NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) - Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen recording group
Gym Class Heroes has locked onto the top of the charts with their smash single "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America." The track - which was originally written by
Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies of
Supertramp and features the Geneva, NY-based band's good friend, Patrick Stump - stands tall at No 1 on the CHR/Top 40 national airplay chart for an astonishing fourth consecutive week. No other band has accomplished this amazing feat since multiple Grammy Award-winning group
Green Day in 2005. With a total audience at 85 million, the track is also No 1 in audience at the CHR/Top 40 format. What's more, "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" remains firmly ensconced in the top 10 of Billboard's "Hot 100" for the tenth consecutive week, and has proven to be a cross-over hit, jumping into the top 25 of both the CHR/Rhythmic and Hot AC charts.
"Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" - which is featured on Gym Class Heroes' breakthrough second album, "AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN" - has also blown up online, reaching No 1 on Billboard's "Hot Digital Tracks," as well as No 2 on the "Hot Digital Songs" chart. In addition, the song has proven a massive ringtone smash, recently reaching the top 5 on the weekly Ringscan ranking.
The lyrics and catchy melody of "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" were originally written and composed by Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies of famed rock group Supertramp. "Breakfast in America" was the title track of Supertramp's biggest album, which topped the charts for a year in 1979 and sold over 18 million copies. Hodgson has been recognized as one of the most gifted composers, songwriters, and lyricists of our time. His timeless hit songs continue to find their way into the hearts of more than three generations around the world and are currently reaching a new audience with the Gym Class Heroes' remake of the classic song. For more information about Roger Hodgson, go to www.rogerhodgson.com.
2007 has seen Gym Class Heroes dominating MTV, with "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" recently topping the network's playlist. Last month, the group played a raucous set on MTV's "Spring Break '07 Live," a spectacular performance that featured two tracks - "The Queen & I" and "New Friend Request" - which quickly went on to be among the most-streamed clips on MTV.com. Excerpts from the "Spring Break '07 Live" show have also been featured on MTV's "TRL." Longtime supporters mtvU also featured the band on their own Spring Break show. Gym Class Heroes will headline an upcoming installment of "MTV Live," slated to air sometime in May (check local listings).
As if that weren't enough, "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" is in "Power" rotation at MTV Hits and "Recurrent" rotation at MTV Tr3s. The video has gone into "Large" rotation at VH1, after instantly becoming a "Countdown Contender" on the weekly "VSpot Top 20 Countdown." In addition, "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" is the week's No 3 most-played video on Fuse, and a "Power" rotation favorite at Mun2.
Additional Gym Class Heroes TV appearances include a recent live rendition of "Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America" on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," following previous performances on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," NBC's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," DirecTV's "CD USA," and the syndicated "Fearless Music TV."
The next single from "AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN" will be the anthemic "Clothes Off!" A companion video clip has just been filmed and will premiere sometime in the coming weeks.
In other news, Sunkist Soda, the number one orange soda brand, has teamed up with Gym Class Heroes to cover the Beach Boys' classic "Good Vibrations" for a TV ad campaign that will launch later this month, and be integrated into an episode of the CW Network's "One Tree Hill" in May. Listen to the Gym Class Heroes version online at www.sunkistsoda.com.
A remarkably dedicated live act, Gym Class Heroes has just wrapped its "Darryl Hall For President Tour '07." The headlining trek was met by sold-out crowds on nearly every date, including a packed-to-the-rafters MySpace Secret Show at Mr. Small's Funhouse in Millvale, Pennsylvania. The band will continue to tour for the foreseeable future, including North American headline shows, radio festivals, and an eagerly anticipated trip Down Under to support Gwen Stefani on her upcoming Australian tour. For an up-to-the-minute tour itinerary, see the band's official website, www.gymclassheroes.com, or its MySpace page, www.myspace.com/gymclassheroes.
Produced by S*A*M, aka Sam Hollander (Method Man, the Sounds, and Earth, Wind & Fire), and Sluggo, the alter-ego of renowned session bassist Dave Katz (Roger Daltrey), "AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN" also features co-production from Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump. The album drew rapturous praise in a number of national publications, including Alternative Press, which awarded the collection its top five-starred rating.
Gym Class Heroes first garnered critical acclaim for their unique sound and approach with their Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen debut, 2005's "THE PAPERCUT CHRONICLES." It was the band's alternative hip-hop style and use of live instruments in favor of looped samples and canned beats that caught the attention of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who immediately signed the group to his Decaydance imprint. With constant touring, and a huge online presence, the band has built a large and dedicated fan base.
Named one of the MTV2's "Artists To Watch 2007," the group spent much of the past two years on the road, including sold-out headline dates in the US and the UK, support slots alongside Fall Out Boy and the All American Rejects, a number of radio-sponsored holiday shows, and a stint on Vans Warped Tour '06 which had them playing two sets a day to rapturous audiences across North America.
Gym Class Heroes are: Travis McCoy (lead vocalist), Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (guitarist), Eric Roberts (bassist), and Matt McGinley (drummer).
