Source: Teen People with Will Smith on the cover - August 1999
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader ALFAYEZ3@aol.com for sending this in.
By: Linda Friedman Photographs by Jan Sonnenmair
This Backstreet's Boy dream was
to fly with the Blue Angels. Fasten your seat belts as he shares the ride
of his life.
He has logged countless frequent
flyer miles on your with the
Backstreet Boys, but Kevin Richardson
had long fantasized
about taking off on his own - in
a fighter plane. So when the U.S.
Navy invited one of the boys to
take a flight with the Blue
Angels, they didn't draw straws.
"The guys know about my flying
dreams - eventually I'm going to
get my private license," says
Kevin 28. "So they said, "You go
ahead." But when the big day
came, the boys dared for their
eldest member. "Everybody
asked, 'Is that dangerous?" he
says. "I was like, "They're
trained military pilots. "I'm in
the safest hands possible!"
Up, up and away
Still, nothing could have prepared
Kevin for his briefing, when
Pettey Officer Ed primeau told
him about the infamous "party
bags." (They're like airsickness
bags on a commercial airliner,
but there are eight of them - and
after you've filled them, the
only place to stash them is in
your pockets.) First - timers usually need the party bags because their
bodies aren't used to the gravitational
pull, measured as G-forces encountered at high speeds in the air.
But Kevin didn't flinch at the
prospect. "I'm a little nervous," he says "But I'm excited."
There are some captions from the pictures:
Kevin has been waiting lifetime
for this moment. His (and cousin Brian Littrell's) grandfather Harold
Littrell used to take him out to
the airport in Lexington, Ky., when he was little. "We'd sit and watch
planes
land," remembers Kevin. "He took
me to my first air show."
Ed reminds Kevin of the three rules
for flying with the Blue Angels: First don't bring any carry - on
baggage (such as sunglasses, cell
phones or cameras); second, don't touch any controls unless the pilot
says its okay; finally, have fun!
Pulling Stunts: "On commercial flight,
takeoff and landing are the most exciting things," says Kevin "I did
some rolls and loops. We went through
canyons. We went on a high-speed run at 650 miles per hour. We
did a high speed turn at seven
G's. There was a ton of pressure on my body - it felt like elephant or
a
whale was sitting on me!"
The Roll: "When you do a quick roll,
you don't even feel it," says Kevin "But we did a four - point roll
where you stop on the side and
then stop upside down. The we did one where we went a long way upside
down, and I was just hanging there.
That's when I started sweating!"
Back On Solid Ground: "I got a little
queasy, and my vision got kind of gray, but I didn't pass out," says
Kevin. And what about those party
bags? "I broke them out," he confesses.
Graduation: Lt. Hoskins, who flew
with Kevin, presents him with his flight certificate and a video so that
he can relive his hour in the air.
Later, Kevin returned the favor by signing autographs for several of the
pilots' daughters.
Extra Credit: "Keith said, ' This
is your flight. If there's something you want to you, I don't want you
to
get on the ground wishing you had
done it," Kevin says "There was one thing I wanted to do: A simulation
of a dog fight, which is when you
have to get away from somebody on your tail. He showed me a maneuver
where you bank, turn pull up look
and then get behind him."
Yessss!: So how does flying with
the Blue Angels compare to flying on a commercial jet? Kevin's report:
"It's the difference between riding
in a station wagon and riding in a Lamborghini!"
Source: Billboard Magazine: Daily Music News Index http://www.billboard.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Liquid Fluid for sending this in.
Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync will
be the first groups featured in the new "Puzzles In Motion" CD-ROM
musical game series from Ravensburger
Interactive, Determined Productions, and Enteractive
Distribution Co. The Backstreet
Boys title hits stores later this month, while the 'N Sync game debuts
in
late fall. Prices for the game
were not available.
In other 'N Sync news, the RCA group
will perform its new duet with Gloria Estefan, "Music Of My
Heart," Aug. 12 on the FOX Teen
Awards. The inspirational ballad, written by Diane Warren, will be
featured in the Miramax film of
the same name, which will open Oct. 15 in theaters across the U.S.
The single will be commercially
available tomorrow, while the Epic soundtrack to the movie will street
Sept. 14. The soundtrack will contain
both the regular version of the song as well as a remix by Estefan's
producer/husband, Emilio.
In addition, 'N Sync is currently
on a North America tour that wraps Sept. 4 in Toronto. Dates for
Backstreet Boys' U.S. fall outing
are expected to be announced shortly.
Carrie Bell, L.A.
Source: Yahoo! News http://dailynews.yahoo.com
Wednesday July 28 09:25 PM EDT
This season may be remembered as
the Summer of the Teens, as the pop charts continue to be dominated
by the likes of the Backstreet
Boys, whose Millennium remained at No. 1 for a second straight week with
sales of 244,000.
Adolescents also flexed their unusually
focused buying power to keep Ricky Martin entrenched at No. 3
with sales of 165,000 and Britney
Spears at No. 4 with 137,000 units. Preteens and teens don't always
have this much chart clout, their
summer entertainment spending is extremely diverse.
Rap-rock group Limp Bizkit, at No.
