Creedence Clearwater Revival (sometimes shortened to Creedence or CCR) was an American rock bandthat gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums.
The group consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother and rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed country rock and swamp rock genres. Despite their San Francisco Bay Area origins, they positioned themselves as Southern rock stylists, singing about bayous, the Mississippi river, catfish, and other popular elements of Southern iconography.
Creedence Clearwater Revival's music is still a staple of American and worldwide radio airplayand often figures in various media. The band has sold 26 million albums in the United States alone.Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.They were ranked at 82 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest artists of all time.
Rock band Bon Jovi is from New Jersey.Leader of the group,John Bongiovi,spent most of his teenage days playing rock`n`roll in local bands with his good friend David Rashbaund.They`re first band,Raze,was very popular.They even played songs written by John,but different interests drew John and David apart.Jon-who dropes ˝h˝from his name-had a music industry conection in cousin Tony.He owned recording studio,the Power Station,in New York.Tony hired Jon as a janitor,but he soon began recording demo at the studio,for bands like E Street Band.One of this demos ˝Runaway˝became a huge hit on local radio station in New Jersey,and because of that Jon decide to own his own band named Bon Jovi.Other members was,David Bryan Rashbaund,Jon`s old musical comrade,guitarist Dave Sabo,bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres.Before group entered in studio,Bon Jovi replaced Sabo With Richie Sambora.They singed to Mercury/Poligram.Bon Jovi released their eponymous debut early in 1984,and ˝Runaway˝became a top 40 hit.Beside ˝Runaway˝ they shoot a video for ˝She don`t know me˝,which showcased Jon`s good look. Following the success of Jon's debut, cousin Tony sued the band, insisting it was he who developed their sound. The case was eventually settled out of court.Next year,album "7800 Degrees Fahrenheit" was realized and became gold.Despite that success,they didn`t become a huge superstars.But that changed when Bon Jovi released their third album Slippery When Wet. They hired professional songwriter Desmond Child as a collaborator.With his help they wrote 30 songs and auditioned them for local New Jersey and New York teenagers,basing the album`s running order on their opinions. They hired professional songwriter Desmond Child as a collaborator.With his help they wrote 30 songs and auditioned them for local New Jersey and New York teenagers,basing the album`s running order on their opinions. This album was released in August 1986. Album launched two number 1`s hits:”You give a love bad name” and “Living on a prayer”.Song “Wanted dead or alive” become a number 7 and Bon Jovi`s hymn.Because of that their established as superstars.The LP went on to sell over 12 million copies in U.S.A.,making “Slippery When Wet” biggest-selling rock album of the year.Album New Jersey,realised 1988,from the start topped number 1 Billboard album chart ,and contained 5 U.S. top 10 singles,Two songs “Bad Medicine” and “I`ll be there for you” end up on number 1 on charts.Other songs who reach in top 10 was:”Born to be my baby;”Lay your hands on me” and “Living in the sin”.Bon Jovi went on extensive 18-months world tour.After tour band went out on well deserve hiatus.During the break of the band,Jon Bon Jovi wrote a soundtrack for the movie Young Guns II.Album “Blaze of glory” and movie were realized in the summer of 1990.Song “Blaze of glory” became first Jon Bon Jovi`s number 1.The album peaked at number 3,and earned Jon Oscar and Grammy nominations and Golden Globe for Best Original Song.Next year Bon Jovi`s reunited.They recorded their fifth album Keep the faith,which is realised on fall 1992.Despite the critical praise the album failed to match the mega-success of its predecessors in the U.S., peaking at No. 5 and spending only two weeks in the top 10.This album produced a top 10 smash with song “Bed of roses”. Album Cross road realized 1994,contained the greatest hits collection that spawned the chart staple “Always”.In fall 1995 Bon Jovi realised album “These Days”,which proved to be a bigger success in Europe than America.In June 1997 Jon realized his first official solo album"Destination Anywhere".3 years later band regrouped and realised Crush.The disc debuted at No.9 on Billboard chart and was certified double platinum in the U.S.”Thank You For Lovin Me” and “It`s my life” were chart hits.Bon Jovi earned Grammy nods for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Perfomance by Duo or Group for “It`s my life”.In fall 2002 band returned with 8 studio effort,Bounce.Album Bounce entered the Billboard chart at No.2 in October 2002,making it the heights chart debut in their 20-year history. For the release "This Left Feels Right" in 2003 Bon Jovi re-recorded many of their most well-known songs.Next year they realised a box set "100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can`t Be Wrong".Box set contained four CD and one DVD of rarities tracks.The