Eli Young Band
Encyclopedia
Eli Young Band is an American country music
band based in Denton, Texas
. The band is composed of Mike Eli (vocals
, guitar
), James Young (guitar
), Jon Jones (bass guitar
), and Chris Thompson (drums
). They released their self-titled debut album in 2002, followed by the Carnival records release Level in 2005. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous
, was released in 2008 by Universal South Records. A second major-label album, Life at Best
, was released in 2011 by Republic Nashville
; it includes their first #1 hit, "Crazy Girl
".
. Chris Thompson and Jon Jones joined them later on and they became the Eli Young Band.
They released their first album in 2002, self-titled "Eli Young Band". In 2005 they released "Level" on Carnival Records and opened shows for Miranda Lambert
. National exposure on CMT
and GAC
helped them begin to build a following well outside of their touring base. They sold as many as 2,000 tickets a night in multiple markets. In late 2006 they released Eli Young Band Live At the Jolly Fox located in Huntsville, Texas. Early in 2007, they signed a management deal with George Couri and C3 Management. Their plans included a rigorous tour schedule and key opening spots with Pat Green
, Robert Earl Keen
, and Jack Ingram
, as well as a spot on the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival
.
While touring, they were also making songwriting a top priority and made time for writing trips and retreats at the Young family ranch. Energized with new songs, they were ready to begin working on a new album in late 2007. Working with producers Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke (who have also produced for Lambert), they took time off from touring to record at Omni Studios in Nashville
. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous
, was released in 2008. Its lead-off single, "When It Rains", spent thirty-seven weeks on the country charts and peaked at #34. A second chart single, "Always the Love Songs" (co-written by David Lee Murphy
and George Ducas
), scored the Eli Young Band their first top 15 hit, making #11. ("Radio Waves" also made top 40, while "Guinevere" peaked at #45.)
They were nominated for an Academy of Country Music
award as the Top New Vocal Group or Duo, an award that is based on the number of fan entries on the GAC website. They lost to the Zac Brown Band
. They were then nominated for the 2010 Top New Vocal Group for the 45th ACM Awards, but lost to Gloriana
.
They appeared as part of the pregame ceremonies for an NFL
game between the Denver Broncos
and Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead Stadium
in Kansas City, Missouri
on December 5, 2010. Mike Eli forgot the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner
" and was promptly booed
. He attempted to sing the song again, but forgot a considerable amount of the lyrics in his second try.
In 2011, the Eli Young Band moved to Republic Nashville
and released their fifth overall single, "Crazy Girl" as the lead single off "Life at Best". It became the band's first gold-selling digital single , as well as their first #1 single.
ATo be released.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band based in Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
. The band is composed of Mike Eli (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), James Young (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Jon Jones (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Chris Thompson (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). They released their self-titled debut album in 2002, followed by the Carnival records release Level in 2005. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous
Jet Black & Jealous
Jet Black & Jealous is an album by American country music band Eli Young Band. It was released on September 16, 2008 by Universal South. The album's first single, "When It Rains", peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
, was released in 2008 by Universal South Records. A second major-label album, Life at Best
Life at Best
Life at Best is the title of an album by Eli Young Band, an American country music band. It was released on August 16, 2011 via Republic Nashville...
, was released in 2011 by Republic Nashville
Republic Nashville
Republic Nashville is a record label established in 2009 by Universal Republic Records in New York and Big Machine Records in Nashville. It is headquartered on Music Row and utilizes the combined resources of Big Machine Records and Universal Republic Records....
; it includes their first #1 hit, "Crazy Girl
Crazy Girl
"Crazy Girl" is the title of a song recorded by the Eli Young Band, an American country music group. It was released in March 2011 as the fifth single of their career, and the first from their album Life at Best.-Content:...
".
Biography
Mike Eli and James Young met each at the University of North Texas when they became dorm roommates their freshman year. They played guitar and eventually began writing and singing songs together; they formed the acoustic duo, Eli & Young, while attending the University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
. Chris Thompson and Jon Jones joined them later on and they became the Eli Young Band.
They released their first album in 2002, self-titled "Eli Young Band". In 2005 they released "Level" on Carnival Records and opened shows for Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut...
. National exposure on CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
and GAC
Great American Country
Great American Country , is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music cable television network.-History:The station launched December 31, 1995 and Garth Brooks' video "The Thunder Rolls" was the first video to air on GAC....
helped them begin to build a following well outside of their touring base. They sold as many as 2,000 tickets a night in multiple markets. In late 2006 they released Eli Young Band Live At the Jolly Fox located in Huntsville, Texas. Early in 2007, they signed a management deal with George Couri and C3 Management. Their plans included a rigorous tour schedule and key opening spots with Pat Green
Pat Green
Patrick Craven "Pat" Green is an American Texas Country artist. Active since 1995, he has recorded a total of ten studio albums, including several independent works, three for Republic Records and two for BNA...
, Robert Earl Keen
Robert Earl Keen
Robert Earl Keen, Junior is an American Texas Country singer-songwriter. He is popular with fans of traditional country music, folk music, college radio, and alt-country. Keen currently resides in Kerrville, Texas and maintains a ranch in Medina, Texas.-Early life:Growing up in Houston, Texas,...