2 with sales of 235,000 copies of Significant Other, appears to be an
exception, but they too have a
fairly young audience. The group may also have been boosted by their
Woodstock appearance, though their
set was marred by sound-system problems.
Kid Rock was one of the few unqualified
winners from the troubled festival that ended in riot. He turned
in a show-stopping performance
that was rewarded with sales of 96,000 and a jump from No. 11 to No. 7
for his Devil Without a Cause.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who saw
the Woodstock crowd torch the venue during their encore, remained
at No. 8 with sales of 94,000 units.
Live appearances also helped other
Top 10 acts for the week ended July 24. Sarah McLachlan's
Mirrorball spun up two spots to
No. 5, as her Lilith Fair tour hits its stride, and Smash Mouth's Astro
Lounge soared from No. 10 to No.
6 after being part of baseball's All-Star Game activities.
The Wild Wild West soundtrack continued
south, dropping three spots to No. 9 on sales of 88,000,
according to industry sources.
Too $hort rounded out the Top 10 with Can't Stay Away.
The top debut of the lazy week was
Long Island rap duo EPMD, whose retirement album Out of Business
sold 72,000 for a No. 13 showing.
Powerman 5000's Tonight The Stars Revolt! came in at No. 46, while
Los Lobos' This Time howled at
No. 135.
Source: Billboard http://www.billboard.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Sweetie97@collegeclub.com for sending this in.
by Julie Taraska
The dog days of summer have hit
the Billboard 200, with Backstreet Boys' "Millennium" (Jive) Limp
Bizkit's "Significant Other" (Flip/Interscope),
and Ricky Martin's self-titled (C2/Columbia/CRG opus)
remaining in the chart's top three
spots for another week. The sets sold 245,000, 235,000, and 165,000
units, respectively, according
to SoundScan. This week's highest debut is by rap duo EPMD, whose "Out
Of Business" (Def Jam/UMG) enters
the chart ar No 13. Other top bows include Powerman 5000's
"Tonight The Stars Revolt!" (DreamWorks/Interscope,
No 46; the various-artist set "WoW -- The 90s:
30 Top Christian Songs of the Decade"
(Word/Epic), No 84; and Los Lobos "This Time" (Hollywood), No
135. Over in the Billboard Hot
100, Christina Aguilera keeps the top spot with "Genie In A Bottle" (RCA).
Moving up to No 2 is Destiny's
Child with "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Columbia), while K-Ci & JoJo's "Tell
Me It's
Real" (MCA) leaps up 13 spaces
to No 3. On top Internet Album Sales, Limp Bizkit's "Significant Other"
(Flip/Interscope) leads the pack.
Most of the usual suspects -- Sarah McLachlan, Backstreet Boys, Ricky
Martin -- turn up in the top 10,
although some surprising appearances on the chart include Sugar Ray's
"14:59" (Lava/Atlantic) at No 8,
Santana's "Supernatural" (Arista) at No 9, and the various-artist set
"Return Of the Grievous Angel:
A Tribute To Gram Parsons" (Almo Sounds/Interscope) at No 19.
Backstreet's 'Millennium' Extends Its Reign
Source: Billboard http://www.billboard.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Sweetie97@collegeclub.com for sending this in.
by Julie Taraska
The dog days of summer have hit
the Billboard 200, with Backstreet Boys' "Millennium" (Jive) Limp
Bizkit's "Significant Other" (Flip/Interscope),
and Ricky Martin's self-titled (C2/Columbia/CRG opus)
remaining in the chart's top three
spots for another week. The sets sold 245,000, 235,000, and 165,000
units, respectively, according
to SoundScan. This week's highest debut is by rap duo EPMD, whose "Out
Of Business" (Def Jam/UMG) enters
the chart ar No 13. Other top bows include Powerman 5000's
"Tonight The Stars Revolt!" (DreamWorks/Interscope,
No 46; the various-artist set "WoW -- The 90s:
30 Top Christian Songs of the Decade"
(Word/Epic), No 84; and Los Lobos "This Time" (Hollywood), No
135. Over in the Billboard Hot
100, Christina Aguilera keeps the top spot with "Genie In A Bottle" (RCA).
Moving up to No 2 is Destiny's
Child with "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Columbia), while K-Ci & JoJo's "Tell
Me It's
Real" (MCA) leaps up 13 spaces
to No 3. On top Internet Album Sales, Limp Bizkit's "Significant Other"
(Flip/Interscope) leads the pack.
Most of the usual suspects -- Sarah McLachlan, Backstreet Boys, Ricky
Martin -- turn up in the top 10,
although some surprising appearances on the chart include Sugar Ray's
"14:59" (Lava/Atlantic) at No 8,
Santana's "Supernatural" (Arista) at No 9, and the various-artist set
"Return Of the Grievous Angel:
A Tribute To Gram Parsons" (Almo Sounds/Interscope) at No 19.
IWITW To Be Retired From TRL
Source:
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Sabrina for sending this in.
