We recently attended a listening session at the secluded Sunset Marquis Hotel that has a surprising feature: a recording studio on the ground floor. The likes of Madonna and the Ocean 11? cast have recorded and dubbed, respectively, at this studio of the low key but ultra hip hotel in West Hollywood.
When we arrived one evening at The Studio, some staffers of Jive Records welcomed us into a cozy room filled with throw pillows, candles, hors d'oeuvres, chips and dips, fruits, sodas and a bucket filled with beer bottles.
The listening session allowed us to hear the new material, which is decidedly more mature. Incomplete, their launching single is definitely not bubbly pop but a serious ballad that is refreshing. All of the original members of the group, except for Nick Carter, dropped by to mingle with the press: Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson.
At the interview session the following day, the entire band was there. The members, however, were split up. We were fortunate to interview the band's most popular member, Nick Carter, and Brian Littrell.
Nick, dressed in a blue jacket, printed t-shirt, denims and lots of silver jewelry (necklaces and rings) looked serious all throughout our chat. Brian, on the other hand, dressed in a brown leather jacket and denims, was always smiling, talking slowly in a Southern accent.
Both guys are reportedly the best of friends in the group: the Yin and Yang, the Frick and Frack as they are sometimes called.
While Nick is the alleged practical joker, Brian is the reserved one but we could not discern that in this afternoon's interview. Nick is the youngest in the group at 25 while Brian is the only Backstreet Boy Dad in the quintet, and he is proud of that.
In this interview with the duo at one of Sunset Marquis: airy villas, we got to know Nick and Brian more and the secret behind the durability of the Backstreet Boys.
Asked what made them decide to come back after five years of being inactive, Nick replied, "First of all, we needed a long break from everything we have been doing. They say strike while the iron is hot, but now we learned that quality is better than quantity. We needed to rejuvenate ourselves."
Brian added, "When you also look at Aerosmith, Madonna, The Eagles, U2 and the like, all of them took a break here and there in their careers. The public view was that the Backstreet Boys was a boy band that will not be around for a long time. We beat those odds.
"We just celebrated 12 years together last month. We also needed that break because we were losing our individuality and we needed to get that back because the stronger we are as individuals, the better we are as a group."
So during that five-year break, Nick found himself going on a solo tour and doing a solo album. "He got to experience life on his own since he has been with the Backstreet Boys nearly half of his life," revealed Brian. "We got a chance to spread our wings. We got a new respect for each other again. Because when you are touring for a solid eight years straight, it also takes its toll."
According to Nick, the best thing that ever happened to him during the five-year hiatus was to learn the hard way that "it is difficult to be on your own. I had to deal with the pressure all by myself.
"I learned so many things on that solo tour. I grew as a vocalist and as an entertainer and so everything I learned, I contributed to the group. Hopefully, I can be a stronger link in the chain."
For Brian, the best thing that ever happened to him during the five-year respite was being a father to a two and a half year old boy. "I am the only Backstreet dad in the group," he declared. "Fatherhood was the biggest change in my life. When we were riding high on 'Millennium' and 'Black & Blue,' I realized I was being selfish. I was taking fame, success, the fans, and the other guys for granted. We were all kind of pulling at each other. Instead of working together, we were working against each other and it was three times harder when you do that.
"When I was away from them, I was able to focus on my life as a husband and a father. I was able to share the life of my little boy and watch him grow up. I got my head screwed up and was able to think straight again."
Asked how they would describe their songs these days, Nick replied, "Our songs are naturally growing. If you listen to them, the concept and depth of the things we are talking about also cover world problems.
"We may talk about love but we also talk about heartbreak. Poster Girl, for instance, is about troubled people and not just about a girl. I believe that making music is an opportunity to spread music in a positive way. It is a universal language anyway.
"Music affects people's lives. Just like the song Never Gone. Kevin [Richardson] wrote it for his late father and it talks about death, loss of a loved one."
The group performed in a Kuala Lumpur fundraising concert to help the victims of the recent tsunami tragedy in Asia. Brian volunteered, "We change our schedules to make room for such concerts. From day one, our message in our music was that the Backstreet Boys are a real people and not just something that will come and go. It is sad that people only get together when a tragedy happens."
Nick remembered when they did a concert for one of their crewmembers who died in the plane crash during the September 11 tragedy. "He was supposed to surprise his wife because she was giving birth to a baby girl at that time," Brian sadly recalled. They set up a fund and donated the proceeds of one of their concerts to his family, he added.
Brian recalled, "My wife was also supposed to be in one of those planes but she cancelled three days before. So I will never forget that. During this time, A.J. [McLean] went into rehab and I visited him in rehab. So it was a memorable tour."
