Last updated: 08/05/05 11:45
Last updated: 08/05/05 11:45
1 - Article from The Washington Post:
An Unobstructed View of Third Eye Blind By Mike
Joyce Special to The Washington Post
Friday, December 31, 1999; Page N06
NO ONE ever accused Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins of being a bad interview. Cocksure,
verbose and opinionated, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter for the San Francisco-based
rock quartet tends to think out loud, answering questions posed and unposed in long-winded
but often quotable fashion. (The band was to appear at the Capital Countdown at MCI Center
Friday, but the show was canceled Wednesday.) Jenkins recently spoke by phone about a
variety of subjects, including one of his favorites -- the alternative rock press.
"It's dead," he pronounces flatly. "What's important in America is the ego
of the writer. He or she has to prove they have you figured out."
If Jenkins sounds defensive, he is. After all, he says, despite enormous commercial
success -- 3EB's 1998 self-titled debut album has sold 4 million copies and spawned such
hits as "Semi-Charmed Life," "Jumper," "How's It Going to
Be" and other radio staples -- the band was all but dismissed by the rock press,
especially in the early going.
Jenkins attributes at least part of the blame to his record label, Elektra. "The
record company publicity said, 'We fought to get this band and we think they are going to
sell a lot of records. It's a big priority for us.' Well,
all of those things are the kiss of death to the alternative media. There's a mentality
there that espouses a band like Pavement that's the exact opposite of those things. It
allows the media to find you."
The marketing strategy, says Jenkins, wasn't just ill-conceived, it was misleading.
"Our band came together without any outside help. My manager was my best friend and
still is. We didn't let any outsiders tell us what to do.
There's a purity with Third Eye Blind that's totally uncut."
When "Semi-Charmed Life" suddenly put the band on the pop map, Jenkins
discovered that the press initially viewed 3EB as "one-hit wonders. Then we became
five-hit wonders and something changed. The media began to talk to me, but our record
wasn't really listened to. So you had all of these people in editorial meetings and
someone would say 'Third Eye Blind' and someone else would say, 'Oh I don't like them.'
Well, have you heard the record?
'No.' "
Although the band's new album, "Blue," is garnering good reviews, Jenkins still
takes a dim view of the alternative press, faulting its judgment and questioning its
power. "Later on, during the first album's cycle, there was this turnaround. People
discovered that we could help sell magazines. But by then, we didn't care. We actually
found that being ignored was a blessing because we achieved this direct conduit to the
public that wasn't filtered
through media hyperbole."
"Blue" marks something of a departure for 3EB. More soulful but less catchy than
its debut effort, the album was the product of an unusually collaborative studio
atmosphere. Bassist Arion Salazar co-wrote two songs with Jenkins, and guitarist Kevin
Cadogan and drummer Brad Hargreaves also played expanded roles.
"In the past there's been a lot of discussion that Third Eye Blind is all Stephan
Jenkins," say the group's frontman. "Like I was trying to hold onto the control,
but that's not really the case. There's a real joy about playing with a group of people
you really respect."
Not so joyful, however, was the run-in Jenkins had with Elektra over the lyrics to the new
song "Slow Motion, which now appears on "Blue" as an instrumental. The
label found the song, which Jenkins describes as "anti-gun
violence," more provocative than they would have liked.
"It was a big, big problem," Jenkins admits. "The compromise was that we
wouldn't put the lyrics on now, but we would release a seven-song EP with it later on. The
whole issue was that you have all this gun violence now and we
live in a post-Columbine world. The song was written before Columbine, but it parodies gun
violence in general and how consumers gobble it up."
The upshot, says Jenkins, is that fans
won't have to wait another two years for the band's next release. "We're calling the
EP 'Black,' to go along with 'Blue,' and we'll put it out as soon as we can."
Still, he adds, reaching an agreement
with the label wasn't easy. "We see ourselves in the band as moral people and we're
not going to second-guess ourselves. Nor am I interested in being defanged for the
protection of my
audience. When you look at fan reactions to the songs on the Web site, I'm amazed at how
clearly the lyrics translate."
If there's one subject that Jenkins won't discuss at length with a journalist, it's his
relationship with actress Charlize Theron. When the couple recently attended the VH1
Fashion Awards, Jenkins suddenly found himself thrust into the tabloid spotlight.
"You won't read about me discussing a personal relationship in the media," he
insists. "What's that
British expression? 'It's just not done.' "
THIRD EYE BLIND -- To hear a free Sound Bite from Third Eye Blind, call Post-Haste at
202/334-9000 and press 8125. (Prince William residents, call 690-4110.)
STEPHAN SIGHTING! ALSO from rocknews.com
Washington Washout
Add Third Eye Blind,
Fuel and Everclear to the large list of bands who will be away from the
stage for New Year's Eve. They were all supposed to play the "Capital Countdown"
in Washington, D.C., but the pricey event was scrapped due to what organizers say were
"unforeseen circumstances."
MTV News Online
STEPHAN SIGHTING! ALSO from mtv.com
| 12.30.99 14:00 EST | Third Eye Blind, Everclear New Year's Eve Show Cancelled | |||
|
As December 31
quickly approaches, the plug has been pulled on yet another Y2K celebration. A New Year's Eve show that would have brought Third Eye Blind, Everclear, Fuel, and others to Washington, D.C.'s MCI Center on Friday has been cancelled, according to Reuters. While poor ticket sales have plagued many New Year's Eve shows and the vague threat of heightened terrorist activity prompted the city of Seattle to cancel its Y2K festivities, concert organizers would not elaborate on the ''unforeseen circumstances" that brought about the cancellation of the Washington show. The celebration was reportedly to have featured indoor fireworks and free food and drink (at some 150 open bars) for a ticket price between $249 and $399. Third Eye Blind, Everclear, Fuel and the rest now join Megadeth, Creed, Sting, Live, Michael Jackson, Jewel, and others on the list of acts who have seen their New Year's Eve plans cancelled. -- Robert Mancini |
2 - From checkout.com
One of the redheaded stepchildren of modern rock credibility,
Third Eye Blind has nonetheless put plenty of pleasure behind the guilt that averts the
ears of the cautiously hip. As bubblegum as guitar rock gets, the band's infectious debut
single, "Semi-Charmed Life" should have proved fully charming to even the most
jaded. It, along with other spirited anthems from the band's debut album, Third Eye Blind,
spat in the face of music snobbery and wrote its carnal pleasures into its own rulebook of
pop cleverness. Still staking no claim to critical ground, the band continues to do what
it does best. Proof that power pop is alive and well, Blue injects a bit of production
flair into the driving sound of their debut, but sticks with the band's penchant for
guitar-hyped tales of youth.
Don't take the album title as the typical ode to melancholy. Blue covers most of the
territory where loud and sweet meet, and the result is a very upbeat experience. There's
scarcely a track that won't make modern rock programmers salivate. "Never Let You
Go" is magnetic with its punchy suburban update on the Velvets' "Sweet
Jane." "Anything" puts a shine on some post-grunge sludging, and "Deep
Inside of You" claws its way out of the safety zone with ethereal guitar lines and
Who chords. The pleasures don't stop at the merely accessible. The power chord exercises
of the previous 3EB record have given way to a more open and textured sound. Not content
to rest on their pop assets, tracks like "1000 Julys" stretch out to deliver
climactic outro experiments. "The Red Summer Sun" takes an extended end section
where dreamy vocal echoes evoke Kate Bush, of all things, and "Camouflage"
builds an airy arrangement that brings to mind Brian Eno's hand in the later U2 records.
For all its musical strides, Blue's lyrical terrain still shows a young songwriter finding
his feet. Stephan Jenkins, plunking down bizarre references - from Jackie O. to
impressionist painters - within strands of wisdom born at the local snowboard shop
("And a spaceman f***ed an ape/Then cut out on the date"), hardly closes the
poetic deal, but his lack of self-censorship is almost refreshing.
Third Eye Blind earns points this time out for building on their strengths and loosening
the formula a bit. It may not shake the music world to its foundation, but the
ear-friendly Blue stands to create a few spins. ~ John Srebalus, CheckOut.com
By Doug Hamilton
COX NEWS SERVICE
Salacious and smug and with an integrating hook (that "doot-doot-doot" line)
that quickly turned annoying as it saturated radio, Third Eye Blind's 1997 breakthrough
hit "Semi-Charmed Life" epitomize the disability of
alternative rock in the late 1990"s. Sure the song rocks ,but in a generically catchy
way. When it came out, it seemed barely distinguishable from other alterna-hits of the
time, by groups such as Matchbox 20 and the
Goo Goo Dolls.
The San Francisco quartet admirably tries to spice up its sound on its sophomore release,
"Blue," (Elektra, 13 tracks) by adding a dash of AC/DC here("1000
Julys") and a dollop of Velvet Underground there ("Never Let You
Go"). Unfortunately, the references only show how much less interesting Third Eye
Blind is than its influences.
