VH1’s Behind the Music: Blues Traveler

Get the inside story on one of the most popular bands of the 90s, Blues Traveler. In this episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, find out how the band got their start and what they’ve been up to since their heyday.

Introduction

Blues Traveler is an American rock band formed in 1987. The group’s music is a blend of blues, jazz and psychedelic rock, and their live shows often feature extended improvisation. The band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums and two compilation albums. They have earned six Grammy Awards and have sold more than 12 million records worldwide.

The band was founded in 1987 by John Popper, Chan Kinchla, Brendan Hill and Steve’s nephew Bobby Sheehan in Princeton, New Jersey. All four members attended Princeton High School together; Popper and Sheehan also played together in a band called the Ugly Americans. Kinchla’s father Art was the school’s jazz band director, and he taught his son to play guitar at an early age. The four friends would get together to jam informally; they had trouble finding other musicians who shared their taste for improvised music and 60s-style rock.

In 1988, the group began playing regularly at a club called Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey. They built up a following among the local college crowd and began to attract attention from music industry insiders. In 1989, they were signed to A&M Records and released their self-titled debut album the following year. The album sold poorly but the singles “Ask Around” and “But Anyway” became college radio hits.

The band’s second album, Save His Soul, was released in 1991. It was recorded quickly as a response to their record label’s demands for more product

The Early Years

Blues Traveler is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band’s members are John Popper (lead vocals, harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar), Brendan Hill (drums), Tad Kinchla (bass), and Ben Wilson (keyboards). They are best known for their singles “Run-Around” and “Hook”, both of which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band has sold over 12 million records worldwide.

Forming the band

In 1987, Blues Traveler formed in Princeton, New Jersey. The band consisted of John Popper on harmonica and vocals, Brendan Hill on drums, Bobby Sheehan on bass, and Chan Kinchla on guitar. They began playing Grateful Dead covers at local clubs and quickly developed a following among the Deadheads in the area.

The early days on the road

Blues Traveler’s initial success came from touring, due to a strong grassroots following. They began touring regionally in support of their self-titled debut album and then nationally behind their second album, four. Their “All in the Groove Tour” which spanned from May to September 1991 was particularly grueling, as the band played nightly for five months straight with very little break. The grueling pace led to mental and physical exhaustion, and John Popper was hospitalized for stress-related ulcers after the tour ended.

The Success Years

The release of “Run-Around”

The release of “Run-Around” coincided with the beginning of the band’s upward turn. The album hit the stores in 1994, entered the Billboard album chart in September, and reached its peak position of number eight in January 1995. The album eventually went triple platinum, selling more than three million copies. “Run-Around” was released as a single in October 1994 and quickly became a radio favorite, spending a then-record 34 weeks on the Billboard singles chart and eventually reaching number four. The success of the album and the single gave Blues Traveler the opportunity to tour extensively, both as a headliner and as an opening act for such well-established bands as The Grateful Dead, Santana, and The Allman Brothers Band.

The success of “Hook”

Blues Traveler’s album “Four” was released in 1994 and quickly became a success, due in large part to the popularity of the single “Hook.” The song was a top-40 hit and received heavy radio airplay, which helped propel the album to platinum status. The success of “Hook” also helped Blues Traveler gain a wider audience; the band appeared on popular TV shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night with David Letterman,” and toured with some of the biggest names in music, including the Grateful Dead, Santana, and the Allman Brothers Band.

The Dark Years

John Popper, Blues Traveler’s harmonica player and singer, was born in 1967 with a congenital heart defect that would require multiple corrective surgeries throughout his childhood. In spite of his health problems, Popper was a talented musician and by the age of sixteen, he had already toured with some of the biggest names in the blues scene. But it was the life-threatening nature of his congenital heart defect that would ultimately shape the course of his life and career.

John Popper’s health scare

In 2000, John Popper was rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening blockage in his intestines. After an emergency operation, doctors told him he had less than a 50/50 chance of survival. Amazingly, he made a full recovery and went on to tour with Blues Traveler for another decade.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks

After the events of September 11, 2001, Blues Traveler postponed their upcoming tour and hunkered down in the studio. The result was their darkest album to date, “The Dark Years.”

The first single, “The Mountains Win Again,” was a wistful look back at simpler times. “You Lost Me There,” meanwhile, was a searing indictment of American foreign policy. “Just Wait” was a heart-rending ballad about lost love, while “Decision of the Skies” found Popper grappling with his asthma diagnosis.

The album wasn’t all doom and gloom, however. “To Remember” was a tribute to 9/11 victims, and “Slow Change” offered a message of hope for the future.

Ultimately, “The Dark Years” was a brave and ambitious album that captured the zeitgeist of a nation in mourning.

The Comeback Years

The release of “Carolina Blues”

After the release of “Carolina Blues”, Blues Traveler began to regain some of the popularity they had lost in the late 1990s. The album was a commercial success, reaching #26 on the Billboard 200, and spawning the singles “Girl Inside My Head” and “You, Me and Everything”. The album was well-received by critics, with Allmusic calling it “a return to form” for the band.

The band’s return to the road

After the release of their fourth album, “Four,” in 1994, Blues Traveler took an extended break from touring. But in 1996, they jumped back on the road for a series of successful tours. The band’s popularity continued to grow, and in 1997 they released their fifth album, “Straight on till Morning.”

During this time, the band was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.