Natural (band)
Encyclopedia
Natural was an American
boy band
who were best known for their debut single and signature song
"Put Your Arms Around Me". They were very successful in Germany
and the Philippines
, releasing two albums and nine singles.
and Ben Bledsoe
met at a party. Terenzi and Bledsoe met future band mates Patrick King and Michael Johnson
at an industry party. The four got together and after subsequent members joined and left (at one point they had 6 or 7 members total), settled on fifth member Michael Horn
who Bledsoe had found through his vocal coach.
The five young men tried to get signed to record label on their own but ended up being turned down by most of the major labels. The originally worked with manager Veit Renn and recorded several songs. However the band eventually frustrated turned to Lou "Big Poppa" Pearlman
. Renn was not pleased with this and sued. The outcome of the case is unknown though the band did eventually stay with Pearlman.
How Pearlman found them is unsure; one story claims he saw them rehearsing at Transcon Dance Studios. Another story claims they first had success with the German
reality show
24 hours. The show was successful and the band played the main stage at the major music festival Popkomm
in 2000. Supposedly after this Lou Pearlman
signed them to a production deal. The band was signed under Transcontinental Records and released under that and Sony BMG abroad.
Whichever origin they had Pearlman promptly returned them to Germany
for a test run as he prepared their US debut.
Pearlman loved the fact that the guys still had the marketability of his boyband roots, but had the credibility of a real band as they all played instruments. Renn claims he was the one who insisted they learn instruments, spending $75,000 on their training. However certain members such as Horn and Terenzi had been playing since childhood.
Ben Bledsoe was the "All-American Guy" who played bass
and was one of the lead vocals, Marc Terenzi was "the flirt" who played guitar
as well as being one of the lead vocals. Michael Horn became J Horn
, to avoid confusion. He was the "mature one" who played piano
and was the final lead vocal (though in subsequent years as he withdrew from the band he was featured less), while Patrick King was the "younger brother" who also played guitar, and Michael Johnson was "the rebel" who played the drums
.
The band became known as the "Jack of all trades" in the industry. They weren't afraid to try anything. This started when the band realized that they couldn't promote themselves very easily without having to bring their instruments with them everywhere they went, so they started performing a cappella
versions of their music. This method was successful; their first show at the House of Blues
in Orlando, FL was completely sold out.
Soon after, they kept building by Ben Bledsoe learning how to beat box and do vocal bass lines with the band in the a cappella setting. Then, after realizing that both Michael Johnson and Patrick King had extensive training in dance, the band added a few up tempo Rock
style dance songs to their set. These were only seen on their tours, as it was a way to keep the show changing and more interesting. They would also switch instruments to allow one singer to have more front time for a specific song, such as "What If" and "Why it Hurts" where Marc would play bass and allow Ben to take the front of the stage.
" writer for Natural's first single, "Put Your Arms Around Me". He also struck a deal with teenage accessories store Claire's
. The teenybopper store would sell the single as an extra with a $12 or more purchase. A join tour with the Monkees in conjunction with Claire's followed. However something was lost because the single never actually charted on the Billboard Hot 100
. The single became #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales Chart yet that had little impact on the general public.
Natural would attempt the US several times in the next few years, though sporadically. Such promotions included several interviews and features in POPstar Magazine, performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
2001, performing medley tribute to the BeeGees as part of ABC
's 'Disco Ball' in 2003, and at one point a mall tour with Saks Fifth Avenue
. Yet they still never charted or had successful radio play outside of Orlando
.
was released. The album exploded onto the top of the charts in many territories across the world, and debuted at #2 in Germany
. This was only the beginning. The band continued with 8 top 10 singles and multiple Number 1's. The tours grew from Club-sized venues to Arena Tours.
The single and the album did quite well, and tours followed around Germany. The band also experienced success in Malaysia and Japan
as well as the Philippines
. These were the Asian countries where they had the most success, winning several awards (see awards section).
boy band
s had long passed even in Germany
, and the members were adamant about trying out their own new sound. With each of their poppier singles progressively dropping on the charts (for instance "Put Your Arms Around Me" reached #12, while the fourth single, "Runaway", only reached #40) the guys felt it was time to change.