The group does distinguish itself in one category: With his perpetual sneer and dicey
philosophies ("Wounded" takes a disturbingly cavalier attitude toward domestic
violence) lead vocalist and songwriter Stephan Jenkins is the most off-putting frontman in
rock right now. It rates a C-.
3 - From RollingStone.com
Really Randoms: Third Eye Blind, Everclear, U2
Third Eye Blind and Everclear catch Y2K bug, U2 celebrate freedom, and more
Letting their Y2K plans go.
The kaibosch has been put on yet another New Year's Eve concert. This time, it's the
Washington, D.C. MCI Center show featuring Third Eye Blind and Everclear. The event
promoter's Web site, www.shackevents.com, gives no reason for the cancellation, citing
only "unforeseen circumstances beyond our control," but Third Eye Blind's Web
site offers a more contentious explanation. A press release from the band's management
posted on the site reads: "Third Eye Blind is canceling their scheduled
performance...after discussions with the promoter made it clear to the band that Shack
Productions could not follow through on its commitments in the manner necessary for a
professional show. Third Eye blind discovered that it would be unable to put on the kind
of high-quality show necessary for its fans"...
4 - STEPHAN SIGHTING! 3eb is in the new issue of Rolling Stone with the Backstreet Boys on the cover, actually they are in it twice, there is a review of "Blue" in the "Recordings" section and a picture of Charlize and Stephan from the VH1 Fashion Awards in the "Random Notes" section.
STEPHAN SIGHTING! The February 2000 issue of Guitar One on page 92 includes an interview with Stephan and Kevin. It mentions the song "A Kiss Goodnight," which most fans now know is called "An Ode to Maybe." Thanks to Kelly for scanning the pics and to Mindy for typing this article:
3EB - San Francisco radio rockers THIRD EYE
BLIND enjoyed a charmed life with their triple-platinum debut. But can they avoid the
sophomore jinx?
Interview by Spencer Abbott
Photos by Jay Blakesberg
Back in 1997, Third Eye Blind burst out of the San Francisco Bay Area and into the
national pop music spotlight with a self-titled debut that yielded five smash
singles-"Semi-Charmed Life," "Losing a Whole Year," Jumper,"
"How's It Going to Be," and "Graduate." Now, two years later, Stephan
Jenkins (vox, guitar), Kevin Cadogan (guitar), Arion Salazar (bass), and Brad Hargreaves
(drums are poised to dispel the myth of the sophomore slump with their second effort,
entitled Blue.
While the bulk of Third Eye Blind's debut was written in the Lower Haight region of San
Francisco, the writing process surrounding Blue, was slightly more sporadic in nature,
with the majority of it being written, according to frontman Jenkins, "in hotel rooms
around the world." The album is decidedly more mature and eclectic-sounding because
of it. The first single, "Anything," is a driving, crunching, guitar-laced
affair that has found immediate acceptance on alternative and active rock stations across
the U.S., proving that 3EB is not a one-, two-, or three-hit wonder, not a shot in the
dark. GuitarOne recently caught up with Jenkins and Cadogan during the course of a day and
got the scoop on the band's new record and the diverse sonic concoctions that fill its 13
tracks.
PART 1: LUNCH WITH STEPHAN
It's a sunny, crisp San Francisco afternoon. Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins is
sitting in the back patio of a quiet cafe in San Francisco's Cole Valley district, eating
an omelette and enthusiastically discussing the band's new album.
I've heard "Anything" all over the radio lately. To me it sounds a lot darker,
musically, than some of your previous work.
As far as the guitar goes, that's Stephan Jenkins. It starts with a pretty, haunted
arpeggiated riff on a Martin D-45 acoustic, and then there's just a wall of Gibsons. I
stacked it and just kept playing. That song was recorded with a Les Paul, a 335, and an
old Les Paul Junior. I just stacked them up to get these different sounds all coming at
you at once. It's almost bonehead. I mean, first I do things that are just very dark and
pretty, and then there are all these guitars. But it's bonehead right with the drums;
that's my thing. Me and the drummer are just right together, connected.
As for the divergent guitar stylings on "Anything," do you like that contrast
between the pretty and the haunting?
I like friction, yeah. That's what I'm about, and that's where we as a band make a
connection: ideas slamming into one another, whether it's lyrical ideas or sonic ideas.
"Anything" certainly seems to have a lot of sonic ideas slamming into one
another.
I was sitting in a hotel room in Australia when I wrote "Anything," and I was
isolated, bored, and lonely. So that probably instilled a sense of longing. It's a very
dark song, but with a touch of complexity. There's a trumpet in the background, and it's
just playing one note of "Taps." That was done by a horn player from KGB, a new
band on DreamWorks. I had him come in and play that one note. And then Arion used a
Theremin on the chorus - we were going for a nightmare Beach Boys kind of vibe. Then,
Kevin did a lead line on top of the second verse that fits nicely. It just makes it jump
up.
Would you consider yourself a tech-minded musician?
I'm not particularly that interested in the tech side of it, even though I'm a producer.
It's all means to an end; it's not an end in itself. We don't have an interest in
mimicking somebody else from the past, but Mick Ronson [guitarist with David Bowie] is a
big influence. And I can get his sound like that [snaps his fingers]. I have a '56
gold-top Les Paul and a '68 Marshal Plexi head, and that's what he played. If you listen
to "10 Days Late," that's like his sound right there. I just love that sound. We
take a variety of sounds and try to find the one that pleases.
I've also used a combination of MESAs, old vintage Marshals, a Matchless DC-30, and a very
small Fender Tweeds and Fender Deluxes. When you crank up those little old Fender amps,
they can get incredible distortion - just the most complex waveform you can imagine from
this little amp.
Live, I use the MESA/Boogie Tri-Axis preamp. I have two of them - one that goes straight,
and another that has effects. I use those with a stack of 4x12 MESA cabinets. MESA's
gotten really incredible. They're bulletproof and sound really great, and I love their
stuff.
How do you write your songs? I recently heard an interview with Dave Grohl, and he
mentioned that they work out all of the Foo Fighters material acoustically.
There's no set pattern. I think that's one of the reasons why both of our records are so
eclectic. There's no particular method. It's just sort of beloved chaos. Any song should
be able to stand on its own, just played on a guitar with a guy singing it. You should be
able to reduce it down to very simple elements. But that's not necessarily how we work
them out.
I find it rather interesting that you've self-produced both of your albums.
Well, I know the direction that I want to take Third Eye Blind, and I know how to get
there. Simple as that. I don't know why I would want to do anything else. It's kind of my
life's ambition to be in the studio working with musicians to help them get their music
across.
Would you consider yourself a megalomaniacal control freak?
No, and I don't think my band would say that, either. And hopefully, I'm not a
megalomaniac [laughs]. I just like working in conjunction with other people making music.
You recorded Blue at the Plant in Sausalito, Calif. Since it isn't a "live-in"
type of studio, did you trek in everyday?
We were in the studio about 12 hours a day. I stayed a few blocks away on a houseboat,
since I was really the one who was in the studio all the time producing it. The other guys
came in when they were working on their parts. Arion really got involved in the production
of the album, too. He took "1000 Julys" and made it sound so much better. I
actually credited him as a producer on the album. It was a lot of fun.
Do you have a preference between playing live and recording in the studio? Do you view
them as completely separate entities?
Separate entities. I've really enjoyed the studio a lot. But my preference is definitely
live.
Is that because of the variables that can get tossed into a live show - you never know
what's going to happen?
What I think is really appealing is the spontaneity and sense of striding the chaos that I
get playing live. I like the sense of trying to form some community with people. That's
what theater and concerts are. It's like church. Look at those Catholic gatherings in the
Middle Ages; it was this big rock show.
How exactly is that experience different from the studio for you?
In the studio, I'm just sitting there, and I'll work out some part that I'm playing. But
live, I'm out with the audience, so my stuff is chug-chug, just moving. In the studio,
Kevin played almost all the guitars, and he plays them in big multiple layers. So when we
play live, I have to double some of those parts. And that's the challenge for me. Kevin's
rhythm parts, they're orchestrations on guitar with really long stretches. So I definitely
have my work cut out for me over the next few months to be really fluid on those parts for
the shows.
Do you remember the first song you learned to play on guitar?
You want to make any guesses?
Well, based on your belief that a song should be able to stand on its own, stripped down
to a guitar and a singer, I'm gonna say it was a Dylan tune.
Oh! You think way too highly of me. It was "Calling Doctor Love" by Kiss. I was
sitting at some friend's house, and he showed me where to put my fingers.
What about the first one that you sat down and actually figured out yourself?
"Over the Hills and Far Away," Led Zeppelin.
Zeppelin and Kiss. Would you cite them both as major artistic influences?
