Who's Hanson?

by Doug Pullen
Grand Rapids Press News Service

(NOTE: You may notice some editorial comments made by me in parentheses.)

Did you say Hanson who?

You mean you don't know one babelicious Hanson brother from another?

You don't know the proper pronunciation of their big, bouncy hit "MMMBop?" You don't even know their names?

Egad!!! You must be an adult!!! (This is a tad patronizing, no?)

The Hansons are part of a unique phenomenon in bubble gum music.

They are one of the few teeny-bopper groups that is loved by kids and admired by their parents. No group since the Jackson 5 or Osmond Brothers has managed that.

The screeching pre-pubescent girls (dubbed the "Scream Squad" by the group), their ubiquitous presence on pop radio and cable video channels, the countless magazines, posters, books and Web pages that splash the Hansons' faces across their covers and pages are all modern manifestations for the kind of mania that has swept the nation stretching from Frank Sinatra to New Kids on the Block.

So if your kid's a member of the Screamer Squad or was lucky enough to get tickets to Monday's sold out concert at Pine Knob, here's what to expect.

Their names: Clark Isaac Hanson, Jordan Taylor Hanson, Zachary Walker Hanson

Their nicknames: Isaac is known as Ike, Taylor as Tay and Zachary as Zac.

Their instruments: Yes, they really play their own instruments. Ike plays guitar and sings; Taylor is the main singer and keyboardist; Zac is the drummer and also sings.

Their ages: Ike is 17 (born Nov. 17, 1980); Taylor is 15 (born March 14, 1983); Zac is 12 (born Oct. 22, 1985).

Their parents: Dad, Clarke, a former oil executive, and mom, Diane (Isn't that "Diana?"), were married at age 19. Both sang with the Horizons, a gospel group.

Their siblings: Sisters, Jessica Grace, 9; Avery Laurel, 7; and Zoe Genevieve, 5 months; brother Joshua Mackenzie, 4.

Their education: All three members are home-schooled by their mother. A tutor accompanies them on tour.

Their hometown: Tulsa, OK.

Their debut: The group members considers a performance at their father's office Christmas party in 1991 as their first official appearance as the Hanson Brothers. They began performing publicly - and at backyard parties, talent shows, and the like - in 1992.

Their big break: Meeting entertainment attorney and now manager, Chris Sabac in Austin, Texas, during the South by Southwest music convention in 1996.

Their big hit: "MMMBop" (pronounced "oombop") topped the U.S. record charts for three weeks last year and sold more than a million copies. All three brothers contributed to the song, originally begun in 1994, which is about the importance of making lasting relationships, pretty mature for a bunch of kids. (Judge us by our music, not by our age . . .)

Their CDs: The first two, "Boomerang" (1995) and "MMMBop" (1996), were self-released and are hard to find. Their third album, "Middle of Nowhere," was released last year by Mercury Records and has sold more than 4 million copies in the United States, alone, nearly 10 million worldwide. A fourth album, "Snowed In," featured Christmas and holidays songs. Their newest is "3 Car Garage: The Indie Recordings'95-'96," which features songs from the first two albums (actually only from the 2nd album), including the original version of "MMMBop."

Their fans: Mostly teens and tweener girls (hmmm), dubbed "The Scream Squad," by the group because of their ear-shattering shrieks that follow the brothers wherever they go.

Their tour: The "Abertane Tour," their first official concert tour, began June 9 in Paris, reached North America on June 20 in Montreal and reaches 11 cities on the continent, including Monday at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston (near Detroit, MI).

Their tickets: Sold out, Pine Knob sold out in eight minutes on May 22.

Their hotline: Call (918) 446-3979 for tour news and other info.

Their address: Write to them at HITZlist, PO Box 703136, Tulsa, OK 74170

Their Web site: Hansonline "The Official Web Page", which features news, video, audio, pictures, press accounts, merchandise, a chat room and more (it's currently under construction; check out HansonHitz, their best fan Web site (Lisa, not Jackie disagrees), or their record company's Web page, www.polygram.com/mercury/artists/hanson/hanson-homepage.html.