, and Jack Ingram
Jack Ingram
Jack Owen Ingram is an American Texas Country artist signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eight studio albums, one extended play, six live albums and eighteen singles. Although active since 1992, Ingram did not reach the U.S. country Top 40 until the late...
, as well as a spot on the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
.
While touring, they were also making songwriting a top priority and made time for writing trips and retreats at the Young family ranch. Energized with new songs, they were ready to begin working on a new album in late 2007. Working with producers Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke (who have also produced for Lambert), they took time off from touring to record at Omni Studios in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous
Jet Black & Jealous
Jet Black & Jealous is an album by American country music band Eli Young Band. It was released on September 16, 2008 by Universal South. The album's first single, "When It Rains", peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
, was released in 2008. Its lead-off single, "When It Rains", spent thirty-seven weeks on the country charts and peaked at #34. A second chart single, "Always the Love Songs" (co-written by David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1994, Murphy made his first appearance on the Billboard country charts that year with "Just Once", a song from the soundtrack to the 1994 film 8 Seconds. A year later, Murphy's debut album Out with a Bang was...
and George Ducas
George Ducas (singer)
George Ducas is an American country music artist. He has released two studio albums: 1994's George Ducas and 1997's Where I Stand, and has charted six singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, of which the highest was the #9 "Lipstick Promises" in 1995...
), scored the Eli Young Band their first top 15 hit, making #11. ("Radio Waves" also made top 40, while "Guinevere" peaked at #45.)
They were nominated for an Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
award as the Top New Vocal Group or Duo, an award that is based on the number of fan entries on the GAC website. They lost to the Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
. They were then nominated for the 2010 Top New Vocal Group for the 45th ACM Awards, but lost to Gloriana
Gloriana (band)
Gloriana is an American country music group founded in 2008. It is composed of brothers Tom Gossin and Mike Gossin , as well as Rachel Reinert and, until July 2011, Cheyenne Kimball . Before the band's foundation, Kimball was the 2002 winner of the competition America's Most Talented Kid and a...
.
They appeared as part of the pregame ceremonies for an NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
game between the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
on December 5, 2010. Mike Eli forgot the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
" and was promptly booed
Booing
Booing is an act of showing displeasure for someone or something, generally an entertainer, by loudly yelling boo! or making other noises of disparagement, such as hissing. People may make hand signs at the entertainer, such as the thumbs down sign...
. He attempted to sing the song again, but forgot a considerable amount of the lyrics in his second try.
In 2011, the Eli Young Band moved to Republic Nashville
Republic Nashville
Republic Nashville is a record label established in 2009 by Universal Republic Records in New York and Big Machine Records in Nashville. It is headquartered on Music Row and utilizes the combined resources of Big Machine Records and Universal Republic Records....
and released their fifth overall single, "Crazy Girl" as the lead single off "Life at Best". It became the band's first gold-selling digital single , as well as their first #1 single.
Current
- Mike Eli (lead vocals, guitars)
- James Young (lead guitar, backing vocals)
- Jon Jones (bass guitar, backing vocals)
- Chris Thompson (drums)
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||
| Eli Young Band |
|
— | — |
| Level |
Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
— | — |
| Jet Black & Jealous Jet Black & Jealous Jet Black & Jealous is an album by American country music band Eli Young Band. It was released on September 16, 2008 by Universal South. The album's first single, "When It Rains", peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart... |
|
5 | 30 |
| Life at Best Life at Best Life at Best is the title of an album by Eli Young Band, an American country music band. It was released on August 16, 2011 via Republic Nashville... |
Republic Nashville Republic Nashville is a record label established in 2009 by Universal Republic Records in New York and Big Machine Records in Nashville. It is headquartered on Music Row and utilizes the combined resources of Big Machine Records and Universal Republic Records.... |
3 | 6 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||
| Crazy Girl |
|
24 | 128 |
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live at the Jolly Fox |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
||||
| 2007 | "When It Rains" | 34 | — | — | Jet Black & Jealous | |
| 2008 | "Always the Love Songs Always the Love Songs "Always the Love Songs" is the title of a country music song co-written by David Lee Murphy and George Ducas. It was recorded by the Eli Young Band on its studio album Jet Black & Jealous, from which it was released in late 2008 as the second single... " |
11 | 69 | — | ||
| 2009 | "Radio Waves" | 35 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "Guinevere" | 45 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | "Crazy Girl Crazy Girl "Crazy Girl" is the title of a song recorded by the Eli Young Band, an American country music group. It was released in March 2011 as the fifth single of their career, and the first from their album Life at Best.-Content:... " |
1 | 30 | 66 |
|
Life at Best |
| "Even If It Breaks Your Heart"A | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Other charted songs
Songs charted from unsolicited airplay.| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||
| 2009 | "Guinevere" | 60 | Jet Black & Jealous |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "When It Rains" | |
| 2008 | "When It Rains" (version two) | The Brads |
| 2009 | "Always the Love Songs" | Eli Young Band |
| 2010 | "Guinevere" | Brian Lazzaro |
| 2011 | "Crazy Girl" | |
| "Crazy Girl" (live) | Mason Dixon |