BAM USA
The continuing story of No Doubt… are they happy now?
In November 1995 when No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom was just a few months old, BAM magazine chose the Orange County-based quartet to grace the cover of our semi-annual “Local Music” issue. Now, a year and a half later, No Doubt are back; not only on the cover of BAM but back in town for a two-night stint at their hometown arena, the Anaheim Pond. By Jennifer Schwartz
Needless to say, a lot has happened since the Fall of ‘95. From Details to Rolling Stone, the members of No Doubt have become fodder for a media frenzy for over a year. It’s been almost impossible to avoid stories about the cute little band from Orange County who plugged away for years and years in clubs throughout Southern California, until finally landing a record deal. And as the story goes, after signing with Interscope, they release a self-titled debut which dies on the vine and they are predictably released from their contract. No Doubt are labeless and nearly hopeless as they withstand drastic line-up changes, including the loss of main songwriter Eric Stefani, leadsinger Gwen’s brother. But the band perseveres and are subsequently picked up by Trauma Records (which, incidentally, has a distribution agreement with Interscope). After eight long years of existence No Doubt releases Tragic Kingdom with only humble expectations. It sells 10 million copies worldwide and hits No. 1 on the Billboard album charts for nine weeks. But you probably know this already. Read the rest of this article »
Article from May 16, 1997
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Rolling Stone USA
Gwen Stefani tilts her head down, and her eyes look up, her lips purse, and sometimes an unwatched hand fingers her bare midriff, her expression is somewhere between that of a coy teenage “shall we?” and a cartoon bird looking up, up and away above the wall, wondering if maybe – just maybe – it could fly that high. Wondering if this time it’ll escape its garden prison and flutter to freedom. Pop music history is made up of complicated combinations of dates and troubles and events and dreams and miseries and ambitions (and we will discover plenty of these in the tangles tale of No Doubt), but it’s also made up of single, momentary glances that we will never forget, of the occasional flicker in some singer’s eye. Read the rest of this article »
Article from May 01, 1997
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Guitar USA
No Doubt
Tom Dumont & Tony Kanal signal The End of Modern Rock
One this is for sure. The bell has tolled. Alternative rock is dead. Shut the coffin, tighten the bolts. After some brilliant contributions (Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Sonic Youth) to the music world over the last decade, the flame is now extinguished, sending its last, weakened plume skyward. Eh… better to burn out than fade away, right?
Though “serious” players may be breathing a collective sigh of relief at the news – alternative rock having served as a thorn in the side of many of you for quite a while – its death leaves a few questions unanswered. First how did it die> Wasn’t it just storming the airwaves? Second, what will take its place in the national market? And last, does anybody care? Read the rest of this article »
Article from May 01, 1997
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Details USA
Gwen in doubt
Gwen Stefani’s survived a friend’s suicide, a flop record, and a band that was set on self-destruct. Now she’s a international sex symbol with a hit record, a hip boyfriend, and a whole new set of troubles. By David A. Keeps
Imagine being in high school back in the mid-80s. You play piccolo in the marching band. You hate math. You’re a little shy of confidence and creativity. And a little chubby. One day your older brother brings home a record by a nutty English group called Madness. It’s rad and it totally changes your life. You hang out with the punkers and the mods and start making your own clothes. Then your brother decides to form a band and makes you the lead singer. You are Gwen Stefani, sixteen going on seventeen. Read the rest of this article »
Article from April 01, 1997
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Kerrang! UK
Out! Kerrang!’s roving eye
Lisa Johnson joins No Doubt on the LA set of their ‘Don’t Speak’ video
The biggest rock band in America have just walked into Hollywood’s Triangle Studios. They’ll spend the day here filming the video for their new single. ‘Don’t Speak’, and hanging with friends, family and their top rock star mate, Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear. Then No Doubt will wait for things to go really mad…
… Which they will, given that their ‘Tragic Kingdom’ album has not only made the Number One slot in the US album charts but, propelled inevitably by ‘Don’t Speak’, it’s about to take the rest of the world by storm as well.
To the video, then. The band have already filmed some live footage for it at legendary venue the Roseland in New York City. They’re here today to do the ‘concept’ and studio performance bits with director Sophie Muller, whose previous credits include Hole’s ‘Miss World’ promo. The ‘concept’ bit of the action will involve such things as bassist Tony Kanal sitting bare-chested in a garden and munching on a maggot-infested orange, and a ‘photo session’ scene inspired by the band’s first encounter with Kerrang!. Ahem. Onwards… Read the rest of this article »
Article from February 08, 1997
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