Wheatus (album)

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album Wheatus is the debut studio album by the American rock band of the same name, released by Columbia Records on August 15, 2000. Written mostly by guitarist and vocalist Brendan B. Brown, it was recorded in the basement of Brown's mother's house, and self-produced by the band with the help of multiple mixing engineers and George Marino as mastering engineer.

In June 2000, "Teenage Dirtbag" was released as the album's first single, and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay Chart and number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. "A Little Respect", an Erasure cover, was released as the second single in July 2001. "Wannabe Gangstar"/"Leroy", a double A-side single, was released in January 2002 as the final single.

Background

Wheatus formed in 1995 after guitarist and vocalist Brendan B. Brown left the skate-pop band Mr. Jones to write his own material.<ref name=Behrman26>Behrman 2000, p. 26</ref> Brown brought in his younger brother, Peter, to play drums<ref name=Wheatusbio/> and Rich Liegey to play bass.<ref name=AMbio/> Peter enjoyed the songs Brendan had written.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> Multi-instrumentalist and engineer Phil A. Jimenez wanted to work with Brown after hearing "Teenage Dirtbag".<ref name=Wheatusbio/> The following week, Jimenez was at band rehearsal, appreciating every song.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> The energy "of the pop elements" in addition to "the story-telling and the social commentary" made Jimenez feel like he "really wanted to be a part of [the band]."<ref name=Wheatusbio/>

Composition

All of the material on Wheatus was written by Brendan B. Brown, except for "Punk Ass Bitch", which was written by bassist Rich Liegey,<ref name=Wheatusbooklet/> and their cover of Erasure's "A Little Respect",<ref name=AM/> which was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell.<ref name=Wheatusbooklet/> The song titles came to Brown first with the subject matter following as he considered the name "an emotional blueprint".<ref name=Wheatusbio/> Brown mentioned that the beat in "Teenage Dirtbag" was "sort of a hip-hop thing" and that the guitars "are definitely heavy metal".<ref name=Pesselnick73/> Brown had the chorus melody and the "oh yeah" section before finishing the song's lyrics, it was "one of those once-in-a-lifetime melodies that works for every reason."<ref name=Pesselnick73/> Brown claimed the song was autobiographical, however, none of the band members "wound up getting the girl in the end. So I guess that's the inspiration—the hope that that happens to someone someday."<ref name=Pesselnick73/>

Talking about "Truffles" and "Wannabe Gangstar", Brown explained that when you're younger "You can't do anything [...]. You have no power; you have no resources. You're subject to everyone else's crap".<ref name=Wheatusbio/> "Sunshine", the first song written for the album, was Brown realizing he was working for the wrong kind of people.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> "Hump'Em N' Dump'Em" was written when the Senate was thinking of impeaching the president.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> "Hey, Mr. Brown" was written after Brown was not being paid for something he had done.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> "Love Is a Mutt from Hell" was about a dysfunctional romance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Wannabe Gangster" was inspired by "white, middle class glorification of inner city problems", according to Brown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Recording

Using the knowledge he gained from being in his former band,<ref name=Wheatusbio>Template:Cite web</ref> Wheatus was recorded in the basement of Brown's mother's house.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> A control room was set up in the dining room, with a one hundred-foot cable leading down to the basement.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> Wheatus was produced and engineered by Wheatus and Philip A. Jimenez.<ref name=Wheatusbooklet/> One of the reasons the band self-produced the album was their idea to take specific sounds from different genres and include them into songs.<ref name=Pesselnick73>Pesselnick 2000, p. 73</ref> Brown explained that "When you're a small band and nothing's going on for you, you can't explain to somebody bigger than you [...] what you want to do. They just won't care."<ref name=Pesselnick73/> New York-based band Soul Coughing had a big influence on the production of the album.<ref name=wow247>Template:Cite web</ref>

Despite the multitude of electric guitar tones, no electric guitars were used in the recording process.<ref name=GuitarPlayer>Template:Cite web</ref> The tones originate from Brown's acoustic Martin guitar, which is set up through two preamplifiers which are connected to their own power amplifiers.<ref name=GuitarPlayer/> Brown can swap between the preamplifiers with the aid of an expression pedal so that he is able to "swell into a distortion sound while fading out the clean tone".<ref name=GuitarPlayer/> Brown claimed he does not know "[that] many guitar players", thus he took three different guitar sounds that he enjoyed and merged them into his sound.<ref name=GuitarPlayer/> Jimenez provided percussion, harmonica and banjo.<ref name=Wheatusbio/> David Thoener mixed almost all of the tracks apart from "Wannabe Gangstar", which was mixed by Brown, and "A Little Respect", which was mixed by Richard A. LaSalvia.<ref name=Wheatusbooklet/> The album was mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York.<ref name=Wheatusbooklet/>

Release

Wheatus was named artist of week at billboardtalentnet.com in February 2000.<ref name=Paoletta22/> In March, Wheatus signed to Columbia.<ref>"Billboard Talent Net" 2000, p. 19</ref> Liegey left the band prior to the release of Wheatus<ref name=AM/> and was replaced by Mike McCabe in July,<ref name=AMbio>Template:Cite web</ref> who left his job as a flight attendant to join the band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Teenage Dirtbag" was released as a single on July 18.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The music video, directed by Jeff Gordon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was nominated for Best Video at the Kerrang! Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The song was given extra promotion due to its inclusion on the soundtrack to the film Loser (2000).<ref name=Paoletta22/> According to an issue of Billboard dated July 2000 Wheatus was the most-download artist at billboardtalentnet.com.<ref name=Paoletta22>Paoletta, ed. 2000, p. 22</ref> In the same issue, it mentioned that the band's debut album was planned to be called Teenage Dirtbag and was set for release on August 1.<ref name=Paoletta22/> Instead, Wheatus was released through Columbia on August 15.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="nb">US Columbia 62146<ref>Template:Cite web</ref></ref> In September, the band toured the US.<ref>Hay 2000, p. 22</ref>