I think I was watching TRL on Monday
the 26 or Tuesday 27th of July 1999, when Carson announced that
BSB's video "IWITW" was on for
18 or 19 straight days. I was like "YAYYYYYY!!!" and then he announced
if BSB could possibly beat NSYNC's
"IDMC" which set the record for 26 straight days. i was thinking
probably they will beat NSYNC...
until the next day... The next day while watching TRL and just before
showing the number 1 video - Backstreet
Boy's "IWITW" - Carson Daily had more news on BSB, so i was
wondering what it was. Turns out
that BSB has been on for 61 days straight, so they have to retire them
in 4 days, like all videos - at
65 shown times. I was VERY sad because now they wouldn't have a chance
to
beat NSYNC's record - until their
next video - but i was also on the happy side because they'll probably
retire at number 1 for 23 straight
days... UNTIL today... Thursday, July 29 1999 : i was waiting for the
number 1 requested video - and
i was guessing Backstreet Boys with all the news that they will retire
Tuesday, August 3, and that they
were still at the number 1 position for 19 straight days trying to break
NSYNC record - which will unfortunatly
never happen - and that they will stay at number 1, hopefully, until
they retire. Well guess what? Carson
had surprising new about the number 2 & 1 video. I was guessing "if
it's so surprising, it'd probably
be bad news about the number 1 spot, unless he was just joking around."
And so i had it right... BSB fell
out of the #1 spot and went to number two - JUST BEFORE their
announced retirement in 3 days!!
I was sooooo sad and sorta mad because i was asking myself "how could
they fall just before retirement?".
I'm guessing that there were rigged votes for Limp BizKit's "Nookie",
but who knows? Well you and I can't
do anything about it - we just have to wait and see what happens -
and if all goes well, BackStreet
Boys will eventually go back to number 1 and retire there. ^^
contact me, Sabrina at bsb2000_@hotmail.com
- ESPECIALLY if you just want to talk about BSB w/me
through email!!
Source: MTV http://www.mtv.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader
ScherrBear@aol.com for sending this in.
On Thursday, July 29, 1999, Limp
Bizkit beat out the Backstreet Boys for the number one spot on MTV's
Total Request Live, breaking the
Boys' 19 day streak at the top spot. The video will be retired from TRL
in a few days, and they deserve
to go out with a bang. Even though we can't persuade MTV to keep the
video on, because it has run it's
course, we can at least return it to the number one spot.
Source: Billboard http://www.billboard.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Shuilee@aol.com for sending this in.
According to Billboard, the BSB
Disney special got the second-highest ratings for a music special in the
channel's history! And the "Homecoming-
Live in Orlando" concert, already shown on PPV and Showtime,
was the most watched concert special
on the Fox Family Channel!
Backstreet Boys Hold On To Number One In Quiet Chart Week
Source: MTV News http://www.mtv.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Ting Ting Fu for sending this in.
With only one debut in the top 40,
little charges on the "Billboard" album chart next week as the
Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizkit, Ricky
Martin, and Britney Spears hold onto the top four spots once again.
The titles at one through four remain
unchanged as the boys of Backstreet retain the top spot after
selling another 244,000 copies
of "Millennium." Limp Bizkit stays at number two for a second straight
week after moving an additional
235,000 copies of "Significant Other." Ricky and Britney follow as
Martin's self-titled album sold
another 165,000 copies to hold on to number three, while Britney's "Baby
One More Time" tacked another 137,000
onto its sales total to stay at number four.
The biggest threat to the top of
the charts came from Smash Mouth, whose "Astro Lounge" got a healthy
bounce from the band's recent appearance
as part of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game festivities.
The album's sales inflated from
95,000 last week to just under 100,000 this week to jump from number
10 to number six on the chart.
The highest debut of the week come
at number 13, where EPMD's farewell compilation "Out Of Business"
turns up after selling more than
72,000 copies in week one. Other notable debuts include Powerman
5000's "Tonight The Stars Revolt!"
at 46, Los Lobos' "This Time" at 134, the soundtrack to "Whiteboys"
at 145, and Tal Bachman's self-titled
album at 189.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times http://www.suntimes.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Vanessa L. for sending this in.
July 27, 1999
BY JAE-HA KIM STAFF REPORTER
[This actually happened a couple of months ago although the Sun-Times carried it on the 27'th of July]
Backstreet Boys fans take note.
Teen People tagged along with heartthrob Kevin Richardson as he
realized his dream to fly with
the Blue Angels.
Richardson said when the U.S. Navy
offered one of the Boys the opportunity, they all knew he would be
the one to go up, up and away.
"The guys know about my flying dreams," Richardson says in the article.
"Eventually I'm going to get my
private license. Everybody asked, `Is that dangerous?' I was like,
`They're trained military pilots.
I'm in the safest hands possible!' "
FYI: Richardson didn't pass out,
but he did make good use of the "party" bags.
Source: Sophia bsb_millennium99@yahoo.com
Ever since MTV showed Offspring
beating up dummies of the BSB at Woodstock, BSB fans have been in
a frenzy. Why? I'm a huge BSB fan,
but I understand that it was a JOKE. There will always be people who
won't like the type of music you
listen to. So what? Maybe the reason the Offspring did that was to tick
off BSB fans and they have obviously
succeeded in doing that.
Whatever the reason, just get over
it! I'm sorry for sounding rude, but I'm sick of fans complaining
about this. BSB are #1 in our hearts,
but other people may not see that, so we just have to ignore them.
Sophia
Source: MTV News http://www.mtv.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Amy J Byrnes for sending this in.
