Rock On The Net: Third Eye Blind (original) (raw)
Third Eye Blind, formed in 1993, is a 4-person band from San Francisco and consisting of Stephan Jenkins (on vocals), Kevin Cadogan (on guitar), Arion Salazar (on bass), and Brad Hargraves (on drums). Jenkins, leadman of the group, formed the band after graduating from Berkeley, playing with several other bands in the bay area, and spending a short stint as a solo artist. Jenkins also got attention by producing the international hit cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by the Braids.
Salazar and Hargraves (formerly of Counting Crows) join the group to round off the quartet. Jenkins said of the band's creation: "I founded the band partly because the music scene was so conservative. We didn't do this to fit into the music scene around us. We did his because we didn't fit in. All of the bands in the Bay Area were doing the same sort of shoe-gazing, sixties or seventies retro-alterna-pop-crud-thing. I probably took more inspiration from this tumultuous tight-knit group of friends coming up in The City who were into clubbing, spoken word and generally screwing each other over. As a group, we've always been inspired by bands that performed, like The Clash and The Who ...bands that blew audiences away and gave more energy than they took."
As major labels began to notice Third Eye Blind more, the band opened for Oasis in San Francisco, and soon a bidding war for signing the band began. Elektra Records eventually won with the offer of artistic freedom for the band.
# 21 Singles Artist of the Year
Third Eye Blind's debut LP, Third Eye Blind, was released. The LP was produced by Jenkins (who also wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks) and recorded in San Francisco.
The quartet found themselves on the top of rock, alternative, and pop charts with their first single, "Semi-Charmed Life" during the summer. Jenkins talked with MTV about the dark-side of the single: "'Semi-Charmed Life' is kind of an immediate song... but underneath that, it's a song about a junkie's decline into speed addiction."
Third Eye Blind topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 8 weeks with "Semi-Charmed Life."
Third Eye Blind hit the Top 40 with "Semi-Charmed Life."
Third Eye Blind hit the Top 10 with "Semi-Charmed Life."
Third Eye Blind was certified gold and the single "Semi-Charmed Life" was certified gold.
Third Eye Blind hit #1 for 2 weeks with "Semi-Charmed Life."
"Semi-Charmed Life" topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Airplay chart for 3 weeks.
The band won a Billboard Music Award for Best Modern Rock Track ("Semi-Charmed Life").
Third Eye Blind was certified platinum.
The band hit the Top 40 with "How's It Going To Be."
The band spent most of the year touring in support of the LP, including opening for U2 and the Rolling Stones for a few dates, and then headlining.
Third Eye Blind topped the Billboard Year-End Charts with the Top Modern Rock Track ("Semi-Charmed Life").
# 17 Singles Artist of the Year
The band hit the Top 10 with "How's It Going To Be."
At the California Music Awards, known as the Bammies and formerly the Bay Area Music Awards, Third Eye Blind won 3 awards (including Best Album, Best Songwriting, and Best Debut Work).
Third Eye Blind was certified 2x platinum.
At a Los Angeles radio station festival, the bassist for Green Day and the bassist for Third Eye Blind reportedly got into a scuffle that resulted in scull injury and concert cancellation. Reports stated that: Salazar of Third Eye Blind appeared on stage during Green Day's set and was kicked by Dirnt of Green Day after being tackled by security guards and later, Salazar hit Dirnt in the head with a beer bottle resulting in a skull fracture. Other reports state a fan hit Dirnt with the beer bottle. Salazar later stated: "I am sorry that my attempt at doing something I thought would be funny escalated into Mike getting hurt. That was never my intention. I simply had too much to drink and made a very bad decision..." Green Day cancelled a concert in Sacramento the next night. Jenkins said to MTV: "I think what started off as a joke, Mike didn't think was funny... I know that everybody in the band regrets that he was injured. It's basically a joke that went way over the line, and we definitely all hope that Mike heals up."
The band hit the Top 40 with "Jumper."
Third Eye Blind was certified 3x platinum.
The band hit the Top 10 with "Jumper."
# 116 Singles Artist of the Year
Third Eye Blind were nominated for 2 American Music Awardsfor Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and Favorite Alternative Artist.
Third Eye Blind was certified 4x platinum.
Third Eye Blind's next LP, Blue, was released. The band was asked by their record company to alter a song ("Slow Motion") due to its "violent" lyrics such as 'Miss Jones taught me English, but I think I just shot her son / Cause he owed me money, with a bullet in the chest / With a bullet in the chest he cannot run / Now he's bleeding in a vacant lot.'
The band reacted to controversy over their song "Slow Motion" by stating its an anti-violence song, and lead singer, Stephan Jenkins spoke out against the NRA's Charlton Heston saying: "I believe very strongly in gun control... Charlton can kiss my ass. He's just the most well-spoken idiot I've ever seen in my life and has no understanding of the Constitution of the United States. The British aren't coming you fool."
At the end of the year, a New Year's Eve concert in Washington, DC with Everclear and Fuel was cancelled for undisclosed reasons.
# 17 Singles Artist of the Year
Third Eye Blind were nominated for 7 California Music Awards.
Blue was certified gold.
The band hit the Top 40 with "Never Let You Go."
Third Eye Blind hit the Top 10 with "Never Let You Go."
Jenkins and Cadogan won a California Music Award for Outstanding Songwriters.
Blue was certified platinum.
The former guitarist for Third Eye Blind, Kevin Cadogan, filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the band for fraud and breach of contract.
Third Eye Blind hit the Top 40 with "Deep Inside You."
The band hit the Top 10 with "Deep Inside You."
Third Eye Blind could be heard on the soundtrack for A Knight's Tale with "Eye Conqueror."
Third Eye Blind spent much of the year writing and readying tracks for their next LP, which could include a song co-written by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit.
Third Eye Blind was certified 6x platinum.
Jenkins could be seen in the film Rock Star.
The band reached a settlement with former guitarist Kevin Cadogan.
# 124 Singles Artist of the Year
Third Eye Blind appeared on the NBC series American Dreams performing as The Kinks.
Third Eye Blind hit the Top 40 with "Blinded (When I See You)."
Third Eye Blind released Out Of The Vein.# 138 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years chart.
Third Eye Blind released Greatest Hits.
VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's included "Semi-Charmed Life" at # 34.
Third Eye Blind released Ursa Major.
Third Eye Blind topped the Billboard Rock Albums chart, Top Alternative Albums chart, and Top Digital Albums chart with Ursa Major.
- August 24: Third Eye Blind released Thanks For Everything.
- October 18: Third Eye Blind released Screamer.
- September 24: Third Eye Blind released Our Bande Apart.
- Third Eye Blind will release Unplugged on June 24th.
Note: Song title and position links lead you to the song's Top 40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top 40) and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often including track listings and sound samples). |
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