Sugar Ray gets second 15 minutes of fame!

Punk rock band Sugar Ray may have shot to fame with their single Every Morning, but they've really been in the biz since the eighties. Guitarist Rodney Sheppard, drummer Stan Frazier and Murphy Karges on bass guitar were originally Shrinky Dinx, performing cover songs of 80's rock bands in small parties. When yummy Mark McGrath joined as lead singer, they began writing their own music. Soon they signed up with Atlantic Records, but had to change their name because of a lawsuit from the makers of the toy Shrinky Dinx. Then Craig "DJ Homicide" Bullock joined and they adopted the name Sugar Ray in honor of boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. And the rest, as they say, is history. Actually, not. Sugar Ray's first commercial release, in 1995, Lemonade and Brownies, was a flop! The album, which included the songs Mean Machine and 10 Seconds Down did, however, set the band's high energy pop sound ideal. Reggae, with a summer pop-flavor, became the signature sound of the group. Their second album Floored, featuring the single Fly got the group into the Billboard "Hot 100 Airplay." With Fly and the success of their second album, it was soon smooth sailing for Sugar Ray. This month they follow up the success of Someday and Falls Apart from their 1999 album, 14:59, with their self-titled album and the single When It's Over. Lead singer Mark McGrath says of the album title, "We lack originality. We just lost ideas trying to come up with great ideas." Meanwhile, the super group, who keep thinking each album they produce is their last, believe that this new one is "strong." Produced by Don Gilmore and the band's long-time collaborator, David Kahne, the new album definitely stands out on its own. Although their smooth rock sound remains, their music is more diversified. It comes closer to pop-rock (but not metal), retaining a little of their trademark California beach boy sound. New tracks such as Stay On (featuring guest vocals from 311's Nick Hexum) and Answer The Phone demonstrate the new experimentation. The music video for the single When It's Over also underwent experimentation, with two versions: a live action dream sequence (dir! ected by Charlie's Angels' director McG) where the group acts out each of the member's individual fantasies; and a special animated version, where they were drawn as Harlem Globetrotters, Flintstones and Jetsons characters, exclusively for the Cartoon Network. In the works is a guest appearance on the film adaptation of the cartoon Scooby Doo, McGrath's favorite. "If there's one cartoon you're gonna do, it's Scooby Doo. He's been in our lives forever. I'm too old now but I still watch Scooby Doo." Up next is a tour with Kid Rock DJ and Uncle Kracker. Catch Sugar Ray on MTV all this month with MTV Artist of the Month, Sugar Ray's Top 10 Favorite Videos, MTV Cribs, Sugar Ray Non Stop Hits, Making The Video, Sugar Ray: The Story So Far, and Diary: Sugar Ray. They will also be appearing on 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show,' 'Today, Late Show with David Letterman,' and 'Walt Disney's World Summer Jam Concert' to promote their album.