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N sync
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N
Sync -
Biography
Like the Backstreet Boys before them, the teenage
male vocal group 'N Sync emerged from Orlando, Florida; though formed in 1996,
their roots trace back much earlier to singers JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake,
who together previously co-starred on the Disney Channel's The Mickey Mouse Club
before later relocating to Nashville, where they worked on solo projects with
the same vocal coach and songwriters. Timberlake soon returned to Orlando, where
he befriended Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone; with Chasez, the four agreed to
form a band, and with the addition of bass James Lance Bass, 'N Sync was
complete. Hooking up with a series of producers including Denniz Pop, the group
recorded their self-titled debut LP, initially released on BMG Ariola Munich; 'N
Sync soon became an overnight success throughout much of Europe, with the
singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart" both
becoming major hits. The album was released in the U.S. in the spring of 1998,
and accompanied by a tour of the nation's roller rinks it became an American hit
as well; Home for Christmas followed later that same year. -- Chuck Donkers, All
Music Guide
There
are a ton of boy bands on the charts today, all competing for the top spots.
What makes 'N Sync so special?
'N
Sync stands out because the young men in it are genuine; they're not a
prepackaged rent-a-band put together by big-time music producers. Justin
Timberlake explains: "We put the group together ourselves. I think that's
something that's paid off in the long run because we were friends before we got
a management team and before we got a record deal."
Lance
Bass agrees. "Everything that we do is always together, and I think that's
what makes the group unique."
The
web of their friendship is dizzying. Flashback to 1995: Pennsylvania native
Chris Kirkpatrick was living in Orlando, Florida, and working at Universal
Studios as a doo-wop singer. It was there he met and became friendly with
Brooklyn-born Joey fatone. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., native JC Chasez and
Memphis boy Justin Timberlake had just wrapped a stint together on The Mickey
Mouse Club, also in Orlando. Justin knew Chris from auditions, and JC was
friendly with Joey, whose high-school buddies had also been on The Mickey
Mouse Club.
Chris
was itching to put a group together -a group who could take five-part harmonies
and translate them into pop music. He contacted Justin, who, he knew, could
sing. Justin enlisted JC, and soon old pal Joey fell into the flod.
The
foursome was ready to make a go of it, but they lacked something important.
Though Chris, JC, Justin, and Joey had wide vocal ranges, not one of them felt
he had a solid enough bass.
Justin
immediately called his vocal coach back home in Memphis, hoping the coach would
be able to recommend the perfect "low guy." Enter James Lance
"Lansten" Bass, a good-natured country boy from Clinton, Mississippi.
Lance jumped on the next flight to Orlando and, upon arrival, instantly hit it
off with the guys. Chris, Justin, Joey, and JC knew they had found their final
member.
Now
all they needed was a name. They brainstormed for weeks, but nothing seemed
right; nothing seemed to fit these five fab fellows and their unique sound.
Until, one day, Justin's mom remarked how "in sync" their harmonies
and dancing were. The phrase stuck with the guys. "In Sync" had a nice
ring to it.
But
Justin's mom wasn't sure that the guys were convinced. Going back to the drawing
board, she started playing around with their initials. She got nothing but
gobbledygook out of the initials of their first and last names, so she started
to toy with the last letters of their first names. After some shifting and
scrambling, she came up with JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LansteN, and JC. It was too
eerie a coincidence. These guys were completely 'N Sync. The name 'N Sync
perfectly summed up everything about the band. Five guys with five diverse
backgrounds, from five different parts of the United States, with various
musical influences, somehow managed to make a sound that worked.
Though
all the guys cite current hot musicians like Boys II Men and Brian McKnight as
vocal influences, each of them brings his personal taste to the mix. Joey claims
fifties and sixties groups such as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and the
Temptations as a huge influence; Lance offers a country twang and a love of
Garth Brooks; Chris patterns his moves and high soprano after Michael Jackson;
JC contributes a love of jazz and Sting's smoky vocal style; and Justin throws
in a little bit of Stevie Wonder's soul with hip-hop energy.
Chris
describes 'N Sync's combined sound as "purely original. It's pop, with an
R&B twist. We take a lot of up-tempo songs and put harmonies behind
them." Once they had their sound down, the guys were pumped up and ready to
board the bullet train to success. They took every gig they could get, from
coffeehouses to discos to theme parks.