Sure. Particularly Led Zeppelin. I just loved Jimmy Page and how he flipped between the
acoustic and the electric riffage. Also Bowie, the Police, Ziggy-period Bowie, Thin White
Duke. I loved all the Motown stuff, too. But I also like just making a wall of sound.
Do you do any types of finger exercises?
I don't do enough. That's why I sound so dodgy. I usually play a few chords before a show,
do some fingerpicking stuff, and sort of walk through the set. Sometimes I play a little
bit of "Motorcycle Driveby," which has some classical-type picking.
How much practice time do you guys put in?
We weren't big on practicing as a band. But this time, we're gonna practice a lot. We were
very lucky in that we had a very large draw. We're a big live band, especially for a new
band. And we value the live experience, the audience, and the show a lot. So we're gonna
put a lot into the concert. The tour's gonna be a big deal, so I know that I'll be working
a lot.
PART 2: DRINKS WITH KEVIN
Kevin was unable to make out lunch date, so he suggested that we meet in person at his
favorite watering hole in Albany, just north of Berkeley. Over drinks (the Gaawanger, a
John Lennon-inspired mix of gin, Grand Marnier, pineapple juice, lime, and ginger ale that
Kevin asked the bartender to create), we discussed his views on the new album, the gear he
used, and his approach to the guitar.
This album sounds way more diverse and eclectic than your debut.
Yeah, you can definitely hear the individual tastes of the band members on this album.
It's sometimes hard to discern which parts are yours and which parts are Stephan's.
There are six songs where all the parts are mind: "1000 Julys," "Walking
with the Wounded," "Camouflage," "The Red Summer Sun,"
"Darkness," and "Kiss Goodnight." Then there are some songs that I
didn't really have much to do with at all, like "Never Let You Go." We had
different studios operating at the same time, so while I was working on some songs,
Stephan and Arion were working on other songs. When I finally heard "Never Let You
Go" for the first time, it already had the main guitar part on it. So I felt like
what was there was enough.
"Wounded" and "1000 Julys" are the songs that I feel are the bust
stuff I've done musically. "Camouflage" and "Darkness," too. I'm just
so proud of those four songs; I'm really excited about them. And I think
"Wounded" is probably the finest example of Stephan and I working at our best
together. It's probably the most cohesive song that we've done.
Why is that?
The lyrics really hold together, and I think he captures the mood of what I brought to him
in the music
So you write your parts on your own, and then bring them to Stephan?
Yeah. Most of the time, I bring the music to him before he has the lyrics. His talent is
in capturing the mood of what I'm doing. And I think that's why he enjoys playing with me.
I think he knows that we're able to communicate on a musical level in a very unique way,
which a lot of people are unable to do. And the things that I'm very quick at don't come
so easy for him. And the things that I have to work hard on, he's very talented at doing.
Is "Camouflage" your tribute to the Edge? There's a lot of harmonic work on it,
and I understand that you became pretty tight with U2 while on tour with them.
"Camouflage" is my tribute to everybody. I'm playing sitar, and there's a lot of
other stuff going on there as well.
What about the other tracks?
"10 Days Late" is an Arion song. "Slow Motion" is an interesting song
because it was put on this record because of a lawsuit, which I didn't really know much
about. It was a song that was written before I was in the band, and it's the actual
recording from about nine years ago. So I have nothing to do with "Slow Motion."
But if you want to hear Kevin Cadogan, you have to listen to "Wounded,"
"1000 Julys," "The Red Summer Sun," "Camouflage," "Kiss
Goodnight," and "Darkness." But on "Darwin," I have the lead
line, which I'm really proud of. Actually, "Darwin" is the hardest thing I did
on this album. It doesn't sound like it's that impressive, perhaps, but if you try it,
it's pretty hard to play that hammer-on thing with an open note at that speed. So I'm kind
of proud of that. When I first started playing it, Stephan came up with the lyric about
cells dividing, because he said my guitar part sounded like blood moving through the body.
If you listen to his lyrics, he sings: "The cells multiply and divide." That's
what I was talking about before - Stephan hearing a part and instantly being able to put
words to what it sounds like. [Cells weren't] at all what I was thinking about when I came
up with the part, but it fits.
"1000 Julys" is a great rock tribute song. I'm really proud of the riffs in
there. The lyrics are great as well. Stephan really labored over the lyrics on that one.
It took quite awhile for him to finish it.
Stephan said the first song he learned to play was "Calling Doctor Love" by
Kiss. Do you remember the first song you learned to play?
The first song I ever learned was Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." My mom
subliminally force-fed me Bob Dylan when I was a kid. I grew up with my mother and three
sisters, and I was the youngest in the family. There was one radio and one record player,
so my musical tastes were pretty much dictated by what my sisters were listening to, which
was everything from Kurtis Blow to Abba. I was basically stuck with whatever was playing.
But my mom listened to a lot of Dylan, so I started picking up just the songwriting, which
was more about feeling and emoting than about actually creating perfect pitches and
harmonies. Bob Dylan was about poetry.
Stephan remarked that you were very orchestral in your approach to guitar.
That's kind of a good way of putting it. Yeah, I feel like my guitar is a little
orchestra. I've got six strings to play with, and I want to get as much out of those as
possible. I'd like to have more than six.
What kind of guitar do you favor?
My new favorite is the MJ Mirage Archtop. They're made my Mark Johnson, a local guitar
company. They started out making semi-hollowbody, kind of Strat-sounding guitars. Now they
have these archtops that are just unbelievable. They're so beautiful. Really rich-sounding
and very airy. I feel like I'm talking about wine or something. One thing that I realized
on this album which fans of guitar will probably be interested in, is that I had sort of
an epiphany about my amps and guitars. How sad is that - to have an epiphany about your
amps? But I decided that my whole philosophy of playing - because for much of the time I'm
the only guitar player and need to fill a tremendous amount of sonic space with the guitar
- is that I want to create open-sounding tunings, open chords, and the sense of a vast
landscape; you know, I just want to paint a huge picture.
Why not play a seven-string, or even a classic double- or quadruple-neck a la Rick
Nielsen?
Well, I have a few doublenecks, and I plan to get into that, but that's for our Stonehenge
period [laughs]. I have yet to break out the 12-strings, though.
Back to your epiphany . . .
I was playing through these 4x12 closed-back cabinets and using very saturated distortion
pedals with 6L6s and tube rectifiers. But now I've switched over to open-backed combos,
these 4x10s that allow the sound to project back, creating this kind of airy sound. And
when you're using that in conjunction with a hollowbody guitar, you can get a very warm,
airy sound.
It's more like an obvious conclusion than an epiphany, which I should have come to a long
time ago. Feedback is a problem with a full-size hollowbody, though.
I love the Epiphone Casinos, but I would never play one live because as soon as you step
up onstage, it just howls. But the MJ Archtop, because of the circuitry of its pickups,
which I don't understand, has very little feedback, but you still get the resonance, the
sound of the wood actually resonating.
What about effects? How simple or elaborate is your setup?
One of the things that's fun about making a record is that you go around and collect weird
stuff, like effects. So I found this cool company called Z-Vex. When I called them, the
guy who makes the pedals picked up the phone. That's how cool it is. And he hand-paints
each one of his pedals. It's pretty expensive, but it's worth it. He makes some
incredible, incredible pedals.
There's this one pedal I used a lot on the record called a Sequa - very ingenious. It's
like having 10 separate wah pedals, each with its own individual sweep in the envelope,
which allows you to create these really cool loops. It's like being able to click each one
of them on and off and different rates, so instead of a sweeping motion, you have a
jarring rhythm motion. An example of that is the breakdown in "1000 Julys,"
where I'm doing a little Pink Floyd tribute. I actually used it quite a bit on
"Camouflage," too.
Since you brought up Pink Floyd . . .
David Gilmour is an extraordinary musician in that he can play the crap out of the guitar,
but he plays so eloquently and each note is so beautiful. Like when he plays the solo on
"Comfortably Numb," he'll hang on a note where most guitar players would try to
fit in a certain quantity of notes. Gilmour just hangs on it and lets it sink in, right to
the center of your spine. That's the kind of guitar playing that I really love.
Whether you have great technique or not, you have to feel what you're playing. It's all
about feeling and not caring about what other people think. Maybe you don't know how to
communicate with people in other ways, but you know how to communicate via your
instrument.
And David Gilmour is one of those people. He could do a lot more than he does, but he's
like a poet who doesn't muddy his waters - you know, the old Nietzsche quote about poets
who muddy their waters so as to appear deep? I think Gilmour likes a clean pond. You can
see the Koi swimming in his pond.
STEPHAN SIGHTING! React Magazine includes a story on 3eb (thanks, Dani):
| Blue Boys: Third Eye Blind Charms the World Again. by Tom Lanham Being a songwriter can be hazardous to your sleep.
