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The Knack hit the road celebrating the 20th Anniversary of its legendary debut album Get The Knack with the sole objective of having the most fun they can have playing the music they love. "We've already had the success you dream about," says lead singer Doug Fieger. "But we've never played our music for that. We play it because this is the only worthwhile pop music to make--fun and sad, silly and smart, explosive but sweet, snide but vulnerable. it's not about being cool but about being goofy and having a great time. We didn't invent this, but it's what we do. I got the feeling that sense of fun isn't seen by most people who go to concerts these' days."
With Fieger are co-founding members guitarist Berton Averre and Prescott Niles on bass and back once again, Pat Torpey (replacing Bruce Gary) on drums. The Knack resurfaced in 1994 after "My Sharona" was heard on the Reality Bites sound track. The band had been offered two films ' in one day and had to choose between them. "One was for this hip comedy starring Wynnona Ryder," says Averre, "and the other was for the homosexual rape scene in Pulp Fiction. Hmmm, that's a tough choice-" Suddenly, teenagers too young to remember the song the first time around fell in love with it and "My Sharona became only the 10th former ..1 hit to chart again. It also prompted a tour of 32 cities.
Despite no new songs to offer, the response was phenomenal. Initially formed amid the heyday of disco in May 1978, The Knack first performed June 1, 1978, at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Subsequent shows at clubs such as the Troubadour found The Knack jamming with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Ray Manzarek, and Eddie Money, to name a few. Courted by 13 record labels, The Knack signed to Capitol. Producer Mike Chapman (Blondie) recorded and mixed its debut album in 13 days on a $17,000 budget. The album was largely recorded live, one take, with overdubs on the occasional background vocal and lead guitar.
Though its music was the antithesis of punk, the band off embraced the punk ethic of D.I.Y. and a self-admitted "snotnose attitude." Get the Knack (1979) had one of the biggest commercial debut in rock history. It rocketed to ..1 on the charts, went gold in 13 days, platinum in seven weeks, and sold six million copies worldwide. "My Sharona" was ..1 for six weeks, went gold, and sold 10 million worldwide. "Good Girls Don't" reached ..11.
Now back in action once more, the band is grateful for Its audience, both old and new. Says Averre, "I always thought the audience was more important than the artist. After all the audience is why we were here." In a way, that's precisely why The Knack is back-not just that they care about their music and the craft of pop songwriting, but so do others. It's also why rock bands who found pop success in the 90's, such as Nirvana and Hole, publicly admired what The Knack had accomplished.
Says Fieger, "We refuse to go away. There are musicians who say they don't want to do this when they're 40. I've always said I hoped I was still doing this when I was 40. We love this music."
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