The Knack

For other uses, see Knack (disambiguation).

The Knack
The Knack in 1978. From left to right: Gary, Fieger, Niles, Averre
The Knack in 1978. From left to right: Gary, Fieger, Niles, Averre
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1978–1982
  • 1986–1992
  • 1994
  • 1996–2010
Labels
Past members
Websitetheknack.com

The Knack was an American rock band based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with its first single, "My Sharona", an international number-one hit in 1979.

The Knack was founded in 1978 with the original and classic lineup of Doug Fieger (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Berton Averre (lead guitar, backing vocals), Prescott Niles (bass) and Bruce Gary (drums). It was this lineup that recorded the group's first three albums. Spearheaded by the success of the "My Sharona" single, their first album, Get the Knack (1979), reached number-one on the charts of several countries. However, their next two albums, ...But The Little Girls Understand (1980) and Round Trip (1981), were significantly less successful. Faced with diminishing success, the group disbanded in 1982.

The band reunited in 1986, and released their fourth album Serious Fun in 1991, before breaking up again the following year. After a brief reunion in 1994, the Knack reunited again in 1996, recording two more albums, Zoom (1998) and Normal as the Next Guy (2001). Following Fieger's death in 2010, the Knack permanently disbanded. A final album, Rock & Roll Is Good for You: The Fieger/Averre Demos was released in 2012.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Trouser was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Borack, John M. (2007). Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. Not Lame Recordings. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-9797714-0-8.
  3. ^ "Pop/Rock » Punk/New Wave » Power Pop". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Knack Rides Charts with $18,000 Album". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 31. August 4, 1979. p. 62. ISSN 0006-2510.