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No Doubt Biography
No doubt about it; the success
of Anaheim, Calif.'s No Doubt is one of the more unique success stories of
the '90s. Ska music has long been a mainstay of the fertile Orange County
punk scene...and No Doubt has been playing what they consider to be a pure
form of the genre for nearly a decade in the OC clubs.
The group released an eponymous Interscope debut LP in 1992, but it sold
little. Shortly thereafter, No Doubt's lead singer/lyricist Gwen
Stefani's
older brother left the band to pursue a career in film and TV, and the
band carried on without him--laboring in the studio (at their own expense)
for the next several years, working on what would eventually become Tragic
Kingdom, released through the Interscope-distributed Trauma Records label
The irony is that neither
Trauma nor Interscope were especially keen on releasing Kingdom, but now
that it's gone platinum several times over, both labels are currently
involved in nasty litigation trying to claim No Doubt as their own.
"Just A Girl," the debut single, became an FM and MTV staple
immediately--and No Doubt were suddenly a bigger sensation than all the
early ska bands that influenced them (Madness, the Specials) put together.
The ballad "Don't Speak," the third single from Tragic Kingdom,
became the group's biggest hit to date and strongly suggested that No
Doubt and Stefani had a future beyond their ska roots. That was confirmed
with the release of 2000's Return Of Saturn, which included the hyper
"Ex-Girlfriend" and the melodic "Simple Kind Of Life."
With Stefani's star rising, she soon turned into a much in-demand guest
star with turns on Eve's "Let Me Blow Your Mind" and Moby's
"South Side." The former won a Grammy Award in 2001 for best
rap/sung collaboration, and the videos for both tunes—again featuring
Stefani--picked up honors at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.
Striking while Stefani was hot, No Doubt returned in late 2001 with Rock
Steady, its best and most diverse effort to date. Aided by a string of
top-notch producers (Nellee Hooper, Sly & Robbie, Ric Ocasek, Prince,
Steely & Clevie and Mark "Spike" Stent), the group made the
ultimate party album featuring reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, dance, and new
wave influences. Hit singles included the energetic dancehall-flavored
"Hey Baby," featuring Bounty Killer; the infectious reggae of
"Underneath It All," with a guest shot from Lady Saw; and the
rocking-party stomper "Hella Good."
Stefani's wedding to Bush
frontman Gavin Rossdale cemented her place as rock royalty. After the
honeymoon she began working on her much-anticipated solo album. Meanwhile,
No Doubt summed up its career to date with The Singles 1992-2003, which
featured all the band's biggest.
No Doubt Links
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Doubt Official Website |
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