(Toronto Star, Jan 2, 1997)
It's a new year, so get ready for new kids on the block.
No, not the New Kids on the Block, just something from the same, never-ending mold. This year's teen dream model goes by the name of Backstreet Boys, an Orlando, Fla., quintet, ranging in age 16 to the 'shouldn't they know better' age of 23.
Packaged to make optimum use of their photogenic features, the five guys quietly released their self-titled debut album in Canada back in early October.
Since then, it has gone quadruple platinum, selling more than 400,000 copies--mostly in the province of Quebec--and has become one of the biggest selling albums in Canada during the final quarter of 1996.
Buoyed by sparkingly rendered, cookie-cutter melodies and harmoies, together with snappy dance beats, the album is guaranteed to engage the hearts of a new generation of teens and pre-teens.
Surprisingly, the album has yet to be released in the mother of all markets, the United States. But then, there's a fine-tuned method to the group's management.
"We're gonna change the album a bit for the U.S. release in February," says 22-year-old band member Howie Dorough, over the phone from Florida, where Backstreet Boys are en route to a six-city Canadian tour.
The string of dates includes five shows in Quebec in one in Toronto this Saturday at the Warehouse.
"We're gonna do a couple more rhythm 'n' blues songs, because the mainstream in the U.S. is R&B," he says, suggesting that the game plan is to do whatever it takes to make the album as successful at home as it is in Canada and certain European markets.
And why not? In a world where teen idols tend to go from being the objects of wet dreams to wet blankets, from pop heroes to pop zeros, faster than you can say Tommy Page, a key goal has to be to make as much hay while you can.
So the star-market machinery behind the pop combo is gearing into overdrive. Already, the comparisons to Beatlemania are popping up.
Why? Because at the recent concert in Belguim, some members of the audience passed out. In Germany, their tour buys was surrounded by a mob. And during a mall appearance in suburban Montreal 'about 10' teens fainted during the Boys' brief concert.
Or so their press release says.
So what if that doesn't exactly match the hundreds of thousands of fans swooning over the Fab Four in 1964? Hey, it's still 10 fainters and counting.
Besides, the frenzy could certainly heighten. the Boys are good-looking, share great harmonies, they're good looking, and make dynamic videos.
And they're good lookin. In a wholesome, boy-next-doory kind of way, despite their tough-sounding name.
They want you to know thir zodiac signs and their favorite foods consist of such fare as pizza and macaroni with cheese.
Dorough is a leo who likes water skiing and loves the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. His favorite book is John Grisham's legal thriller The Firm, even though he hasn't yet managed to finish reading it.
The band came together 3 1/2 years ago, when Dorough, A.J. McLean, and Nick Carter met at Universal Studios near Disney World, where they were auditioning for acting jobs.
"We formed a trio," says Dorough, "but we wanted to make the harmonies richer. When we met Brian 'B-Rok' Littrell and Kevin Richardson (who worked at Disney World) a bit later, we had our group."
Acting is something Dorough wishes to continue pursuing. Over the past several years, he has been cast for bit parts in Parenthood and the Burt Reynolds bust, Cop and a Half. He has also done a few local (Florida) TV commercials.
Understandably, his main focus is on Backstreet Boys, yet he still envisions branching out.
"We're in this for the long haul, even though some of us may move on to act or do solo records.
"But Backstreet Boys will always be there. We'll do reunion tours like The Eagles and The Beach Boys, but we'll never break up."
If all this sounds like so many delusions of grandeur from someone whose band hasn't even released its frist album stateside, Dorough believes Backstreet Boys won't be just another New Kids flame-out.
"You know, groups like Take That and New Kids on the Block were very successfuly, but our styles is different because it's very r&b based.
The vocals have an r&b feel and we do some a cappella. We're also true musicians. Kevin's doing some keyboards, Nicky's playing drums, and I'll be playing the guitar on a couple of songs in the show. We've modeled ourselves after New Edition."
While Dorough recognizes and acceps the ephemeral nature of fame--"obviously we can't really predict what will happen to us in the future"--he has, for a moment, responded to the rapturous Canadian and European fan base with a mixture of modesty and youthful awe.
"The fans have been great--just the amount of people who like us, it's weird. There's all this Backstreet Boys hysteria.
"It's weird how they chase after us like The Beatles or The Jackson 5. But it's nice to feel that people care about you. It's great to have such dedicated fans."
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