Especially if you're an obsessive one like Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins. 'Way too
often, just before I fall asleep, an idea comes together. So I call [my voice mail]
and |
|
With the help of the hit "Semi-Charmed
Life", 3EB became an overnight sensation. Sort of. Jenkins, bassist Arion Salazar,
drummer Brad Hargreaves and guitarist/c-writer Kevin Cadogan had actually been playing
their own
brand of alterna-rock in tiny San Francisco clubs for three years before the album broke
them out of the small time.
Suddenly, they were opening for U2, Oasis and the Rolling Stones, then packing the house
as headliners themselves. It was fun, but freaky. "The touring world gets really
weird." the 32 year old Jenkins admits. "You're
in different hotels in different towns with different people every day. I mean, we now
live in this world of Third Eye Blind, and it's definitely...uh...different"
It's a different world, but the boys in Blind haven't changed a bit. Jenkins for one,
still rents the same apartment. He sticks to his regular jogging and surfing schedule. He
hangs out with the same close-knot groups of friends.
And he's been dating actress Charlize Theron for two years. "I still feel vulnerable,
still have hopes and dreams," Jenkins says. "I don't feel untouchable."
It shows in the music. Song titles like 'Darkness" and "Wounded" give you a
hint that Blue is honestly soul-searching and heart purging as alterna-rock gets.
"You're not gonna see us doing Gatorade commercials," Jenkins says. "We're
not gonna change."
The issue also contains "Third Eye Insight"
1. The band was so obsessive about fine-tuning Blue, the guys didn't finish it until two
weeks before its release.
2. 3EB still loves to play the Paradise Lounge in San Francisco, the intimate nightclub
where the guys got their start. But these days they do it under assumed names.
3. When Kevin Cadogan heard about a local young fan's near fatal stabbing, he brightened
the teen's spirits by giving him a road seasoned 3EB guitar.
4. After 3EB opened for the Rolling Stones, Arion Salazar didn't revel in backstage glory.
He raced out to the seats to watch the Stones with his parents who have been fans since
before he was born.
5. Jenkins' dad, a professor, wanted his song to follow in his footsteps. Well, Jenkins Jr
did get his literature degree in 1988, but he pursued a different path...as a rapper. Yup,
Stephan was seriously into hip-hop before starting 3EB.
To hear a clip from Third Eye Blind's new album phone 800-58-REACT
From SonicNet.com:
Third Eye Blind New Year's Eve Show Canceled
The "Capital Countdown," a Washington, D.C., New Year's Eve concert
featuring pop-rockers Third Eye Blind and Fuel, has been canceled. A message on
the answering machine of the concert's promoters, Shack Events, blames
the cancellation on "unforeseen circumstances beyond our control." A
spokesperson for the MCI Center, where the event was to be held, confirmed
the cancellation but declined to provide further information. Spokespersons for
Shack Events and Elektra Records, the band's label, were not available
for comment.
CD REVIEW: Third Eye Blind's 'Blue'
( University Wire ) Steven Landry; 12-02-1999
(The Breeze) (U-WIRE) HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Just when the "doot, doo, doo" of
Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life" began to escape everyone' s heads, the
band returned with their second major label album, Blue, which was released last
Tuesday.
3EB made Blue everything a sequel should be, exploring new musical sounds while not
forgetting to write a few songs bound to appeal to a mass audience.
Look for "Never Let You Go," "Anything" and "1000 Julys" to
be those songs.
"Never Let You Go" sounds straight from the '70s, musically with its thick
guitar sounds and lyrically with "I remember the stupid things/The mood rings/The
bracelets and the beads." Lead singer Stephan Jenkins' falsetto in the song's chorus
just begs listeners to sing along.
The two-minute punk rock "Anything," fueled by Brad Hargreaves' drumming works
well as the album's first track, despite the music's resemblance to Pearl Jam's
"Corduroy." Guitarists Kevin Cadogan and Arion Salazar' s riffs make "1000
Julys" one of the catchier songs on the album.
Widespread success came unexpectedly for the band in 1997 with its quadruple-platinum
self-titled album. Featuring a plethora of hit singles including "Semi-Charmed
Life," "How's It Going to Be," "Jumper" and "Graduate,"
Third Eye Blind became a tough album to follow.
With the exception of "Never Let You Go," it's unlikely that many of Blue's
tracks will end up on Top 40 radio or on MTV (maybe a name change to the Third Eye Boys
would help them get some air time).
"Deep Inside of You" hits the mark as the album's best ballad. Its contradictory
lyrics sounds like the thoughts of a nervous teenage boy ("And I would say that I'm
sorry to you/I'm sorry to you/But I don't want to call you/But then I want to call
you/Cause I don't want to crush you/But I feel like crushing you"), but it blends
well enough with the music to sound heartfelt and will likely connect well with the band's
fan base.
However, the band sounds the best when it plays what it knows best, fast and driving
guitar rock anthems, that are perhaps better suited for live shows than studio albums.
Blue's ballads fall way short of its predecessors on Third Eye Blind. The random lyrics of
"Darkness, " "Darwin" and "Camouflage" act only to disjoint
what could be a few
decent songs.
Yet the album still satisfies. A few hits could arise from Blue, and Third Eye Blind fans
will take interest in the band's exploration beyond itself with new sounds.
3EB's energy-infused songs will carry over well during their tour for the album, which
will probably begin early next year.
Although the band takes a major chance by creating a new sound on a highly anticipated
follow-up album, Third Eye Blind's risk could help the band establish itself as a
permanent rock 'n' roll fixture.
5 - STEPHAN SIGHTING! The January 7 issue of Entertainment Weekly includes a few
things about 3EB. First, it has reviews of Blue: Los Angeles Times-C+,
Spin-B-, Chicago Tribune-C, USA Today-B-, Newsday-B, and Entertainment Weekly-B+, all
together averaging to a B-, not bad.
Also, this issue has a tid bit on Kevin:
RESISTING TEMPTATION Third Eye Blind guitarist Kevin Cadogan recently expressed a desire to help Gwyneth Paltrow kick-start a singing career, but Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds beat him to it. He recently recorded the Temptations' "Just My Imagination" with Paltrow for inclusion on the soundtrack to her upcoming vehicle, Duets.
From PREVIEWTUNES.COM:
Third Eye Blind
Anything
With their 1997 debut album, Third Eye Blind went from upstart band to chart-topping
success, garnering a tremendous fan base, scoring five hit singles and surpassing
quadruple-platinum status. They followed up in late
'99 with "Blue," an explosive collection jammed with the same affecting rock
songcraft that's established them as a major act on the front line of modern rock and
inventive pop.
6 - From Q101.com:
It's Christmas Time! Who Cares?!
23-Dec-99
While people around the world are getting into a festive mood for the Christmas holidays,
Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins seems to have had his holiday spirit stolen by the
Grinch. Jenkins tells us he'll be at a cabin
in Lake Tahoe, snowboarding with friends and family that he rarely sees. "I'd like to
pretend...that Christmas doesn't exist," he un-merrily says. When asked what he'd
like for Christmas, Jenkins' bass playing bandmate, Arion
Salazar, showed a little more holiday cheer. "I'd like everyone in my family and
other people to be happy and enjoy," he says. "It's totally cheesy, but that's
how I feel."
From Maxim magazine:
BLUE review
Third Eye Blind's sophomore album makes good on the anti-promise of "Semi-Charmed Life," the 1997 travesty that made it a front-runner in the Band Most Likely to Make People Hurl Themselves onto Sharp Spikes Contest. As if the cheesy Def Leppard guitar licks and contrived church-choir backup vocals weren't bad enough, we're also subjected to frontman Stephan Jenkins' Scorpions worthy heavy metal squealing on "The Red Summer Sun"
There is a rating where they give it either 5 out of 5 points (best) to 1/5 points (worst) and 3eb got 1 out of 5 and there is a pic of a CD with gum on it, and the caption "Gum anyone?" next to it.
THIRD EYE BLIND
Blue
Third Eye Blind would have made a wonderful one-hit wonder. Semi-Charmed Life owned the
radio in 1997 and helped propel 3EB's eponymous debut to quadruple platinum. Then four
other tracks found their way up the charts, rendering 3EB an also-ran with occasionally
catchy tunes.
Blue is that rare sophomore release that actually is better focused than the first; the
songs are shorter and have more bite. Where other bands seem either to be moving ahead
toward a hip-hop/rock fusion or retreating into the
clichés of punk and retro rock, Third eye Blind finds plenty of fresh inspiration in the
sound of cranked guitars and a simple backbeat. As much as the band's instrumental
side seems to shape the songs, it's singer Stephan Jenkins who gives the music its focus.
Not only does he bring an unusual lyrical depth to the songs- 10 Days Late is an awesome
evocation of emotional ambiguity- but his singing is remarkably powerful. Whether in the
whispery calm of Slow Motion or the falsetto fury of The Red Summer Sun, Jenkins plays off
the sound of his band with enough power and personality to prove that the sound of rock
and roll guitar-and-drums is far from played out.