The style they wished to change to was a more mature, acoustic pop/rock with harmonies similar to the style of Lifehouse
and The Calling
. The band had tried to release "Paradise" as a single, but Pearlman was hesitant about the new sound. Some form of a compromise was reached when Paradise was released as a radio-only single. Rumors of a planned US release followed, however (minus local Orlando
airplay in the
summer of 2003) nothing ever became of it.
Apparently grudgingly (he tried to release poppy cover "Left 2 Right" to Radio Disney
in summer 2004...2 years after the initial Keep It Natural
release), Pearlman gave in and made another compromise: the release of the guitar ballad "What If?". The single however (unlike the rest of their second album) was not written by any of the members. Again talk of an American release occurred and actually did happen; however, the single failed to chart. In Germany it reached a little higher than "Runaway" by hitting #34.
Encouraged, their second album It's Only Natural went ahead as planned with all songs but "What If" written by at least one or two of the members (mainly Ben Bledsoe
and Marc Terenzi
; Patrick King and Michael 'J' Horn
only had one writing credit on the 15 track CD). In addition to the writing, the vocals took a change. Keep It Natural
had many of the songs splitting verses in the Marc/J/Ben order. The new album (most likely due to participation as Michael 'J' Horn had already intended to move on) featured mainly either Ben Bledsoe or Marc Terenzi on the vocals with the other one taking harmonies or a verse. J didn't even have a solo, and Patrick appeared in just one song. However, Michael's role had severely changed, with him sharing harmonies and occasionally lead vocals (unlike the Keep It Natural era when he was only featured on a bonus track). He would have even had more a role with "Cabdriver" which featured him on lead with Ben.
An up-tempo single in the new rock sound was released, entitled "Let Me Just Fly". This single charted higher than the last 2 at #23 in Germany. With the renewed success a string of other singles ("Cabdriver", etc.) were planned for release; however, the split disrupted them.
in the summer of 2002 and against Pearlman's wishes had kept dating her.
Outside of the Marc controversy the members were beginning to grow tired of Pearlman's rules. Not only did he suppress their writing abilities, he forced them to completely lip sync on shows and worse yet on most of the shows on the final tour. The boys who could sing and play instruments weren't allowed to do either just supposed to pretend they were. Michael Johnson later said that they had made the most of it. He couldn't play guitar but in some of the shows he would pretend he could. Most fans however did not get the joke.
Pearlman's other rules were also just as disheartening. For his boy bands, no member was allowed to get a piercing or tattoo, grow facial hair, and worst of all have a public girlfriend. The guys of course didn't always obey, especially Michael Johnson (who once while in the band pierced his lip) and Marc Terenzi.
In June 2003 it was announced that Sarah Connor was pregnant and the couple was engaged. Pearlman didn't like this and wanted Terenzi kicked out and replaced. Terenzi was a founding member, and the other members were not about to fall for it, so they decided to split - except for Patrick King.
". It was more of a 'Marc
and Sarah
' duet due to the fact his vocals were the only ones featured from the band. The single was wildly successful, becoming Natural's only #1 and Sarah's 3rd. The band announced they would go on a final tour in support of their album for the summer of 2004. However, Michael 'J' Horn had previous commitments and decided not to join. Mike Castonguay
, the band's musical director and producer, replaced him for the tour. Before the split had been decided, "3 Miles" and "Cabdriver" (which only appeared on the Japanese release) had been planned as possible singles. A video was even shot for "Cabdriver" (with a 30s theme), though it was never released. The final single officially released was "Why It Hurts" (also a Japanese bonus track). The song had moderate success, and the band finished its tour thus ending the original Natural.
was going to keep on with the 'Natural idea' at least in name. Instead of boy banding them he had original member Patrick King and four new members who now were going to be doing rock music instead of pop
. This did not sit well with many fans of the original band.
A year and a half passed, and the 'New Natural' had failed to even match the poor success of the later original Natural years. Lou Pearlman had no knowledge of promoting a real rock band and it showed. In early 2006 Pearlman's band renamed themselves "Well Worn Zero", and the name "Natural" was retired for the moment.
