New Radicals
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 in Los Angeles, United States |
| Founder | Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Fate | Disbanded; occasional reunions in 2021 and 2024 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | International |
Key people | Gregg Alexander (lead vocals, guitar, songwriter, producer), Danielle Brisebois (keyboards, percussion, backing vocals) |
| Products | Album: Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too (1998) |
Number of employees | Various session and touring musicians (1997–1999) |
New Radicals (presented as Иew Radicals) was a pop rock group from the United States, established in 1997 in Los Angeles. The ensemble revolved mainly around the partnership of Gregg Alexander—who handled lead vocals, guitar, songwriting, and production—and Danielle Brisebois, who contributed keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals. Their sound was further supported by various session and touring musicians.
In 1998, they released their sole album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too, which drew inspiration from 1970s rock and soul genres. The record combined accessible modern rock tunes with pointed critiques of corporate America.[1][2] Their first single, "You Get What You Give", achieved number one positions on charts in Canada and New Zealand, secured top five spots in Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom, and also broke into the US top 40.[3][4]
Before releasing their follow-up single "Someday We'll Know" in mid-1999, Alexander chose to dissolve New Radicals to concentrate on writing songs and producing for other artists. Despite the band's end, the collaboration between Alexander and Brisebois persisted, culminating in an Academy Award for Best Original Song nomination in 2015 for "Lost Stars" featured in the film Begin Again.
Although numerous invitations to reunite were extended, Alexander declined until agreeing to a single performance on January 20, 2021, during President Joe Biden's inauguration.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name They came together once more at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024, simultaneously releasing refreshed versions of "Lost Stars" and "Murder on the Dancefloor".Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Breakthrough and mainstream success
New Radicals originated in Los Angeles in 1997 under Gregg Alexander’s leadership, who had previously launched two solo albums—1989's Michigan Rain and 1992's Intoxifornication—which failed to gain commercial traction. In December 1997, Michael Rosenblatt, Senior Vice President of A&R at MCA Records, signed the band. Alexander received an advance of $600,000 for their debut and only album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. Released on October 20, 1998, this album was acclaimed for its eclectic influences rarely found in contemporary pop rock, drawing parallels with artists like Todd Rundgren, World Party, Hall & Oates, as well as early works by Prince and Mick Jagger.
While some critics dismissed the album’s social commentary and its allusions to recreational drug use and sexuality as superficial posturing, others praised its frankness and perceptive insights. The album achieved commercial success by reaching No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It earned platinum certification in the United States (for over one million units sold), along with gold certifications in both the United Kingdom (100,000 copies) and Canada (50,000 copies).
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
To support their release, New Radicals embarked on an extensive U.S. tour starting late 1998 that included live concerts, festival appearances, radio sessions, TV performances on shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Nickelodeon's All That, plus a New Year's Eve event at Chicago's House of Blues. Beginning March 30, 1999, they also served as opening act for the Goo Goo Dolls. Their live shows often featured "You Get What You Give" performed twice per set.
The lead single from the album, "You Get What You Give"—co-written with Rick Nowels—was released on November 17, 1998. It peaked at No. 36 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, climbed to No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and topped Canada's RPM chart at No. 1. The track received substantial radio airplay alongside heavy rotation on MTV, especially noted for its provocative lyrics targeting celebrities: "Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson / Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson / You're all fakes run to your mansions / Come around we'll kick your ass in."
Marilyn Manson expressed ambivalence toward the lyric but issued threats if confronted directly. Beck recounted that Alexander personally apologized for any offense caused. Hanson interpreted it as a cultural reference within pop music; they later collaborated with Alexander on their 2004 album Underneath.
Alexander clarified that these celebrity mentions were designed to challenge media priorities by contrasting them against more serious societal concerns such as "Health insurance rip off lying / FDA big bankers buying / Fake computer crashes dining / Cloning while they're...
Disbandment and Activities After New Radicals
Speculation about the band's breakup arose when New Radicals withdrew from their scheduled appearance at Atlanta's RockFest and postponed their UK tour planned for May 1999. MCA Records attributed these cancellations to an unspecified illness affecting one of the members. Although the group completed filming the music video for their second single, "Someday We'll Know," Gregg Alexander announced on July 12, less than two weeks before the single's release, that New Radicals would discontinue all recording, promotion, and live performances. Alexander explained that he had fulfilled his artistic objectives with the album and was exhausted by the demands of touring and publicity. He also rejected the idea of being labeled a "one-hit wonder" frontman and intended to concentrate on producing and songwriting for other artists through a newly established production company.
The first project Alexander undertook following the band's split was producing Danielle Brisebois' album Portable Life. Originally slated for release in October 1999, RCA Records delayed it until a digital launch in 2008. Without active promotion due to the band's dissolution, "Someday We'll Know" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking only at No. 28 on the U.S. Adult Top 40 and No. 48 on the UK Singles Chart.
Although no official third single emerged, promotional evidence indicates that "I Don't Wanna Die Anymore" was planned as a single alongside "You Get What You Give" and "Someday We'll Know." Certain album pressings identified this track as "Album Version," suggesting an intended single edit existed. Furthermore, promotional copies of "Mother We Just Can't Get Enough" were distributed both as one-track promos and as four-track commercial singles with barcodes; however, these releases likely never reached retail outlets.