-WIRE SERVICES
From GameProWorld:
Review: Third Eye Blind, Blue
By Val Masters
Rating
For every Smash Mouth or Sugar Ray there have been dozens of bands that could not manage
to follow-up a hit-laden debut. In the biz, they call it the "sophomore slump,"
and the explanation is easy- you have a whole
lifetime to compile a debut and only a few months to write for a follow-up. Third Eye
Blind is one of those bands that should have spent more time writing and less time
attempting to push their second record into X-mas stockings. Try as it might, Blue - Third
Eye Blind's painfully ambitious, but completely forgettable second record - doesn't have
anything near as catchy as "Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life," "The Graduate"
or "Jumper." And while apologists will give Third Eye Blind and it's primary
singer/songwriter/producer Stephen Jenkins credit for spitting in the face of radio with
quirky time-changes and Radiohead-style textures, the fact remains that pop songs without
memorable hooks are forgettable songs. And while there's plenty of sing-song choruses and
hummable melodies, Blue is indeed an album of songs without hooks- the most common sign of
here-today-gone-later-today doom.
Just as dangerous to Third Eye Blind's long-term health is how quickly Jenkins steps right
into sophomore slump pitfall #2 - writing songs as if their 15 minutes of fame never
happened. In a painfully transparent effort to keep regular guy status, Jenkins stays with
the melancholy and sadness route although every Third Eye Blind fan with a subscription to
Entertainment Weekly knows he is dating Charlize Theron and running around San Francisco
with friends like Sean Penn. How many record buyers that related to a suicide anthem like
"Jumper" are walking down red carpets towards movie screenings? Not many.
And while crooning a pro-life anthem like "10 Days Late" takes some balls these
days, it's power is fleeting - maybe it's the incessant cock-rock grunts or perhaps it's
the use of a children's choir to push an all-to-obvious point home. If the choir is
instead a homage to Pink Floyd, then let it join two other pieces of proof that Third Eye
Blind's already
out of ideas: a Zeppelin breakdown on "The Red Summer Sun" that lifts "been
a long time" from Led Zeppelin and a tribute to touring mate the Edge's guitar
playing on "Camouflage." Neither are tributes to anything other than
laziness.
What there isn't, and so desperately needed to be, is a tribute to Jenkins' hip-hop roots
(Jenkins once fronted a hip-hop duo). So whereas "Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life"
found much of it's bite in what sounded like a rapping Lou
Reed, Blue fails to explore Jenkins' funky side- either in rhythmically or lyrically. For
that matter, Jenkins and Co. try exploring almost nothing new at all, and the result is
something you've heard a dozen times before: 12 lackluster songs from a band trying to
replicate it's early success too hard too fast. And while Sophomore Slump may have been a
more appropriate album title, there's something dead-on about Blue - it's the color of
disappointment isn't it?
7 - STEPHAN SIGHTING!
Sundance Film Festival
Beginning January 20 WebDance 2000 will be bringing
together over a thousand of Hollywood's leading decision makers and stars for an evening
of unparalleled entertainment, including a live performance by San Francisco alt-rockers Third Eye Blind. 
For viewers on-site
and online, it promises to be a virtuoso performance by one of alternative rock's leading
bands.
All week long, online visitors will also be able to enjoy
the WebDance 2000 Virtual Lounge. A premier locale designed to facilitate interaction
between the Festival's superstar attendees and the WebDance 2000 online environment, the
Virtual Studio will become the "place to be" for many of the Festival's
attendees. Each day, the Virtual Lounge will have a different theme, which will offer
visitors a unique experience that cannot be found anywhere else at Sundance. Online
visitors can click through any time to check out the scene. In addition, at-home
participants will be eligible to win collectibles and autographed merchandise throughout
the week.
At the dawn of a new millennium, we are at the forefront of
a technological revolution that will reshape the entire entertainment industry. What
better cause for celebration?
PARK CITY, Utah--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Jan. 7,
2000--As it approaches its first birthday, ReelPreviews.com -- the one-stop shop for the
moviegoing public -- plans to celebrate in Sundance style with WebDance 2000.
Aiming to offer the premier online coverage of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, WebDance
2000 will be a festival unto itself, bringing together the worlds of the Internet, movies
and music in Park City, Utah.
With a unique combination of headline live performances, streaming video, interviews,
event coverage and festival reporting, WebDance 2000 offers an unparalleled experience for
both the privileged attendees at Sundance and the worldwide audience online alike.
How to get above the noise level at Sundance, which, like the Cannes
Film Festival, now draws thousands of filmmakers, artists, musicians, new media junkies,
thrill seekers and oddballs of every possible stripe? On Tuesday, Jan. 25, from 9 p.m.
until the cows trudge down the mountain, ReelPreviews.com will transform the Park City
Silver Mine into the WebDance Dimension.
There, ReelPreviews.com will immerse 600 of Hollywood's leading
decision makers, media and celebrities in a high-tech, themed environment, as well as
gourmet food and cocktails. Elektra recording artists Third Eye Blind headline the evening
with a live performance.
And that's just the beginning (or the middle, towards the beginning). Monday, Jan. 24,
through Friday, Jan. 28, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST, a humble storefront on Main Street in
the heart of the festival, will become the WebDance 2000 Virtual Studio Lounge. There,
festival guests can escape from the madness that is Sundance into the madness that is the
WebDance 2000 Virtual Studio Lounge.
Serving as a combination headquarters, production and live Webcast facility, coffee bar
and watering hole for festival VIPs, the Virtual Studio Lounge will take on a different
theme for each of five days, and happy hour starts at 2 p.m.
No self-respecting WebDance 2000 Virtual Studio Lounge would be complete without ... swag.
That's right, nifty, branded give-away items -- the currency of the festival -- will be
minted right there on Main Street for festival-goers to collect, wear and auction off. The
more enterprising of the attendees will vie to acquire complete sets.
A legitimate news-gathering operation, ReelPreviews.com offers comprehensive coverage of
Sundance happenings large and small.
ReelPreviews.com's The Reel Show on-air personalities Peter Waldman, John Tracy and Kristy
Baxter will comb the festival with cameras, searching out the outstanding and the
outrageous, and sifting through the several hundred films on offer at Sundance (as well as
at renegade sidebars Slamdance, Slumdance, No Dance and others) to find the dream dates
and the duds in cinema for the new millennium.
Already confirmed are interviews with Ben Affleck, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi, as well
as numerous festival special events, concerts and news conferences.
Online, visitors to ReelPreviews.com can join in the action by winning collectible,
autographed merchandise, taking part in live chats, and asking questions of their favorite
celebrities and filmmakers.
What gives ReelPreviews.com the right to do this? President and CEO Brad Sexton says: ``In
a word, hubris. Over the last year, we have striven to bring site visitors the best
possible research tool for movies online.
``In addition, we have become a fixture on the premiere circuit, providing live streaming
coverage of eight major film premieres, including 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom
Menace,' 'Magnolia,' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' We've earned the respect and trust of
major studios and independent filmmakers alike, who have entrusted us with literally
hundreds of film trailers for streaming or download.
``We envision a ReelPreviews.com-dominated new millennium in which people don't need a
newspaper -- or any other Web site -- to research movie and video information. If we can't
do Sundance right, we might as well pack up this million dollars worth of netcast
equipment -- and thousands more we've invested in the WebDance 2000 experience -- and go
home.''
But they won't rest until Saturday, Jan. 29, when they post and log the Sundance 2000
Award Winners on ReelPreviews.com for all the world to see.
``Not only will we bring the Internet to Sundance,'' Sexton concluded, ``we will bring
Sundance to the Internet.''
9 - On the syndicated radio show, "The Edge," Third Eye Blind and Stroke 9 will be featured.
THIRD EYE BLIND "Blue" Elektra
Grade:C
Third Eye Blind would have made a wonderful one-hit wonder. "Semi-charmed Life"
owned the radio in 1997 and helped propel Blind's eponymous debut to a quadruple platinum.
"Blue," the San Francisco quartet's second effort, walks the line between
benignly forgettable and not quite that good. The band sticks to funky, punk-flavored
simplicity and, if anything, rocks a little harder. But its Teflon hooks don't stick, no
matter how many times you hear them. And Blind's bag of tricks-dramatic dynamic contrasts,
crunching power chords, Stephan Jenkins' falsetto jumps-seem worn.
10 - From RollingStone.com:
Jaan Uhelszki's Top Ten for 199912 - STEPHAN
SIGHTING! February 2000 issue of Guitar
Player magazine (with ZZ Top on cover) includes an article on page 82 with Stephan and
Kevin. It's titled "Sonic Symmetry."
Thanks to isthereanybodyoutthere-1@juno.com,
priestess1134@yahoo.com and MOON3EB@aol.com for typing!
Sonic Symmetry
Third Eye Blind unifies their live studio sounds.