However once "Well Worn Zero" was dropped by Transcon, Pearlman decided he wasn't done with the "Natural" name. In the July/August 2006 issue of Orlando Style magazine, the 2am girls made the following statement about Pearlman's bands quote:
"...and some super cute members of the British boys who are new additions to the rock group, Natural."
It seems there's nothing on the web about the third version of Natural or what plans Pearlman had for them. In early 2007 Pearlman was indicted on several fraud charges. He is currently in custody facing charges, and with his businesses in control of a court-appointed charge it is very unlikely any new incarnations of Natural will come about.
CD1
CD2
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
who were best known for their debut single and signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
"Put Your Arms Around Me". They were very successful in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, releasing two albums and nine singles.
Formation
The original band was formed in 1999 when future members Marc TerenziMarc Terenzi
Marc Eric Terenzi is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He was married to German pop/soul singer Sarah Connor from 2005-2008. They have a son named Tyler and a daughter named Summer.-Early life:...
and Ben Bledsoe
Ben Bledsoe
Benjamin Frederick "Ben" Bledsoe is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He is currently a solo singer and actor living in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
met at a party. Terenzi and Bledsoe met future band mates Patrick King and Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (drummer)
Michael Wayne Johnson is an American pop singer and drummer, formerly of the boyband "Natural". He performed with various projects until joining Marc Terenzi in a new band Terenzi in 2008.-Early life:...
at an industry party. The four got together and after subsequent members joined and left (at one point they had 6 or 7 members total), settled on fifth member Michael Horn
Michael 'J' Horn
Michael 'J' Horn is an American pop singer formerly of the boyband "Natural". He also acts, writes plays, and teaches.-Early life:...
who Bledsoe had found through his vocal coach.
The five young men tried to get signed to record label on their own but ended up being turned down by most of the major labels. The originally worked with manager Veit Renn and recorded several songs. However the band eventually frustrated turned to Lou "Big Poppa" Pearlman
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
. Renn was not pleased with this and sued. The outcome of the case is unknown though the band did eventually stay with Pearlman.
How Pearlman found them is unsure; one story claims he saw them rehearsing at Transcon Dance Studios. Another story claims they first had success with the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
24 hours. The show was successful and the band played the main stage at the major music festival Popkomm
Popkomm
Popkomm is an international trade show for the music and entertainment business, and also integrates a congress and festival. It is held in Berlin but has had entries from at least 55 other countries. Popkomm is organised by Popkomm GmbH, Berlin.- History :...
in 2000. Supposedly after this Lou Pearlman
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
signed them to a production deal. The band was signed under Transcontinental Records and released under that and Sony BMG abroad.
Whichever origin they had Pearlman promptly returned them to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for a test run as he prepared their US debut.
Pearlman loved the fact that the guys still had the marketability of his boyband roots, but had the credibility of a real band as they all played instruments. Renn claims he was the one who insisted they learn instruments, spending $75,000 on their training. However certain members such as Horn and Terenzi had been playing since childhood.
Ben Bledsoe was the "All-American Guy" who played bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
and was one of the lead vocals, Marc Terenzi was "the flirt" who played 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...
as well as being one of the lead vocals. Michael Horn became J Horn
Michael 'J' Horn
Michael 'J' Horn is an American pop singer formerly of the boyband "Natural". He also acts, writes plays, and teaches.-Early life:...
, to avoid confusion. He was the "mature one" who played piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and was the final lead vocal (though in subsequent years as he withdrew from the band he was featured less), while Patrick King was the "younger brother" who also played guitar, and Michael Johnson was "the rebel" who played the 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 ....
.
The band became known as the "Jack of all trades" in the industry. They weren't afraid to try anything. This started when the band realized that they couldn't promote themselves very easily without having to bring their instruments with them everywhere they went, so they started performing a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
versions of their music. This method was successful; their first show at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Orlando, FL was completely sold out.
Soon after, they kept building by Ben Bledsoe learning how to beat box and do vocal bass lines with the band in the a cappella setting. Then, after realizing that both Michael Johnson and Patrick King had extensive training in dance, the band added a few up tempo Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
style dance songs to their set. These were only seen on their tours, as it was a way to keep the show changing and more interesting. They would also switch instruments to allow one singer to have more front time for a specific song, such as "What If" and "Why it Hurts" where Marc would play bass and allow Ben to take the front of the stage.