In addition to the tracks featured on the U.S. album, New Radicals recorded two extra studio songs: "To Think I Thought," which appeared as a B-side to "You Get What You Give" and was included on the Japanese edition of the album, and "The Decency League," serving as a B-side to "Someday We'll Know."
After the group's breakup, Alexander collaborated with various artists including Ronan Keating, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Enrique Iglesias, frequently partnering with producer and songwriter Rick Nowels. His most prominent achievement during this period was co-writing Santana and Michelle Branch's Grammy-winning track "The Game of Love" in 2003. Additionally, Rod Stewart recorded the Alexander-Nowels composition "I Can't Deny It" for his 2001 album Human.
In 2003, a previously uncredited song by Gregg Alexander titled "A Love Like That" surfaced on PickTheHits.com; fans identified his distinctive voice and lyrics referencing Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. The track was later confirmed as a collaboration between Alexander and Nowels.
Reunions (2021–2024)
New Radicals reunited on January 20, 2021, performing "You Get What You Give" at the Inauguration of Joe Biden. The song had been highlighted by Vice President Kamala Harris's spouse, Doug Emhoff, during campaign events in 2020 and was referenced by Joe Biden in his memoir Promise Me, Dad as a meaningful anthem for his family amid his late son Beau Biden's illness. Alexander described this performance as a “small beacon of hope during a very dark period.” Due to COVID-19 safety measures, Alexander and Brisebois performed alongside musicians from the Philadelphia area rather than with the original touring ensemble.
On August 23, 2024, New Radicals released two new singles: a rendition of "Lost Stars", which Alexander co-wrote for the 2014 film Begin Again, and a cover of "Murder on the Dancefloor", originally performed by Sophie Ellis-Bextor in 2001.
Usage in media
Following the band's dissolution, New Radicals' tracks have seen extensive placement across various commercial advertisements, movie trailers—including titles like Big Daddy, Bubble Boy, The Muppets, and Click—as well as television series such as Scrubs, Community, and Dawson's Creek. Their music has also been featured on soundtracks for films like A Walk to Remember and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Notable artists including Mandy Moore, Jon Foreman, and Hall & Oates have recorded covers of "Someday We'll Know". During his 2002 tour and iTunes playlist, Ronan Keating performed "You Get What You Give"; meanwhile, Joni Mitchell commended the group for their creativity and expressed approval of Alexander's exit. In 2012, the track "You Get What You Give" was featured in the third season finale of the television show Glee.
In 2005, the group LMC produced a remix of "You Get What You Give" titled "Don't Let Go," releasing a vocal version in 2006 that climbed to No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart. The opening line from Moore and Foreman's rendition of "Someday We'll Know" was sampled by Shawnna in her 2006 song "Chicago". Additionally, in 2013, Brooklyn-based pop duo Savoir Adore covered "You Get What You Give" for the fourth season of the web series A.V. Undercover by The A.V. Club.
Members
Before establishing New Radicals, both Alexander and Brisebois had released solo albums: Alexander with Michigan Rain (1989) and Intoxifornication (1992), and Brisebois with Arrive All Over You (1994). Brisebois had an acting background as a child during the late 1970s and early 1980s, notably portraying Stephanie Mills on the sitcoms All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place. The majority of songs on Arrive All Over You were co-written by Alexander and Brisebois, with Brisebois also providing backing vocals on Alexander's Intoxifornication.
The musicians contributing to Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too primarily consisted of friends of Alexander and Brisebois. This included pianist Paul Gordon, drummers Matt Laug and Josh Freese, guitarists Rusty Anderson and Michael James—who additionally handled mixing duties—as well as bassists Paul Bushnell, Dan Rothchild, John Pierce; percussionist Lenny Castro; pianist Greg Phillinganes; and producer Rick Nowels, who played piano on two tracks and had previously produced Alexander’s debut album.
For live performances, other members included drummer Stuart Johnson, guitarist Bradley Fernquist, keyboardist Jim McGorman, and bassist Sasha Krivtsov. Both McGorman and Krivtsov later became part of the house band for the show Rock Star: INXS and toured alongside Paul Stanley from KISS during his 2006 solo tour titled "Live To Win".
Studio album
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications (sales levels) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | AUT | CAN | GER | NLD | NZ | SWE | SWI | UK | |||
| Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too |
|
41 | 51 | 13 | 17 | 25 | 53 | 34 | 30 | 41 | 10 |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications (Sales benchmarks) |
Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | AUS ARIA Charts | AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 | CAN Canadian Singles Chart | GER GfK Entertainment charts | NLD Dutch Single Top 100 | NZ Official New Zealand Music Chart | SWE Sverigetopplistan | SWI Swiss Hitparade | UK UK Singles Chart | ||||
| 1998 | "You Get What You Give" | 36 | 13 | 33 | 1 | 21 | 22 | 1 | 27 | 18 | 5 |
|
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too |
| 1999 | "Someday We'll Know" | — | 79 | — | — | 79 | 75 | 45 | — | — | 48 | ||
| 2006 | "You Get What You Give" (LMC featuring Rachel McFarlane) |
— | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | Non-album singles | |
| 2024 | "Murder on the Dancefloor" | — | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | – | ||
| "Lost Stars" | — | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | – | |||
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "You Get What You Give" | Evan Bernard |
| 1999 | "Someday We'll Know" | Lawrence Carroll |
Lyric video
| Year | Title | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Lost Stars" |
External links
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