They Might Be Giants (sometimes abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. The duo's current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. The group is best known for an unconventional and experimental style of alternative music. Over their career, they have found success on the modern rock and CMJ charts. More recently they have also found success in children's music, and in theme music for several television programs and films.
TMBG have released 16 studio albums. Flood has been certified platinum and their children's music albums Here Come the ABCs, Here Come the 123s, and Here Comes Science have all been certified gold. The band has won two Grammy Awards, one in 2002 for their song "Boss of Me", which served as the theme to Malcolm in the Middle. They won their second in 2009 for Here Come the 123s. The band has sold over 4 million records. (Read more here.)
Links To Peel[]
John's attitude to the band seems rather curmudgeonly. At one point, he could not remember playing anything by them at all: however, when researching the Fall In August series, he found that an early flexi-disc from 1985 had indeed been programmed by him, and the recently available audio confirmes that he heard a tape of them that he liked. Somewhat reluctantly, he span it again, appending the comment, "Well, have they done anything that good since?" This was undoubtedly his reaction to their big hit earlier on in the year, Birdhouse In Your Soul, which reached no. 6 in the UK charts in March. Further evidence of two consecutive 1988 plays on BFBS has since come to light: it would seem that the quirky single releases pleased him more than their plethora of LPs.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
- None
Other Shows Played[]
- JG Tape 8 Sometimes Peel April May 1985: Everything Right Is Wrong (7" flexi - Wiggle Diskette) TMB Music 850647S
- 17 December 1986: Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes (LP - They Might Be Giants) Bar/None
- 20 June 1988: Don't Let's Start possibly (v/a album - Hard Attack Alternative CD Sampler #2 Spring '88) Hard Attack
- 05 July 1988 (BFBS): 'The Famous Polka (12"-Don't Let's Start)' (Bar/None) Peel also mentions a play the previous week
- 28 March 1990: Hello Radio (v/a CD Album - Time For A Change: Bar/None Sampler # Two) Bar/None
- 14 August 1990: 'Everything Right Is Wrong Again (flexi disk-Wiggle Diskette)' (TMB/Eva-Tone)
- 20 July 2000: The Guitar (CD maxi-single, 1992) Elektra
- 20 July 2000 (Radio Eins): The Guitar (CD maxi-single, 1992) Elektra