BBMak
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Although BBMak's latest single, "Out of My Heart," which recounts the early stages of a romantic relationship, came together faster than most of their songs — it took a little over an hour to write, according to Ste McNally — the other nine tracks that comprise Into Your Head weren't rendered as quickly.

The pop trio started writing their second album, the follow-up to 2000's Sooner or Later, last August, and began recording in January, a process which took them nearly six months. Employing a total of 15 studios — eight in the U.K. and seven Stateside — wasn't the only thing that slowed things down; feeling pressure to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump didn't exactly speed things along.

"I think [that for] every band that has a successful first album, there's always a little bit of pressure to come up with the goods, come up with the hits," Christian Burns said. "Our first single, 'Out of My Heart,' was one of the first songs we wrote for the album, so it eased a bit of the pressure off."

If knowing that the quickly hashed "Out of My Heart" was a solid lead single alleviated some pressure at first, the band is convinced deciding on its successor, which Mark Barry expects could be either "Staring Into Space" or "Sympathy," will be stressful. But no matter how much weight and worry they feel now, it doesn't compare to what it took to initially get their group off the ground.

"We had to meet every fan, go everywhere to see everybody," Barry remembered. "This time people know about BBMak, people know who we are. ... And the radio stations picked up the single really quickly, so it's been a lot easier, but it's always a constant struggle to make sure you get heard."

BBMak have just wrapped up a promotional tour in Canada, and, after some domestic media exposure, it's off to Japan in October to further spread the word about Into Your Head. A U.S. tour is expected to commence upon their return.

Despite choices and tribulations that await them, BBMak are enjoying their ride and appreciating their fortune and fans to the fullest.

"Before we had a record deal, we didn't have two pennies to rub together," Burns said. "And now we've got a few pounds in the band. It's like people are just throwing free stuff at us. It's great. And we get to travel the world. It's been an amazing career."

• BBMak

Mario and BBMak are slated to perform at the seventh annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day festival on August 24 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. MTV VJ Quddus will co-host the event with gold medalist Summer Sanders, and tennis stars Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Andy Roddick will make appearances. ... Down canceled two non-Ozzfest gigs after frontman Phil Anselmo scratched a cornea and was unable to perform. While Down nixed their July 31 show in Montreal and the August 1 gig in Hamilton, Ontario, the other bands on the bill — System of a Down, Meshuggah and Pulse Ultra — played on.

"Jackass" stunt-monger Steve-O (real name Stephen Glover) posted a $150,000 bond and will be allowed to return to Louisiana to face obscenity and battery charges stemming from a nightclub act (see "Steve-O Suffers For His Art, And It May Land Him In Jail") within a week, a Los Angeles municipal court judge ruled Friday (August 2). Glover's attorney said that once he returns to Terrebonne Parish, he faces an additional bond of $1.12 million, which he hopes to get reduced. Glover is also required to return to Los Angeles on August 16 and prove to the court that he turned himself in to Louisiana authorities, unless he remains incarcerated because he was unable to post bond. ...

Ricky Martin heads the list of five winners of the 16th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, according to the Associated Press. The awards will be presented on September 20 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. ... Diana Ross, who was three concerts into her summer tour, has canceled all the remaining dates, according to Reuters. No reason was given for halting the 10-city outing; in May, the 58-year-old singer had checked herself into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. ... On September 17, the Vandals will release Internet Dating Super Studs, which features songs such as "Disproportionate Head," "Little Weirdo" and "Soccer Mom." The 14-track album was produced by Ryan Williams (Rage Against the Machine, Quarashi) and Vandals guitarist Warren Fitzgerald. ...

08.01.02

New songs from Jay-Z, Nelly, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Cash Money, Juvenile, Rah Digga, Cam'ron and others will be featured on DJ Envy Blok Party Vol. 1: The Desert Storm Mixtape, due in October. Envy's cohorts in the Desert Storm collective, including DJ Clue, provide production work on the album. ... Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Brandy, Janet Jackson, Sunshine Anderson, J-Swift and Jazze Pha are slated to attend BMI's Urban Awards 2002 at Club Tropigala in Miami Beach on August 6 at 7 p.m. They join a previously announced guest list that includes N.O.R.E., Big Tymers, Lil' Wayne, Juvenile, the Neptunes, Rockwilder and Mario Winans. ...

