the rembrandts

"Our m.o. The Rembrandts were often thought of as a one-hit wonder, due to the enduring popularity of "I'll Be There for You," their theme to the 1990s sitcom phenomenon Friends. COVID-19: Because of processes designed to ensure the safety of our employees, you may experience a delay in the shipping of your order. 1 on the U.S. "However, for Solem and Wilde, that song is just one small chapter in a friendship and creative relationship spanning four decades, two bands, four studio albums, two greatest hits records, a handful of U.S. radio hits, and two U.S. Top 40 singles. and "Chase the Clouds Away". The band's label wanted them to work with a producer, and they ended up collaborating with Don Smith, who was fresh off working with the Rolling Stones. Thankfully, other people also recognized Wilde and Solem's musical chemistry. "We draw from a lot of the same stuff, but then we sort of almost willfully push back on each other’s ideas and get each other to come to the other side for a minute," Solem says. Yet the duo's working relationship is supportive rather than deleterious, in particular because Solem is also generous with praise and insights.

'""We are individuals, and we do have our own unique sounds, but it's the harmonies, the interweaving of the melodies, that really make the Rembrandts sound," says Wilde.Being on the same wavelength comes naturally to the duo. In short order, the duo's 1989 demos landed them a publishing deal and then a record deal—and ended up comprising the bulk of the Rembrandts' 1990 self-titled debut, nearly as-is. "This close-knit, loyalty-based approach goes a long way to explain why the Rembrandts remain a vibrant entity, nearly 30 years after Solem and Wilde came together in a garage, just to hang out and write some songs. “I’ll Be There for You” is the Friends theme song. Solem and Wilde originally met each other at a party, where they bonded over a stack of David Bowie, Brian Eno, Roxy Music, and Cheap Trick vinyl LPs. In hindsight, Solem views that time apart as invaluable. Cherry is the son of legendary jazz trumpeter Don Cherry and the brother of Neneh Cherry. Among other things, the pair overdubbed strings for multiple songs in Solem's living room.That streak remains unbroken on Via Satellite, the first Rembrandts studio album in 18 years. 7 May 1969, Stockholm, Sweden. The former peaked at No. Credits Eventually, however, the pair reunited for a proper Rembrandts album, 2001's Lost Together. Solem and Wilde might come up with musical ideas separately, and then swap files back and forth remotely, or hunker down together in person to see what inspiration they can generate together.

"The way the songs were, the way they showed up on the record in the first place, was basically the way we wrote them, in the order that we wrote them," Solem says. "Phil's a quirky guy—he's the guy that comes up with the crazy lyrics and, you know, borderline genius stuff. Anyone familiar with the Rembrandts only from "I'll Be There For You" should know that the band has a rich catalog brimming with smart, well-wrought pop gems.Even more crucially, both men were also shaped by the otherworldly harmonies of the Everly Brothers; in fact, Wilde's mom always told him he was singing "Bye Bye Love" before he could talk. It was just like album one. Within weeks of adding their final creative touches, Friends premiered—and the theme became a radio sensation. is to only put out things that have a timeless kind of quality to it, that isn’t going to be time-stamped in some era," Solem says. "We just had them that way and they said, 'Yeah, the sequence is great!' Terms of Use; Privacy Policy; About Our Ads; Advertising © 2019 Billboard. Power pop veterans who scored an enduring hit with "I'll Be There for You," the theme song for the 1990s sitcom Friends. Like, this can’t possibly be real. It was recorded by the American pop rock duo The Rembrandts.. Anchoring these songs are Solem and Wilde's harmonies, which are imploring and tender on the twangy "Count On You"; Beatles-esque on the jaunty "Me And Fate"; and graceful spirals on the chiming midtempo ballad "Now. After Great Buildings, Solem and Wilde moved forward with solo careers, yet were always close in touch. "When my solo deal finally fizzled out, I called Phil and said, “How about we get together, write a few songs and see what happens…….So Phil came out to Thousand Oaks and, man, we just woodshedded. There’s a certain amount of clarity to that record that might make more sense now than it would have if we put it out earlier.