On a happier note, Brian could not forget their London concert with Elton John when they had a party in a park. "It was just amazing how music brings people together and how our music has been accepted all over the world. Anytime we could perform is a blessing and the reaction of people on their faces is priceless. I could never forget them. It still burns into my soul."
Asked what they thought was the secret of the Backstreet Boys enduring success, Nick commented, "It's simply unexplainable. Maybe it is destiny, maybe it was meant to be. We are all very competitive.
"We are driven by competition in reaching our goal. And our goal is to stay together and to make music."
The group is getting ready to be heard and seen again all over the world.
There is no stopping these Boys now.
Source: billboardradio
Incomplete has went from #35 to #18
What this means is if we want this song to be a top ten hit, we need to focus our requests where it counts: on radio. TRL is fine, but BSB fans are older and cannot relate to the new TRL audience. It's great that BSB is now on VH1 and has also moved up on their countdown from #18 to #11. We are all older and have more responsibilities. If you want to take five minutes out of your busy schedule to vote for BSB use these links:
I got this from a great thread on Live Daily. Keep those requests coming! No need for multiple votes, they do see IP addresses, lol Just once a day!
Houston, TX: 104 KRBE
Long Island: WBLI
Savannah, GA: 97.3 KISS FM
Wheeling, WV: KISS Wheeling
(Email: keithmac@clearchannel.com)
(Email: jonathonburton@clearchannel.com Subject: Interactive 5 @ 5)
Coumbus, MS: Top 5 @ 5
(Email: louielinguini@clearchannel.com)
Quad Cities, IA: Request for the Dreave @ 5
(Email: redhotbrianscott@email.com Subject: Request for the Drive @ 5)
Rochester, NY: WPXY ~ Fourplay @ 4
Houston, TX: 104 KRBE ~ Top 5 @9
Oxnard, CA: KHOP ~ Top 8 @8
Los Angeles, CA: Jojo Stop 5 ~ Jojo's 9 @ 9
Washington, DC: Hot 99.5 ~ Hot 5 @ 9
Tampa / St. Petersburg, FL: 93.3 FLZ ~ Crazy 8 @ 8
Savannah, GA: 97.3 KISS FM ~ HOT 5 @ 9
Quad Cities, IA: 98.9 ALL HIT ~ 5 Most Wanted @ 9
Louisville, KY: WDJX ~ Top 5 Of The Day
Alexandria, LA: Q93 FM ~ HOT 8 @ 8
New Bedford: MA: 107 FUN ~ Top 7 @ 9
Portalnd, ME: WJBG ~ Interactive 8 @ 8
Rochester, MN: 106. 9 KROC FM ~ The Top 9 @ 9
Tupelo, MS: KZ105 ~ Top 8 @ 8
Rochester, MN: KROCK ~ Top 9 @ 9
Tupelo, MS: KZ 105 ~ Top 8 @ 8
Billings, MT: HOT 1019 ~ Hot 8 @ 8
Quad Cities, IA: 98.9 ALL HIT ~ 5 Most Wanted
Watertown, NY: WBDR ~ Hot 5 @ 9
Rocester, NY: WPXY ~ Interactive 9 @ 9
Cleveland, OH: KISS FM 96. 5 ~ Interactive 7 @ 7
Youngstown, OH: KISS 95.9 ~ Interactive 7 @7
Dayton, OH: WGTZ 93 ~ Top 8 @ 8
Cincinnati, OH: KISS Cincinnati ~ Wired 8 @ 8
Columbus, OH: WNCI ~ Interactive 8 @ 8
Lawton, OK: KMGZ ~ Hot 8 @ 8
Philidelphia, PA: G102 PHILLY ~ Wyld 5 @ 9
Providence, RI: PRO FM 92 ~ Top 9 @ 9
Sioux Falls, SD: HOT 1047 ~ Hot 9 @ 9
Austin, TX: KHFI ~ Austin's Most Wanted
Charlottesville, VA: HOT 1019 ~ Hot 9 @ 9
Roanoke, VA: K92 Radio ~ Interactive 8 @ 8
Colochester, VT: TRIPLEX 95 ~ Interactive Top 5 @ 8
Charleston, WV: ELECTRIC 102 ~ Interactive Top 10
Charleston, WV: ELECTRIC 102 ~ High 5 @ 8
Casper, WY: KISS CASPER ~ Hot 9 @ 9
Wausau, WI: WIFC ~ Top 9 @ 9
Green Bay, WI: WIXX ~ Top 9 @ 9
Milwaukee, WI: KISS FM 103.7 ~ Top 8 @ 8
First Studio Album From the Group in Almost Five Years to be Release as a DualDis
Source: Jive Records
Press Release Source: Jive Records
LOS ANGELES, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Jive Records will be releasing Never Gone, the first studio album from the Backstreet Boys in almost 5 years, on June 14, 2005. Never Gone features an array of talented songwriters and producers that include Max Martin (Kelly Clarkson Since U Been Gone). The title track "Never Gone," co-written by Kevin Richardson as a tribute to his dad, was produced by Mark Taylor. Incomplete was produced by Dan Muckala. Other luminaries contributing to the album include Billy Mann (Pink and Sting), John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting, and John Shanks (2004 Grammy Award Producer of the Year), John Fields (Switchfoot).