2000: Debut and U.S. attempt
In the summer of 2000 Pearlman hired the "Genie in a BottleGenie in a Bottle
"Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively...
" writer for Natural's first single, "Put Your Arms Around Me". He also struck a deal with teenage accessories store Claire's
Claire's
Claire's is a retailer of accessories and jewelry to girls and young women. Claire's has over 3,000 locations worldwide: their stores are in 95% of all U.S. shopping malls, and in 33 countries...
. The teenybopper store would sell the single as an extra with a $12 or more purchase. A join tour with the Monkees in conjunction with Claire's followed. However something was lost because the single never actually charted on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
. The single became #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales Chart yet that had little impact on the general public.
Natural would attempt the US several times in the next few years, though sporadically. Such promotions included several interviews and features in POPstar Magazine, performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
2001, performing medley tribute to the BeeGees as part of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's 'Disco Ball' in 2003, and at one point a mall tour with Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
. Yet they still never charted or had successful radio play outside of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
2001: German album debut and success
Pearlman decided to wait on the U.S. release and the band went back to Germany where their first album Keep It NaturalKeep It Natural
Keep It Natural is the debut album by American pop boyband Natural, released on September 23, 2002 on Sony BMG and Transcontinental Records in Germany. The album followed Lou Pearlman's boyband formula of bubblegum pop. Three of the thirteen songs on the album were cover versions, however,...
was released. The album exploded onto the top of the charts in many territories across the world, and debuted at #2 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. This was only the beginning. The band continued with 8 top 10 singles and multiple Number 1's. The tours grew from Club-sized venues to Arena Tours.
The single and the album did quite well, and tours followed around Germany. The band also experienced success in Malaysia and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as well as the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. These were the Asian countries where they had the most success, winning several awards (see awards section).
2003: New direction and disagreements
The days of popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
s had long passed even in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and the members were adamant about trying out their own new sound. With each of their poppier singles progressively dropping on the charts (for instance "Put Your Arms Around Me" reached #12, while the fourth single, "Runaway", only reached #40) the guys felt it was time to change.
The style they wished to change to was a more mature, acoustic pop/rock with harmonies similar to the style of Lifehouse
Lifehouse (band)
Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
and The Calling
The Calling
The Calling is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, best known for their hit single, "Wherever You Will Go." The group formed in 2000 and have released two albums. They have been on an indefinite hiatus since 2005.-Band history:...
. The band had tried to release "Paradise" as a single, but Pearlman was hesitant about the new sound. Some form of a compromise was reached when Paradise was released as a radio-only single. Rumors of a planned US release followed, however (minus local Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
airplay in the
summer of 2003) nothing ever became of it.
Apparently grudgingly (he tried to release poppy cover "Left 2 Right" to Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
in summer 2004...2 years after the initial Keep It Natural
Keep It Natural
Keep It Natural is the debut album by American pop boyband Natural, released on September 23, 2002 on Sony BMG and Transcontinental Records in Germany. The album followed Lou Pearlman's boyband formula of bubblegum pop. Three of the thirteen songs on the album were cover versions, however,...
release), Pearlman gave in and made another compromise: the release of the guitar ballad "What If?". The single however (unlike the rest of their second album) was not written by any of the members. Again talk of an American release occurred and actually did happen; however, the single failed to chart. In Germany it reached a little higher than "Runaway" by hitting #34.
Encouraged, their second album It's Only Natural went ahead as planned with all songs but "What If" written by at least one or two of the members (mainly Ben Bledsoe
Ben Bledsoe
Benjamin Frederick "Ben" Bledsoe is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He is currently a solo singer and actor living in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
and Marc Terenzi
Marc Terenzi
Marc Eric Terenzi is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He was married to German pop/soul singer Sarah Connor from 2005-2008. They have a son named Tyler and a daughter named Summer.-Early life:...
