WEEKLY PIC
Made a trek out to the desert for the calm before the storm with the sound of our Ambient EP floating in my mind. Looking forward to the coming HDay celebration, who’s coming?
The Hanson Hour Podcast Episode 7
This week, Chris Easom from the UK stops in to chat about her unique Hanson experience. You may know her from Hanson.net or social media handle which is tayzbeth.
Chris became a fan at the age of 43 in 2000 when TTA was released. The music resonated with her 70s teen years of Motown, Stax, poprock and – I love this – the bloom of youth. She’s reported for Hanson.net, met the band, seen them 50+ times, and visited Tulsa a few times. She also writes for MMMBoptastic.com in a piece called Tulsa Times. Chris was also the lucky winner of a recent Food on the Move initiative which saw her have a Zoom call with Taylor Hanson and the Food on the Move crew.
We also dive into Yearbook, from the Middle of Nowhere album. This is a song that has long perplexed Hanson fans and remains one of the most talked about songs to date.
You can find Chris @tayzbeth and/or @mmmboptastic wwe.mmmboptastic.com
I hope you enjoy!
Stand in the Gap Legacy of Hope
Stand in the Gap’s Annual Celebration featuring special guest, Isaac Hanson
When and Where
June 1, 2023
11:30-1:00
Greenwood Cultural Center
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tickets Required
What to Expect
Isaac Hanson has a remarkable family. Hear his personal stories of the family that formed him, as well as how his passion for family led him to serve through Stand in the Gap.
Come to celebrate first-hand stories of how families (both biological and chosen) transform lives and impact generations.
All This Nothing and More Episode 6
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2147038/12709689
All This Nothing and More Episode 6 focuses on favorite Members EPs and songs as well as some tips for Hanson Day!
HANSON: BACK TO THE ISLAND 2024 – LIMITED ROOMS AVAILABLE!
[Edit] Back to the Island 2024 has sold out and a wait list is now available
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Member Exclusive: The Back To The Island destination concert event is a rare musical escape that takes music fans to a world-class resort destination on the Caribbean shore, to enjoy connecting with other music fans in a beautiful place, while sharing once in a lifetime musical experiences with HANSON as your host.
We are again charting our course back to Jamaica and the Jewel Paradise Cove. We plan to maintain all of the elements that everyone loves, while continuing to add more fun for return Islanders. Come take part in the 11th annual BTTI and escape to the tropics to kick off 2024 together on the beaches of the Caribbean. We look forward to welcoming you to Jamaica!
ROOMS ON SALE NOW – LIMITED QUANTITIES AVAILABLE
For details, CLICK HERE!
HANSON: Leaving The Store
WEEKLY PIC
Hanson Day 2023 is coming up fast, and members of Hanson.net know those special event tickets are going quickly. Here’s a 2017 snap from the sold out Karaoke event with Isaac. There are still more special event tickets members can get their hands on Hanson.net like Dance Party and more. See you soon.
The Hanson Hour Podcast Episode 6
Doug Trantow – Recording Engineer on Middle of Nowhere
Doug is a Grammy nominated recording engineer who has worked with some huge artists including Nine Inch Nails, Santana, Matchbox 20, Jewel, Tracy Chapman, Joe Cocker and of course Hanson… where he worked on the Middle of Nowhere album, and also… played trumpet on Where’s the Love.
Doug also owns and runs his own wine store (which I’m just obsessed with this idea and can’t wait to visit on day) in Santa Barbra called Good Land Wine Shop.
This episode speaks to the process of recording an album from an engineer’s point of view… only this wasn’t just any album now was it? Doug has some beautiful stories and memories you won’t want to miss.
All This Nothing and More Episode 5
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2147038/12662785
All This Nothing and More | Episode #5 | The One Where We Cover the Covers
Join us this week as we go on a Hanson musical ride through our favorite Hanson covers!
‘MMMBop’: The Story Behind The Success Of Hanson’s Debut Single
Yahoo Live
Upon its April 1997 release, Hanson’s debut single “MMMBop” was inescapable. The song dominated the airwaves worldwide, a daisy-fresh burst of melody that was even more irresistible thanks to the beaming blonde teenagers behind it. While “MMMBop” was soaring up the international charts, Isaac Hanson was 16, Taylor was 14, and Zac was just 11 years old. Comparisons with family groups The Jackson 5 and The Osmonds were inevitable but, while Hanson evoked the grin-inducing exuberance of the young Jacksons in particular, there was a crucial difference – from the beginning, Hanson wrote their own material and were a working band, despite their tender years.
“MMMBop” was written a couple of years earlier, as Isaac told The Guardian in 2018, “I was 14, and my brothers Taylor and Zac were 12 and 10 respectively. We listened to a lot of doo-wop, which influenced the chorus of ‘MMMBop.’ We were trying to write a part for another song and came up with this catchy hook, but it didn’t really fit. Much, much later, I said to the guys: ‘Remember that hook? It really sticks in your head. We need to find a way to use it.’ Then, as we were getting ready for bed, we all sang it together in the bathroom.”
That hook proved vital to the success of “MMMBop,” a chorus so catchy that the existential doubts of the lyrics flew under the radar for most listeners. Isaac later recalled the inspiration for the song, “A few days later, Taylor was sitting at the keyboard with an intense look on his face. ‘I have an idea,’ he said. ‘We can make this song about life – and all the rejection we’re feeling.’ The lyrics were wise beyond the Hanson brothers’ years, considering the importance of maintaining relationships that endure to old age and reflecting on transient friendships (“In an mmm bop they’re gone/In an mmm bop they’re not there.”)