Shortly
after performing as a group in 1995, they cut a video demo. Justin remembers,
"We did out demo package as fast as we could, and that's when we got in
touch with our management." Chris recalls the demo with a twinge of
embarrassment. "It was very, very rough. We did it last-minute, but it was
all done by us -the printing of the posters, the choosing of the outfits, the
song orders, the choreography -everything. It was a lot of work." The demo
included a few originals and one cover: a funky version os the Beatles' classic
"We Can Work It Out."
In
1996, a year after 'N Sync formed, the demo captured the eye and ear of Lou
Pearlman, the band's curent business manager. Lou immediately got in touch with
Johnny Wright, the mastermind manager behind such hit groups as New Kids on the
Block, Snap, Color Me Bad, and the Backstreet Boys.
Johnny
recollects what made him sit up and take notice of this particular gang of five:
"They could really sing. They had a chemistry -an aura about them. When
they talked to me they talked as a group, as a unit, rather than five
individuals trying to pitch themselves to me -they weren't selfish. They had the
same kind of aura as New Kids on the Block and Backstreet boys," he says
fondly. "They came across my partner, Lou Pearlman. I was in Germany, and
Lou called me one night and said, 'Hey, you'll never believe what's in Orlando.
Another great bunch of guys. You've got to come check them out!' So I checked
them out and agreed. We had the perfect opportunity to land a record deal for
them. The stars were lined up for them."
Wright
had no problem obtaining a record contract at BMG in germany for 'N Sync.
"He hooked us up with our record company," justin says, "and Lou
Pearlman, our business manager, was also good friends with the record company.
The whole team hooked us up with BMG, and they took us to Europe. We were, like,
we don't care where you take us -we just want to sing!"
Power
producers Denniz Pop and Max Martin, who worked with international superstars
Ace of base and Robyn, were the next to join the team. The first single, and
first smash hit, "I Want You back," came out of the collaboration. In
a few months' time, 'N Sync had a gold record on its hand.
Immediately,
almost miraculously, the band broke long-standing European records, knocking out
Michael Jackson as the king of the quickest-rising single and capturing the
title for longest reign for a new act on the charts. "Tearin' Up My
Heart" followed quickly on the first single's heels, debuting in the top
five. When 'N Sync's album was finally finished, it soared to number one faster
than you can say "overnight sensation." Suddenly the guys of 'N Sync
were pursued by frenzied fans wherever they went.
A
sold-out tour follwed, bringing them not only across the European continent but
to the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Africa, Asia -everywhere but hom, sweet
home, the U.S.A. But success in the guys' own country wasn't too far off. After
establishing a foothold in the European market, 'N Sync was ready to come home.
Two
years later in 1998, when the group returned to the States, there were no swarms
of fans waiting in every corner. Chris considered it a "reality
check," and he actually relished going to the movies or eating at a
restaurant as a face in the crowd. He had no idea what they were in for.
When
'N Sync hit the stores in April 1998, the singles "I Want You Back"
and "Tearin' Up My Heart" were already picking up steam. But the boys
never expected that the album would go platinum within four months of its
release. Abruptly, anonymity was something they couldn't have at home any
longer.
They
started their first U.S. tour after the release of the album, and along with
their newfound fame came crowds -and opportunities. Numerous television
appearances followed. They filmed a Disney concert special, performed at the
Miss Teen USA pageant, and made guest appearances on The Tonight Show, Live
with Regis and Kathie Lee, and MTV.
With
the grueling schedule and extraordinary demands of their time, it's amazing that
the quintet didn't burn out after the first year. And if they didn't get sick of
the routine, certainly they must have been ready to run from each other!
Not
true, each and every guy confirms. "When we get time off there won't be a
day that goes by that I don't talk to one of them and say what are you doing
tonight, do you want to go do something?" Justin says.
JC
agrees. "There's nothing better than going out with your friends and having
a good time. And that's what it is. These guys are my best friends, and we get
to go out and we get to see each other have fun. That's the best part about the
job."
'N
Sync certainly exceeded all expectations by pursuing the sinple dream of getting
together and having a good time. The five may have taken the world by storm
awfully quickly, but it seems their fame will last longer than the requisite
fifteen minutes. Just ask their fans.
--As stated in "The Official Book"