Selling over four million records, opening up for the Rolling Stones and U2, and scoring
five radio hits, Third Eye Blind cracked the Top 40 code their first time out. Although
the band could have carbon-copied their jackpot-winning songwriting and production values
for their second album, Blue [Elektra], they decided to get more adventurous.
Blue's first single - under-two-minute "Anything" - offers nothing like a
conventional pop hook: it's fast, furious, and fleeting. Other songs also seem to be
arranged more by creative whim than convention. For example, the first half of "The
Red Summer Sun" slurs along melodically, then suddenly does a coronary-inducing,
180-degree turn into a thrashing, screaming Zeppelin-esque breakdown. Then there's the
meandering, delay-drenched "Camouflage." Although Blue is not without potential
hits, the album's "anti-classic pop" production should open the ears of critics
who dismissed the band as bland, buzz-bin poster boys. This time out, Third Eye Blind
dares to balance pop sensibilities with unexpected twists and edgy sound.
To produce more immediate and spontaneous guitar textures, guitarists Kevin Cardogan and
Stephan Jenkins limited their studio tone palette to sounds they could pull off live. That
exercise also pointed the way to worry-free gear setups and creative spontaneity
onstage.
KEVIN CARDOGAN ON TONE TAILORING
What was it like producing Blue by yourselves?
I missed working with Eric Valentine [producer of Third Eye Blind's self titled debut]. He
was really into switching amps for each song, and he was very creative with mic placement
and layering parts. But it was overkill at times, and we wouldn't get much done because we
were so busy trying to find the perfect tone. For this record, I didn't want a smooth,
slick sound. I wanted a sound with more of a rock crunch. So I just found four amps that I
liked and used them to get a consistent sound, instead of using live such as Mesa/Boogie
Rectifier heads with very saturated
distortion.
What were the four amps you settled on?
Two Mesa/Boogie Maverick 4x10s, a Vox AC30, on an old '72 Marshall 4x10 combo. On the last
record, I used a lot of amps with 6L6 tubes, but this time I wanted to get into EL84s for
more of a midrange growl. And I really do use those amps live. I wanted to have the
same sound onstage as I do on the record. The only exception is a Magnatone M15 that I ran
through my Marshall cabinet for clean stuff. I love the tremolo on those Magnatones - it's
a very cool, swirly sound that's different from a Rotovibe or Univibe. Unfortunately, I
can't seem to find a Magnatone
that's sturdy enough to bring on tour. I'll pick up one in a store and the handle will
come off!
What's the big deal about matching your live guitar sound to the tones on the record?
One big reason is keeping everything easy to manage, so I can control my live sound and
still perform. Last tour, my guitar tech was controlling all my pedals, so I had the
freedom to run around the stage. But it got to the point where i couldn't even turn on my
own guitar at soundcheck, and there certainly wasn't much room for spontaneity during the
show. This time out, I want spontaneous things to happen. Last tour, for example, I
worked out the riff for "1000 Julys" simply by goofing around before we started
the song "London". But it's hard to try new things when
all your gear is offstage and out of your control.
Why are you using 4x10 cabinets?
Tonally, open-back 4x10 combos fit the best with my approach to guitar - which is an airy,
wide-open sound. Also, because I'm the only guitarist on a lot of songs, I like to fill up
the spectrum with alternate tunings and big, open chords. The 4x10 cabs help enhance the
airy quality of the ringing strings.
Are there typical settings for the amps?
I started by setting all the controls at 12 o'clock, then I adjust as needed. But there's
no real formula. For example, I sometimes have to crank the base on my AC30 because it's
not a very dark amp.
What types of pedals are you using?
The pedals I use most are either a Morley or Dunlop wah and a Rotovibe. I also have a
Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe and a Proctavia, a Budda Phatman Zen, a Boss delay, and a Lexicon
MPX G2. One of my favorite pedals is the Z. Vex Seek Wah. It's kind of like having
20 wah pedals set up, each with a different envelope. The signal travels down the line and
makes these really cool rhythmic patterns. The song "1000 Julys" is a good
example of what the Seek Wah does - I got a really cool Pink Floyd-like sound on the break
session.
You don't use many distortion pedals.
Well, I use the Zen and a Z. Vex Fuzz Factory from time to time, but I like driving the
ams's ericks, for example, I overdrive the clean channel. Of course, the volume would be
way too high when we're playing live, so I put a THD Hot-plate attenuator on the amps to
keep the stage levels as low as possible.
What is your current guitar arsenal?
My MJ Engineering Mirage archtops are semi-hollow, and they're equipped with sustainer
pickups made by Dunlop. I just hit a switch by the pickup selector to make a note or chord
sustain. Another switch turns whatever note I'm playing into a harmonic. The switches are
fun, but they're also very dangerous. I have to hold back a little, or else the whole set
will sound like "waaaaaaaaah." I'm also using a PRS McCarty Archtop, a
Gibson ES-125 and DS-335, a Gretsch County Gentleman, a Guild Starfire, a '54 Gibson Les
Paul goldtop, and a Danelectro 12-String. The big problem with hollowbodies onstage is
that I can never be more than a leg's length away from the mute button on my effects
switcher because the guitars feedback so easily.
What do you bring into the band as a guitar player?
Believe me, if I could play blues like Kenny Wayne [Shepherd], I'd be doing it. But there
are many great guitar players who can play that way that I had to find something i could
do well. I think my talent lies in finding interesting chord inversions.
STEPHAN JENKINS ON DYNAMIC EXPERSSION
What's your typical songwriter process?
It's intuitive, and I don't dissect it. Every time I pick up the guitar, there's a
possibility that something is going to happen. But if a song is just hanging there, i drop
it and move on to something else. We don't slog through things at all. A good song has to
continue to hold your attention.
Is it difficult translating your songs to the stage?
Dynamics are critical to getting a song across. For example, I recently saw a band I
really like, and they played at "10" the whole show - the guitars were nailing
it as hard as they could. At full volume like that, your ears just go numb. But a really
good live band like Pearl Jam will come way down, and show that what makes music loud is
the distance it has gone from being soft. It's the release - the space in between - that's
so important.
What guitars did you use on the album?
I played a lot of acoustic guitar with beautiful Martin D -45 and a Gibson J-200. In a
very Bowie-esque way, there's always a little acoustic guitar behind what we're doing, and
I think that really makes the drums sing. We usually recorded the J-200 facing wood wall
because that added a nice, warm slap to the tone. I also have a custom Stephan
Jenkins model PRS. It's based on the McCarty, but it only has one pickup and no volume or
tone control - just an on/off switch. It's a very light guitar, but it packs a lot of
punch. In addition, i played a '56 goldtop Les Paul now - and Explorer with Seymour Duncan
Antiquity pickups, a Gibson ES-335, a Hammer acoustic-electric, and a Rickenbaker
12-string.
What amps are you using on tour?
I'm using a rack with two Mesa/Boogies Triaxis preamps. I'm a big Mesa fan because their
stuff is so bulletproof. One of the preamps is run dry, and the other preamp is routed to
a Lexcon MPX G2 multi-effects unit. I've got two 4x10 Mesa cabs running in stereo
right behind me, so the sound really nails me. I mean, we try to keep the stage really
nails me. I mean, we try to keep the stage volume down, but the fact is, we can get pretty
loud!
Do you have a favorite guitar sound on Blue?
"Ten Days Late" is so simple. It's a '56 Les Paul into a '73 Marshall 100 watt
head and a Mesa 4x12 cabinet, close miked with a Shure SM57. It's the fattest guitar sound
ever.
13 - In the radio-trade magazine called The
Album Network, on p.45 there's an article and a pic of what is assumed to be the cover of
the "Never Let You Go" single.
SONG: Never Let You Go
FROM THE RELEASE: Blue
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: After dominating practically every radio format with their eponymous
Quadruple Platinum debut (featuring the smash hits "Graduate,"
"Jumper," Losing a Whole Year," "How's It Gonna Be," and
"Semi-Charmed Life"), Third Eye Blind avoid all paths that lead toward a
sophomore slump. In fact, "Never Let You Go" started getting adds as soon
as Blue arrived in the mail, even while Blue's first single , "Anything,"
continued to climb the charts, and it's already on 72 hip stations. Look for a tour in
support of the record to follow shortly.
CONTACT: Greg Dorfman 212.275.2506, Margie Weatherly 310.288.3830 & John Biondolillo
212.275.2529
14 - STEPHAN
SIGHTING! Teen People magazine will host
"What’s Next?" events in New York City and California in conjunction with
the magazine’s February 2000 issue, the theme of which is "What's Next?" in
music and entertainment.
The California event will take place Friday Jan. 14 at the Hollywood nightclub, Vynyl, and
will feature live performances from Grammy Award nominee Britney Spears, platinum
recording artists LFO, recording artist Pink, and DJ Mark Ronson. Special musical guests
also scheduled to attend the event include ‘N Sync, Mandy Moore, and Third Eye Blind.