7.27.99 10:00 EST Backstreet Boys Go Back To School With Sears
Backstreet Boys
A.J. in Toughskins?
The Backstreet Boys recently shot
a television commercial for Sears based on the 1964 Beatles' film
classic, "A Hard Day's Night."
The small-screen pitch for the department store sees the quintet pursued
by a mob of teenage fans (a stretch,
to be sure), ducking into restaurants and double-decker buses for
reprieve.
The adverts will run in August and
promote Sears' back-to-school sweepstakes in which fans will have the
chance to win a $2000 shopping
spree with their favorite B-Boy and a trip for four to the BSBs'
December 1 tour closer in Tampa,
Florida.
The spot was helmed by director
Nigel Dick, the auteur behind Britney Spears' "Sometimes" and "Baby
One More Time" videos.
The Boys are currently on tour in
Europe and are set to launch the U.S. leg in mid-September.
Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium Tour
Source: Sears, Roebuck and Co. http://www.sears.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Darlene for sending this in.
Monday July 26, 3:39 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears Launches New Marketing Campaign
for the 'Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into The
Millennium Tour'
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 26 /PRNewswire/
-- Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S - news) today
unveiled its national integrated
marketing campaign that exclusively features the Backstreet Boys. Sears,
the presenting sponsor of the group's
fall North American tour -- Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into
The Millennium -- will use the
campaign throughout August, focused on national back-to-school in-store
promotions taking place Aug. 1-15.
As a part of the integrated marketing
campaign, Sears produced a promotional television commercial
which, as a take-off of the 1960s
Beatles movie ``A Hard Day's Night,'' shows a mob of female fans
pursuing the five Backstreet Boys
through the city as they duck into restaurants and double-decker
buses. Like a modern version of
Beatlemania, the Backstreet Boys have inspired loyal fans around the
world to catapult the band to record-breaking
success.
The 30-second ad promotes Sears
back-to-school sweepstakes, which will give five fans each the chance
to win a $2,000 Sears shopping
spree with their favorite Backstreet Boy and a trip for four to the
group's final tour concert, Dec.
1 in Tampa. Each of the five winners will receive airfare, hotel
accommodations, four front row
concert tickets and the opportunity to meet the group backstage.
The Sears Backstreet Boys sweepstakes
ad will run from Aug. 1-15 during teen-oriented programming on
network and cable television, including
MTV, WNBA games and the Teen Choice Awards, Aug. 12 on Fox.
The sweepstakes also will be supported
by Sears through point-of-sale signage, a Sears direct mailer on
Aug. 4, and Sears Sunday newspaper
inserts on Aug. 1 and Aug. 8.
The sweepstakes television spot
features exclusive use of the Backstreet Boys song, ``Larger Than
Life,'' which also will appear
as background music for a series of 15- and 30-second back-to-school ads
for Sears merchandise including
athletic shoes, nylon pants, and private apparel brand Canyon River Blues.
The ads, produced by Young &
Rubicam of New York and Chicago, are directed by Nigel Dick of Los
Angeles-based A Band Apart. Dick
is a Billboard award-winning director known for translating the spirit
of music to film.
In-store video spots highlighting
the Backstreet Boys tour sponsorship will run nationally in Sears stores
August through November on televisions
in the consumer electronics department ``Wall of Eyes'' and in
the Mainframe juniors shopping
area. Backstreet Boys merchandise, including licensed apparel, T-shirts
and hats, will be sold in more
than 450 Sears stores in tour markets. In addition, Sears will support
the
sponsorship with a cause-related
program extending to all tour markets. Wunderman, Cato Johnson,
Chicago, is providing sales promotion
and eventing, and Donnellon Public Relations, Chicago, is publicizing
all aspects of Sears Backstreet
Boys sponsorship.
Sears will support the integrated
marketing campaign with two gift with purchase promotions. A different
Backstreet Boys poster will be
offered during each week of the sweepstakes promotion with any $35
purchase in select departments.
Additionally, a tip-in card in August issues of teen magazines offers a
limited-edition Backstreet Boys
CD-ROM when consumers sign up for Sears new Pulse Card, a loyalty
program for teens, and make a $35
purchase in select departments. Both offers are while supplies last.
``The strategic advertising campaign
surrounding the Backstreet Boys sponsorship promotes Sears as a
cool place to shop and drives teenagers
to shop at Sears during the key back-to-school selling period,''
said John Lebbad, Sears director
of event marketing and sales promotion. ``Sears integrated marketing
approach will make the Backstreet
Boys sponsorship message difficult to ignore.''
The Backstreet Boys -- whose latest
album, Millennium, shattered sales records in May, moving 1,134,000
copies in a single week -- provide
Sears with a solid platform to reach youth and their moms during the
key back-to-school time frame.
The Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into the Millennium Tour, which
visits more than 40 cities in 11
weeks, kicks off September 14 in Ft. Lauderdale, just as teenagers are
heading back into classrooms.
``The Backstreet Boys are continually
appealing to a broader audience and the Sears partnership is a
direct means to reach new and existing
fans,'' said Michael Green, co-founder and partner of the group's
management, The Firm. ``The Boys
had a great time creating the spots and have brought the same
enthusiasm to their partnership
with Sears.''