; Patrick King and Michael 'J' Horn
Michael 'J' Horn
Michael 'J' Horn is an American pop singer formerly of the boyband "Natural". He also acts, writes plays, and teaches.-Early life:...
only had one writing credit on the 15 track CD). In addition to the writing, the vocals took a change. Keep It Natural
Keep It Natural
Keep It Natural is the debut album by American pop boyband Natural, released on September 23, 2002 on Sony BMG and Transcontinental Records in Germany. The album followed Lou Pearlman's boyband formula of bubblegum pop. Three of the thirteen songs on the album were cover versions, however,...
had many of the songs splitting verses in the Marc/J/Ben order. The new album (most likely due to participation as Michael 'J' Horn had already intended to move on) featured mainly either Ben Bledsoe or Marc Terenzi on the vocals with the other one taking harmonies or a verse. J didn't even have a solo, and Patrick appeared in just one song. However, Michael's role had severely changed, with him sharing harmonies and occasionally lead vocals (unlike the Keep It Natural era when he was only featured on a bonus track). He would have even had more a role with "Cabdriver" which featured him on lead with Ben.
An up-tempo single in the new rock sound was released, entitled "Let Me Just Fly". This single charted higher than the last 2 at #23 in Germany. With the renewed success a string of other singles ("Cabdriver", etc.) were planned for release; however, the split disrupted them.
Split
Rumors were rife with why the band was splitting. Marc Terenzi had met German pop star Sarah ConnorSarah Connor (musician)
Sarah Marianne Corina Lewe , better known by her stage name Sarah Connor, is a German singer, songwriter and television personality. Connor debuted in 2001 under the guidance of artist manager George Glueck and became the first solo act to ever have four consecutive chart-topping hits on the German...
in the summer of 2002 and against Pearlman's wishes had kept dating her.
Outside of the Marc controversy the members were beginning to grow tired of Pearlman's rules. Not only did he suppress their writing abilities, he forced them to completely lip sync on shows and worse yet on most of the shows on the final tour. The boys who could sing and play instruments weren't allowed to do either just supposed to pretend they were. Michael Johnson later said that they had made the most of it. He couldn't play guitar but in some of the shows he would pretend he could. Most fans however did not get the joke.
Pearlman's other rules were also just as disheartening. For his boy bands, no member was allowed to get a piercing or tattoo, grow facial hair, and worst of all have a public girlfriend. The guys of course didn't always obey, especially Michael Johnson (who once while in the band pierced his lip) and Marc Terenzi.
In June 2003 it was announced that Sarah Connor was pregnant and the couple was engaged. Pearlman didn't like this and wanted Terenzi kicked out and replaced. Terenzi was a founding member, and the other members were not about to fall for it, so they decided to split - except for Patrick King.
Summer 2004: The end of the original
With the split of the original lineup imminent, the members quickly released a duet with Sarah Connor called "Just One Last DanceJust One Last Dance
"Just One Last Dance" is a song by German singer–songwriter Sarah Connor, featuring guest vocals by husband Marc Terenzi's former band Natural. Written and produced by Rob Tyger and Kay Denar, it was released on 1 March 2004—one month after the birth of the couple's son Tyler—as the second single...
". It was more of a 'Marc
Marc Terenzi
Marc Eric Terenzi is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He was married to German pop/soul singer Sarah Connor from 2005-2008. They have a son named Tyler and a daughter named Summer.-Early life:...
and Sarah
Sarah Connor (musician)
Sarah Marianne Corina Lewe , better known by her stage name Sarah Connor, is a German singer, songwriter and television personality. Connor debuted in 2001 under the guidance of artist manager George Glueck and became the first solo act to ever have four consecutive chart-topping hits on the German...
' duet due to the fact his vocals were the only ones featured from the band. The single was wildly successful, becoming Natural's only #1 and Sarah's 3rd. The band announced they would go on a final tour in support of their album for the summer of 2004. However, Michael 'J' Horn had previous commitments and decided not to join. Mike Castonguay
Mike Castonguay
Mike Castonguay is a music producer, musician and songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA.In the early 2000’s Mike worked as a producer, songwriter and the musical director...