box set marked the sales of 100 million Bon Jovi albums and also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's first record in 1984. In November 2004 band was honored with the award for Merit at the American Music Award where they performed a sneak preview of an unfinished song,”Have a nice day”.9 studio album,”Have a nice day” was realized in September 2005. The album topped the charts around the world, giving Bon Jovi had a career-best first week, selling over 202,000 albums.A duet version of “Who says you can`t go home”,from this album,with Jennifer Nettles(from Sugarland),was realeased,and in May 2006,Bon Jovi became the first Rock & Roll Band to have a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Chart.Thanks to that collaboration Bon Jovi won first Grammy Award for "Best Country with Collaboration Vocals ".On November 14 ,2006 Bon Jovi were inducted into the UK Music Hall Of Fame. With the end of the “Have a nice day tour” Bon Jovi began to throw around ideas for their next project. Album Lost Highway arrived in summer 2007.Lost Highway contained a duet with Leann Rimes(Till we aint strangers anymore). The first single from the new album was “(You Want To)Make A Memory”. The band confirmed that there will be no world tour to promote the new album, making it the first studio album of original material not to be followed by a promotional tour since 7800 °Fahrenheit released over twenty years ago.When in May asked Jon Bon Jovi about tour he announced that an official tour will not start until January of 2008, but 10 shows in their home state New Jersey will take place in November. A few weeks later in another interview he said the band had plans for a world tour in early 2008, that the tour is being routed at the moment and is likely to begin in Australia or Japan. This means that Bon Jovi will tour Australia for the first time since the These Days Tour in 1995.In April 2009, Phill Griffin's documentary on the band, "When we were beautiful", debuted at the Tribeca Filn Festival, chronicling Bon Jovi's ups and downs over 25 years and following the band on their latest Lost Highway tour.In June 2009, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into Songwriters Hall Of Fame. That month they also recorded a cover of the song "Stand By Me" with Iranian singer Andy Madadian, to show solidarity for those affected by political unrest in Iran. Parts of the song were sung in Persian.On November 10, 2009, the band released their 11th studio album, entitled The Circle. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 163 000 copies in its first week. The album is a return to rock n' roll after their Nashville influenced album, Lost Highway. To promote the album, Bon Jovi performed "We weren`t born to follow", the first single off the album, on the result show of the rock week of the TV show, The X-Factor. The song also was performed during the Fest der Freiheit on November 9 in Berlin, a memorial for the Fall of the Berlin Wall.On December 12, 2009, Bon Jovi were ranked #9 on Billboard's top 25 touring artists of the decade after grossing (US)$419,481,741 from 249 shows, of which 244 were sellouts.On January 31, 2010, Bon Jovi performed for the first time at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards. They performed the songs “We Weren’t Born to Follow” off their new album The Circle, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” from their album Have a Nice Day, and fans voted for the last song and chose “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Bon Jovi was nominated for a 2010 Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "We Weren't Born To Follow." Bon Jovi headed out on the road once again on February 19, 2010, embarking on The Circle Tour. In 2011, the tour morphed into Bon Jovi Live. On April 19, it was announced that special editions of Bon Jovi albums from 1984 to 2007 will be released. These albums will feature new artwork and photos from the time period of when the albums were released. They will also feature live recordings of select songs on the album recorded on the tour that supported the album. The albums were released on May 11.On December 13, 2010, Bon Jovi reopened the National Stadium on October 1, with The Circle Tour, which was recognized by Billboard magazine as the group with the most profitable tour of 2010. The tour has raised $146,507,388 and a total audience of 1,591,154.
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid "Frida Lyngstad, Bjorn Ulvaevus, Benny Anderson and Agnetha Faltskog. They became one of themost commercially successful acts in the history of pop music, topping the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1982. ABBA has sold over 375 million records worldwide,which made them the fourth best-selling music artists in the history of recorded music, behind only Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Michael Jackson. They still sell between two to three million albums a year.ABBA was the first pop group to come from a non-English-speaking country that enjoyed consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Philippines and New Zealand. The group also enjoyed significant success in Latin American markets and recorded a collection of their hit songs in Spanish.
