B4-4

Last updated
b4-4
(Before Four)
B4-4 in Get Down.png
b4-4 in their music video for "Get Down" (left to right: Ryan Kowarsky, Ohad Einbinder, and Dan Kowarsky)
Background information
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Pop, teen pop
Years active1999–2004
LabelsSony Records
Past members Ryan Kowarsky (b. Dec.5, 1979)

Dan Kowarsky (b. Dec.5, 1979)

Ohad Einbinder (b. Mar.14, 1982)

b4-4, later known as Before Four (stylized as before four), was a Canadian boy band from Toronto, Ontario. The band was composed of twins Ryan and Dan Kowarsky, [1] along with Ohad Einbinder. [2] They were signed to Sony Records and achieved commercial success in Canada and later toured as Before Four in Germany. [3]

Contents

As b4-4

The Kowarskys and Einbinder were friends for several years before the group officially formed in 1998. After an audition for Mike Roth of Toronto's Sony Records studios, they were signed to the label. They also signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. [4]

In 2000, they released their debut album b4-4 . [5] b4-4 achieved success in Canada with the single "Get Down" and its accompanying video, [6] [7] [8] and later "Go Go". [4] Other releases included "Everyday", and "Ball and Chain". The album was certified Platinum in Canada. [9] [3]

In the summer of 2001, B4-4 joined Snow, Wave and soulDecision on the YTV PsykoBlast Tour [10] and opened for Destiny's Child on MTV's Total Request Live Tour. [11] They were also nominated for Best New Group at the 2001 Juno Awards. [4] Also in 2001, they starred in the episode Howlin' with B4-4 in the TV series Eddy the Eco-Dog Unleashed. [12]

As Before Four

Following their success in Canada, the trio b4-4 headed to Germany, signing with Universal Music / Polydor under the name Before Four. [13] In 2003, they released their second album, In Your Face. [14] That album generated three singles: "Player (You're My Ecstasy)", "I'll Be There" and "Feel Free (To Say No)".

B4-4 disbanded in 2004. Ryan and Dan Kowarsky went on to form the vocal, musical, songwriting and producing duo RyanDan.

In 2021, "Get Down" was used as a Lip Sync for Your Life number in episode 7 of Canada's Drag Race second season, with which Gia Metric won her Lip sync competition. [15]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbum detailsPeakNotes
CA GER
2000 b4-4 CAN: Platinum
2003 In Your Face
  • Released:
    • 30 June 2003 (General edition)
    • 30 June 2003 [Limited German Special "(Tank) Topped Up" Edition]
    • 17 Nov 2003 (Special Edition)
  • Label: Polydor, Universal Music
  • Format: CD
Limited Edition released only in Germany

Singles

YearSinglePeak positionsAlbum
CAN
[16] [17]
GER AUT SUI
2000"Get Down"4 b4-4
"Go Go"21 [lower-alpha 1]
"Everyday"
2001"Ball and Chain"
"Endlessly"
2003"Player"29 In Your Face
"I'll Be There"1157
"Feel Free (To Say No)"850

Music videos

YearSingleAlbum
2000Get Downb4-4
Go Go
Everyday
2003PlayerIn Your Face
Feel Free (To Say No)

See also

Related Research Articles

Real McCoy is a German Eurodance and pop music project best known for hit singles "Another Night", "Automatic Lover ", "Run Away", "Love & Devotion", "Come and Get Your Love", and "One More Time"; and the multi-platinum album Another Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkhouse</span> Canadian rock band

Junkhouse are a Canadian rock band, formed during 1989 in Hamilton, Ontario. They released three albums during the 1990s, which spawned numerous charting singles in Canada. They initially disbanded in 1998, and have performed occasional one-off shows afterwards.

