Goo Goo Dolls

The Goo Goo Dolls are an alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York by guitarist/vocalist Johnny Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac. They are perhaps most famous for their hit "Iris," featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film City of Angels and on their triple platinum album Dizzy Up the Girl.

Members

• Johnny Rzeznik – vocals, guitar (Founding member)
• Robby Takac – vocals, bass guitar (Founding member)
• Mike Malinin – drums, percussion (Hired in 1995, made official member in 1998)

History

Founded in Buffalo, New York in 1986 by guitarist/vocalist Johnny Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, the Goo Goo Dolls initially consisted of the two founders and George Tutuska on drums. The band named themselves (the name was picked out from an ad in a True Detective magazine) at the request of a local club owner who refused to let them play otherwise. They were originally signed by the short-lived indie label Mercenary Records and they released their self-titled debut album in 1986. A little over a year later, a Los Angeles performance brought the band to the attention of Metal Blade Records, who would later distribute their first wide release.

In their early career, they were often dismissed by critics as derivative of The Replacements.^{[citation needed]} (Rzeznik has stated on many occasions that Paul Westerberg is a major influence on his writing.) While they were embraced by college radio and the local punk scene (playing such venues as CBGB's), especially after the release of their third album, Hold Me Up (1990), by this time, the Goo Goo Dolls had emerged with their own sound which incorporated elements of heavy metal, pop rock, and punk. In 1991, the song "I'm Awake Now" was recorded for the soundtrack of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, the video for which featured a cameo of Robert Englund in character as Freddy and was played on the major video channels of the time.

Superstar Car Wash was released in 1993 to significant media attention. The critical success and encouraging sales of the last album resulted in a larger budget from Metal Blade. It was recorded in the same studio where Rush had produced multi-platinum albums.^{[citation needed]} The single "We Are the Normal" received a major push toward college and independent radio, while its video was displayed on MTV's 120 Minutes program. "Fallin' Down" made it onto the soundtrack of Pauly Shore's hit film Son In Law.

Their follow-up, A Boy Named Goo, marked the end of the line for drummer George Tutuska, by this time in a personal feud with Rzeznik.^{[citation needed]} Bassist Takac basically had to choose between the breakup of the band that Rzeznik threatened or the dismissal of the drummer with whom he was still friendly.^{[citation needed]} A Boy Named Goo is the final recording Tutuska would make with the band. For several months, the album sold modestly, while the band, with newly-hired Texan Mike Malinin on drums, toured rigorously. It was not until the release of their single "Name" from the same album that the Goo Goo Dolls experienced any commercial success. A Boy Named Goo became the first album in Metal Blade history to achieve double platinum status. Their mainstream success, however, was bittersweet as they faced a lengthy legal battle with Metal Blade Records over royalties that were being withheld from the band^{[citation needed]}; hence, the Goos eventually switched to Metal Blade's parent company, Warner Bros. Records. In addition, many of the fans the Goo Goo Dolls had at the time felt they had sold out to garner commercial success.^{[citation needed]} The undisputed success of "Name" marked a fundamental change in the band's sound toward a more polished, commercial direction.

In 1998, "Iris" was released on the City of Angels soundtrack, and the Goos were propelled to stardom, as the song stayed on the Billboard charts at number one for 18 weeks and was nominated for three Grammys that year. The song was also included on their sixth album, Dizzy Up the Girl, which was released that same year and spawned single hits "Slide", "Iris", "Black Balloon", "Broadway" and "Dizzy." The album's slick production and toned-down edge put off many long time fans, feeling the Goo Goo Dolls had abandoned their college/indie rock roots.^{[citation needed]} However, they were replaced with legions of new fans, a result of the band's mainstream exposure. (Most Goo Goo Dolls concert sets feature few, if any, songs the band wrote before 1995, reflecting the band's more current mainstream sound.) Although the lyrics to "Black Balloon" are vague and unclear, as this is an essential aspect of Rzeznik's style of writing, the song, according to the lead-singer himself, regards drug abuse and the emotional consequences of indulging in them. It is widely believed that the song was written for Robby Takac's wife who was once caught up in drug abuse but who has fully recovered today; Rzeznik now refuses to comment on the identity of the song's persona, merely stating that the song is about a close friend who was once a drug addict and is now doing fine.^{[citation needed]} In 2001, the Goos released their first ever compilation CD, What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce. Next, Gutterflower (2002) - with dark lyrical undertones from Rzeznik's divorce - achieved gold certification, producing the hits "Here Is Gone", "Sympathy", and "Big Machine". 2004 saw the release of the Goo's Live in Buffalo: July 4th 2004 which propelled "Give a Little Bit" to #1 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.

In 2006, the Goo Goo Dolls marked their 20th anniversary with their new album Let Love In, which included the studio recording of Supertramp's "Give A Little Bit" as well as other top 10 radio singles "Better Days," "Stay With You," and "Let Love In". With the their third consecutive single ("Let Love In") from the album, the Goo Goo Dolls hit a record 12 Top 10 hits in Hot AC history, beating Matchbox Twenty and Sheryl Crow.

April 13, 1996 and July 4, 2004 were proclaimed "Goo Goo Dolls Day" in their hometown of Buffalo, New York.

Other important people

• William Howell was the uncredited A&R scout who helped sign the band to Metal Blade in 1987.
• Artie Kwitchoff was the original manager of the band up to the Metal Blade years. Currently, he is a club owner and concert promoter for Funtime Presents. "Artie", featured on Jed, includes a recording of a prank phone call to Kwitchoff concerning the breakup of the band.
• George Tutuska, was the drummer for the Goo Goo Dolls from 1986 to New Year's Eve 1994. He was dismissed and replaced by Mike Malinin. John initially quit the band since he could barely stand to be in the same room with George, but Robby convinced him to rejoin and he fired George.
• Lance Diamond is a Buffalo, New York entertainer who has played live with the Goo Goo Dolls on many occasions, as well as recorded with them on the tracks "Down On the Corner", "Never Take The Place Of Your Man", "My Girl", "Do You Believe", and "Bitch".
• Nathan December was the touring backing guitarist for the Dizzy Up the Girl tour.
• Dave Schulz was the touring keyboardist for the Dizzy Up the Girl tour. He is currently working as a producer and session player in Los Angeles.
• Greg Suran was the touring backing guitarist for the Gutterflower tour. He is currently working as a session player in Los Angeles.
• Jason Freese was the touring keyboardist/saxophonist for the Gutterflower tour; he's now on tour with Green Day.
• Paul Gordon, was keyboardist from July, 2004 to January, 2006. He is also guitarist for Lisa Marie Presley.
• Brad Fernquist, is the touring backing guitarist for the "Let Love In" tour.
• Korel Tunador, is the touring keyboardist/guitarist/saxophonist for the Let Love In tour.

Discography

Albums/EPs

Singles

¹ After signing with Metal Blade Records, the band's album First Release was re-issued as Goo Goo Dolls by their new record label. Both albums are identical, except for different cover artwork.
² "Iris" spent a record 18 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, but did not hit number one on the Hot 100 chart as Billboard, at the time, did not allow songs to enter the chart without a commercial single release.
³ "Stay with You" was released as a two-track single; the first track being a re-issue of "Iris."

Interviews

• Making the Album, Let Love In, Robby Takac, Interview
• American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers, John Rzeznik, Interview

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