Middle of Nowhere (album)

Middle of Nowhere
Studio album by Hanson
Released May 6, 1997 (1997-05-06)
Recorded July–November 1996, Los Angeles, California
Genre Pop rock, teen pop
Length 53:41
Label Mercury, Polygram
Producer The Dust Brothers, Stephen Lironi
Hanson chronology
MMMBop
(1996)MMMBop1996		 Middle of Nowhere
(1997)		 Snowed In
(1997)Snowed In1997
Singles from Middle of Nowhere
  1. "MMMBop"
    Released: April 15, 1997
  2. "Where's the Love"
    Released: September 1997
  3. "I Will Come to You"
    Released: November 10, 1997
  4. "Weird"
    Released: March 1998
  5. "Thinking of You"
    Released: July 1998

Middle of Nowhere is the debut studio album by American pop rock group Hanson, and the first to be released on a major label, which was Polygram Records and Mercury Records. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang and MMMBop. The band members were between the ages of 11 and 16 when it was released. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, was not performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic on May 5, 2007.

The album was received extremely well by critics. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."[1]

Middle of Nowhere yielded five singles: "MMMBop", "Where's the Love", "I Will Come to You", "Weird", and "Thinking of You".

Worldwide sales

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[1]
Rolling Stone[3]
Robert Christgau[4]

Total sales worldwide are 10 million copies. The album sold just under 4 million in the US (4 times platinum) and over 400,000 copies in UK.

Track listing

All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zachary Hanson, with additional writers noted in parentheses.

  1. "Thinking of You" – 3:13
  2. "MMMBop" – 4:28
  3. "Weird" – 4:02 (Desmond Child)
  4. "Speechless" – 4:20 (Stephen Lironi)
  5. "Where's the Love" – 4:13 (Mark Hudson, Sander Salover)
  6. "Yearbook" – 5:29 (Ellen Shipley)
  7. "Look at You" – 4:28 (Stephen Lironi)
  8. "Lucy" – 3:35 (Mark Hudson)
  9. "I Will Come to You" – 4:11 (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
  10. "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson)
  11. "Madeline" – 4:13 (Clif Magness)
  12. "With You in Your Dreams" – 3:56
  13. "Man from Milwaukee" [CD-only hidden track] – 3:38

Note

  • "Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because a live version of "MMMBop" serves as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere. Some later reissues of the album omitted the tracks of silence and make "Man from Milwaukee" a true track 13.

Personnel

Hanson

  • Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals
  • Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, vocals
  • Isaac Hanson – guitar, vocals

Session musicians

  • Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, percussion, programming, producer, keyboards
  • Peter Kent – violin
  • Michael Fischer – percussion
  • Carole Mukogawa – viola
  • John Wittenberg – violin
  • Michito Sanchez – percussion
  • Larry Corbett – cello
  • Steve Richards – cello
  • Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
  • Nick Vincent – drums
  • Endre Granat – violin
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
  • David Campbell – conductor, string arrangements
  • Abraham Laboriel – bass
  • Neil Stubenhaus – bass
  • B.J. Cole – pedal steel
  • Sandy Stein – keyboards
  • Stevie Wonder – harmonica
  • Murray Adler – violin

Other

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[18] 5× Platinum 350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[19] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[20] 2× Platinum 100,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[21] Platinum 250,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[22] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[23] Gold 31,809[23]
France (SNEP)[24] 2× Gold 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[25] Gold 250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[26] Gold 10,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[27] Platinum 238,760^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[28] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[29] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[30] 3× Platinum 45,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[31] Gold 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[32] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[33] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[34] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[36] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[37] Platinum 1,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 David Browne (1997-05-09). "Middle of Nowhere Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  2. ↑ "Allmusic review".
  3. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on March 16, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Hanson".
  5. ↑ Billboard - Google Books. 1997-05-31. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Billboard - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 Billboard - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ lightmedia.hu. "Kereső - előadó/cím szerint - Archívum - Hivatalos magyar slágerlisták". Archived from the original on 2012-12-27.
  9. ↑ Billboard - Google Books. 1997-06-28. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1997a.htm. Retrieved 2014-01-23. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. 1 2 Billboard - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company".
  13. ↑ "IFPI Taiwan - International Top 10 (1997/26)". 18 February 1999. Archived from the original on 18 February 1999.
  14. ↑
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  15. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1997". ARIA. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  18. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  19. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Enter Hanson in the field Interpret. Enter Middle of Nowhere in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen. 
  20. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  21. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Hanson" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  24. ↑ "French album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  25. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hanson; 'Middle of Nowhere')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  26. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1997". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  27. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  28. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Type Hanson in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Midde of Nowhere in the box under TÍTULO
  29. ↑ "Dutch certifications" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.
  30. ↑ THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
  31. ↑ "Polish album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  32. ↑ "Sólo Éxitos 1959-2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1996-1999". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano.
  33. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  34. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Hanson; 'Middle of Nowhere')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Middle of Nowhere in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  36. ↑ "American album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  37. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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