Get the Knack

Get the Knack is the debut album by the Knack, released in June 1979. At the time, the album was one of the most successful debuts in history, selling over one million copies in less than two months and spending five weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The lead single from the album, "My Sharona", was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and number one on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year end chart. The follow-up single, "Good Girls Don't," followed "My Sharona" to #1 on the Canadian Singles Chart, and reached #11 in the U.S.

Background

The Knack formed in Los Angeles in May 1978, and after shopping their demo tape to various record labels without success, the band began playing the local club circuit beginning in June, playing over 50 gigs in the next six months. The band quickly gained a following as word of mouth spread about their energetic shows and musicians such as Ray Manzarek, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen came to their shows and joined the group on stage. By December, thirteen record labels, including some that previously rejected them, were offering recording contracts and the group signed with Capitol Records in January 1979.

The Knack

The Knack was an American rock band based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number-one hit in 1979.

History

Founding (1977–78)

Singer Doug Fieger was a native of Oak Park, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in the 9 Mile/Coolidge area. The brother of attorney Geoffrey Fieger (later known for representing Dr. Jack Kevorkian in a series of assisted suicide cases) Fieger had previously played in an eclectic rock band called Sky as well as the Sunset Bombers. Although Sky had received a modest amount of acclaim, including being produced by Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller, the band broke up without having any chart success. As a result, Fieger made the decision to move to Los Angeles and start another band.

Fieger met the three other original members of the Knack in 1977 and 1978: Berton Averre (lead guitar, backing vocals and keyboards), Prescott Niles (bass), and Bruce Gary (drums). Niles was the last to join, a week before the band's first show in June 1978. In the meantime, Fieger had been doubling on bass on a series of demos that the group had shopped to several record labels, all of which were rejected. Some of these songs later made up the band's debut album Get the Knack, and included "Good Girls Don't".

Cool for Cats (album)

Cool for Cats is the British new wave group Squeeze's second album, released in 1979. Cool for Cats contains four UK hit singles, more than any other album the band has issued. The album peaked at number 45 in the UK Albums Chart, spending 11 weeks in that listing.

Its 1997 CD release, as part of the Six of One... box set contained two bonus tracks. This collection included the band's first six studio albums, each digitally remastered. In 1998 the six CDs were released individually.

Track listing

All songs written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook.

Bonus tracks (1997 reissue)

Personnel

The Knack (1960s California band)

The Knack was an American garage rock and psychedelic band from Los Angeles, California who were active 1960s. They are not to be confused with either the American band of the same name who became popular in the late 1970s, nor the British band of the same name in the 1960s. They were noted for their melodic and instrumental finesse and secured a recording contract with Capitol Records. The band nevertheless failed to break through to a national audience. In the intervening years they have come to the attention of 1960s music collectors and enthusiasts, especially with the release of the Time Waits for No One anthology.

History

The Knack were formed in 1965 at by students at Hollywood High School led by Michael Chain. The original name for the band was the InMates. Their original line-up consisted Mike Chain on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dink Kaplan on lead guitar, and Larry Gould on bass and backing vocals, and Ken Meyers on drums. After traveling on a Shindig road show, the band changed their name to the Knack. Dink Kaplan's older brother played in the Mothers of Invention. Not long after forming, Meyers left the group and was replaced by Pug Baker on drums. The band initially played on the high school circuit, but would advance to the more popular clubs on the Sunset Strip: the Hullabaloo, the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, the Galaxy, the Trip, the Crescendo, Gazzarri’s, It’s Boss, the Cheetah, the Cherokee, the Sea Witch, and others. They were also the first rock group to appear at the Ice House folk room and the Troubadour. The Knack would eventually performed shows at larger venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Palladium, Melody Land, and Carousel.