During the band's active years, Fältskog and Ulvaeus were a married couple, as were Lyngstad and Andersson–although both couples later divorced. At the height of their popularity, both relationships were suffering strain which ultimately resulted in the collapse of the Ulvaeus-Fältskog marriage in 1979 and the Andersson-Lyngstad marriage in 1981. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, these relationship changes began appearing in the group's music, as they produced more introspective lyrics with different compositions.
After ABBA broke up early 1983, Andersson and Ulvaeus achieved success writing music for the stage while Lyngstad and Fältskog pursued individual solo careers with varying success. ABBA's music declined in popularity until several films, revived interest in the group, spawning several tribute bands. In 1999, ABBA's music was adapted into the successful musical Mamma Mia! that toured worldwide. A film of same name released in 2008 became the highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom that year. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 2010.
2 Unlimited is a Eurodance/Hi-NRG act formed in 1991. The project was the brainchild of Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, and was fronted by a Dutch duo, rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth.During five years of enormous worldwide popularity, the act scored 16 chart hits, including "Get Ready For This", "Twilight Zone", "No Limit" and "Tribal Dance".During their career, they have sold more than 18 million records worldwide.On 11 April 2009, Slijngaard and Doth performed together for the first time in 13 years at the "I Love The 90s" concert in Hasselt, Belgium. In January 2010, they released a new single together called "In Da Name Of Love", under the name of Ray & Anita.It has become a top 5 hit in the Netherlands. Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde met in their hometown of Antwerp, Belgium, and their first collaboration under the name of Bizz Nizz, the single "Don't Miss The Party Line", was a substantial hit across Europe, including in the United Kingdom where it reached no. 7 in the national singles chart in April 1990. Its success came as a great surprise to the duo and encouraged them to continue working together.In early 1991, a 19-year-old Ray Slijngaard was working as a chef in Amsterdam.Ray was a friend of rapper Marvin D, and whilst attending one of their gigs he took a microphone and started to rap in order to hype up the unenthusiastic crowd. Marvin was impressed and introduced him to DeCoster and Wilde, who got him to record a rap for "Money Money", a track that was being planned as a future Bizz Nizz single. Meanwhile, Anita Doth, In her spare time she performed in a female rap group called Trouble Sisters and she was spotted by Marvin, who asked her to be a backing singer for him. Ray and Anita became good friends, and some people believe they had a relationship.DeCoster and Wilde created an instrumental track called "Get ready for this" and they decided that it needed some vocals. They asked Ray for his input and he duly recorded a rap for it. The band was initially meant to be a solo project with Ray fronting the act but then he added female vocals from Anita. They were so pleased with the result that they agreed to work with them as a duo, and thus 2 Unlimited was born.They were signed to Byte Records and were licensed to many other record labels, including PWL Continental in the UK, run by Pete Waterman. "Get Ready For This" was an instant hit, peaking at no. 2 in the chart and was the twelfth best-selling single of 1991, earning a silver sales certificate. It went on to reach no. 4 in Belgium, no. 10 in the Netherlands and no. 2 in Australia. It also worked its way up to no. 7 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.A follow-up single, "Twilight Zone", followed in January 1992 also reached no. 2 in the UK, selling 234,000 copies. It topped the chart in the duo's homeland and was certified gold, and it was also a hit in the United States where it charted at #49 on the Hot 100.Two further singles were released, "Workaholic" and "The Magic Friend", which helped the album go on to sell 2.6 million copies worldwide.Although Ray and Anita were sceptical about the track DeCoster and Wilde wanted to push as the lead single from the act's second album, "No Limit" was released in January 1993 and the repetitive nature of the song helped it become their most successful single ever, and by far the best remembered by the general public even now. The single topped the charts in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and in the United Kingdom where it sold 532,000 copies and ended up the fourth best-seller of 1993.But despite the phenomenal success that the duo were enjoying, they were criticised heavily by the music industry and the British press dubbed them "2 Untalented". Ray and Anita were dismissed as "puppets" and the lyrical depth of their songs was questioned. However, it should be noted that both performers took an active part in writing their material