Semisonic

Semisonic biography

Semisonic was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1995. The band consisted of three members: Dan Wilson (lead vocals, guitar), John Munson (bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboard), and Jacob Slichter (drums, percussion, keyboard). They are best known for their late 1990s hit singles "Closing Time", "Singing in My Sleep" and "Secret Smile".

History

After the breakup of Trip Shakespeare, Dan Wilson and John Munson joined up with drummer Jacob Slichter to form Semisonic in 1995. An EP, Pleasure, was released that year on Boston indie label CherryDisc, and the studio full-length Great Divide in 1996 on MCA.

Semisonic's breakthrough came two years later in 1998 when their second album, Feeling Strangely Fine, reached the Top 50 chart on the strength of the hit single "Closing Time", their biggest hit in the United States.

Their international career also blossomed when another song from the album, "Secret Smile", quickly became a UK radio favorite in the summer of 1999, eventually peaking at #13 on the UK Singles Chart.

In early 2001, the band released its third album, All About Chemistry. The single "Chemistry" was a mainstay overseas; however, the album did not fare as well in the United States. Another song, "Over My Head", was used in the 2001 teen flick Summer Catch, and Semisonic rode the wave of various tours in and around the UK. In the fall of 2001, Semisonic contributed their cover of the Wings song, "Jet", for the Paul McCartney tribute CD, Listen to What the Man Said.

Wilson has spoken of doing more Semisonic music in the future but said "The busy day-to-day life keeps pushing it further into the future." All About Chemistry remains their last studio album.

Discography

Studio albums

• Pleasure (demo) (1993)
• Pleasure EP (1995, EP)
• Great Divide (1996)
• Feeling Strangely Fine (1998)
• All About Chemistry (2001)

Live albums

• One Night at First Avenue (2003)

Notes

• A Charted only on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.

Soundtracks and compilations

• Semisonic performed "Sugar, Sugar" with Mary Lou Lord on the 1995 tribute album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall for MCA Records.
• They contributed a previously unreleased song, "For The Love Of The Game," to the 1999 Kevin Costner movie For Love Of The Game.
• Wilson with Bic Runga contributed "Good Morning Baby" to the American Pie soundtrack in 1999.

Songs in other media

Great Divide

• The song "F.N.T." was used in the 1996 movie The Long Kiss Goodnight.
• "F.N.T." was also used in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate about You.
• "Delicious" was used in the end of the Friends episode "The One with Joey's Fridge", and appeared on Friends Again - Original TV Soundtrack in 1999.

Feeling Strangely Fine

• "Closing Time" was featured on the 2011 movie Friends with Benefits
• "Closing Time" was referenced in the Soultaker episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
• "Closing Time" was featured on the 1998 charitable album Live In The X Lounge.
• In 1998, "Closing Time" was heard right before the credits in the final episode of Melrose Place.
• The intro to "Closing Time" is briefly heard in the Friends episode "The One with Rachel's Date".
• "Closing Time" was used in an episode of The Simpsons entitled "That 90's Show".
• "Closing Time" was used in the 1999 Warren Miller film Freeriders.
• "Closing Time" was the final song in the polka medley "Polka Power!" on "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1999 album Running with Scissors.
• "Closing Time" was referenced at the end of an episode of Tosh.0.
• "Closing Time" and "Singing in My Sleep" appeared on the MTV cartoon series Daria.
• "Closing Time" was featured by the character of Barney Stinson in the episode "Three Days of Snow", the 13th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 77th overall. Barney quotes "Closing Time" after last call at MacLaren's.
• "Closing Time" was the song chosen by Andy Bernard to commemorate and "bring closure" to the end of each work day in "Doomsday" the 6th episode of The Office's 8th season
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