The Backstreet Boys sponsorship
continues Sears on-going tradition of supporting major national music
acts. The band becomes the fourth
major musical talent to be sponsored by Sears during the past five
years. Sears sponsored the successful
North American concert tours of international superstars, Phil
Collins and Gloria Estefan in 1994
and 1996, respectively. Recently, Sears announced its sponsorship of
Latino superstar Juan Gabriel for
his 24-city U.S. concert tour, ``Sears Presents Juan Gabriel Gira '99.''
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading
U.S. retailer of apparel, home and automotive products and services,
with annual revenue of more than
$41 billion. The company serves families throughout the country
through 850 full-line department
stores and more than 2,100 specialized retail locations nationwide. More
information about the company is
available on Sears Web site, www.sears.com .
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Source: Zomba Press Release
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Shuilee@aol.com for sending this in.
According to Billboard, I Want It
That Way is #1 on three different radio airplay charts: Adult
Contemporary, Top 40 Tracks, and
Hot 100 Airplay!!
And "Millennium" rebounds to #1
on the album charts, now 6X platinum! Here's the press release from
Zomba:
Backstreet Boys
jump back into the #1 position on the Billboard Album 200 chart with their
sophomore album,
certified 6X platinum Millennium with 271,749 albums. In addition to album
sales, the group
has 3 out of the top 10 home videos selling this week, which include the
2X
platinum Backstreet
Boys - Homecoming Live In Orlando at #1, All Access at #4 which is
certified 5X
platinum and A Night Out With The Backstreet Boys at #6 which is certified
3X
platinum. "I
Want It That Way" is currently the #1 most played Pop song in America according
to
BDS. The group
is currently in Europe on their sold-out tour and will begin their North
American
tour mid-September.
fan4fans
Source: Jonnie Marie Osborne Jonnie@heartthrob.com http://members.aol.com/frackluvr
Recently, I [Jonnie@heartthrob.com]
held a web survey that determined what fans honestly thought
about the Backstreet Boys. A complete
and honest interactive helped fans truley open up to the real
reasons why they love the boys.
As first hypothesized, the results were not surprising at all. Of 4,721
voters, the questions and results
are as follows.
In honest judgement, the real reason
why you love the Backstreet Boys can be assumed, but never
determined. This survey is completely
anonymous, so please answer honestly.-
You love the Backstreet Boys because:
a.) Their music really touched my heart.
b.) Their good looks caught my eye.
c.) Both, but mostly because of their music.
d.) Both, but mostly because of their looks.
Results are as follows:
a.) 64%
b.) 4%
c.) 21%
d.) 11%
To me, the results were as I expected.
The only thing that I can conclude, is that everyone likes the
Backstreet Boys for variouse reasons.
The reason this is so, is because they offer so much. In addition
to their music, they have bonus
good looks. What's there not to love? As the fans, we should realize how
lucky we are to have them do so
much for us. Fans like myself, should never lose focus on why we should
love these guys... for their music.
Bringing so much happiness into millions of lives, only makes the boys
seem much larger than life. It
wouldn't be too much of an ego trip for them to say that to themselves
every once in a while... right?
Source: E! Online
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Brandy Chicoine for sending this in.
by Jeffrey Jolson-Colburn
July 21, 1999, 6:05 p.m. PT
The Backstreet Boys are back on
Easy Street as their album Millennium scored a double whammy,
reclaiming the top slot on the
pop charts and being certified as the best-selling album so far this year
at
5 million units.
The prefab, Florida-bred teen sensations
sold 272,000 units for the week ended July 17, beating out a
spirited and rare three-week run
at the top by a rock band, Limp Bizkit. That group's Significant Other
found another 238,000 rap-rock
lovers.
The biggest debut of the week was
a No. 5 showing for the comeback album from 16-year West Coast rap
veteran Too $hort. He quit the
recording game three years ago after his 10th album to become a
producer and form his own label.
Yet, like the title of his new album says, he Can't Stay Away. The rapper
says he has "too many stories to
tell to remain in retirement." His disc sold 144,000 units in its first
week.
Teen pop music continues its unusually
strong run elsewhere in the charts as Ricky Martin holds on to No.
3 with sales of 197,000 and Britney
Spears stays at No. 4 with …Baby One More Time at 145,000 for the
week.
The Wild Wild West soundtrack continues
to head south, dropping to No. 6 as star Will Smith's title song
drops in the single charts. Following
at No. 7 is Sarah McLachlan's Mirrorball, the live album being driven
by the final Lilith Fair tour.
Limp Bizkit isn't the only rock
group in the Top 10 as the Red Hot Chili Peppers heated up, rising to No.
8
with sales of 99,000, while Smash
Mouth packed in 95,000 at the Astro Lounge to score the No. 10 slot.
It was a relatively slow week for
soundtracks, usually a mainstay of the summer charts. Aside from the
sliding Wild Wild West, Tarzan
hung on to No. 9, the The Wood rapped on a solid No. 16 debut, but Eyes
Wide Shut opened way down at No.
176.
Hip-hopper Lil' Cease's Wonderful
World of Cease a Leo bowed at 26. Chris Rock thing found things
"Bigger and Blacker" at No. 48
and Faith No More singer Mike Patton's solo effort, California, entered
at
No. 144.
