Hanson's SNOWED IN [1997]

Merry Christmas from the MMMBoppers!

None of HERC's three children are in the performing arts today but when they were much younger they would delight their parents with impromptu musical performances, as kids sometimes do.  HERC's favorite memory of these concerts is of his three children, aged 10, 7 and 4 in 1997, enthusiastically miming Hanson's then current hit single "MMMBop" on found instruments.

  

And what a hit that sweet slice of sugar-frosted pop that turned out to be - hitting #1 in 27 countries, earning Grammy nominations, critical praise and selling massive amounts, triggering the inevitable backlash.  (It ranks as both VH1's 20th Greatest Song Of The 90s and AOL's 17th Worst Song Ever.)  HERC's been a fan since the first time he heard the song, after which he bought the CD single because the album, Middle Of Nowhere, wasn't out yet.  (The album was released a few weeks after the single and yes, HERC, picked it up, for his kids.) But the young Hanson brothers - Zac, Isaac and Taylor - weren't done for the year. They recorded another album in late Summer/early Fall while in England. Rush-released in early November, Snowed In! went on to become the number one selling Holiday album of 1997, moving more than 860,000 copies in the final six weeks of the year.  On Black Friday 1997, ABC aired a half-hour Hanson Holiday special produced by and featuring an appearance from Dick Clark:

Snowed In! remains a Holiday favorite here at The Hideaway, though their three original songs don't get as many plays as the rest of the album, and HERC has kept up with the guys musical output as well, counting several of their subsequent albums and songs among his favorites up to and including their 2013 releases "Get The Girl Back" and the album Anthem.  In particular, HERC enjoys the blue-eyed soulful voice of the middle Hanson, Taylor.  Even at the age of 14, singing "MMMBop", the boy had it.  He does a great job of tackling Christmas classics from Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder as well.