, the band's musical director and producer, replaced him for the tour. Before the split had been decided, "3 Miles" and "Cabdriver" (which only appeared on the Japanese release) had been planned as possible singles. A video was even shot for "Cabdriver" (with a 30s theme), though it was never released. The final single officially released was "Why It Hurts" (also a Japanese bonus track). The song had moderate success, and the band finished its tour thus ending the original Natural.
Aftermath in the name
In November 2004 it was announced that Lou PearlmanLou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
was going to keep on with the 'Natural idea' at least in name. Instead of boy banding them he had original member Patrick King and four new members who now were going to be doing rock music instead of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. This did not sit well with many fans of the original band.
A year and a half passed, and the 'New Natural' had failed to even match the poor success of the later original Natural years. Lou Pearlman had no knowledge of promoting a real rock band and it showed. In early 2006 Pearlman's band renamed themselves "Well Worn Zero", and the name "Natural" was retired for the moment.
However once "Well Worn Zero" was dropped by Transcon, Pearlman decided he wasn't done with the "Natural" name. In the July/August 2006 issue of Orlando Style magazine, the 2am girls made the following statement about Pearlman's bands quote:
"...and some super cute members of the British boys who are new additions to the rock group, Natural."
It seems there's nothing on the web about the third version of Natural or what plans Pearlman had for them. In early 2007 Pearlman was indicted on several fraud charges. He is currently in custody facing charges, and with his businesses in control of a court-appointed charge it is very unlikely any new incarnations of Natural will come about.
Original members' subsequent projects
- Ben BledsoeBen BledsoeBenjamin Frederick "Ben" Bledsoe is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He is currently a solo singer and actor living in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
started a solo career in 2005 and released his own indie solo CD Insomniac's Guide to a Lonely Heart, for which he wrote much of the music and lyrics. He toured the US and Germany in support of it. He created and runs his own record label, 44th Floor Records, and is currently working on a new album. He is also securing several acting roles.
- Marc TerenziMarc TerenziMarc Eric Terenzi is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He was married to German pop/soul singer Sarah Connor from 2005-2008. They have a son named Tyler and a daughter named Summer.-Early life:...
married Sarah ConnorSarah Connor (musician)Sarah Marianne Corina Lewe , better known by her stage name Sarah Connor, is a German singer, songwriter and television personality. Connor debuted in 2001 under the guidance of artist manager George Glueck and became the first solo act to ever have four consecutive chart-topping hits on the German...
in March 2004 shortly after the birth of their son Tyler. The family starred in their own reality show Sarah and Marc in Love that summer, and shortly after he released his own CD Awesome which was again mostly written by himself. The singles "Heat Between the Sheets" and "Love to Be Loved by You" both did very well on the German charts, reaching the top 10. He recently became a father for the second time with the birth of his daughter Summer, and is preparing new material.
- Michael 'J' HornMichael 'J' HornMichael 'J' Horn is an American pop singer formerly of the boyband "Natural". He also acts, writes plays, and teaches.-Early life:...
married his girlfriend Olivia, and both reside in Winter ParkWinter Park, FloridaWinter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Horn currently teaches music, and is still acting and musically directing several plays in the Orlando area.
- Patrick King was last known to still be in the 2nd version of Natural. In 2006 after a year and a half keeping the name "Natural" the band finally renamed itself "Well Worn Zero". In April 2006 they were dropped by Transcontinental Records. Last news was they would be going 'indie'; however that idea seems to have been dropped and the group has disbanded. King is currently pursueing acting in Los Angeles California. He had a small role in the movie It's ComplicatedIt's Complicated (film)It's Complicated is a 2009 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Nancy Meyers, starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.-Plot:...
- Michael JohnsonMichael Johnson (drummer)Michael Wayne Johnson is an American pop singer and drummer, formerly of the boyband "Natural". He performed with various projects until joining Marc Terenzi in a new band Terenzi in 2008.-Early life:...
teamed up with former Natural producer Mike CastonguayMike CastonguayMike Castonguay is a music producer, musician and songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA.In the early 2000’s Mike worked as a producer, songwriter and the musical director...
and created a punk blues band called Lukewarm Freeda. While they work on a debut album he also plays with other acts such as In For The Kill, Lover's Revolt and Jake Coco in the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area. He created and runs his own label, Blue Suede Records.
