The Rembrandts

Last updated

The Rembrandts
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1989–1997, 2000–present
Labels
Members
Website www.therembrandts.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Rembrandts are an American alternative rock duo, formed by Danny Wilde and Phil Solem in 1989. [10] They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981. The Rembrandts are best known for the song "I'll Be There for You", which was used as the main theme song for the NBC sitcom Friends . [11]

Contents

History

Wilde was a member of 1970s cult recording act The Quick, [10] and had released several mildly successful solo albums in the 1980s. Wilde and Solem had been in the power-pop quartet Great Buildings, a band that released one album for CBS in 1981 before dissolving. [10]

After establishing themselves as The Rembrandts in 1989, Solem and Wilde recorded a self-titled album largely in Wilde's home studio. From this album, the group had their first success during 1990 with "Just the Way It Is, Baby", which scored at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. [10] The self-titled album scored number 88 on the Billboard 200. [10]

The next album Untitled, of 1992, [10] featured the minor successes "Johnny, Have You Seen Her?" and "Chase the Clouds Away". Another track from the album, "Rollin' Down the Hill", was used in the film Dumb and Dumber .

"I'll Be There for You," the theme for the sitcom Friends , reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for several weeks before being released as a single and peaking at No. 17 on the U.S. Billboard chart. [10] The single has been released in other countries, including the UK, where it reached No. 3 in 1995 and No. 5 in 1997. [10] The success of Friends has caused a greater awareness of the band, and led to greater sales of their recorded albums. The song was also featured on the Friends Soundtrack album. An earlier, previously unreleased version of "I'll Be There for You" with different lyrics was included on their Unreleased Stuff album.

In 1997, the duo split, with Solem returning to Minneapolis to concentrate on his band Thrush. [10] In 1998, Wilde released the album Spin This , credited to "Danny Wilde + The Rembrandts". [10] In 2000, Solem and Wilde reunited, and released the album Lost Together as The Rembrandts the following year.

In 2005, the band released an album of re-recorded favorites called Choice Picks . There are two versions of Choice Picks, one released through Awarestore.com which features the new track "Chasin' Down a Rainbow". The other version was released on the Fuel 2000 label, with the new track "Don't Give Me Up".

In 2006, Rhino Records released a collection called Greatest Hits , a 20-song career-spanning retrospective that included material from the lone Great Buildings album, Apart from the Crowd.

In 2016, the pair reunited and announced that they would release a new album. Via Satellite was released in 2019.

Mainstream success

Despite achieving success with "I'll Be There For You", the duo has been dismissive of the song. Phil Solem in 1995, said "We don't want to hang our hats on the theme from a TV show...[w]e've been working too long at our craft for that." [12] The same year, the duo tried to apologize for the song on MTV News' "The Year in Rock.” [13]

Legacy

In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked them the 20th best Two-Hit wonder of all time. [14] Insider placed them on their list of the "Best One-Hit Wonders of All Time". [15]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positions Certifications
US
[17]
AUS
[18]
AUT
[19]
NZ
[20]
SWE
[21]
UK
[22]
The Rembrandts
  • Released: September 4, 1990
  • Label: Atco
88932343
Untitled
  • Released: September 15, 1992
  • Label: Atco
LP 232514
Spin This
(with Danny Wilde)
  • Released: April 28, 1998
  • Label: EastWest America
Lost Together
  • Released: October 2, 2001
  • Label: J-Bird
Via Satellite
  • Released: 2019
  • Label: Blue Élan

Compilation albums

List of albums, with selected details
TitleDetails
Choice Picks
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: True North, Fuel 2000
Greatest Hits
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Rhino Records

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[17]
US
Main.
Rock

[17]
US
Main.
Pop

[17]
AUS
[24] [25]
CAN
[26]
FRA
[27]
GER
[28]
NLD
[29]
SWE
[21]
UK
[30]
"Just the Way It Is, Baby"199014132612965323 The Rembrandts
"Someone"199178104824557
"Burning Timber"36
"Save Me"64
"Johnny Have You Seen Her"19925424384854 Untitled
"Maybe Tomorrow"1993
"Chase the Clouds Away"
"Waiting to Be Opened"
"I'll Be There for You"199517131773 LP
"This House Is Not a Home"318258
"Don't Hide Your Love"
"Drowning in Your Tears"1996
"I'll Be There for You" [European re-release]19972520345
"Too Late"2001 Lost Together

See also

Related Research Articles

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"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American pop rock duo the Rembrandts. The song was written by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff, and Allee Willis as the main theme song to the NBC sitcom Friends, which was broadcast from 1994 to 2004. American rock band R.E.M. was originally asked to allow their song "Shiny Happy People" to be used for the Friends theme, but they turned the opportunity down. "I'll Be There for You" was subsequently written and Warner Bros. Television selected the only available band on Warner Bros. Records to record it: the Rembrandts. In 1995, after a Nashville radio station brought the song to mainstream popularity, Rembrandts members Danny Wilde and Phil Sōlem expanded the theme song with two new verses and included this version on their third studio album, L.P. (1995).

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