<i>NSYNC</i> (album) 1997 studio album by NSYNC

'NSYNC is the eponymous debut studio album by American boy band NSYNC, initially released in Germany on May 26, 1997, by Trans Continental Records and internationally on March 24, 1998, by RCA Records. Following the success of the album's initial release, with singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart" reaching the top ten on the Official German Charts, and the album reaching number one on the Offizielle Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lips Are Sealed</span> 1981 single by the Go-Gos

"Our Lips Are Sealed" is a song co-written by Jane Wiedlin, guitarist of the Go-Go's, and Terry Hall, singer of the Specials and Fun Boy Three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Clash discography</span>

The discography of the British punk rock band the Clash consists of six studio albums, two extended plays, two live albums and 31 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bye Bye Bye</span> 2000 single by NSYNC

"Bye Bye Bye" is a song by American boy band NSYNC from their third studio album, No Strings Attached. It was released on January 17, 2000, as the lead single from the album. The song was written and produced by Kristian Lundin and Jake Schulze, with additional writing by Andreas Carlsson. Its lyrics describe the end of a romantic relationship; it was reported to also reference the group's separation from their manager Lou Pearlman and their record label RCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Baby (Amy Grant song)</span> 1991 single by Amy Grant

"Baby Baby" is a pop song by American recording artist Amy Grant and it was issued as the first single from her eighth studio album, Heart in Motion (1991). The song was written by Grant and Keith Thomas, who also produced it. It was released on January 18, 1991, through A&M Records and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks in April 1991, becoming the first in a string of hits from Heart in Motion. At the 34th Annual Grammy Awards in 1992, the song received three Grammy Award nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

"Shape of Things to Come" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil from the film Wild in the Streets, performed by the fictional band Max Frost and the Troopers on their 1968 album Shape of Things to Come, featuring a lead vocal by Harley Hatcher. The song was also released without vocals by Davie Allan and the Arrows. The song was a mere 1 minute 55 seconds in length. The song came some 35 years after H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come.

American boy band NSYNC has released four studio albums and 18 singles. The band first charted in 1996 and released their self-titled debut album in 1997. Their debut studio album 'N SYNC (1997) was preceded by the lead single "I Want You Back", which entered the top five in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and the top 20 in the United States. Supported by the commercial success of its lead single "Bye Bye Bye", their third studio album No Strings Attached (2000) debuted with 2.4 million copies sold in the first week. The second single, "It's Gonna Be Me", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Their first two studio albums were certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. Celebrity, their fourth and last studio album, was released in 2001 and the final single ”Girlfriend” in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimi Hendrix discography</span>

Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) was an American guitarist whose career spanned from 1962 to 1970. His discography includes the recordings released during his lifetime. Prior to his rise to fame, he recorded 24 singles as a backing guitarist with American R&B artists, such as the Isley Brothers and Little Richard. Beginning in late 1966, he recorded three best-selling studio albums and 13 singles with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. An Experience compilation album and half of a live album recorded at the Monterey Pop Festival were also issued prior to his death. After the breakup of the Experience in mid-1969, songs from his live performances were included on the Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More and Band of Gypsys albums. A studio single with the Band of Gypsys was also released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Gonna Be Me</span> 2000 single by NSYNC

"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released through Jive Records, as the second single from their third studio album No Strings Attached (2000) in the United States, and as the third single from the international edition of No Strings Attached. The song was written by Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson, and Rami Yacoub, and produced by the latter. The pop track was inspired by Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" (1982) and Rupert Holmes' "Him" (1980), while the lyrics are about a man attempting to persuade a woman to start a new relationship together as she recovers from a previous breakup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tearin' Up My Heart</span> 1997 single by NSYNC

"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their eponymous debut studio album, 'N Sync (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and by RCA Records in the United States on June 30, 1998, as the second single from the album. A dance-pop and teen pop song, it contains a pop-sounding melody, a strong beat, and a funk-styled pre-verse breakdown, with vocal harmonies performed during the refrain. The lyrics depict the ambiguous future of a romantic relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You</span> 1998 single by NSYNC

"(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released as the third single from their self-titled debut album in the U.S. While some of the previous singles were released in Europe, this one was not, and subsequently only charted in Australia and the U.S., reaching number 46 and number eight respectively. The single included a live version of Christopher Cross song "Sailing", as well as a limited edition postcard. Some versions of the single included the track's video. The radio version of this song was featured on both their first and third compilation albums: Greatest Hits (2005) and The Essential *NSYNC (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RyanDan</span> Canadian musical duo

RyanDan is a Canadian musical, songwriting and producing duo, consisting of identical twins Ryan and Dan Kowarsky, whose music is a mix of pop, opera, and classical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bette Midler discography</span>

American singer Bette Midler has released 13 studio albums, four soundtrack albums, five live albums, one spoken word album, seven greatest hits compilations, four video albums, 39 official singles, nine promotional singles, and 11 music videos.

