One of an increasing number of US bands in the 90s to combine hip-hop beats with heavy metal riffs following Rage Against The Machine’s breakthrough, Orange County, California-based Sugar Ray comprise Mark McGrath (b. 15 March 1968; vocals), Rodney Sheppard (b. 25 November 1966; guitar), Murphy Karges (b. 20 June 1967; bass), Stan Frazier (b. 23 April 1968; drums) and usually augmented by DJ Homicide (b. Craig Bullock, 17 December 1970; turntables). Their lyrical concerns can be gauged by the fact that their debut album’s title was based on an advertisement in a pornographic magazine. Or, as McGrath put it: ‘We’re meat-eating, beer-drinking pigs from America.’ Heavily promoted by their record company on both sides of the ocean, their songs were undoubtedly punchy and charismatic in a grubby, Beastie Boys -styled fashion, but beyond its effortless vulgarity there was little musical innovation to distinguish it from their peers. The band have gone on to great success, however, charting with the memorable Top 40 radio hit ‘Fly’ and three bestselling albums. 14:59 included April’s US number 3 hit, ‘Every Morning’, and the follow-up Top 10 single, ‘Someday’.
