Big Wreck
| Big Wreck | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal, neo-progressive rock, post-grunge, progressive rock |
| Years active | 1994–2002, 2010-present |
| Labels | Anthem |
| Associated acts | Thornley |
| Website | bigwreckmusic.com |
| Members |
Ian Thornley Paulo Neta Brian Doherty Dave McMillan Chuck Keeping |
| Past members |
Dave Henning Forrest Williams Brad Park |
Big Wreck is a rock band formed by Canadian Ian Thornley in 1994. They disbanded in 2002 and Ian Thornley went onto a successful solo career with his own band Thornley. In 2010, Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty reunited for a cross-Canada tour, playing both Big Wreck and Thornley songs.[1] In 2012, under the name Big Wreck, the band released their third studio album, Albatross.
History
Formation and In Loving Memory Of...
The band was formed in Boston,Massachusetts by Canadian vocalist Ian Thornley, guitarist Brian Doherty, bassist Dave Henning and drummer Forrest Williams, who met as students at the Berklee College of Music. After several years of gigging in Boston and Cambridge, the band signed to a major label and released its debut album In Loving Memory Of... in 1997. The single "The Oaf" was a major Top Ten hit for the band that year.
Perhaps because Ian Thornley is Canadian, the band's biggest commercial success was in Canada rather than the United States (see MAPL system). The album's subsequent singles, "That Song" and "Blown Wide Open", were not as successful on the American charts as "The Oaf", but both charted well in Canada.
In October 2001, Big Wreck played a special show at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Uzume Taiko Ensemble of drummers, with The Tragically Hip's Paul Langlois and Robby Baker and guitarist - as they shared the same manager, Bernie Breen from Bernie Breen Music Management, as well as Eric Johnson also making appearances.
The Pleasure and the Greed, breakup, and other projects
The band's second album The Pleasure and the Greed (released in 2001) was marred by poor marketing and was not as big a hit as their debut album, especially in the United States. The band broke up a year later.
Thornley moved back to Toronto, launching the band Thornley. Doherty is now living in Camlachie, a small community near Sarnia, Ontario, where he teaches guitar and prepares students for University or Conservatory entrance requirements. Doherty also went on to form the indie band Death of 8, but the other band members have not yet emerged with new projects.
Hard rock band Submersed and American Idol winner David Cook have both cited the band as an influence.
Reunion and Albatross
In 2010 Ian and Brian rekindled their friendship which led to Brian filling in for a Thornley show, and then joining the band as they naturally reconnected as musicians. This led the band to tour with Thornley's band as "An Evening with Thornley and Big Wreck".
In November 2011, Big Wreck released their song Albatross as the lead single of the band's 2012 album of the same name.
On February 5, Big Wreck performed at the Sound Academy in Toronto for Canada's Official Super Bowl XLVI party. Big Wreck completed two tours in 2012 across Canada from BC to Ontario in the Spring/Summer (April to July), and later they joined Theory of a Deadman for the Jingle Bell Rock tour in the Fall/Winter of 2012 (November to December 2012).
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [2][3] |
US Heatseekers [3] |
CRIA [4] | ||
| 1997 | In Loving Memory Of... | 48 | 31 | 2× Platinum |
| 2001 | The Pleasure and the Greed | 10 | - | |
| 2012 | Albatross | 5 | 25 | |
EPs
- Bag of Tricks (2013)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [5][6] |
CAN Alt. [7] |
CAN Rock [8] |
US Mod [9] |
US Main [10] | |||
| 1997 | "The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted)" | 21 | 3 | 24 | 9 | In Loving Memory Of... | |
| 1998 | "That Song" | 31 | 7 | — | 32 | ||
| "Blown Wide Open" | 31 | 8 | — | — | |||
| "Under the Lighthouse" (Canadian single only) | 12 | — | — | — | |||
| 2001 | "Inhale" | — | × | × | — | — | The Pleasure and the Greed |
| "Ladylike" (Canadian single only) | — | × | × | — | — | ||
| 2002 | "Knee Deep" (Canadian single only) | — | × | × | — | — | |
| 2011 | "Albatross" | 71 | 2 | 1 | — | 32 | Albatross |
| 2012 | "Wolves" | 98 | 11 | 4 | — | — | |
| "A Million Days" | — | 35 | 6 | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. "×" denotes periods where charts did not exist or were not archived. | |||||||
See also
References
- ↑
- ↑ Peak positions for Big Wreck's albums in Canada:
- For "In Loving Memory Of..." "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 67, No. 7, May 11, 1998". RPM. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Big Wreck - Awards". allmusic. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Gold Platinum Database: Big Wreck". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ↑ Peak positions for Big Wreck's singles on Canadian Singles Chart:
- For "The Oaf" "Top Singles - Volume 66, No. 16, January 12, 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "That Song" "Top Singles - Volume 67, No. 9, May 25, 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "Blown Wide Open" "Top Singles - Volume 67, No. 33, November 23 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "Under the Lighthouse" "Top Singles - Volume 68, No. 12, December 14 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ↑ "Big Wreck - Chart history – Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
- ↑ Peak positions for Big Wreck's singles on Canadian Alternative rock Chart:
- For "The Oaf" "Rock/Alternative - Volume 66, No. 16, January 12, 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "That Song" "Rock/Alternative - Volume 67, No. 15, July 06 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "Blown Wide Open" "Rock/Alternative - Volume 67, No. 21, August 17 1998". RPM. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "Albatross" "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock - February 14, 2012". America's Music Charts. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "Wolves" "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock - July 3, 2012". America's Music Charts. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- For "A Million Days" "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock - December 11, 2012". America's Music Charts. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- ↑ Peak positions for Big Wreck's singles on Canadian Active rock Chart:
- For "Albatross" "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Active Rock - January 24, 2012". America's Music Charts. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- For "Wolves" "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Active Rock - September 4, 2012". America's Music Charts. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- For "A Million Days" "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Active Rock - February 26, 2013". America's Music Charts. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Big Wreck - Chart history – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
- ↑ "Big Wreck - Chart history – Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
External links
- Big Wreck Vitals
- Big Wreck Biography
- Ian Thornley of Big Wreck Interview
- Wreck of the '70s - Big Wreck Interview
- Wreck 'n' roll - Big Wreck Interview
- Big Wreck go nocturnal for 'Pleasure'
- "Big Wreck On Why Working With Jug Bands Is Cool". Chart. September 5, 2001. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
- Factor, Amanda (October 5, 2001). "Symphony In Wreck Effect". Chart. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
- Big Wreck's Interview & Desert Island 5
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