They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. The duo's current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. The group is best known for an unconventional and experimental style of alternative music. Over their career, they have found success on the modern rock and CMJ charts. More recently they have also found success in children's music, and in theme music for several television programs and films.

TMBG have released 18 studio albums. Flood has been certified platinum and their children's music albums Here Come the ABCs, Here Come the 123s, and Here Comes Science have all been certified gold. The band has won two Grammy Awards, one in 2002 for their song "Boss of Me", which served as the theme to Malcolm in the Middle. They won their second in 2009 for Here Come the 123s. The band has sold over 4 million records.

They Might Be Giants (album)

They Might Be Giants, sometimes called The Pink Album, is the eponymous debut album from Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants. It was released by Bar/None in 1986. The album generated two singles, "Don't Let's Start" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective". It is included on Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety, with the exception of "Don't Let's Start", which is replaced with the single mix for the compilation.

"Don't Let's Start", one of the album's two singles, is often cited as a key track in the band's catalogue, and its success contributed positively to the sale of the album. As a result of this prominence, when the band made the move to the major label Elektra Records, "Don't Let's Start" was reissued in Europe with alternative B-sides.

In July 2014, the band released a live version of the album at no charge on NoiseTrade. All the songs were recorded during the band's 2013 tour.

Recording

They Might Be Giants was the second album to be released on the fledgling Bar/None label, with They Might Be Giants as the second group signed to the independent label. Many of the songs on the album existed in a demo form on the band's 1985 demo tape, which was also technically self-titled, though many were re-recorded or brought into new mixes for the commercial album. The material from the tape was recorded at Studio PASS in New York City with the assistance of Alex Noyes, who permitted the band to use the studio after it closed each day. Additional recording and mixing was done at Dubway Studio.

They Might Be Giants (film)

They Might Be Giants is a 1971 film based on the play of the same name (both written by James Goldman) starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. Sometimes mistakenly described as a Broadway play, it never in fact opened in the USA. It was directed in London by Joan Littlewood in 1961, but Goldman believed he "never got the play right" and forbade further productions or publication of the script. Upon the film's release, however, he did authorize an illustrated paperback tie-in edition of the screenplay, published by Lancer Books.

The movie later lent its name to a popular music group.

Plot summary

Justin Playfair (Scott) is a millionaire who retreats into fantasy after his wife's death, imagining himself to be Sherlock Holmes, the legendary fictional detective. Complete with deerstalker hat, pipe and violin, he spends his days in a homemade criminal laboratory, constantly paranoid about plots hatched by his (Holmes's) archenemy, Professor Moriarty.

When his brother (Lester Rawlins) tries to place Justin under observation in a mental institution so he can get power of attorney, Justin attracts the attention of Dr Mildred Watson (Woodward), a psychiatrist who becomes fascinated by his case. Justin demonstrates a knack for what Holmes describes as "deduction" (technically better categorized as abductive reasoning) and walks out of the institution during the ensuing confusion. Watson comes to his home to attempt treatment. Playfair is initially dismissive of Watson's attempts to psychoanalyze him, but when he hears her name, he enthusiastically incorporates her into his life as Doctor Watson to his Holmes.