Wheatus toured the UK in April 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "A Little Respect" was released as a single on July 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The music video, directed by Brendan Malloy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is about how a boyfriend fails to impress his girlfriend until Wheatus stages a private concert for the pair.<ref name=ALRvideo>Template:Cite web</ref> It features Shawn Hatosy and Brittany Murphy.<ref name=ALRvideo/> Wheatus tour the UK again in November and December 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A double A-side single of "Wannabe Gangstar" and "Leroy" was released on January 22, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The music video for "Wannabe Gangstar" was directed by Gordon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the video for "Leroy" was directed by Mark Hartley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A remixed version of "Wannabe Ganstar" featuring Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson was released earlier on January 7.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March, Brown asked Shannon Harris to join the band as a keyboardist.<ref name=DavisLaing339>Davis; Laing 2006, p. 339</ref> Tired of being a session musician, Harris accepted.<ref name=DavisLaing339/> Harris moved to New York and lived with Brown.<ref name=DavisLaing339/> The band toured the UK in June.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception and legacy

Template:Music ratings "Teenage Dirtbag" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart<ref name=UKcharts>Template:Cite web</ref> and number seven on the US Alternative Songs chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Wheatus charted at number 76 in the US<ref name=Bill200>Template:Cite web</ref> and number seven in the UK.<ref name=UKcharts/> In February 2001, the "Teenage Dirtbag" single was certified silver in the UK and in the following month it was certified gold.<ref name=BPI/> The album was certified silver in the UK in April 2001.<ref name=BPI>Template:Cite web Enter Wheatus in the field Search. Select Artist in the field Search by. Click Search</ref> The following month, it was certified gold in the UK.<ref name=BPI/> "A Little Respect" peaked at number 3 in the UK.<ref name=UKcharts/> By August, the album had sold one million copies worldwide.<ref>Taylor 2001, p. 18</ref> "Wannabe Gangstar"/"Leroy" peaked at number 22 in the UK.<ref name=UKcharts/>

In July 2013, the album was certified platinum in the UK, as was the "Teenage Dirtbag" single.<ref name=BPI/> The single is also certified three times platinum in Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2014, the "A Little Respect" single was certified silver.<ref name=BPI/> By August 2015, the album had sold over five million copies worldwide.<ref name=llanellistar>Template:Cite web</ref> Discussing the album's legacy, Brown revealed that the recognition "did not initially happen in America. At home we were a bit under the radar. Most people at the label didn't really understand how we fitted, or didn't fit, into what was happening in music at the time."<ref name=Bristolpost>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref> The band played the album in full in the UK in September and October<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with support from Mike Doughty and The Hipstones.<ref name=Bristolpost/>

Track listing

All songs written by Brendan Brown, except where noted.<ref name=Wheatusbooklet/> Template:Track listing Template:Hidden begin

"I'd Never Write a Song About You" – 3:38
"Pretty Girl" – 4:29
"Hey, Mr. Brown" (with Club Audience) – 2:22
"Sunshine" (remix) – 2:52
"A Little Respect" (David Thoener mix #1) – 3:25
"Teenage Dirtbag" (live at the Chapel) – 4:43
"Leroy" (live at the Chapel) – 3:40
"Wannabe Gangstar" (live at the Chapel) – 4:01
"Truffles" (live at the Chapel) – 3:51
"Sunshine" (X-ecutioners remix) – 2:52
"Pretty Girl" (live at the Chapel) – 5:01
"Wannabe Gangstar" (Soulchild radio remix)
"Wannabe Gangstar" (featuring Bruce Dickinson)
"Leroy" (Brendan's mix)
"Leroy" (live from V festival, 2001)
"Hey, Mr. Brown" (live from V festival, 2001)
"Pretty Girl" (Virgin radio acoustic version)
"Hey, Mr. Brown" (live in Australia) – 2:11
"Leroy" (edit) – 3:05

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Personnel

Personnel per booklet.<ref name=Wheatusbooklet>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Wheatus

Brendan B. Brown – vocals, guitar
Rich Liegey – vocals, bass guitar
Peter Brown – drums, backing vocals, additional percussion
Philip A. Jimenez – percussion, keyboards, harmonica, banjo<ref name=Wheatusbio/>

Additional musician

Pippi Longscratchings – scratching on "Teenage Dirtbag"

Template:Col-2 Production

Wheatus – producer, engineer
David Thoener – mixing (except "Wannabe Gangstar" and "A Little Respect")
Brendan B. Brown – mixing on "Wannabe Gangstar"
Richard A. LaSalvia – mixing on "A Little Respect"
George Marino – mastering
Gary Montalvo – art direction, design
Gail Marowitz – art direction
Raphael Fuchs – photographs
Jeffrey Bender – photographs

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Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (2001)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Cbignore</ref>	55
Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen Soundscan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	27
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	76

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Year-end charts

Chart (2001)	Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	45
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	73
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	53
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	65