The first 200,000 people to buy the explicit version of Queens of the Stone Age's new record, Songs for the Deaf, will get a free DVD featuring studio footage of the band as they worked on the album, three songs from their March show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, two songs from a 2000 Ozzfest performance in St. Louis and an interview from the Secret Tour. The album hits stores August 27. ... To compliment the October 8 release (pushed back from September 3) of her Greatest Hits, Björk will release Family Tree, a box set that chronicles her entire career — including a song she wrote on the flute when she was 15 — on five 3-inch CDs and one 5-inch CD. The collection will feature Sugarcubes tracks, previously unreleased Björk material and classical arrangements of some of her songs by the Brodsky Quartet. ... 3 Doors Down's second album, Away From the Sun, is scheduled to arrive on November 12. The follow-up to their 2000 debut was produced by Rick Parashar (Nickelback, Pearl Jam, Default). ...

Sense Field, Gameface, K-Luna and Crashcart performed at a benefit concert Tuesday that raised $4,800 for Sense Field guitarist Rodney Sellar's 4-year-old daughter, Leilani, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after an automobile accident on May 12. "Right Here Now: A Benefit for Leilani" was held at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California, and will help pay for the child's growing medical expenses. ... Nonpoint will release a DVD titled "Accompaniment" on September 10 that will feature all of their videos as well as backstage footage. The project will also document their U.K. tour and other past touring experiences. ...

Primal Scream are previewing "Some Velvet Morning," their cover of the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood song featuring supermodel Kate Moss on vocals, on their Web site, www.primalscream.net. The cover is included on the band's Evil Heat, due in the U.K. on Monday, which also features Robert Plant and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. ... Former Smiths frontman Morrissey had to reschedule his first week of U.S. tour dates after he had trouble getting his immigration clearance in time to start rehearsals. The tour, which had originally been slated to start Thursday (August 1) in Salt Lake City, will now begin on August 9 at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. ...

An expanded reissue of Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted will be released on October 22. It will be mixed from original master tapes and include a sizeable portion of extra tracks from the period the LP was recorded as well as previously released B-sides and rare compilation appearances, the band's publicist said. ... On the same date, Pavement will also release a DVD titled "Slow Century." The disc will feature two concerts (one with multiple vantage points), all of the group's videos (with band and director commentary) and a documentary by Lance Bangs that provides an overview of the band's history.

• Mario
• Nelly
• Cash Money Millionaires
• BBMak
• Ricky Martin

BBMak
Photo: Eufloria

British pop trio BBMak have a six-string surprise in store for their fans, as their second album promises to be more of a guitar-driven affair.

BBMak, known for being one of the few pop groups to play their own music and write their own songs, have spent the last two weeks putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to 2000's Sooner or Later, according to a Hollywood Records spokesperson, who described the effort as being laced with guitar throughout. The as-yet-untitled LP is expected to be released in September, and a single — a video for which is being planned — should surface at radio in June.

Ste McNally, Christian Burns and Mark Barry began recording the album late last year in England, then took the tapes to Los Angeles, where Rob Cavallo, who also produced parts of the LP along with the group, is assisting with the mixing stage. Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls) also had a hand in producing the band's debut.

Sooner or Later spawned the singles "Still on Your Side," "Ghost of You and Me" and "Back Here," and has sold more than 858,000 copies, according to SoundScan.

BBMak are also assembling a Stateside tour to support the album, their spokesperson said.

• BBMak

Dream
Photo: Bad Boy

They won't be jamming on "It's a Small World," but Dream, BBMak, Sugar Ray, Shaggy and the Baha Men will each be performing on ABC's upcoming concert special, "Walt Disney World Summer Jam Concert." The one-hour show, scheduled for June 10 at 7 p.m. ET, will feature music from three different locations. Onboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship in the Bahamas, Dream will perform "He Loves U Not" and "This Is Me," while BBMak will play "Ghost of You and Me" and "Unpredictable" at Disney's newest theme park, Disney's California Adventure in Southern California.

At the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Shaggy will play "Angel," Baha Men will perform "Who Let the Dogs Out" and "Getting Hotter," and Sugar Ray will do "Every Morning" and "When It's Over," their latest single.

Along with the performances, "Walt Disney World Summer Jam Concert" will feature spots with the groups giving their top 10 lists of what to do this summer.

• Dream
• BBMak
• Shaggy
• Sugar Ray
• Baha Men

'NSYNC
Photo: Jive

Although 'NSYNC are still working on their new album, they've gone ahead and announced five dates for an upcoming summer tour, tentatively set to begin on May 12 in Miami.

Tickets for the five shows, which include stops in Tampa, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi; and Hershey, Pennsylvania, will go on sale Saturday via Ticketmaster.

BBMak have been tapped to open the Miami show as well as the May 15 concert in Tampa, and additional dates are expected to be added in between the five that have just been confirmed.

