Saving Abel
Encyclopedia
Saving Abel is a American rock
music group from Corinth, Mississippi
, who were started in 2004 by Jared Weeks and Jason Null. The band title is from the ancient biblical
story of Cain and Abel
, that is about a brother who killed his own brother. Band member Jason Null thought up the band title saying “I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about ‘there was no saving Abel,’ which just jumped out at me.”
in 2004. Weeks was learning to play the guitar at his best friend’s house and Null, who was in a competing rock band in the same town, walked in to rehearse. Null and Weeks hit it off, and a couple of days later the two were writing songs together. Early in 2005, their songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills (12 Stones
, ZZ Top
, Saliva
, and Robert Cray
), who brought the two into his 747 Studio in Memphis Tennessee to record some of the songs.
Saving Abel gradually came together with the addition of guitar player Scott Bartlett, bass player Eric Taylor, and Blake Dixon on drums. Weeks would throw Saving Abel demo CDs onto the stages of bigger bands that toured through Corinth. Weeks recalled of the time: "I used to work at a hospital. I’d have to be there at 4:30 in the morning drawing blood. I’d wake people up and stick a needle in their arm. I’d be walking around the hospital, singing ‘Addicted’ in my head, writing down the lyrics on patients’ clipboards and doctor script pads."
In 2006, Saving Abel released a CD under their own record label. After shopping
the album around for almost a year, a copy of the song "Addicted" was heard by former Virgin A&R consultant Rick Smith and he e-mailed the song to CEO of Virgin Music Company Jason Flom. Mr. Flom immediately liked what he heard and sent A&R vet
Kim Stephens (Collective Soul
, Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain
) to watch the band perform in Jackson
, Tennessee
.
Saving Abel released their self-titled, major label debut on March 11, 2008. The CD featured the lead song "Addicted," which rose to #2 on the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Songs
charts. On January 15, 2009 the CD peaked at #49 on the Billboard 200
. The album received the certification of Gold
in the week of March 16, 2009, because of the lead single. Some controversy surrounded "Addicted" because of the lyrics' sexual nature, which some radio stations refused to play over the air. However, there was another version of the song that Saving Abel had recorded, changing one of the lines from "going down on me" to "rolling around with me" that radio stations throughout the country would play that helped to make Saving Abel famous.
In the summer of 2009, Saving Abel embarked on a tour with Canadian rock band Nickelback
during their Dark Horse Tour
, along with Hinder
and Papa Roach
, bringing the band through Live Nation
outdoor amphitheaters. In April 2009, the band struck down allegations that there was a rival-hood with fellow tour-mates
Hinder. On April 7, 2009, Virgin Music Company released the Saving Abel EP named 18 Days Tour. The EP contained an acoustical
version of the song "18 Days" along with two new songs. In the latter part of 2009, Saving Abel headlined a U.S. tour with the bands Red
, Pop Evil
and Taddy Porter
in supporting slots.
It was officially announced on February 22, 2010 that Saving Abel would play at the Rocklahoma 2010 Music Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. Saving Abel also went on to open for rock band Creed
, with We Are the Fallen
, American Bang and Taddy Porter playing before them. They also played at several summer music festivals with Filter
, Buckcherry
, 12 Stones
, Drowning Pool
, Egypt Central
and Hellyeah
. The band worked on their second CD Miss America
throughout late 2009 and early 2010. During the making of the CD, the song "Sex Is Good" was somehow leaked onto YouTube
. The new CD, which offered a download-able only acoustic version of the song "Sex Is Good," was released under Virgin Records on June 8th of 2010. The first single from the CD, Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood)
, was released earlier that year on April 8th and hit radio on April 26th. The song went to #7 on the Mainstream Rock Song chart. "Sex Is Good" was later issued as the 2nd single, reaching the #1 spot on the same chart in January of 2011. The third single, which the CD was named after, was the track "Miss America."
In 2011, Saving Abel embarked on a tour where they played at the Guantanamo Bay Army Prison, as well as many BBQ's, chili cookoffs, motorcycle rallies and State Fairs. Saving Abel also played for the American military in Kuwait (which is where the first gulf war happened in the nineties). The lead singer of the band also sang to sick children at the hospital. Saving Abel is currently in the studio recording a new CD that was scheduled to come out in the middle of 2011 but has yet to release.
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...
music group from Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...
, who were started in 2004 by Jared Weeks and Jason Null. The band title is from the ancient biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel
In the Hebrew Bible, Cain and Abel are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam only....
, that is about a brother who killed his own brother. Band member Jason Null thought up the band title saying “I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about ‘there was no saving Abel,’ which just jumped out at me.”
