Ben Folds Five
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| Ben Folds Five | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| Genre(s) | Piano rock |
| Years active | 1993 - 2000 |
| Label(s) | Passenger Caroline 550 |
| Associated acts | Ben Folds Fear of Pop Hotel Lights International Orange Caleb Southern Fleming and John |
| Website | benfoldsfive.com |
| Former members | |
| Ben Folds Robert Sledge Darren Jessee |
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Ben Folds Five (1993–2000) was a trio formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina who were a mainstay of piano rock until their breakup in 2000. Much of their work was influenced by jazz, evident in frequent improv-styled passages through bridge and/or ending. Ben Folds was the lead singer, pianist, and main composer, Robert Sledge played bass, and Darren Jessee played drums and co-wrote some of the songs, most notably the chorus to "Brick". Sledge and Jessee also delivered backup vocals.
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[edit] History
Ben Folds Five was formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill by Ben Folds. They were, in fact, a trio in spite of their name, and the primary motivation behind the name, apart from the band's well-known use of humor, was simple preference, according to Ben: "I think it sounds better than Ben Folds Three".[1]
Their first radio single was "Underground" from their self-titled debut album, but their biggest success was the single "Brick" from their second album, Whatever and Ever Amen, released in 1997.
Folds once described their music as "punk rock for sissies", a reaction to the angst prevalent in 90s rock.[2]
The group also contributed an unreleased studio song, "Leather Jacket", to the 1999 benefit album, No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees.
After the band's reportedly amicable break-up in October 2000,[3] Folds began a successful solo career, Robert Sledge took up singing and bass playing duties with International Orange (which broke up in 2005), and Darren Jessee now fronts the band Hotel Lights.
According to Australian Radio Host Andy Lee, the band announced its decision to break up after their performance on The Late Show with David Letterman on July 19, 2000. It was apparently Will Ferrell who broke the awkward silence after the decision was made (Ferrell was a guest on the show that night).[clarify][citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Ben Folds Five (1995) - Passenger/Caroline Records
- Whatever and Ever Amen (1997, digitally remastered in 2005) - 550
- Naked Baby Photos (1998) - Passenger/Caroline
- The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999) - 550
[edit] Singles
- "Underground" (1996) #37 UK
- "Where's Summer, B?" (1996)
- "Battle of Who Could Care Less" (1997) #26 UK
- "Kate" (1997) #39 UK
- "Brick" (1998) #26 UK; #11 US AC, #6 US Modern Rock
- "Song for the Dumped" (1998)
- "Army" (1999) #28 UK
- "Don't Change Your Plans" (1999)
[edit] DVDs
- Ben Folds Five - Live at Sessions at West 54th (1999) - Epic Music Video
[edit] Others
- Godzilla OST (1998) (Contributed track "Air")
[edit] See also
- Ben Folds
- Hotel Lights
- International Orange
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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