'NSYNC's label, Jive Records, is mapping out the rest of the itinerary — including a full roster of support acts — for the band's still-unnamed tour, which is expected to continue through August.

The group's next album, the follow-up to the 10-million selling No Strings Attached, is due in June.

The first five dates of 'NSYNC's summer tour, according to Jive:

• 5/12 - Miami, FL @ Pro Player Stadium
• 5/15 - Tampa, FL @ Tropicana Field
• 5/18 - Jacksonville, FL @ Alltel Stadium
• 5/20 - Jackson, MS @ Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
• 5/26 - Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium

• *NSYNC
• BBMak

If the new school year has you thoroughly bummed already, perhaps a visit from Mandy Moore, BBMak, and Pink would liven things up.

Those three artists are the carrots dangling in front of New York-area high school students as part of radio station Z100's "School Spirit 2000" contest, which recently got underway. The New York station and "CosmoGIRL" magazine are encouraging fans to send in postcards or visit Z100.com to win a concert by Mandy, BBMak, and Pink. The school that generates the most "votes" will walk off with invites to the gig.

The radio station has lined up New York's Webster Hall for the October 25 show and has confirmed the three artists will be there to perform for the lucky students. The contest is open through October 15, and the winning school will be announced by Z100's Billy Hammond the following day.

Mandy and BBMak have already teamed up to play New York, hitting Manhattan's South Street Seaport for MTV's Music Week last Wednesday (see "Papa Roach, Wyclef, BBMak, More For VMA Music Week").

• BBMak
• Mandy Moore

After making the rounds with Britney Spears and winning fans with the single "Back Here," British pop import BBMak is set to hit the road again for its first U.S. headlining tour.

The trio will return to the road in the States on October 24 in Philadelphia and has a string of dates lined up through early December, including stops at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on November 23 and the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on December 5.

The trek will find BBMak trying to follow up the success of its breakthrough single, "Back Here," with "Still On Your Side," the second offering from its debut album, "Sooner Or Later."

The guys (Christian Burns, Mark Barry, and Ste McNally) have tapped 19-year-old singer-songwriter Jessica Riddle to open the tour. The jaunt will give Riddle the chance to introduce her debut album, "Key Of A Minor," which hit record stores in April, to a wider audience.

As they did on their tour with Britney, the threesome will once again try to distinguish themselves from other hunky male pop outfits by eschewing dance moves for musicianship on the road.

"We come out and we play, and the reason we do that is because we love doing it live whenever we can, and we can't possibly sing to the best of our abilities if we're jumping around on stage," Burns told MTV News (see "BBMak Arrives With Britney Tour, Hit Single").

If you want to catch BBMak doing it live, here's where to catch them:

• 10/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 10/26 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
• 10/28 - Buffalo, NY @ Sideshow
• 10/30 - Morristown, NJ @ Comm Theatre
• 10/31 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 11/1 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 11/2 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon
• 11/3 - Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
• 11/6 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
• 11/7 - Louisville, KY @ Jillian's
• 11/8 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 11/9 - Detroit, MI @ Clutch Cargo
• 11/10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropolis
• 11/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
• 11/15 - Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues
• 11/16 - Tampa, FL @ Janus Landing
• 11/17 - Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Fair
• 11/18 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Theatre
• 11/20 - New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
• 11/21 - Dallas, TX @ Bronco Bowl
• 11/23 - New York, NY @ Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Performance
• 11/24 - St Louis, MO @ The Paegent
• 11/25 - Kansas City, KS @ Memorial Hall
• 11/27 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore
• 11/30 - San Fransisco, CA @ Fillmore
• 12/2 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
• 12/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Palace
• 12/5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Billboard Awards

• BBMak

While the lights won't go up on the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards until Thursday, the hoopla surrounding the event officially kicks off Tuesday afternoon with the launch of MTV's Music Week.

The two-day event (yes, it's not technically a whole week) will see some of the Top 40's finest descend on New York for live performances, listening parties, and in-store appearances.

The whole shebang gets rolling on Tuesday with a free outdoor concert at Manhattan's South Street Seaport by Wyclef Jean at 3 p.m. Later that day, Lil' Zane will turn up at HMV Records in Times Square at 5 p.m. to greet fans and sign copies of his latest effort, "Young World: The Future."

On Tuesday evening, 200 fans will get an early taste of Radiohead's upcoming album, "Kid A," at a listening party staged at the Sony IMAX Theater at 68th Street and Broadway. Music Week's first day then concludes with a performance by Kina and some surprise guests at the downtown hot spot Joe's Pub.