Finally, Elvis Presley's Artist
of the Century box set bowed at No. 163. The title is apt as the RIAA just
issued the King another 18 gold
(500,000 units) and platinum awards (1 million), bringing his
record-setting totals to 80 gold
and 43 platinum.
Source: Julia Abrl498@aol.com
The words above were what my mom
said last Friday night. We were coming home from the grocery
store, and the Offspring's "Pretty
Fly (For a White Guy)" came on the radio. As I was listening, I
suddenly remembered something I
had read on backstreet.net a few weeks ago, about how at the
beginning of their concerts, the
Offspring come out with BSB blow up dolls and proceed to bash them
with baseball bats. I told my mom
about that, and she said it was "a disgusting display of tackiness". I
agreed, but I didn't think much
of it, because i thought maybe it was just a one or 2 time thing. But then,
as I was watching Total Woodstock
Live on MTV yesterday, they showed a clip of the Offspring doing
the same thing during their set
at Woodstock. I think it's horribly rude. And it's not just b/c I'm a fan.
My sister was watching the show
with me, and although she's not a fan, even she said that it was pretty
rude--but pretty funny.
But my question is, why do the Offspring
feel they have to do this?? I understand that maybe a lot of the
"headbanging" groups (KoRn, Metallica,
Etc) may think that BSB, NSync, 98* and all the other "boybands"
are just a bunch of whining brats
that can't sing, are gay, and only have 7 year olds for fans. (At least
that's how my cousin describes
them). But all I can say is "Get over it"
If the Backstreet Boys are so terrible,
why was their album #1 on Bilboard charts for 5 weeks in a row?
Why have their last 2 albums each
sold 10 million copies? Why did "Millennium" go gold (500,000 copies)
on it's first day? Did the Offspring
draw the largest crowd ever at the MTV studios? No. The
Backstreet Boys did. At least the
Backstreet Boys actually sing, and not just scream their words.
I'm not writing this to bash the
Offspring or anything. i'm writing to say I think it's rude to keep hitting
blow-up BSB dolls w/bats. It would
be rude to pretend to hit anybody, not just BSB! So i guess what I'm
trying to say, is stop this "disgusting
display of tackiness" and GROW UP!!!!
Click here if you would like to send me comments.
Julia
Source: Tommy Smith's Offical Backstreet Boys Band Website http://www.bsbband.com
According to Tommy, the new Single
will be Larger Than Life. The Boys are talking to different video
directors now, trying to formulate
the concept of the video. The video will be shot at the end of August.
No release date for the Single
has been set.
A Backstreet/Kennedy Connection?
Source: Stephanie BSBRC99@aol.com
Well, by now you've obviously heard
the sad news about John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her
sister, Lauren Bessette. Being
a Rhode Islander who grew up close to the Kennedys, and also worked for
one (Patrick), it is hard not to
be touched and deeply saddened by this senseless, and yet all too common,
tragedy for the Kennedy Family.
As I was driving tonight and listening to my Millennium CD, I recognized
a
connection that could be made with
one of the songs on the CD to the kennedy Family in this, their time of
great sorrow. "Show Me the Meaning
Of Being Lonely" is the aforementioned song. Since making this
correlation, I have e-mailed the
song lyrics, as seen below, to Patrick and the rest of his family to offer
them some comfort.
Show me the meaning of being lonely
So many words for the broken heart
It's hard to see in a crimson love
So hard to breathe
Walk with me, and maybe
Nights of light so soon become
Wild and free I could feel the
sun
Your every wish will be done
They tell me...
CHORUS
Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk
with
Tell me why I can't be there where
you are
There's something missing in my
heart
Life goes on as it never ends
Eyes of stone observe the trends
They never say forever gaze
Guilty roads to an endless love
There's no control
Are you with me now
Your every wish will be done
They tell me
CHORUS - repeat
There's nowhere to run
I have no place to go
Surrender my heart' body and soul
How can it be you're asking me
to feel the things you never show
You are missing in my heart
Tell me why I can't be there where
you are
CHORUS - repeat
Also this week, Sen. Edward Kennedy
(D-MA), Patrick's father has been dubbed the glue that is holding
the family together, and the rock
from which they are relying on for strength. With this comes yet
another Backstreet connection.
In "I'll Be The One", positive, supportive lyrics are as follows:
I guess you were lost when I met
you
Still there were tears in your
eyes
So out of trust and I knew
No more than mysteries and lies
There you were, wild and free
Reachin' out like you needed me
A helping hand to make it right
I am holding you all through the
night
I'll be the one
Who will make all your sorrows
undone
I'll be the light
When you feel like there's nowhere
to run
I'll be the one...
For now, in the Kennedy family,
Ted is being relied upon as being "the one" who is going to help them rise
out from under the dark cloud of
JFK, Jr.'s disappearance as the Kennedy Clan has done so many other
times. And, I'm certain that they'll
also rely on him to keep the memories of not only JFK, Jr., Carolyn,
and Lauren, but also JFK, RFK,
and David and Michael Kennedy alive for Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg's
three children (Rose, Tatiana,
and John), and the rest of the Family as well as Kennedy generations to
come.
Sincerely, Stephanie
Source: Variety
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Lala for sending this in.
