Middle of Nowhere (album)

Middle of Nowhere
Studio album by Hanson
Released	May 6, 1997
Recorded	July–November 1996, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Pop rock, teen pop
Length	53:41
Label	Mercury, Polygram
Producer	The Dust Brothers, Stephen Lironi
Hanson chronology
MMMBop (1996) Middle of Nowhere (1997) Snowed In (1997)
Singles from Middle of Nowhere
"MMMBop" Released: April 15, 1997 "Where's the Love" Released: September 1997 "I Will Come to You" Released: November 10, 1997 "Weird" Released: March 1998 "Thinking of You" Released: July 1998

Middle of Nowhere is the debut studio album by American pop rock group Hanson, and the first to be released on a major label, which was Polygram Records and Mercury Records. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang and MMMBop. The band members were between the ages of 11 and 16 when it was released. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, was not performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic on May 5, 2007.

The album was received extremely well by critics. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."^[1]

Middle of Nowhere yielded five singles: "MMMBop", "Where's the Love", "I Will Come to You", "Weird", and "Thinking of You".

Worldwide sales

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[1]
Rolling Stone	[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]

Total sales worldwide are 10 million copies. The album sold just under 4 million in the US (4 times platinum) and sold 4 million copies in UK.

Track listing

All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zachary Hanson; additional writers in parentheses.

1. "Thinking of You" – 3:13
2. "MMMBop" – 4:28
3. "Weird" – 4:02 (Desmond Child)
4. "Speechless" – 4:20 (Stephen Lironi)
5. "Where's the Love" – 4:13 (Mark Hudson, Sander Salover)
6. "Yearbook" – 5:29 (Ellen Shipley)
7. "Look at You" – 4:28 (Stephen Lironi)
8. "Lucy" – 3:35 (Mark Hudson)
9. "I Will Come to You" – 4:11 (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
10. "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson)
11. "Madeline" – 4:13 (Cliff Magness)
12. "With You in Your Dreams" – 3:56
13. "Man from Milwaukee" [CD-only hidden track] – 3:38

Note: "Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because a live version of "MMMBop" serves as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere. Some later reissues of the album omitted the tracks of silence and make "Man from Milwaukee" a true track 13.

Personnel

Hanson

• Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals
• Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, vocals
• Isaac Hanson – guitar, vocals

Session musicians

• Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, percussion, programming, producer, keyboards
• Peter Kent – violin
• Michael Fischer – percussion
• Carole Mukogawa – viola
• John Wittenberg – violin
• Michito Sanchez – percussion
• Larry Corbett – cello
• Steve Richards – cello
• Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
• Nick Vincent – drums
• Endre Granat – violin
• Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
• David Campbell – conductor, string arrangements
• Abraham Laboriel – bass
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass
• B.J. Cole – pedal steel
• Sandy Stein – keyboards
• Stevie Wonder – harmonica
• Murray Adler – violin

Other

• Roger Love – vocal director
• Margery Greenspan – art direction
• Steve Greenberg (record producer) – executive producer
• Barry Mann – vocal director
• Marina Chavez – photography
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• The Dust Brothers – programming, producer
• Mark Hudson – vocal director

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Position Australia 1 Austria 2 Belgium (Flanders) 2 Belgium (Wallonia) 15 Canada[5] 4 Denmark[6] 5 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[7] 3 Finland 4 France 15 Germany 1 Hungary[8] 29 Italy[9] 23 Ireland[10] 6 Japan 10 Malaysia[7] 4 Netherlands 5 New Zealand 4 Norway 7 Portugal[11] 8 Scotland[12] 6 Spain[11] 10 Sweden 4 Switzerland 2 Taiwan[13] 1 UK 1 USA 2

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Australian Albums Chart[14] 3 Decade-end charts Chart (1990–99) Position US Billboard 200[15] 89

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[16]	5× Platinum	350,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[17]	Gold	25,000^*
Belgium (BEA)[18]	2× Platinum	100,000^*
Brazil (ABPD)[19]	Platinum	250,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[20]	5× Platinum	500,000^^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[21]	Gold	31,809[21]
France (SNEP)[22]	2× Gold	200,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[23]	Gold	250,000^^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[24]	Gold	10,000^*
Japan (RIAJ)[25]	Platinum	238,760^^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[26]	Gold	100,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[27]	3× Platinum	45,000^^
Poland (ZPAV)[28]	Gold	50,000^*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[29]	Gold	50,000^^
Sweden (GLF)[30]	Platinum	100,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31]	Platinum	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[32]	Gold	4,000,000^^
United States (RIAA)[33]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[34]	Platinum	1,000,000^*
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. David Browne (1997-05-09). "Middle of Nowhere Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
2. "Allmusic review".
3. "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on March 16, 2009.
4. Consumer Guide
5. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-05-31. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
6. Billboard - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
7. Billboard - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
8. http://zene.slagerlistak.hu/archivum/kereso-eloado-cim-szerint
9. http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1997a.htm. Retrieved 2014-01-23. Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. Billboard - Google Books. 1997-06-28. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
11. Billboard - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-01-23 – via Google Books.
12. http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/19970615/40/
13. https://web.archive.org/web/19990218164049/http://ifpi.org.tw/chart/1997/intl26.htm
14. "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1997". ARIA. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
15. Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
16. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
17. "Austrian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Enter Hanson in the field Interpret. Enter Middle of Nowhere in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
18. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 1998". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
19. "Brazilian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
20. "Canadian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
21. "Hanson" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
22. "French album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
23. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hanson; 'Midle of Nowhere')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
24. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1997". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
25. "Japanese album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 14 October 2012. Select 1997年月 on the drop-down menu
26. "Certificaciones – Hanson" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
27. THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
28. "Polish album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
29. "Sólo Éxitos 1959-2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1996-1999". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano.
30. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
31. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Hanson; 'Middle of Nowhere')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
32. "British album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Enter Middle of Nowhere in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
33. "American album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
34. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.