Trivia
- Two members of Natural provided the voices in the Simpson episode "New Kids on the BlecchNew Kids on the Blecch"New Kids on the Blecch" is the fourteenth episode from the twelfth season of The Simpsons. In the episode, a music producer selects Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph to be members of the next hit boyband, who record subliminal songs about joining the Navy....
" -- Marc TerenziMarc TerenziMarc Eric Terenzi is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He was married to German pop/soul singer Sarah Connor from 2005-2008. They have a son named Tyler and a daughter named Summer.-Early life:...
for Nelson and Michael 'J' HornMichael 'J' HornMichael 'J' Horn is an American pop singer formerly of the boyband "Natural". He also acts, writes plays, and teaches.-Early life:...
for Milhouse.
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | ||
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| GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
AU Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
CH Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| 2002 | Keep It Natural Keep It Natural Keep It Natural is the debut album by American pop boyband Natural, released on September 23, 2002 on Sony BMG and Transcontinental Records in Germany. The album followed Lou Pearlman's boyband formula of bubblegum pop. Three of the thirteen songs on the album were cover versions, however,...
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| 2004 | It's Only Natural
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | ||||
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| GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
AU Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
CH Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Singles Sales Charts |
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| 2001 | "Put Your Arms Around Me"
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RIAA Certified Gold | ||||
| 2002 | "Let Me Count the Ways Let Me Count the Ways "Let Me Count the Ways" is a pop song performed by American boy band Natural. It was their second single released in Germany.-Background:After success with their debut single, "Put Your Arms Around Me", Lou Pearlman decided to release another teen friendly song for the European market. "Let Me... " Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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| 2002 | "Will It Ever"
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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| 2003 | "Runaway"
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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| 2003 | "Paradise"
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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| 2003 | "What If"
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
RIAA Certified Gold | ||||
| 2004 | "Let Me Just Fly"
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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| 2004 | "Just One Last Dance Just One Last Dance "Just One Last Dance" is a song by German singer–songwriter Sarah Connor, featuring guest vocals by husband Marc Terenzi's former band Natural. Written and produced by Rob Tyger and Kay Denar, it was released on 1 March 2004—one month after the birth of the couple's son Tyler—as the second single... " Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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| 2004 | "Why It Hurts"
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
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Tracklistings
The following singles do not have individual pages.- Will It Ever
- "Will It Ever"
- "Will It Ever" (Old School Mix)
- "Will It Ever" (Club Mix)
- "Will It Ever" (Instrumental Version)
- "Blue"
- Runaway
- "Runaway"
- "Runaway" (Live Video Version)
- "Runaway" (Instrumental Version)
- "Still Gotta Live With Myself"
- Paradise
CD1
- "Paradise"
- "Let Me Count The Ways" (Acoustic Version)
CD2
- "Paradise"
- "I'll Be Back For More"
- "Paradise" (Video)
- What If
- "What If" (Eric Nova Radio Mix)
- "What If" (Radio Edit)
- "What If" (Acoustic Version)
- Let Me Just Fly
- "Let Me Just Fly" (Original)
- "3 Miles"
- "Let Me Just Fly" (Acoustic Live Version)
- "Let Me Just Fly" (Video)
- Just One Last Dance
- "Just One Last Dance" (Radio Edit)
- "Just One Last Dance" (College Radio Version)
- "Just One Last Dance" (Kaybor Dance Mix)
- "Just One Last Dance" (Video Version)
- "Work It Right (Tonight)"
- "Just One Last Dance" (Video)
- Why It Hurts
- "Why It Hurts"
- "Cabdriver"
- "Why It Hurts" (Video)
Awards
- MTV Asia "Artist of the Month"
- German Silver Otto Award
- 2002 MTV Philippines Debut Artist of the Year
- Popcorn Magazine's "Artist of the Year" award
External links
- Archived Transcontinental Page
- [ Allmusic entry]
- Ben Bledsoe's Official Website
- Marc Terenzi's Official Website (in German)
- Official Site of Lukewarm Freeda (Michael Johnson's new band)