By Marc Graser
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Artistdirect
Network said Friday it has signed a deal with 45 music artists,
giving everyone from the Backstreet
Boys to the Rolling Stones a combined total of better than 10% in
the music retailer through stock
options, in return for the rights to sell their wares.
The deal comes in the same week
Artist said it will pool its Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and iMusic Web
sites under one hub.
As part of the pact, artists are
expected to reap higher revenues from product sales -- CDs, MP3
downloads, videos, clothing --
through the site as shareholders.
Artistdirect enables artists to
control their own Web sites, online stores, images and downloadable music.
The e-tailer collects a percentage
of the sales and ads and manages the sites and online stores.
Artistdirect.com has 23 individuals
sites for music groups or artists, including the Backstreet Boys, Beck,
Limp Bizkit, Blink 182 and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers. The 22 newcomers include Aerosmith, the Brian
Setzer Orchestra, the Offspring,
Foo Fighters, Matchbox 20, Metallica and B-52s.
BSB at WETTEN DASS on ZDF Germany
Tonight (July 17) the Backstreet
Boys appeared on a popular German TV-Show called WETTEN DASS (in
english: BET THAT). It was hosted
by Thomas Gottschalk and they have performed there before.
Tonight was a special show because
it was outdoors in a huge arena on the spanish island of Mallorca.
6000 tickets were sold for the
event. Besides the BSBs other acts like Geri Halliwell and Ricky Martin
performed and among the guests
were Sophia Loren and Tyra Banks.
The boys performed together with
their ten dancers and sang "Larger than life" in the tour-outfits (black
leather trousers, red-black-silver
starwars-like tops, AJ had sunglasses on) - it was not said whether it
will be the next single though.
Afterwards they sang about half of "I want it that way" a-capella together
with the audience - very nice!
The whole performance was very powerful, they all seemed to be in a good
mood and it went down very well.
Message to anyone who might read
this from Germany - würde mich über e-mail Kontakte mit "älteren"
BSB-Fans aus Deutschland freuen.
Source: Zoog Disney http://www.zoogdisney.com
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Julie Eaton for sending this in.
Monday, July 26 7-8pm ET/4-5pm PT
Chat with one of the BACKSTREET BOYS!
We've got it THAT way!!!! Chat with
one of the BACKSTREET BOYS on 7/26 and feel larger than life at
www.zoogdisney.com
Source:
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Sarah for sending this in.
Hey fellow BSB fans! I just wanted
to let everyone know that I was listening to America's Top 40 w/
Casey Kasem this morning (7/18)
and our very own Backstreet Boys were #1 for THE 1ST TIME in the
United States w/ "I Want It That
Way", ending Ricky Martin's 7 week streak at the top!!! Congratulations
Guys!
Also....while announcing the song
Casey Kasem reported that while in Milan, Italy during their tour Brian,
A.J., Kevin, Nick, & Howie
participated in a fashion show modeling Versace outifts! The guys wore
Versace jeans & white Versace
shirts. It was reported that the guys caused quite a stir among the media
at the event. It seems that photographers
were tripping over other people's feet as well as their own
while trying to snap pictures of
the guys! The boys went on to perform a little concert for the fans
outside...who ultimatly stayed
out in the streets well after the boys had left. (Rumor has it 2 streets
were
blocked off!) Again...Congratulations
Boys...you make us proud!
Source: Evette choclate_chip80@hotmail.com
Of course you are all very devoted
BACKSTREET BOYS fans. You listen to their music non-stop, you can’t
get enough of them on TV, and as
you say you’re always KEEPING THE BACKSTREET PRIDE ALIVE. Face
it... You're crazy about them and
nothing can stop you. You completely lose control when it comes to the
boys. Maybe you never took the
following things into consideration:
THINK OF YOURSELF
Sure, who can keep quiet when you
come face to face with the fab five but you know when you scream at
the top of your lungs you’re only
damaging your own voice and THEIR EARDRUMS! You don’t want to hurt
them do you? Take a break every
few seconds!
THINK OF OTHER PEOPLE’S FEELINGS
1.When you push, shove or
yell at other fans you’re forgetting that someone out there will do the
same
thing to you
oneday. Remember to be nice, they’re here for the same reason that you
are... THEY
LOVE THE BOYS
TOO!
2.When you just blurt out
a not so pretty word to one of their girlfriends. Well all I have to say
is put
yourself in
her place (I know you do all the time!). How would you feel? Keep in mind
that she puts up
with a lot,
and you don’t want her to get the wrong impression about us fans do you?
3.Last but not least: THINK
OF THE BOYS. (That’s not very hard to do is it?) When you give your
favorite boy
full attention and ignore the others you’re not being very fair. Just remember
that being
left out is
not a pleasant feeling. (Oh and when you have long fingernails just keep
them to your self.
Yeah I know
the boys like them but I don’t think they do when their skin is shredded
due to your
attempts to
grab a hold of them.)
Take a look at some of these fan No No's:
A fan chased
Howie with scissors and tried to cut off his ponytail!
One girl jumped
on Nick’s back when he was trying to run from a stampede of screaming fans.
He fell
and could have
easily hurt himself!
Some idiot grabbed
Brian and tried to french kiss him!
A fan flashed
AJ when he was trying to do the rap in "Get Down", and of course he messed
it up!