History
Jared Weeks and Jason Null began forming Saving Abel in the small town of Corinth, MississippiCorinth, Mississippi
Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...
in 2004. Weeks was learning to play the guitar at his best friend’s house and Null, who was in a competing rock band in the same town, walked in to rehearse. Null and Weeks hit it off, and a couple of days later the two were writing songs together. Early in 2005, their songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills (12 Stones
12 Stones
12 Stones is a rock band that was formed in 2000 in Mandeville, Louisiana. They have collectively sold more than 2 million records.-History:The four band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small suburb north of New Orleans, and within 15 months were signed to a record deal with Wind-up Records...
, ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Saliva
Saliva (band)
Saliva is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in September 1996 and currently under Island Records. Saliva released their self-titled debut album on August 26, 1997, under Rocking Chair Records....
, and Robert Cray
Robert Cray
Robert Cray is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.-Career:...
), who brought the two into his 747 Studio in Memphis Tennessee to record some of the songs.
Saving Abel gradually came together with the addition of guitar player Scott Bartlett, bass player Eric Taylor, and Blake Dixon on drums. Weeks would throw Saving Abel demo CDs onto the stages of bigger bands that toured through Corinth. Weeks recalled of the time: "I used to work at a hospital. I’d have to be there at 4:30 in the morning drawing blood. I’d wake people up and stick a needle in their arm. I’d be walking around the hospital, singing ‘Addicted’ in my head, writing down the lyrics on patients’ clipboards and doctor script pads."
In 2006, Saving Abel released a CD under their own record label. After shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
the album around for almost a year, a copy of the song "Addicted" was heard by former Virgin A&R consultant Rick Smith and he e-mailed the song to CEO of Virgin Music Company Jason Flom. Mr. Flom immediately liked what he heard and sent A&R vet
Vet
Vet may refer to:* Vet or veterinarian, a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals* Veteran, a person with long experience in a particular area, most often in military service during wartime...
Kim Stephens (Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
, Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band...
) to watch the band perform in Jackson
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Saving Abel released their self-titled, major label debut on March 11, 2008. The CD featured the lead song "Addicted," which rose to #2 on the 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...
Mainstream Rock Songs
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
charts. On January 15, 2009 the CD peaked at #49 on the Billboard 200
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...
. The album received the certification of Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in the week of March 16, 2009, because of the lead single. Some controversy surrounded "Addicted" because of the lyrics' sexual nature, which some radio stations refused to play over the air. However, there was another version of the song that Saving Abel had recorded, changing one of the lines from "going down on me" to "rolling around with me" that radio stations throughout the country would play that helped to make Saving Abel famous.
In the summer of 2009, Saving Abel embarked on a tour with Canadian rock band Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
during their Dark Horse Tour
Dark Horse Tour
The "Dark Horse" World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Canadian rock band Nickelback. It was their first world tour since the conclusion of their massive All The Right Reasons Tour, ending on September 2, 2007 in Kansas City, MO. The tour was in support of their new album Dark Horse. Dates...
, along with Hinder
Hinder
Hinder is an American rock band from Oklahoma that was formed in 2001 by drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe Garvey, and singer Austin Winkler. The band was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.-Formation and early history:...
and Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
, bringing the band through Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
outdoor amphitheaters. In April 2009, the band struck down allegations that there was a rival-hood with fellow tour-mates
Mates
Mates is an English surname, and may refer to:* James Mates , British newsreader and journalist* Michael Mates , British politician* Frederick S. Mates, founded the Mates Investment Fund in 1967 that crashed in the bear market of 1970....
Hinder. On April 7, 2009, Virgin Music Company released the Saving Abel EP named 18 Days Tour. The EP contained an acoustical
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version of the song "18 Days" along with two new songs. In the latter part of 2009, Saving Abel headlined a U.S. tour with the bands Red
Red (band)
Red is an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band's lineup consists of singer Michael Barnes, guitarist Anthony Armstrong, bassist Randy Armstrong and drummer Joe Rickard. They are known for their Christian rock music which incorporates other sounds such as...
, Pop Evil
Pop Evil
Pop Evil is an American rock band that was formed in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2001 by Leigh Kakaty, Dave Grahs, Jamie Nummer, and Dylan Allison. Lead guitarist Tony Greve was originally added as a temporary studio musician for the band but was invited to become a full-time member in early 2007...
and Taddy Porter
Taddy Porter
Taddy Porter is an American rock band formed in 2007 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The band members are Andy Brewer , Joe Selby , Doug Jones , and Kevin Jones...
in supporting slots.
