Middle of Nowhere (album)

Middle of Nowhere is the debut studio album by American pop rock group Hanson, and the first to be released on a major label, which was Polygram Records and Mercury Records. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang and MMMBop. The band members were between the ages of 11 and 16 when it was released. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, was not performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic on May 5, 2007.

Middle of Nowhere
Studio album by
Hanson
ReleasedMay 6, 1997 (1997-05-06)
RecordedJuly – November 1996, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length53:41
Label
Producer
  • The Dust Brothers
  • Stephen Lironi
Hanson chronology
MMMBop
(1996)		 Middle of Nowhere
(1997)		 Snowed In
(1997)
Singles from Middle of Nowhere
  1. "MMMBop"
    Released: April 15, 1997
  2. "Where's the Love"
    Released: September 1997
  3. "I Will Come to You"
    Released: November 10, 1997
  4. "Weird"
    Released: March 1998
  5. "Thinking of You"
    Released: July 1998

The album was well received by critics. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."[1]

Middle of Nowhere yielded five singles: "MMMBop", "Where's the Love", "I Will Come to You", "Weird", and "Thinking of You".

Worldwide sales
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[1]
Rolling Stone[3]
Robert Christgau[4]

Total sales worldwide are 10 million copies. The album sold just under 4 million in the US (4 times platinum) and over 400,000 copies in UK.

Track listing

All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zachary Hanson, with additional writers noted in parentheses.

  1. "Thinking of You" – 3:13
  2. "MMMBop" – 4:28
  3. "Weird" – 4:02 (Desmond Child)
  4. "Speechless" – 4:20 (Stephen Lironi)
  5. "Where's the Love" – 4:13 (Mark Hudson, Sander Salover)
  6. "Yearbook" – 5:29 (Ellen Shipley)
  7. "Look at You" – 4:28 (Stephen Lironi)
  8. "Lucy" – 3:35 (Mark Hudson)
  9. "I Will Come to You" – 4:11 (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
  10. "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson)
  11. "Madeline" – 4:13 (Clif Magness)
  12. "With You in Your Dreams" – 3:56
  13. "Man from Milwaukee" [CD-only hidden track] – 3:38

Note

  • "Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because a remix of "MMMBop" serves as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere. Some later reissues of the album in some locales including the remastered version omitted the tracks of silence and make "Man from Milwaukee" a true track 13.

Personnel

Hanson

  • Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals
  • Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, vocals
  • Isaac Hanson – guitar, vocals

Session musicians

  • Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, percussion, programming, producer, keyboards
  • Peter Kent – violin
  • Michael Fischer – percussion
  • Carole Mukogawa – viola
  • John Wittenberg – violin
  • Mike Shawcross – percussion
  • Michito Sanchez – percussion
  • Larry Corbett – cello
  • Steve Richards – cello
  • Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
  • Nick Vincent – drums
  • Endre Granat – violin
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
  • David Campbell – conductor, string arrangements
  • Abraham Laboriel – bass
  • Neil Stubenhaus – bass
  • B.J. Cole – pedal steel
  • Sandy Stein – keyboards
  • Mark Hudson[5] – harmonica
  • Murray Adler – violin

Other

  • Roger Love – vocal director
  • Margery Greenspan – art direction
  • Steve Greenberg – executive producer
  • Barry Mann – vocal director
  • Marina Chavez – photography
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • The Dust Brothers – programming, producer
  • Mark Hudson – vocal director

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[19] 5× Platinum 350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[20] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[21] 2× Platinum 100,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[22] Platinum 250,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[23] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Czech Republic[24] Platinum Expression error: Missing operand for *.
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[25] Platinum 50,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[26] Gold 31,809[26]
France (SNEP)[27] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[28] Gold 250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[29] Gold 10,000*
Ireland (IRMA)[30] Gold 7,500^
Italy (FIMI)[31] Gold 50,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[32] Platinum 238,760^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[33] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[34] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] 3× Platinum 45,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[36] Gold 25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[37] Gold 50,000*
Portugal (AFP)[38] Gold 20,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[39] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[40] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[41] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[43] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[44] Platinum 1,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. David Browne (1997-05-09). "Middle of Nowhere Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  2. "Allmusic review".
  3. "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on March 16, 2009.
  4. "Robert Christgau: CG: Hanson".
  5. https://www.allmusic.com/album/middle-of-nowhere-mw0000593353/credits
  6. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-05-31. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  7. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-07-05. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  8. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-07-19. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  9. lightmedia.hu. "Kereső - előadó/cím szerint - Archívum - Hivatalos magyar slágerlisták". Archived from the original on 2012-12-27.
  10. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-06-28. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  11. Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1997: Altri. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  12. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-08-30. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company".
  14. "IFPI Taiwan - International Top 10 (1997/26)". 18 February 1999. Archived from the original on 18 February 1999.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  16. "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1997". ARIA. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  17. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  18. Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  19. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  20. "Austrian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  21. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  22. "Brazilian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  23. "Canadian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  24. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  25. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  26. "Hanson" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  27. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  28. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hanson; 'Middle of Nowhere')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  29. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1997". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  30. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  31. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  32. "Japanese album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  33. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Type Hanson in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Midde of Nowhere in the box under TÍTULO
  34. "de branchevereniging van de entertainmentindustrie". Archived from NVPI the original Check |url= value (help) on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-08-17. Note: User needs to enter "Hanson" in the "Artiest" field and click below "zoek" button.
  35. "New Zealand album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  36. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  37. "Polish album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  38. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  39. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-23.pdf
  40. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  41. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Hanson; 'Middle of Nowhere')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  42. "British album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Middle of Nowhere in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  43. "American album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  44. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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