Wednesday will find popsters Mandy Moore and BBMak following Wyclef's lead and descending on the Seaport for a free show starting at 3:30 p.m. Later that afternoon, BBMak will hit the Virgin Megastore at Union Square to sign copies of its debut album beginning at 5 p.m. Shortly after that, Papa Roach will get in on the action, hitting Coconuts Records at 51st Street and 6th Avenue for a CD signing that starts at 5:30 p.m. The string of events will conclude with two shows on Wednesday night when Travis plays New York's Roseland Ballroom while Fastball sets up shop at the Mercury Lounge.

Catch all the sizzlin', star-packed VMA action direct from Miami on August 28. MTV News' preshow kicks things off at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT, followed by big show at 8 p.m.

Vote for the Viewer's Choice Award, see a timeline of MTV Video Music Awards history, and relive highlights of last year's event. And for more MTV Video Music Awards news, check out the MTV News VMA archive.

• BBMak
• The Fugees
• Lauryn Hill
• Wyclef Jean
• Papa Roach

With a slot on teen queen Britney Spears' tour and a debut video on "Total Request Live," the British trio BBMak is finding life in the States to be quite a ride these days.

"We're really, really busy," the group's Ste McNally told MTV News, somehow understating the run BBMak has been on. "We've been on 80 planes in the last six months and haven't even covered half of the United States." [RealVideo]

The guys are currently taking a brief break before taking on the rest of the country on the next leg of Britney's tour. After those dates rap in late September, BBMak's record label, Hollywood Records, says the trio plans to launch its own headlining tour in October. The group has yet to sort out its plans for a follow-up single to "Back Here," but Hollywood notes that "I'm Not In Love" is a strong candidate.

For now, the group is just happy to have the chance to make an impression on Britney's sizeable audience. "It's been great to get the opportunity to go on tour with Britney," Christian Burns said. "To go on stage in front of 25,000 people for a new band with a debut single -- it's a great experience in front of large crowds, and it's just great to get out there and be meeting people and to let people see what BBMak look like." [RealVideo]

"It's been funny because we've been doing signings after each gig at Britney shows," Mark Barry added,

While an opening slot on Britney's tour offers a veritable corner on the teen market, the band hopes to reach more than just the teen pop audience. BBMak flaunts its affection for the Goo Goo Dolls and Oasis and talks with pride about having landed "Back Here" on the Adult Contemporary radio chart. But despite the difference between these well-coifed guitar-slingers and their equally well-groomed (if somewhat less musically inclined) contemporaries, they aren't going to get offended if the "boy band" tag comes up.

"People can call us whatever they want as long as they go out there and buy the record and enjoy the music. That's what it's all about for us," Burns explained. he said. "We come out and we play and the reason we do that it because we love doing it live whenever we can, and we can't possibly sing to the best of our abilities if we're jumping around on stage. 'NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, they do that, and they do a fantastic job. We were watching 'NSYNC the other day on the TV and those guys are amazing dancers and they can sing as well. That's great, and they do it really well. We just do something different." [RealVideo]

If you want to experience that difference, here's where you can catch BBMak playing their own shows as well as opening for Britney:

• 8/19 - Seattle, WA @ KBKS Radio Show
• 8/20 - Shirly, NY @ Waldbaum Balloon Festival
• 8/24 - San Diego, CA @ SeaWorld "Pepsi's Club Sea World"
• 8/25 - Memphis, TN @ WKSL Radio Show
• 8/28 - Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center w/Britney Spears
• 8/29 - Detroit, MI @ Michigan State Fair
• 8/30 - Saratoga, NY @ SPAC w/Britney Spears
• 8/31 - Allentown, PA @ Allentown Fair
• 9/1 - Knoxville, TN @ Thompson Bowling w/Britney Spears
• 9/2 - Houston, TX @ KRBE Radio Show
• 9/2 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deer Creek w/Britney Spears
• 9/3 - Columbus, OH @ Polaris w/Britney Spears
• 9/9 - Orlando, FL @ Orlando Arena w/Britney Spears
• 9/10 - Minneapolis, MN @ KDWB Radio Show
• 9/12 - Raleigh, NC @ Alltel @ Walnut Creek w/Britney Spears
• 9/13 - Allegan, MI @ Allegan County Fair
• 9/14 - Virginia Beach, ville, TN @ Am. South Ampitheatre w/Britney Spears
• 9/18 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Ampitheatre w/Britney Spears

For a full-length interview with BBMak, check out the MTV News Online feature "BBMak: Three's A Charm."

• BBMak
• Britney Spears

• BBMak

Making the Video: "On the Line"

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Best Of Summer Flipbook

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BBMak Flipbook

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