It was officially announced on February 22, 2010 that Saving Abel would play at the Rocklahoma 2010 Music Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. Saving Abel also went on to open for rock band Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
, with We Are the Fallen
We Are the Fallen
We Are the Fallen is an American gothic metal band consisting of former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson, Marty O'Brien and former Evanescence members Ben Moody, John LeCompt, and Rocky Gray. The band's name is an allusion to Evanescence's 2003 album, Fallen, which has resulted in criticism...
, American Bang and Taddy Porter playing before them. They also played at several summer music festivals with Filter
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
, Buckcherry
Buckcherry
Buckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
, 12 Stones
12 Stones
12 Stones is a rock band that was formed in 2000 in Mandeville, Louisiana. They have collectively sold more than 2 million records.-History:The four band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small suburb north of New Orleans, and within 15 months were signed to a record deal with Wind-up Records...
, Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
, Egypt Central
Egypt Central
Egypt Central is an American rock band from Memphis, Tennessee.-Formation and debut album :Egypt Central was formed on October 2, 2002. They wrote and recorded for one year until generating a buzz in their hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. After eight shows, they caught the attention of former Lava...
and Hellyeah
Hellyeah
Hellyeah is an American heavy metal supergroup, consisting of Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett, Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the...
. The band worked on their second CD Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
throughout late 2009 and early 2010. During the making of the CD, the song "Sex Is Good" was somehow leaked onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The new CD, which offered a download-able only acoustic version of the song "Sex Is Good," was released under Virgin Records on June 8th of 2010. The first single from the CD, Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood)
Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood)
"Stupid Girl " is the first single by the hard rock band Saving Abel from their second album Miss America. The song was inspired by Keith Urban's song Stupid Boy, which Null heard while traveling to Nashville to record, and thought Stupid Girl would be a great song title. -Charts:...
, was released earlier that year on April 8th and hit radio on April 26th. The song went to #7 on the Mainstream Rock Song chart. "Sex Is Good" was later issued as the 2nd single, reaching the #1 spot on the same chart in January of 2011. The third single, which the CD was named after, was the track "Miss America."
In 2011, Saving Abel embarked on a tour where they played at the Guantanamo Bay Army Prison, as well as many BBQ's, chili cookoffs, motorcycle rallies and State Fairs. Saving Abel also played for the American military in Kuwait (which is where the first gulf war happened in the nineties). The lead singer of the band also sang to sick children at the hospital. Saving Abel is currently in the studio recording a new CD that was scheduled to come out in the middle of 2011 but has yet to release.
Members
- Jared Weeks - lead vocalsSingingSinging 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...
- Jason Null - lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - Scott Bartlett - rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Eric Taylor - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Blake Dixon - drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
US Rock |
US Hard Rock |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
||||||
| 2008 | Saving Abel
|
49 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 80 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold |
|||
| 2010 | Miss America Miss America (Saving Abel album) -Members:* Jared Weeks - lead vocals* Jason Null - lead guitar, backing vocals* Scott Bartlett - rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Eric Taylor - bass guitar, backing vocals* Blake Dixon - drums... |
24 | 4 | 1 | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | ||||||||||
EPs
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 18 Days Tour EP
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
US Alt |
US Main |
US Rock Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
US Adult Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
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... |
AUS |
||||||
| 2008 | "Addicted Addicted (Saving Abel song) "Addicted" is the debut single of rock band Saving Abel from their 2008 self-titled album Saving Abel.The song is about a man who is "addicted" to a girl, either emotionally, or for the sex they have... " |
20 | 6 | 2 | — | 10 | 44 | 36 |
|
Saving Abel | ||
| "18 Days 18 Days "18 Days" is the second single by the hard rock band Saving Abel from their self-titled debut album. It was released a little after the band's hit single "Addicted". "18 Days" has so far reached number ten on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number six on the Hot Mainstream Rock... " |
104 | 10 | 6 | — | 32 | — | — | |||||
| 2009 | "Drowning (Face Down) Drowning (Face Down) "Drowning " is the third single by the hard rock band Saving Abel from their self-titled debut album."Drowning " has so far reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.The music video was made on March 20, 2009, and was... " |
— | 23 | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2010 | "Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood) Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood) "Stupid Girl " is the first single by the hard rock band Saving Abel from their second album Miss America. The song was inspired by Keith Urban's song Stupid Boy, which Null heard while traveling to Nashville to record, and thought Stupid Girl would be a great song title. -Charts:... " |
— | 31 | 7 | 22 | — | — | — | Miss America | |||
| "The Sex Is Good" | — | 22 | 1 | 10 | — | — | — | |||||
| 2011 | "Miss America" | — | — | 14 | 36 | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | ||||||||||||