Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band
Encyclopedia
Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band is a Norwegian
electronica
group.
. Thomas Lønnheim and Tarjei Strøm
showed up through a combination of mutual contacts and high-school friendship. Supposedly a one-time-event, they had so much fun playing together that they decided to form a band, and Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band was formed. After releasing a 7" and a 12" on the Norwegian record label
Tellé Records. Those limited releases were followed by some attention from magazines and dj's around Europe, including Dimitri from Paris
who included the track "Nikita" on one of his Playboy Mansion CD-compilations. In 2002 they were signed by the US label Emperor Norton Records
, and they released their EP
, A Special EP. The album A Special Album followed one year later. It included the tracks "Casino" and "Think Twice", which both became hits in clubs across Europe, and commercial hits in Norway. During their touring promoting this album, the band was joined by guitarist Mads Berven on their live shows.
2004 saw them open the Glastonbury Festival
's Pyramid Stage.
In 2005, the album Your New Best Friends followed, to great reviews in Europe. Magazines such as Mixmag, Djmag and Sunday Times praised the new album as "Downtempo Heaven".
Their live shows have gained a massive reputation both in Norway and in the rest of Europe combining various percussion instruments and pyrotechnics. The band members have stated in many interviews that they are fans of the rock group KISS
, and that this has influenced their live shows. The name of the band is taken from the B-film director Russ Meyer
, Jack Herren being a fictional camera operator.
In August 2005 their Single "Think Twice" appeared on the Hôtel Costes, Vol. 8
compilation. "Think Twice" was also featured in the movie "The Girl Next Door".
In June 2006, the single "Kill the DJ" was released. The album "Sharp Knives & Loaded Guns" was released in September 2006.
In 2008 the song "The Teacher" featured on the Grand Theft Auto IV
in-game radio soundtrack. It is a remix of a hit song called "Forelska i Lærer'n" (Eng: She's in love with the teacher) by the Norwegian rock band "The Kids". Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band released a new single called The Queen of the Night on their famous concert in Roxy (Prague) on 29 October 2008.
Late 2008, percussionist Thomas Lønnheim departed the band.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
group.
Career
The band was formed in 1997 when Erlend Sellevold asked for people to play percussion with him during a party in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. Thomas Lønnheim and Tarjei Strøm
Tarjei Strøm
Tarjei Strom is a drummer for the Norwegian rock groups Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren band and Datarock.-Ralph Myerz and The Jack Herren Band:The band was formed in 1997 when Erlend Sellevold asked for people to play percussion with him during a party in Bergen. Thomas Lønnheim and Tarjei Strøm...
showed up through a combination of mutual contacts and high-school friendship. Supposedly a one-time-event, they had so much fun playing together that they decided to form a band, and Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band was formed. After releasing a 7" and a 12" on the Norwegian record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Tellé Records. Those limited releases were followed by some attention from magazines and dj's around Europe, including Dimitri from Paris
Dimitri from Paris
Dimitri from Paris is a French music producer and DJ of Greek origins. His musical influences are rooted in 1970s funk and disco sounds that spawned contemporary house music, as well as original soundtracks from 50s and 60s cult movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, La Dolce Vita and The Party,...
who included the track "Nikita" on one of his Playboy Mansion CD-compilations. In 2002 they were signed by the US label Emperor Norton Records
Emperor Norton Records
Emperor Norton Records, was a Los Angeles-based electronica, hip-hop, and dance-music record label. Among the artists featured on the label were Ladytron, Arling & Cameron, Money Mark, Ugly Duckling, and Fantastic Plastic Machine...
, and they released their EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, A Special EP. The album A Special Album followed one year later. It included the tracks "Casino" and "Think Twice", which both became hits in clubs across Europe, and commercial hits in Norway. During their touring promoting this album, the band was joined by guitarist Mads Berven on their live shows.
2004 saw them open the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
's Pyramid Stage.
In 2005, the album Your New Best Friends followed, to great reviews in Europe. Magazines such as Mixmag, Djmag and Sunday Times praised the new album as "Downtempo Heaven".
Their live shows have gained a massive reputation both in Norway and in the rest of Europe combining various percussion instruments and pyrotechnics. The band members have stated in many interviews that they are fans of the rock group KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, and that this has influenced their live shows. The name of the band is taken from the B-film director Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
, Jack Herren being a fictional camera operator.
In August 2005 their Single "Think Twice" appeared on the Hôtel Costes, Vol. 8
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 8
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 8 is a downtempo/lounge album compiled and mixed by Stéphane Pompougnac, resident DJ of the Parisian cafe/restaurant Hôtel Costes....
compilation. "Think Twice" was also featured in the movie "The Girl Next Door".
In June 2006, the single "Kill the DJ" was released. The album "Sharp Knives & Loaded Guns" was released in September 2006.
In 2008 the song "The Teacher" featured on the Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
in-game radio soundtrack. It is a remix of a hit song called "Forelska i Lærer'n" (Eng: She's in love with the teacher) by the Norwegian rock band "The Kids". Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band released a new single called The Queen of the Night on their famous concert in Roxy (Prague) on 29 October 2008.
Late 2008, percussionist Thomas Lønnheim departed the band.
Albums
- A Special EP (2002)
- A Special Album (2003)
- Your New Best FriendsYour New Best FriendsYour New Best Friends is the second album by Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band. There is an untitled hidden track 15 minutes and 20 seconds into track 12.-Track Listing :#"Kill The Habit"#"Natasha 75"#"L.i.p.s.t.i.c.k."#"Dubspace"...
(2005) - Sharp Knives & Loaded Guns (2006)
- Ralphorama! - Appetite 4 Selfdestruction (2008)