[German Edition - December 1999]
As translated by Pascalle... thank you!
Thanks to MANU for the scan!
THE HANSON'S REAL COOL!
Top left picture:
For their new album, Hanson wrote 25 songs. In the LA studio they recorded 14 tracks.
Middle left picture:
Isaac’s dreamy look is misleading, the new Hanson present themselves as a rockhard rock band.
Bottom left picture:
Full effort at the microphone: Taylor who plays keyboards as well, sings most Hanson songs.
Text under the row of pics on the left side:
Shorter hair; harder sound: Hanson at full speed again in the year 2000.
Top right picture:
1997 Hanson are THE shootingstars
Middle right picture:
1998: Real musicians, Hanson show what they can do live.
Bottom right picture:
1999: One of the last pics before Hanson dropped out of sight.
Center picture:
The waiting has come to an end: Hanson is back. With their new sound, Taylor, Isaac and Zac show their cool, mature look.
Their first single hit the popscene like a ton of bricks. In July 1997, “MMMBop” climbed the German charts all the way to the top. The American fans also acclaimed the three bros a supergroup. In the USA Hanson sold over 4 million copies of their debut album “Middle of Nowhere.” The very young threesome had already gained some prior studio experience. As early as 1995 and 1996, when Hanson taped two Indie albums, which unfortunately were distributed only in very small numbers and are no longer obtainable these days. A small taste of these early recordings can be found on their album “Three Car Garage”, which was released in 1998.
With spontaneous unplugged shows Hanson mesmerized their fans in 1998 equally in the US and Canada. Critics who were very negative in the beginning, fell silent rapidly. Because Hanson proved that they could also play their acoustic instruments incredibly well and that their musical talents could easily be compared to the big established rock bands. In June 1998, Hanson did their one and only concert in Germany.
After long tours throughout the world, Hanson pulled back for a year, to work on their new album in peace. And the guys, who are homeschooled by their father Walker and private tutors, also had a lot of homework to catch up with. The guys have also developed musicwise, the new songs sound harder and more mature.
Rain in Miami. The world renowned Ocean Drive Boulevard at South Beach is totally deserted in the beginning of December. A black limo arrives. Three young men get out, jump over water puddles with giant leaps and hurry into the Leslie Hotel. When the guys take off their black leather coats and they wipe the wet hair from their faces, we have to look twice.
The Hanson brothers, Taylor (16), Zachary (14 “Zac”) and Isaac (19 “Ike”) are almost unrecognizable! Joker Tay’s comment on their new look: "I fired my two brothers and hired new people!” While Tay has cut his hair a little, but still looks like he always has, his brothers have changed radically. Little Zac has grown into a big boy. "I’ve grown over 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) the past year and weigh over 60 kilos", admits the now 1.73 mt (about 5.8) tall drummer. When he talks, his voice cracks, voice change!
Guitar player Ike has said goodbye to his gorgeous long blond hair and now sports a very short hairdo. “Look”, he beams and proudly shows his immaculate white teeth. Since a year ago his so difficult braces ~ which he had for nearly two years ~ were removed for good. “We’ve celebrated this with a cool dinner. Before I used to hate photo sessions, I would always tense up totally. These days, without those babies, I can even grin when having a bad day”, confides Ike happily.
Almost three years after Hanson’s worldwide breakthrough with their album: “Middle of Nowhere” and lead the charts with their catchy “MMMBop”, the three brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma, finally give a musical lifesign. The new album, yet to be named, is finished and being mixed in Miami at this point.
Hanson have made themselves comfortable on the bed in Taylor’s room. Ike puts in a cd with 5 spanking new songs and pumps up the volume. The opener “In the City” takes off full speed. Lead singer Taylor, with his raw voice, the lover who got cheated on. The next track “Runaway run”, is also about the perils of the heart. Do Hanson draw from their own experiences?
“We are way too young to have experienced these things. But, of course, we have fallen for a girl and things didn’t work out. That’s normal, right? But you don’t need to have had a heartache to be able to write about it,” says Taylor.
On their new album, Hanson also tackles serious themes. In “This Time 'Round” they deal with the rat race and in “Dying To Be Alive” Hanson tells their fans to do something with their lives, instead of wasting them.
For the duration of the recording process, the whole Hanson clan (mother Diana, father Walker and a total of 7 Hanson kids) moved to Los Angeles. “We simply can’t be without our family, so we rented a huge house in LA,” says Taylor.
Other family questions are taboo. From the end of January the Fanclub website Hanson.Net will be opened again. For the payment of $6.95, fans from all over the world can see where Hanson is at any particular moment and what they are doing. Also German fans can now also read the Official MOE magazine (“Middle of Everywhere”), which is issued monthly, online.
Zac: "We will have MOE issues translated into several different languages and German will definitely be one of them.”
At the end of January Hanson will tape the video for their first single. The two leading choices for now are “Runaway Run” and “If Only”. After that the preparations will start for the world tour, which will begin in June 2000. At the latest in the Fall of next year, Hanson want to come to Germany with their new live show.