16 - STEPHAN SIGHTING! In the February issue of In Style magazine there is a big picture of Charlize under the caption "What is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?" She replies: "My boyfriend brought me flowers while I was lying in bed"-- I am assuming she's referring to Stephan! In the same issue, a couple of pages later, there is a good pic of Stephan and Charlize from the Vogue Fashion Awards. (thanks, OHSOKRZY@aol.com)
17 - From Q101.com:
"Blue" - Third Eye Blind
Review by Brian 'The Whipping Boy' 12/24/99
3 out of 10
Third Eye Blind's albums can't be measured by quality, the way you'd judge a Rage Against
the Machine album or a Patti Smith album or something. Instead, you must judge Third Eye
Blind like you'd judge the Backstreet Boys or Shania Twain: by its catchiness, its
"sellability," and its pop value.
The band's debut album, in these terms, was good, even masterful at times, even if many
hated it. (Singer Stephan Jenkins' abrasive personality certainly didn't help.)
"Semi-Charmed Life," "How's It Gonna Be" and "Jumper" are
undeniably perfect for button-pushing radio listeners and MTV watchers. The
"Blue" album has nothing so ear-catching. The first single "Anything"
is literally painful to hear. So is the whole second half of the album.
"Wounded" may become a hit, but Third Eye Blind sounds like it's taking itself
way too seriously on this album. Look for a sophomore sales jinx.
18 - From Wallofsound.go.com:
Everywhere but on the charts, Blue
has been an eventful sophomore release for San Francisco's Third Eye Blind.
It was, of course, preceded by the pre-
Do you feel like you get credit for those creative ambitions? The hits from the last album
relegated you, in some quarters, to a kind of pop status that's not generally taken
seriously.
I don't know. There's been so much bulls--t and talking and mudslinging in every direction
— including from us. There's been so much negativity. But that's another thing I've
learned to do; I've totally developed a thick skin to what the press writes about us
because I think we're totally misrepresented. I don't know that people get it. But I do
feel our music is going to stand and it's going to last and people are going to look back
and it's going to have meant something. If we can keep going and we can put out more
records, I feel like we've really got something that's going to be a lasting part of
music.
What's your perspective on the album's commercial showing so far?
What people don't understand is that we knew what we were doing when we decided to make
"Anything" our first single. It's a big step away from anything we had on the
last record. It's just kind of a bold move; there was no chance for that to be a smash,
runaway single, and so that hasn't propelled the album into the mega-
Did you put out "Anything" as a deliberate signal to fans not to expect a
reprise of the last album?
Yeah, that's the main thing for me. When you come down to it, we're a rock band; when you
come to see us play live, even when we play "Semi-
In hindsight, are you sorry you acquiesced and agreed to change "Slow
Motion"?
I think there's a lot of misconceptions about everything that happened on that song,
actually. Initially, we said, "No, no, no, we're going to put it out anyway."
And they came back with this deal that was kind of an offer you can't refuse. We're going
to put out an EP with that and some other songs, and they gave us a ton of money for it.
It's a great thing we get to do. And the other thing was we didn't want this song to come
out and overshadow the rest of the record just by virtue of being controversial. Even
without it coming out, it's already the focus of all this attention. We didn't want the
song to come out with the lyrics and freak a bunch of people out or whatever.
So what else is going to be on the EP when it comes out?
It's probably going to be three or four songs with vocals and four instrumentals. It's
completely our thing, and it's exciting. There might be one or two things that we've got
floating around that will end up on there, but for the most part there will be new, jammy
stuff. It's a fun thing —
21 - From MTV.com:
| Ever wondered how you
can be on MTV? We want YOU to be on our brand new shows. Be part of the studio audience as 4 bands battle it out to be crowned America's Ultimate Cover Band!! We are looking for BIG audience reaction (your opinion will help determine which band wins). Celebrity judges / hosts include: Steven Jenkins (3rd Eye Blind), Eve, Mandy Moore. We are taping/partying at the historic Roseland (W. 52nd & Broadway). Please be sure to call the casting line to reserve your spot - You MUST be on the invitation list to enter! CALL (212) 846 - 8559 Wednesday - February 2, 2000 Call Time/Doors Open : 6PM ** We will need you to stay till approx. 10pm. |
22 - From Spin Magazine February 2000 issue page 110:
Third Eye Blind Blue (Elektra/WEA)
6 out of 10
(I don't have the time to type this yet.)
23 - From shagmail rock n roll newsletter:
Third Eye Blind
The music charts aren't the only place where Third Eye Blind has had success -- the band's
Web site, www.3eb.com, also is a hit. The folks at Orbit
Commerce report the site has gotten more than 1.2 million hits since last month and 40,000
hits a day. Sales of Third Eye Blind merchandise - including t-shirts and CDs - has
tripled. Says Third Eye Blind's Brad Hargreaves - "Having an e-commerce site on the
Internet has been a great experience. It's a good way for bands, in general, to stay in
contact with their fans. It's also been a place where fans can find our stuff when we're
not on the road."
24 - From Third Eye Blind Sound Off @ the Wall of Sound:
3eb @ Sundance
Rockers to serenade Sundance
By K.D. Shirkani
NEW YORK (Variety) - Matthew Sweet, Janis Ian, Third Eye Blind and Blues Traveler's John
Popper are among the artists scheduled to perform at a four-night concert series during
the Sundance Film Festival, organizer BMG Entertainment announced.
The Sundance Film Festival Music Studio will feature 30-minute sets by 20 acts, most of
them newcomers. It will take place Jan. 23-26 at the Elks Lodge in Park City.
The goal of the invitation-only event is to gain exposure for the new acts, while creating
an ``intimate concert where the independent film community can hear music from established
artists as well as a new generation of singer-songwriters,'' according to BMG
Entertainment VP of worldwide marketing Bill Wilson.
Among newer acts scheduled to perform are Sixpence None the Richer, Duncan Sheik, R&B
singer-songwriter Donell Jones, and the Verve Pipe singer-guitarist Brian Vander
Ark. ~ Reuters/Variety
25 - STEPHAN SIGHTING! ReelPreviews.com presents WebDance 2000: Live Concert With Third Eye Blind
To see this live webcast, go to www.webdance2000.com on Tuesday, January 25. Time not yet known. Keep checking back here for details as they unfold.
|
You must have RealPlayer G2 or RealPlayer 7 to enjoy the full experience of Webdance2000. |
Also, 3eb relieve Kevin Cadogan of guitarist duties after the Sundance Festival show.
26 - STEPHAN SIGHTING! Third Eye Blind on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno performing "Never Let You Go". The Tonight Show starts at midnight eastern time / 11pm central time. The musical guests appear towards the end of the show. First public appearance with new guitarist, Tony Fredianelli.
Also, KevinCadogan.com webmaster emails Jen's StephanJenkins.com to inform of Kevin's termination:Subj: Kevins wrongful termination
Date: 1/26/00 2:38:37 AM Central Standard Time
ATTENTION ALL
THIRD EYE BLIND FANS:
After the performance of Third Eye Blind at the Sundance Festival, Brad Hargreaves informs
Kevin Cadogan of an unanimous decision to terminate his position in the group, to be
effective
immediately.
This Termination has been wrongfully executed by Third Eye Blind Inc.
We will be posting more information on kevins web site http://www.kevincadogan.com
as the events unfold.
Please show your support by E-mailing Kevin.
Subj: Re: Kevins wrongful termination
Date: 1/27/00 12:35:51 AM Central Standard Time
Hi Jen-
Well Kevin saw this coming although he was hoping that it would not come to this.
We all hope that some sort of agreement can be reached. They have a whole new album
to play on the road after all!
Kevin called me tonight and wanted me to e-mail every website owner saying these two
things:
1) When told that he was terminated, Stephen Jenkins left in a private jet leaving kevin
with no transportation out of Salt Lake City ( pretty rude)
and 2)
Kevin wants all the fans to know that he was and always will be about the music not the
money.
We've been working on kevin's web site kevincadogan.com and I'll be posting a very basic
site up to keep everyone informed, but you have your finger on the 3eb community so do you
think you could post the above to the fans?
I had some information up on his site but his lawyers called and requested that it be
removed.
Thanks Jen-
I'll keep you informed of the events.
January 26 -
Press Release:
The members of Third Eye Blind and Kevin Cadogan have parted ways. Brad Hargreaves,
Stephan Jenkins and Arion Salazar wish him every success.
Third Eye Blind welcomes back guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who will be performing with the
group on the upcoming Dragons & Astronauts tour. Tony Fredianelli has performed
on such Third Eye Blind recordings as "Semi-Charmed Life."