<i>b4-4</i> (album) 2000 studio album by b4-4

b4-4 is the debut album by Canadian boy band b4-4, released on June 6, 2000. It includes the successful tracks "Get Down", "Go Go", "Everyday", and "Endlessly". The album debuted at #38 on the Canadian Albums Chart, and was certified Platinum in Canada in April 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Gone (Hall & Oates song)</span> 1973 single by Hall & Oates

"She's Gone" is a song written and originally performed by the American duo Daryl Hall and John Oates. The soul ballad is included on their 1973 album, Abandoned Luncheonette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Shack</span> 1989 dance song by the B-52s

"Love Shack" is a song by American new wave band the B-52's from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). It was released on June 20, 1989, and was produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback for the band, following their decline in popularity in the mid-1980s and the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everclear discography</span>

The discography of the American rock band Everclear consists of nine studio albums, one live album, six compilation albums, five extended plays, and 24 singles. Their first studio album, World of Noise, was released in 1993 and did not chart. Their second, 1995's Sparkle and Fade, peaked at number 25 in the United States and went platinum in both the US and Canada. Four singles were released from the album, including "Santa Monica", which reached number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Down (B4-4 song)</span> 2000 single by B4-4 song

"Get Down" is the debut single by Canadian boy band b4-4. It was released in May 2000 as the first single from their debut self-titled album. The song was very successful in Canada, peaking at number 4 on Canada's Singles Chart. The song was written and produced by Jason Levine and James McCollum, who were nominated for "Best Producer" at the 2001 Juno Awards for their work on the track. The song was featured on MuchDance 2001.

References

  1. "Go Go" reached number 21 when RPM ceased publication in November 2000.
  1. "Twins lead a double life in Cookstown and Las Vegas". by Bruce Hain Innisfil Journal, Jul 24, 2013
  2. "Still the one: 21 things to know about Shania Twain". Global News, By John R. Kennedy March 9, 2015
  3. 1 2 "RyanDan grew up through B4-4 experiences". Regina Leader-Post, Jun 21, 2008 . Mile Devlin
  4. 1 2 3 " TWINS PEAK". Elizabeth Renzetti, LONDON — Globe and Mail, Oct. 13, 2007
  5. "B4-4 – B4-4". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  6. "Break Yo’ TV: B4-4’s “Get Down”". Consequences of Sound, by Alex Young on August 12, 2010
  7. "5 Forgotten Canadian One Hit Wonders We Love". andPop, August 6, 2014 by Merna Jibrail Archived November 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "TBT: O-Town's reunion and the 7 dirtiest boy band songs". Entertainment Weekly, Hillary Busis April 3, 2014
  9. "Gold & Platinum Certification – April 2001". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  10. "Marketers don't go crazy at PsykoBlast, July 2001". strategyonline.ca. Strategy Magazine. 30 November 2001. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  11. "Billboard, Sept 15, 2001, pp 76". 15 September 2001. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  12. "Eddy the Eco-Dog Unleashed. And also appeared on nickelodeon with their single "Get Down"". radiotimes.com. Radio Times. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  13. "RyanDan cuts boy band roots" [ dead link ]. By JASON MacNEIL Sun Media, 2007-11-10
  14. "Before Four – In Your Face". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  15. Alter, Rebecca (2021-12-03). "Canada's Drag Race Recap: So About That Lip Sync …". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  16. "Top Singles - Volume 71, No. 12, July 24, 2000". RPM . Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  17. "Top Singles - Volume 71, No. 22, October 02 2000". RPM . Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved 2011-02-01.