The Rembrandts

The Rembrandts
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Adult alternative, jangle pop, power pop, alternative rock
Years active 1989–1996
2000–present
Labels Warner/Atco/EastWest/Fuel 2000
Website www.TheRembrandts.net
Members
Danny Wilde
Phil Solem

The Rembrandts are an American pop/rock duo formed by Phil Solem and Danny Wilde in 1989. They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981. The Rembrandts are best known for their song "I'll Be There for You", which was used as the theme song for the television sitcom Friends.[1]

Contents

History

Before the foundation of The Rembrandts, Solem and especially Wilde were well-regarded music industry veterans. Wilde was a member of 1970s cult recording act The Quick, and had released several mildly successful solo albums in the 1980s. As well, Wilde and Solem had together been in the well-reviewed (but commercially unsuccessful) power-pop quartet Great Buildings, a band which released one album for CBS in 1981 before dissolving.

After establishing themselves as The Rembrandts in 1989, Solem and Wilde recorded a self-titled album largely in Wilde's home studio. From this album, the group had their first success during 1990 with "Just the Way It Is, Baby", which scored at number 14 on the Billboard singles chart. The self-titled album scored number 88 on the album charts.

The next album Untitled, of 1992, featured the minor successes "Johnny Have You Seen Her" and "Chase the Clouds Away". Another track from the album, "Rollin' Down The Hill", was used in the film Dumb and Dumber.

"I'll Be There for You," the theme for the sitcom Friends, reached No. 1 the Hot 100 Airplay chart for several weeks before being released as a single and peaking at No. 17 U.S. Billboard charts. The single has been released in other countries, including the UK, where it reached No. 3 in 1995 and No. 5 in 1997. The success of Friends has caused a greater awareness of the band, and to greater sales of their recorded albums. The song was also featured on the Friends Soundtrack album.

In 1997, the duo split, with Solem returning to Minneapolis to concentrate on his band Thrush. In 1998, Wilde released the album Spin This, credited to "Danny Wilde + The Rembrandts". In 2000, Solem and Wilde reunited, and released the album Lost Together as The Rembrandts the following year.

In 2005, the band released an album of re-recorded favorites called Choice Picks. There are two versions of Choice Picks, one released through Awarestore which features the new track "Chasin' Down a Rainbow". The other version was released on the Fuel 2000 label, with the new track "Don't Give Me Up".

In 2006, Rhino released a collection called The Rembrandts' Greatest Hits, a 20 song career-spanning retrospective that included material from the lone Great Buildings album, Apart From The Crowd.

The duo continues to write new songs and tour, while also working on material and producing for other artists, including Plain White T's, Katie & Katie, Gin Blossoms, Evan & Jaron, and Glen Phillips (Wilde) and Thrush, Catchpenny, Christo Savalas, Matt Dodge, producer John Fields, Dez Dickerson, Joey Molland, and The Melismatics (Solem.)

Members

Discography

Singles

Year Song US US
Main.
Rock
US
Mod.
Rock
US
Main.
Pop
US
Adult
Pop
US
AC
CAN UK[2] AUS NZ GER AUT FRA NET SWE NOR Album
1990 "Just the Way It Is, Baby" 14 13 - - - 12 12 - 26 - 6 9 9 53 23 - The Rembrandts
1991 "Someone" 78 - - - - - 82 - - - 45 - - 57 - -
"Burning Timber" - 36 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Save Me" - - - - - - - - - - 64 - - - - -
1992 "Johnny Have You Seen Her" 54 24 17 38 - - 48 - - - 54 - - - - - Untitled
1993 "Maybe Tomorrow" - 59 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Chase the Clouds Away" - 82 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Waiting to Be Opened" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1995 "I'll Be There for You" 17 - 23 1 7 1 1 3 3 3 77 - - - - - LP
"This House Is Not a Home" 27 - 31 - - 82 58 - - - - - - - -
"Don't Hide Your Love" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1996 "Drowning In Your Tears" - 98 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1997 "I'll Be There for You" [European re-release] - - - - - - - 5 - - - - 25 20 34 5
2001 "Too Late" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lost Together

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Rembrandts: 'So no one told me it was going to be this way'". Independent (London). 27 April 2004. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-rembrandts-so-no-one-told-me-it-was-going-to-be-this-way-756469.html. Retrieved 2010-08-20. 
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 458. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links