Brad Hargreaves
Stephan Jenkins
Arion Salazar
Also, from CDNOW.com
Also, from RollingStone.com:
| Third Eye Blind Sack Guitarist | ||
| Kevin Cadogan Ousted From Third Eye Blind | ||
|
27 - From MTV.com
| 1.27.00 16:00 EST | Third Eye Blind Splits With Guitarist | |||
|
Semi-charmed rock band Third Eye Blind and their guitarist Kevin Cadogan
have parted company. The band released a statement to MTV News on Thursday that read simply, "The members of Third Eye Blind and Kevin Cadogan have parted ways. Brad Hargreaves, Stephan Jenkins and Arion Salazar wish him every success. Third Eye Blind welcomes back guitarist Tony Fredianelli who will be performing with the group on their upcoming 'Dragons and Astronauts' tour. Tony Fredianelli has performed on such Third Eye Blind recordings as 'Semi-Charmed Life.'" Fredianelli actually played on Third Eye Blind's 1997 self-titled debut album and also played with the band during a performance on Wednesday night's edition of "The Tonight Show." The band did not offer a reason for the split, but according to sources close to the group, the move was not an amicable decision. Third Eye Blind dropped its most recent effort, "Blue,"
in November of last year and so far has sold 377,000 copies of the album. The album's
first single, "Never Let You Go," has been gaining steam at radio, and the band
plans to soon tour behind the album on the aforementioned 'Dragons and Astronauts' outing.
|
From SonicNet:
NEWS FLASH Third Eye Blind Fire Guitarist Kevin Cadogan New lineup, with original member Tony Fredianelli, plays Wednesday's 'Tonight Show.'  Rock group Third Eye
Blind have fired guitarist Kevin Cadogan — who co-wrote 10 of the 14 songs on the
band's smash-hit debut album — and replaced him with original member Tony
Fredianelli."[Drummer] Brad Hargreaves, [singer/songwriter] Stephan Jenkins and [bassist] Arion Salazar wish him every success," a statement released Wednesday by the band's management said of Cadogan. The decision to fire Cadogan came following a weekend performance at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, according to a band spokesperson, who asked not to be identified. She did not say why Cadogan was replaced but acknowledged that there had been tension between him and the rest of the band. Cadogan confirmed on his Web site (www.kevincadogan.com) that he had been fired and that Hargreaves was the one who broke the news to him. "I've always been about the music, not the money," Cadogan said on the site. Russell Bloom, a spokesperson for the band's management, would not comment on the situation. Fredianelli has been with the group as a touring keyboardist and guitarist since 1996, when he left the official lineup. He played guitar on "Semi-Charmed Life" (RealAudio excerpt), the provocative hit about sex and drug abuse from the band's eponymous debut, which established it as a popular act in 1997. The album is certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The new guitarist, sporting a beard and shades, appeared with Third Eye Blind during a performance on Wednesday's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on NBC-TV. The band performed its single, "Never Let You Go" (RealAudio excerpt), which is at #25 on this week's just-released Billboard Hot 100 and has helped its album, Blue, climb from #74 to #52 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in three weeks. Blue has sold almost 400,000 copies since its release in November, according to SoundScan. The long-haired Jenkins, wearing a gray sweater, played his red guitar only during the power-pop chorus, as Fredianelli maintained the song's quick, choppy riff. Jenkins and his bandmates made no mention of Cadogan. -- Christopher O'Connor [ Thurs., January 27, 2000 5:30 PM EST ] |
From CDNOW.com:
Third Eye Blind Confirm Departure Of Guitarist
Jan 27, 2000, 10:20 am PT Third Eye Blind |
Members of Third Eye Blind have confirmed the rumored departure of guitarist Kevin
Cadogan as reported in allstar (allstar,
Jan. 26) and have announced the re-hiring of original guitarist Tony Fredianelli in a
statement released on Wednesday (Jan. 26).
"The members of Third Eye Blind and one of their principal guitarists have parted
ways," the statement reads. "Brad Hargreaves, Stephan Jenkins, and Arion Salazar
wish him every success. TEB welcomes back guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who has joined the
group and will perform on the upcoming Dragons & Astronauts tour." Fredianelli
made his debut with the band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno late on
Wednesday(Jan. 26).
Although the band won't comment on Cadogan's departure, it was clear at press time that he
was fired by the band after a performance at the Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday (Jan.
24). Drummer Brad Hargreaves informed Cadogan of the unanimous ousting after the show.
Relations between Cadogan and the band have reportedly been strained since the recording
of the band's sophomore effort, Blue (Elektra).
Stay tuned for more on this story. -- Kevin Raub
From LiveDaily.com:
Third Eye Blind Guitarist Gets Walking Papers
Tony Fredianelli returns to band for upcoming tour. by Colin Devenish
Third Eye Blind guitarist Kevin Cadogan has been fired, according to a spokesman for
the band’s label. The split--and confirmation that the band's former guitarist, Tony
Fredianelli, will replace Cadogan for the band's upcoming tour--was announced in a brief
press release issued by Elektra Records.
''The members of Third Eye Blind and former member Kevin Cadogan have parted ways,'' said
today's (1/27) announcement. ''Brad Hargreaves, Stephan Jenkins and Aron Salazar wish him
every success. Third Eye Blind welcomes back their former guitarist, Tony Fredianelli, who
will be performing with the group on their upcoming 'Dragons & Astronauts' tour. Tony
Fredianelli has performed on such Third Eye Blind recordings as 'Semi-Charmed Life.'''
Fredianelli began his new duties with Third Eye Blind on last night's (1/26) ''Tonight
Show.''
Cadogan joined the band in 1995 and played his final show with the group earlier this week
at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. He shared songwriting credits with
Jenkins on 10 of 14 songs from Third Eye Blind’s multi-platinum self-titled 1997
debut, which yielded hits such as ''Graduate,'' ''How’s It Going To Be,'' and
''Semi-Charmed Life.''
A posting on Cadogan’s official website
offered his side of the dismissal. ''The rumors are true; Kevin was fired. Brad Hargreaves
informed Kevin he is no longer to work with the group and Stephen Jenkins flew off on a
private jet leaving Kevin stranded in Salt Lake City. They even removed his Bio and photo
from the official website. Go take a look…We will be
working on this site to keep you informed of events as soon as Kevin returns from L.A.
Keep your fingers crossed for a positive resolution for Kevin and 3EB.''
No official explanation from either camp has been given for the lead guitarist’s
firing, but a quote attributed to Cadogan on the top of his official web page suggested
that the dispute might be about finances. ''…I’ve always been about the music
never the money,'' Cadogan is quoted as saying to a friend.
Third Eye Blind issued their sophomore album, ''Blue,'' in November. Though a tour is
planned, an itinerary has yet to surface.
Published: Thu Jan 27, 2000 at 17:36:16 Pacific Time
Writer: Colin Devenish for Livedaily.com
28 - From SF Chronicle Datebook:
Third Eye Blind Fires Guitarist- Band gives no reason for
Cadogan's dismissal
It is, after all, only a semi-charmed life:Third Eye Blind, one of the most successful San
Francisco bands of recent years, has fired guitarist Kevin Cadogan.
The band, which recently released its second album, "Blue," gave Cadogan his
notice this week after a performance at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. A
terse statement released by the group's manager, Eric Godtland, gave no reason for
Cadogan'sdismissal.
"(Drummer) Brad Hargreaves, (singer) Stephan Jenkins and (bassist) Arion Salazar wish
him every success," it states.
Tony Fredianelli, one of the band's early members and a continuing client of Godtland's
was chosen as Cadogan's successor. He was scheduled to perform with the band last night on
the "Tonight" show.
Yesterday, Cadogan and his lawyer were seeking injunction against the "Tonight"
show appearance, citing unlawful termination.
Fredianelli, a guitar prodigy from Las Vegas, had a minor track on "Semi-Charmed
Life," Third Eye Blind's huge 1997 hit.
"I have nothing but praise for the guy," said Chris Coyle, who runs Industrial
Management in San Francisco and once handled Fredianelli's career. "He could knock
out songs right and left."
Sources say Fredianelli may have written the hook that made the song "Semi-Charmed
Life" such a big success. Cadogan, meanwhile, has co-songwriting credits with Jenkins
on 10 of 14 songs from the self-titled first album and six songs from "Blue."
Jenkins has the sole songwriting credit on "Semi-Charmed Life."
"Third Eye Blind," released in April 1997, has sold 3.2 million copies in the
United States, according to SoundScan, which tracks album sales. "Blue,"
released in November, has sold 400,000 copies.
Third Eye Blind is set to embark on a national tour dubbed "Dragons &
Astronauts." A tentative San Francisco date has been set for early March at the
Warfield.
29 - If your local radio station carries Open House Party with John Garabedian, then make
sure to listen on Saturday, January 29! Third Eye Blind is supposed to be
interviewed! www.openhouseparty.com
31 - End of Brad and Arion t-shirt contest sponsored by their unofficial sites. Click the logo to enter at Swimming Into View.