and Ray's raps were cut from the UK album release, being once again deemed, in Jean-Paul DeCoster's words, "too clumsy for the British market".The No Limits album was even more successful than the first, selling in excess of 3 million copies. At the MIDEM convention, 2 Unlimited were presented with 80 platinum and gold awards from 26 different countries,as well as winning "World's Best-Selling Benelux Act" at the World Music Awards 1993.In May 1994, the duo's tenth single "The Real Thing" was released and it proved that their fans were still interested as they sent the single to no. 1 in the Netherlands and no. 6 in the UK. The title was aimed as a dig at the several other similar sounding eurodance acts who had appeared to copy the 2 Unlimited sound.Their third album, called Real Things, was instantly certified gold in the UK and 2 Unlimited became the first dance act to achieve two number one albums.Only two continental European acts have had more UK number one albums - Pavarotti and ABBA.By the end of 1994 they had sold another 322,000 singles in the UK.Whilst they were very popular all around the world, major success continued to elude 2 Unlimited in the United States. Three years after it was originally released, "Get Ready For This" started getting major radio support and charted at no. 83 on the Hot 100 in October 1994, eventually peaking at number 38.In October 1995, 2 Unlimited released their first compilation album Hits Unlimited, prompting rumours that they were about to split up. The rumours continued when Pete Waterman announced that Ray and Anita had split up when in fact they hadn't,and Ray expressed his aspirations to be a record producer. In February 1996, the band performed at the Vina del Mar International Song Festival in Chile, topping the bill alongside Ace of Base. Despite their insistence that they were planning a world tour, in April 1996 both Ray and Anita announced that 2 Unlimited was over.Anita went on to DJ for Dutch radio station Radio 538, recorded a single with reggae artist Mad Cobra and in 2000 released a solo album called Reality. Ray created his own label called X-Ray Records, which scored a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands with T.O.F.'s "Funk It Up". He also released two solo singles in 1997 which failed to chart but found more success in 1999 with the group V.I.P. Allstars. Ray now lives in Monte Carlo with his wife and his son Rayvano, and Anita continues to tour clubs as part of the group Divas of Dance. An Internet petition to reunite Ray, Anita, Jean-Paul and Phil in 2005 was unsuccessful.
As they still owned the rights to the name "2 Unlimited", DeCoster and Wilde recruited two new (again Dutch) singers, Romy van Ooijen (b. 18 November 1971) and Marjon van Iwaarden (b. 18 June 1974), in order to capitalise on previous success. "Wanna Get Up" did well in the Netherlands, reaching no. 10 and the single, which was remixed by Sash! for UK release, reached number 38.
The album II, was released in April 1998. It was not as successful as previous studio albums, nor were the subsequent singles "Edge Of Heaven" and "Never Surrender". In 1999, both Romy and Marjon left 2 Unlimited.
Having both continued to perform their old hits separately in nightclubs and university student unions around the world, the original performers Ray and Anita reunited on 11 April 2009, to perform together for the first time in 13 years at the "I Love The 90s" concert in Hasselt, Belgium.According to a radio interview with Ray, Jean-Paul DeCoster did not give permission for the duo to perform under the name 2 Unlimited; however Phil Wilde attended the gig and provided help with preparing backing tracks.
On 30 April, Ray and Anita performed five songs at the Radio 538 Queen's Day concert at Museumplein in Amsterdam.On 8 June, they were awarded "Most Popular Act of the 1990s", based on number of weeks in the Dutch Top 40, and on 25 September, they performed as a support act for Milk Inc at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp.
During an interview on Dutch television in 2009, both Ray and Anita admitted they had a relationship with each other during the era of 2 Unlimited.
On 29 December, it was announced that the duo would release a new single in 2010 called "In Da Name Of Love",as Ray & Anita. It was released as a CD single in the Netherlands through Spinnin' Records on 22 January 2010. It has so far reached number 4 on the official singles sales chart.
In addition, Romy and Marjon, the singers of the second incarnation of the band, will also release a new single at around the same time called "" Wonder why" under the guise of "2".
On 11 January, it was announced that Anita has breast cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment but has decided to continue working as much as possible.
On 13 March 2010 2 Unlimited was featured on Mtv Russia's Superdiscoteka 90s nostalgia open-air live show. All former members appeared. They performed No Limit and Tribal Dance.
On 30 April 2010, a new single was presented during the Dutch Queensday called "Still Unlimited" (still under Ray & Anita).