The brothers recorded the song in late 1995 and it became the title track of their second self-released album, which they sold at local gigs. This first recorded version of “MMMBop” was markedly slower than the one that would become an international hit, drawing more attention to the mature lyrics. Considering their age and the resources at their disposal (Isaac would later say it was recorded in a “one-car garage”), this “MMMBop” is impressive, yet it lacks the pop pizzazz that would make them stars.
Mercury Records’ Head Of A&R, Steve Greenberg, heard enough in that demo to drive to a county fair in Coffeyville, Kansas, and sign Hanson on the spot. Greenberg set about making “MMMBop” a hit and called on the hot production duo of the time, The Dust Brothers. Before work on the song could be finished, though, Odelay by Beck was released and The Dust Brothers’ stock rose exponentially. “MMMBop” fell by the wayside, with only the instrumental framework completed.
Greenberg brought in Black Grape producer Steve Lironi and Mark Hudson (who’d worked with Aerosmith and Ringo Starr) to finish the track. There were also some new issues to deal with: “As we were recording, Taylor’s voice was breaking,” Greenberg told The Guardian in 2018. “He could barely sing ‘MMMBop’ in the original key, which I really wanted to keep because it had sounded so exciting.”
Nonetheless, the final track bounced where the original had dragged its heels; it was peppy and bittersweet while the original had felt slightly labored. Despite the teething problems, it had enough of The Dust Brothers’ fingerprints on it (turntable scratches, drily funky beats) for its pop-country stylings to sound contemporary. The brothers’ ebullient vocals were the cherry on top.
“MMMBop” sold in staggering amounts worldwide – the single sold 1.5 million copies in the US, over 750,000 in the UK. It topped charts everywhere and made the brothers instant superstars. Decades later, they’re still going strong, even if the key in which they perform “MMMBop” had to be dropped long ago.
Hanson’s “MMMBop” appeared on 1999’s Now That’s What I Call Music! 1, alongside other 90s classics like Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There” and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’s “Zoot Suit Riot.” Looking for more stories behind music’s biggest hits? Check out the Now! That’s What I Call Music page.
HANSON: Going Back Again!
WEEKLY PIC
It’s official, BTTI 2024 is announced! Best thing about BTTI for us is the chance to invite old and new friends to be a part, and we’re thrilled to invite our buds Allen Mack Myers Moore Back To The Island for a reprise of our 2023 jams. Hope to see you there!
MESSAGE FROM THE BAND
It’s official, Back To The Island 2024 is happening and we’re bringing Allen Mack Myers Moore back with us! This year was one of our favorite BTTI events ever, like a true return to form after the Covid years. We hope you feel the same, and we hope to see you back in Jamaica in January ’24!
Now BTTI might seem a long ways off, but we are now less than a month from HANSON Day. I don’t want to jinx us, but this it the first year ever where everything seems to be running smoothly. This year’s art gallery is already complete, all that is left is the final details of laying out all the photos and art for members to see. The 2023 Members EP Ambient is finished, and just waiting for it to be premiered. Don’t get me wrong, we will be working right up until the moment before the first stream, but still there is a feeling that we have great things to share, and time to enjoy the preparation.
We hope you are making plans to join us, either for in person events, or live streaming to your living room. It’s going to be a great weekend of music.
Isaac, Taylor and Zac
BTTI 2024 PRE-SALE STARTS 4/17
Member Exclusive: The Back To The Island destination concert event is a rare musical escape that takes music fans to a world-class resort destination on the Caribbean shore, to enjoy connecting with other music fans in a beautiful place, while sharing once in a lifetime musical experiences with HANSON as your host.
We are again charting our course back to Jamaica and the Jewel Paradise Cove. We plan to maintain all of the elements that everyone loves, while continuing to add more fun for return Islanders. Come take part in the 11th annual BTTI and escape to the tropics to kick off 2024 together on the beaches of the Caribbean. We look forward to welcoming you to Jamaica!
For details, CLICK HERE!
HANSON DAY 2023
Member Exclusive: Events start with the live streaming world premiere of our 2023 Members only EP on Wednesday, May 10th, and wrap with our Nightcap stream on Sunday May 14th, but HANSON Day is much more than an online only event. HDay is all about bringing this online community together for a weekend of fun in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a wide range of events and activities meant to entertain, challenge and inspire. Music is always our centerpiece and 2023 continues the trend as we invite all members world wide to tune in or come out for two concerts. Whether your join us in person or watch online, we look forward to celebrating with you this May!
Isaac, Taylor and Zac
Limited Tickets still available!
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE 2023 HANSON DAY PAGE
SPECIAL SHOWS 2023
Join us for special shows throughout 2023.
- May 19th – Riverside, IA @ Riverside Casino
- June 24th – Monterrey, MX @ Machaca Festival
- July 1st – Hot Springs, AR @ Magic Springs Theme & Water Park
- Sept 9th – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 10th – London, UK @ 02 Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 12th – Bridlington, UK @ Bridlington Spa; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 13th – Newcastle, UK @ Utilita Arena ; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 15th – Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 16th – Newcastle, UK @ Utilita Arena ; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 17th – Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 19th – Aberdeen, UK @ P&J Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 20th – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 22nd – Liverpool, UK @ M&S Bank Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 23rd – Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 24th – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 26th – Cardiff, Wales, UK @ Cardiff International Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 27th – London, UK @ 02 Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 29th – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Sept 30th – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Oct 1st – Glasgow, Scotland, UK – OVO Hydro; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Oct 4th – Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
- Oct 6th – Dublin, Ireland @ 3 Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson – ON SALE 4/14/2023
- Oct 8th – Belfast, N. Ireland, UK @ SSE Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson – ON SALE 4/14/2023
- Oct 10th – London, UK @ 02 Arena; Busted Tour w/ Hanson
Check the calendar regularly throughout the summer.
*Shows in Red are SOLD OUT