They'll Need A Crane (EP)/Spanish Bio

A short bio of the band, from a promotional info sheet included in Spanish copies of the European They'll Need A Crane single.

Author unknown; likely someone affiliated with OLI and/or GASA

Original text, transcribed by ant. All [sic].

John Flansburgh (el que tiene gafas) y John Linell (el otro) son They Might Be Giants. Se conocieron en una escuela primaria de las afueras de Boston. Al terminar esta se separaron y no se volvieron a encontrar hasta muchs años espués, cuando ambos se mudaron al miso edificio de apartamentos de las afueras de New York. Pronto se dieron cuenta de que entre los dos reunian más de 300 canciones, asi que no les quedo más remedio que hacer un grupo y poco abandonaron sus trabajos para centrarse en la música.

Al poco tiempo y a traves de su manager y amigo, el periodista Jamie "Lincoln" Kitman, contacton con una pequeña independiente BAR NONE con la que editan su primer disco, un magnífico LP con 19 canciones que lleva por título el nombre el duo. De este primer trabajo, y a pesar de su deficiente distribución, llegan a vender solo en USA más de 100.000 copias. La fama del grupo crece como la espuma, en parte debido a que la MTV no para de emitir sus videos y en parte a las excelentes críticas. Hasta periodicos de la seriedad de New York Times ó de Los Angeles Times les dedican sendos artículos.

Es a finales de Julio cuando durante el New Music Seminar de New York nos presentan a Jamie Kitman, el personaje más parecido a Woody Allen de joven que puedas imaginar. El estaba buscando distribución para Europa del nuevo LP del duo. En aquella primera cita nos da la cinta del nuevo albúm. Al llegar al Hotel a eso de las tres de la mañana me puse los Walkman y aprete al Play. Al acabar "Kiss me, son of God", la última de las 18 canciones no pude hacer otra cosa volver a oir la cinta entera. Aquella era lo mejor que uno había escuchando en mucho tiempo.

Al día siguiente ya habíamos lledgado con Jamie a un acuerdo para adquirir los derechos para 7 paises de Europa, mientras que en E.E.U.U. sería Restles-Enigma quién se encargaría de su distribución. Para celebrarlo quedamos en un pequeño club cerca del SoHo, donde la gente de BAR NONE daba una fiesta. Allí concimos a los dos Johns y te puedo asegurar que poca gente he conocido en este mundo de la música tan normal, simpática y afable como ellos.

"Lincoln" se editó antes de Navidades en E.E.U.U., y desde entonces no ha dejado de subir en las listas de Billboard. Ahora se edita en toda Europa y su single avance "They'll need a crane" ha causado un revuelo inusual en inglaterra donde ha sido considerado single de la semana por casi todas las revistas.

En estos momentos, inician gira por Europa, el 11 de marzo en Madrid, de teloneros de Duncan Dhu, y se disponen a convertirse en el grupo de año. No creo que eso les cambie, ellos hace mucho que ya son GIGANTES, y so música un perfecto cocktail de Beatles, Costello, XTC, House Martins, Ramones y Tom Waits, MUNDIAL.

Translation by magbatz, edited by ant.

John Flansburgh (the one with the glasses) and John Linnell (the other) are They Might Be Giants. They met in grade school on the outskirts of Boston. When they graduated the two separated and they didn't come back to see each other until many years after, when they both moved into the same apartment building in the area around New York. Soon they 'gave count' of over 300 songs between the two upon their reunion, so they had no choice but to form a group and abandon their jobs to focus on the music.

Not long after, with the help of manager and friend, the journalist Jamie "Lincoln" Kitman, they contacted the small independent record label Bar/None with whom they released their first album, a magnificent LP with 19 songs that carried the title of the duo's name. From this first work, and despite its small distribution, it sold more than 100,000 copies in the US alone. The fame of the group 'grew through the roof' due in part to MTV's non-stop playing of their videos and in part to excellent reviews. Two such articles came from the New York Times and the LA Times, newspapers of significant importance.

It was late July when, during the New Music Seminar in NY, they presented us with Jamie Kitman, a character who looks more like a young Woody Allen than you could imagine. He was looking for a European distributor for the duo's new LP. In that first meeting he gave us the tape of the new album. Upon returning to the hotel at about 3 in the morning, I put on my Walkman and pressed play. At the end of "Kiss Me, Son Of God", the last of the 18 songs, I could not do anything but return to play the whole tape again. That was the best album that anyone had heard in a long time.

The following day we had already made an agreement with Jamie to acquire the rights (to release the album) in 7 countries in Europe, while in the US it would be Restless-Enigma who would become responsible for its distribution. We celebrated in a small club around SoHo, where the people of Bar/None threw a party. There we met the two Johns and I can assure you that I have met few people in this world of music as normal, kind, and amicable as them.

Lincoln was released before Christmas in the US, and from then it hasn't stopped rising on the Billboard charts. Now it is being released throughout Europe, and their advance single "They'll Need A Crane" has had an unusual impact on England where it has been considered "single of the week" by almost every periodical.

At the moment, they are starting a tour of Europe on March 11 in Madrid, playing with Duncan Dhu, and they are getting ready to turn into the musical group of the year. I don't believe that that will change them, as they have much that already makes them GIANT(S) and makes their music a perfect cocktail of the The Beatles, Costello, XTC, The Housemartins, The Ramones, and Tom Waits, WORLDWIDE.