John C. Lombardo was born on 30th September 1952, in Jamestown, N.Y. Founder member of the band 10,000 Maniacs , John played rhythm guitar and wrote the music of most of all songs from the period 1980 to 1985, when he left the band . He played in several bands before join the Maniacs, singing and playing bass like Succotash, Albatross, Rocky and the Colavitos and Jimmy and the Socialists. 10,000 Maniacs (named after the low-budget horror movie 2,000 Maniacs) was formed in Jamestown, NY, in 1981 by singer Natalie Merchant and guitarist John Lombardo. Other members of the sextet were Robert Buck (guitar), Steven Gustafson (bass), Dennis Drew (keyboards), and Jerry Augustyniak (drums).They performed as 10,000 Maniacs for the first time on September 7, 1981 - Labor Day. Tim Edborg left and Bob "Bob O Matic" Wachter was on drums for most of the 1981 gigs. Tired of playing cover songs the band started to write their own music, usually with Natalie Merchant handling the lyrics and John Lombardo the music. In 1982, 10,000 Maniacs ( without drummer Jerry Augustyniak) released their first EP, called "Human Conflict Number Five", on their own label, Christian Burial for a sound-engineering program. They toured the East Coast and Ontario, Canada, working their way through 87 performances in six months and selling their record themselves.At the beginning of 1983, Jerry Augustyniak joined the band as their permanent drummer.In that time they recorded their first full-length album, "Secrets of the I-Ching", this time in a run of 2,000 copies. The record was well-received by critics and it caught the attention of John Peel - DJ at Radio BBC Radio 1 in London. One song, "My Mother the War" turned out to be a minor hit in United Kingdom, and it entered the independent singles chart. During 1983 and 1984, touring was a way of life for the band, which included gigs in the UK.In 1985 they signed to Elektra and released "The Wishing Chair". They played in US and UK, but selling didn't reach their expectations (about 85,000 copies). They did not earn enough money to pay their bills and John kept working as a teacher in Jamestown. Co-founder Lombardo left the band in 1986, and they continued as a quintet, releasing their second album, "In My Tribe", in 1987. This album broke into the charts, where it stayed 77 weeks, peaking at number 37."Blind Man's Zoo", the 1989 follow-up, hit number 13 and went gold. The remaining five members started the recordings of a new album in Los Angeles, with Peter Asher as the producer. In 1990, with the help of John Lombardo, they remastered their first two records "Human Conflict Number Five" and "Secrets of the I Ching" and released them as a compilation called "Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982-1983".In 1991, during the recordings of a new album, Natalie Merchant revealed to the other members that she would be leaving for a solo career in two years' time. In 1992, Our Time in Eden was released."MTV Unplugged" was released a few months after her departure. The remaining 10,000 Maniacs decided to continue performing, adding the folk-rock duo John & Mary (original member Lombardo and violinist/vocalist Mary Ramsey). The new lineup released "Love Among the Ruins". 10,000 Maniacs released two albums with Mary Ramsey on vocals.In 1997 they released "Love Among the Ruins" on Geffen Records and followed up in 1999 with "The Earth Pressed Flat" on Bar/None. "The Earth Pressed Flat" will sound familiar to Maniacs fans, but its focus is sharper and the playing sounds particularly expressive in stripped-down settings. It’s not so much unplugged as un-stressed.On Friday, November 3, 2000, 10,000 Maniacs played with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, in Buffalo, NY. It would be the last concert they would perform with Rob Buck. Sadly a year later lead guitarist and founding member Robert Buck, who co-wrote some of the band's classics like "Hey Jack Kerouac," "What's The Matter Here?," and "These Are Days," died of liver failure. He was 42. The band took a break. The Maniacs always had a way with their covers, from their best-selling version of Patti Smith’s “Because The Night” to their more recent take on Roxy Music’s “More Than This.”In 2002, Steve Gustafson, Dennis Drew, and Jerry Augustyniak decided that they wished to continue on with a new lead singer. John Lombardo showed up at the first band practice, found out that the band had hired Jeff Erickson to play lead guitar and Oskar Saville of the Chicago-based band Rubygrass to sing, and quit the band. Mary Ramsey rejoined the current edition of 10,000 Maniacs for several dates in 2006, playing viola and singing backing vocals. On Tuesday January 27, 2004, Elektra/Asylum/Rhino Records released "Campfire Songs:_The Popular,_Obscure_and_Unknown_Recordings", a two CD set compilation, with 31 digitally remastered songs, four of them demos and one unreleased. The second disc contained B-sides and outtakes throughout the band's up to that point career, including many covers. Jackson Browne's "These Days" and Tom Waits's "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" were among those included, as was Cat Stevens's Peace Train which had been removed from later U.S. pressings of In My Tribe. Oskar Saville left 10,000 Maniacs in late Summer, 2007 and has been replaced by former Maniac Mary Ramsey for the final show the band has this year. 10,000 Maniacs today consists of long-time members keyboardist Dennis Drew, bassist Steven Gustafson, drummer Jerome Augustyniak, and guitarist Robert Buck, along with more recent additions, guitarist John Lombardo and singer/violist Mary Ramsey.
For singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tommy Walter, the name of his musical alter ego, Abandoned Pools, once more seems to fit his situation like a well-worn glove.He began playing music at a young age, first with the bass guitar and then the French horn. Teaching classical music theory, he began working with various Los Angeles-area musicians. But teaching didn't fulfill Tommy`s desire to play rock music. A collaboration with area singer/songwriter E led to the band Eels, but Tommy left the project despite the promise of Eeels' 1996 debut Beautiful Freak.On his own again, he holed up in his apartment and began writing and recording original material. Tommy formed a band, Tely, who released a CD that was distributed on the internet. He was also in the touring band for the Ken Andrews solo project ON.Later he form Abandoned Pools.On Humanistic, his 2001 debut, it referred to his leaving behind a seemingly carefree upbringing in the L.A. suburb of Westlake Village to pursue a career in rock. Humanistic actually features a couple of songs that were once performed by Tely, like "Start Over". Angie Hart of Frente! contributed vocals to "Start Over," "Ruin Your Life," "Sunny Day," and "Seed." Although a solo project, Tommy recruited a touring band, featuring Leah Randi and Bryan Head filling out the ranks of bassist and drummer. That first album went on to sell almost 100k, thanks to the Modern Rock hit, "The Remedy" and tours with the likes of Remy Zero, Garbage, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Corgan and A Perfect Circle, but after the demise of his label, Walter found himself back where he started.It took the dissolution of an intense romance for Tommy to throw himself back into his music, once again recording demos in his home studio. Produced by Gareth Jones and mixed by Ken Andrews the new five-song EP serves as a preview for Abandoned Pools' upcoming full-length album, Armed to the Teeth, once again showcasing Walter's ability to combine the macro and the micro, contrasting his despair with the world situation and his own personal heartbreak.In January 2006, he wrote in his blog that Universal Records had stopped promoting the album. Tommy subsequently quit the label. He also noted that Abandoned Pools is once again a one-man project. Since then, he's mostly put Abandoned Pools to the wayside, having been working with Ross Golan of on a side-project called Glacier Hiking. He has worked on new songs, though, and has promised a third album to his fans.
Babylon Zoo was an electro rock band of the mid 1990s. The band was the brainchild of Jas Mann, and wer based in Wolverhampton, England. Babylon Zoo was signed to Phonogram Records after Clive Black heard their first three-track demo tape in May 1993. When Black moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1993, he took Mann's contract with him. An album had been prepared and sleeves for a single, "Fire Guided Light", were printed, but Babylon Zoo's debut was put on hold again when Black moved once more to EMI in 1995, where the band were signed on to a seven album contract. Babylon Zoo raised expectations to astronomical heights when their first record, "Spaceman," debuted at number one in England in 1996. It became the fastest-selling single in U.K. history ,moving 250,000 copies in one week. An album, entitled, The Boy With the X-Ray Eyes was produced at Mann's New Atlantis Productions music/artwork/video centre and included new-age tracks such as "Is Your Soul For Sale?" and "I'm Cracking Up I Need A Pill." When Babylon Zoo released an album, there was disappointingly mild interest; it was a flop, and Babylon Zoo became largely forgotten. Three years later, 1999, a follow up album was released entitled King Kong Groover, but both singles from it failed to chart, with the second not even getting beyond the promotional copy stage. By this time, Mann had adopted Glam Rock as a new style, but it appeared all too late to cash in on the attendant furore surrounding Todd Haynes' genre tribute, Velvet Goldmine. Given the failure of their subsequent singles, they became considered a one-hit wonder. In 2005, it was announced that a new Babylon Zoo album, Cold Clockwork Doll, would be released sometime in the near future, although this has yet to be released.