Someone tried
to steal Kevin’s shirt... while he was still in it!
Many have attempted
to steal mail, jewelry, clothing, hats, glasses or anything else they could
get
their hands
on!
Take my advice: don’t try too hard
to meet them. I am not saying don’t try to get backstage passes... I’m
just saying don’t try to bribe
the security guard, don’t dress as a maid to get into their hotel room,
and
don’t chase their cars for too
long... you’ll only run out of breath.
Follow these guidelines and you'll
be on your way to becomming The Perfect Fan and the Boys will think
you are Larger Than Life!
Source: 104 KRBE Radio, Houston, Texas http://www.104krbe.com/
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Rebecca for sending this in.
by Shannel Vance
The Backstreet Boys also feel that
they’ve come full circle. Their fame first came in Europe before
America even knew what a Backstreet
Boy was. "We were very grateful for all the success we had all over
the world, but it was kind of weird
to come home and try to tell your friends and family, ‘Oh we’ve sold
millions and millions of albums’
and people are like ‘Backstreet who?’" said 24-year-old Brian Littrell.
"Now, it’s a nice feeling of accomplishment
to go home and say, ‘We really did it. We worked hard and we
made it.’"
Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter, A.J.
McLean, Howie Dorough and Littrell not only got the success that they
wanted, but now they’re breaking
records. Their latest album Millennium broke Garth Brooks’ sales
record when it sold 1.1 million
copies its first week. "We’re very proud of this album," said Howie D.
"We
took a year to record this album
and I think it’s our strongest material yet. We feel like it’s growth for
us." Nick, the youngest group member,
added, "At the same time we didn’t want to stray too far away
from being ourselves because we
realize what Backstreet is all about. We realize what all the fans enjoy
so we stuck with our same concept."
And the concept works. "I Want It
That Way," the group’s first single off the album, shot up Billboard’s
"Hot 100 Singles," and has seen
the number one spot on 104 KRBE’s Top 30 Countdown and MTV’s Total
Request Live numerous times. Howie
D describes the song as "a good segue" between the two albums.
"It’s a great mid-tempo song with
a little bit of edge. We were tempted to come on with a little bit harder
and more up-tempo first single.
But we decided this might be a better transition," he said.
Millennium also gave these teen
idols an opportunity to take a more active role in the making of the album.
"It was fun," said A.J. "We had
a lot more influence on this album. There’s a whole lot more co-producing,
vocal arrangement and writing.
Kevin wrote ‘Back To Your Heart’ and Brian wrote ‘The Perfect Fan.’"
The Backstreet Boys kicked off their
world tour last month in Belgium and will be hitting the States
sometime in September. "If someone’s
never been to a concert before, [it’ll be] something they’ll never
forget," said Kevin, the oldest
member in the group. "If they have, it’ll be the best one yet."
Source: Rolling Stone http://www.rollingstone.com
Weird Al cuts into the Top Twenty; Limp Bizkit's days at No. 1 may be numbered
As Limp Bizkit's Significant Other
continues to fall back to earth on the sales chart, the rock 'n rap band
may be riding its last week at
No. 1. That's because the Backstreet Boys' mighty Millennium is holding
firm at No. 2, trailing Bizkit
by just 3,800 copies sold last week. And with a new primetime Disney Channel
special coming up, look for Millennium
to get a sales spike that could leap-frog Significant Other. Also
lurking is Ricky Martin, which,
in nine weeks, has not dropped below No. 3 on the charts.
For now though, top honors still
belong to Limp Bizkit, which sold 264,000 copies for the week ending
July 11, according to SoundScan.
Last week was largely a status quo
one, with just a single new entry into the Top 50. It belonged to rapper
Fiend's Street Life. Not that other
albums weren't making moves. Thanks to his new Star Wars spoof
single, "The Saga Begins," which
borrows music from Don McLean's "American Pie," Weird Al Yankovic's
Running With Scissors jumped from
No. 35 to No. 16. The other American Pie, the soundtrack for the hit
teen sex movie (which does not
include McLean's anthem), climbed from No. 164 to No. 76.
Elsewhere, boy group 98 Degrees,
riding the success of its latest single, "I Do," rebounded from No. 40
to No. 25.
From the top, it was Limp Bizkit's
Significant Other, followed by Millennium (selling 260,000); Ricky
Martin (218,000); Britney Spears'
...Baby One More Time (145,000); the Wild Wild West soundtrack
(141,000); the Tarzan soundtrack
(119,000); Sarah McLachlan's Mirrorball (104,000); the Austin Powers:
the Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack
(101,000); the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication (100,000); and
Shania Twain's Come On Over (99,000).
ERIC BOEHLERT
(July 14, 1999)
Source: Hitkrant # 26 (foreign magazine)
Thanks to Backstreet.net reader Eugene Lee for sending this in.
Yep, it's really going to happen!
Mariah Carey is most likely going to record a song with the Backstreet
Boys! An excited Brian told us:
"We have spoke to mariah personally over the telephone and she asked us
if we would like to record a song
with her in the (near) future. Cool, isn't it?!" When this special project
will take place is uncertain. The
BSB will first do to more concerts in the Ahoy' in Rotterdam, on Juli 26
and 27.