The Knack

Article in other languages:

This article does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)

For other uses, see Knack.

The Knack
Genres	Rock New wave Power pop
Years active	1978–1982 1986–1992 1994 1997-present
Labels	Capitol Charisma^[1]
Members
Doug Fieger Berton Averre Prescott Niles
Former members
Bruce Gary

The Knack is an American rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in the second half of 1979.

The "power pop" of "My Sharona", coupled with the band's "retro" 1960s look, earned the band comparisons to the early Beatles. Many music critics of the era disliked disco, which dominated the music industry at the time, and were, at best, coolly receptive to other developing genres like punk rock, new wave and heavy metal music. The Knack's power pop and hard rock influences earned them some critical credibility. After subsequent albums, there was a critical backlash against the band^[2] and they broke up amidst internal squabbles. They have re-united periodically over the years and are currently still active.

1 History
- 1.1 Lawsuit
2 Discography
3 Audio sample
4 References
5 External links

History

Singer Doug Fieger, a native of Detroit, Michigan, had previously played in an eclectic rock band called Sky as well as The Sunset Bombers. Fieger is the brother of Detroit-area attorney Geoffrey Fieger, best known for representing Dr. Jack Kevorkian in a series of assisted suicide cases. Of the four original members of The Knack (Fieger, Berton Averre - Guitar, Prescott Niles - Bass, and Bruce Gary - Drums), Fieger, Averre and Niles still currently play as The Knack. Bruce Gary died from lymphoma on August 22, 2006 at the age of 55.

Bruce Gary left the band well before his death, becoming a respected producer (archive recordings of Jimi Hendrix and new recordings of The Ventures) and a very successful sideman performing live and on studio sessions with artists such as Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Cherie Currie, Robby Krieger, Spencer Davis, Stephen Stills, Rod Stewart, and Sheryl Crow. He did not join the more recent Knack reunions.

Several drummers have played for the group since Gary's departure including Billy Ward (Serious Fun album), Terry Bozzio (Zoom album), and David Henderson as 'Holmes Jones' (Normal as the Next Guy and Live at the Rock N Roll Funhouse albums). Currently Pat Torpey (Mr. Big) is playing the drums for the group.

All four original band members, including Bruce Gary, reunited in the studio for one last time in recent years to record a track for a multi-artist compilation album saluting the British band Badfinger. In 2005, The Knack made an appearance on the TV program Hit Me, Baby, One More Time.

In 2006, during a performance in Las Vegas, Doug Fieger became disoriented, developed a dull headache and grasped for the words to songs that he had written and performed for years. ^[3] Diagnosed with two brain tumors, Fieger underwent surgery and radiosurgery and returned to performing.

Doug Fieger appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in Australia between late-August and early-September 2007. He sang The Knack favourite "My Sharona" only.

Lawsuit

Members of The Knack have filed a lawsuit^[4] against popular rap music group Run–D.M.C. for copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges that the defining guitar riff from "My Sharona" was used without permission in the Run DMC track "It's Tricky" from their 1986 album Raising Hell. The amount of damages sought is currently unspecified.

Discography

Studio album

Get the Knack (1979) #1 (6 weeks) US, #65 UK 2x Platinum
...But The Little Girls Understand (1980) #15 US Gold
Round Trip (1981) #93 US
Serious Fun (1991)
Zoom (1998)
Normal As The Next Guy (2001)
Re-Zoom (Zoom with Bonus Tracks) (2003)

Live Album Released on CD and DVD

Live From the Rock n Roll Funhouse (2001)

Live Concert Released on Laserdisc

The Knack Live at Carnegie Hall (1979)

Live Concert Released on DVD

World Cafe Live: The Knack in Concert (May 2007)

Compilation Albums

My Sharona (1995)
Retrospective (1992)
Proof: The Very Best Of The Knack (1998)

Documentary DVD

Getting The Knack (2004)

Singles

"My Sharona" (1979) #1 (6 weeks) US, #6 UK, #1 Australia (5 Weeks)
"Good Girls Don't" (1979) #11 US, #66 UK
"Baby Talks Dirty" (1980) #38 US
"Can't Put A Price On Love" (1980) #62 US
"Pay The Devil" (1981) #67 US
"Rocket O' Love" (1991) #9 US (mainstream rock tracks)

Audio sample

The Knack - "My Sharona" (1979)

An excerpt from "My Sharona" by The Knack.
Problems listening to the files? See media help.

References

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)