"Never Gone" will also be released as a DualDisc. The DualDisc version will contain the Incomplete video, 'Making Of' Incomplete video, "in-studio" and "behind-the-scenes" footage.
Upcoming television appearances include The Ellen DeGeneres Show (5/17), The Today Show concert series (6/10), The View (6/14), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (6/16) and The CBS Early Show (6/17). The group will be featured in People, Entertainment Weekly and Blender Magazines.
Incomplete, the first single off of the Backstreet Boys forthcoming album Never Gone is the #9* this week on Radio and Records pop chart. The song comes in at #10* on Top 40 Mainstream Airplay and #27* in AC/Adult Airplay. The video for Incomplete is currently the #1 most watched video on AOL and in rotation on MTV, VH1 and MuchMusic.
"Never Gone" is the 4th studio release from the group since their debut in 1997. To date they have garnered 2 Diamond albums (RIAA certification for 10 million sold), as well as numerous multi-platinum certifications for albums, singles and videos. In total they have sold over 73 million albums worldwide.
Backstreet Boys begin a summer headlining tour in mid-July.
01. Incomplete
02. Just Want You To Know
03. Crawling Back To You
04. Weird World
05. I Still ...
06. Poster Girl
07. Lose It All
08. Climbing The Walls
09. My Beautiful Woman
10. Safest Place To Hide
11. Siberia
12. Never Gone
Source: liveDaily
Backstreet Boys, who recently completed a month-long club tour, will continue to work on their live chops at a series of radio-station festivals that precede the mid-June release of their first new album in almost five years.
So far, the vocal quintet has lined up a half-dozen May appearances at festivals throughout the country. Details are shown below.
The roadwork hypes the June 14 release of "Never Gone," Backstreet Boys' follow-up to 2000's 8-million-selling "Black & Blue." The new set features the single Incomplete, the music video for which debuted on MTV's "Total Request Live" last week, and is currently listed at No. 1 on the Hot 5 Videos list at MTV's website.
Meanwhile, pictures taken during the Incomplete video shoot are posted at Backstreet Boys' website.
Backstreet Boys plan to launch a summer headlining tour behind "Never Gone" in mid-July. An itinerary has not been announced.
As previously reported, "Never Gone" features input from Max Martin, who was involved in the writing and production of previous Backstreet Boys hits Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), As Long as You Love Me and Everybody (Backstreet's Back).
Other contributors include Mark Taylor, who produced the title track (a cut that Richardson co-wrote as a tribute to his father, according to Jive Records), and Dan Muckala, who produced Incomplete, as well as Billy Mann (Pink, Sting), John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting, John Shanks (2004 Grammy Award Producer of the Year), John Fields (Switchfoot) and Darren Hayes of Savage Garden.
Backstreet Boys are scheduled to perform June 10 as part of "The Today Show" concert series; June 14 on "Live with Regis and Kelly," June 16 on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and June 17 on "The CBS Early Show."
The group will also turn up in the pages of People, Entertainment Weekly and Blender magazines.
Note: The following tour itinerary has been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of May 02, 2005 11:07 AM. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist web sites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates
14 - Anaheim, CA - Angel Stadium (KIIS FM Wango Tango)
20 - Minneapolis, MN - Quest (KDWB Star Party)
21 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center (KISS 108 Concert)
22 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena (Z100 Zootopia)
24 - Sunrise, FL - Office Depot Center (Office Depot Center)
Source: Music Pool
The guys will be performing in Germany on May 31st, here are the 2 urls we have to date, sorry both are German sites. Here is a fair translation of the hightlights:
On 31 May becomes Cologne e-works the scene of a sensational music event. After albums sold over 73 million world-wide the most successful male Pop group of the world arises after five years for the first time again in Germany. In the context of their show the five beside Songs of its new album "Never Gone" will be performed, also numerous hits of its past albums. At the same time those returns volume thereby to its roots: In Germany the Backstreet Boys 1995 had started its impressing career, before two years later also in the USA the large break-through had succeeded to them.