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{{Short description|Canadian new wave group}}
{{for|the British 1980s band|Clock DVA}}
{{for|the British 1980s band|Clock DVA}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2010}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2010}}
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| associated_acts =
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|theboxband.com}}
| website = {{URL|theboxband.com}}
| current_members = Jean-Marc Pisapia<br/>Dan Volj<br/>Guillaume Jodoin<br/>Francois Bruneau<br/>Martin Lapierre<br/>Isabelle Lemay
| current_members = [[Jean-Marc Pisapia]]<br/>Dan Volj<br/>Guillaume Jodoin<br/>Francois Bruneau<br/>Martin Lapierre<br/>Isabelle Lemay
| past_members = Guy Florent<br/>Jean-Pierre Brie<br/>Guy Pisapia<br/>Sylvain Coutu<br/>Philippe Bernard<br/>Claude Thibault<br/>Luc Papineau<br/>Denis Faucher<br/>Eric Theocharides<br/>[[Sass Jordan]]
| past_members = Guy Florent<br/>Jean-Pierre Brie<br/>Guy Pisapia<br/>Sylvain Coutu<br/>Philippe Bernard<br/>Claude Thibault<br/>Luc Papineau<br/>Denis Faucher<br/>Eric Theocharides<br/>[[Sass Jordan]]
}}
}}
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==Biography==
==Biography==
The band was formed in 1981 by Jean-Marc Pisapia, an early member of [[Men Without Hats]].<ref name=jam>[http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/B/Box.html The Box] at [[canoe.ca]]'s Pop Music Encyclopedia.</ref> He recruited [[guitar]]ist Guy Florent and [[bass guitar|bass]]ist Jean-Pierre Brie and, before they settled on calling themselves The Box,<ref name=jam /> the group was known as Checkpoint Charlie.
The band was formed in 1981 by [[Jean-Marc Pisapia]], an early member of [[Men Without Hats]].<ref name=jam>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115132207/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/B/Box.html The Box]}} at [[canoe.ca]]'s Pop Music Encyclopedia.</ref> He recruited [[guitar]]ist Guy Florent and [[bass guitar|bass]]ist Jean-Pierre Brie and, before they settled on calling themselves The Box,<ref name=jam /> the group was known as Checkpoint Charlie.


The band's first single attracted the attention of Montreal radio station [[CKOI-FM]], leading to a deal with [[Alert Records]].<ref name=jam /> Also that year, Pisapia's brother Guy Pisapia joined on keyboards.<ref name=jam />
The band's first single attracted the attention of Montreal radio station [[CKOI-FM]], leading to a deal with [[Alert Records]].<ref name=jam /> Also that year, Jean-Marc's brother Guy Pisapia joined on keyboards.<ref name=jam />


Their debut album ''The Box'' was released in 1984 and produced the hit singles ''Must I Always Remember''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box - Must I Always Remember (Official Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDscwJvNjvo |website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref> and ''Walk Away''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box Walk Away |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TjiNnN1-N4 |website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref><ref name=jam /><ref>{{cite web |title=The Box, The Box |url=http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=22128 |website=progarchives.com |publisher=Progarchives.com |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref> Drummer Sylvain Coutu joined the band for its supporting tour<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box 1984 Tour |url=https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=artist:%28The+Box%29+date:%5B1984-01-01+TO+1984-12-31%5D |website=setlist.fm |publisher=Setlist.fm |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref>, but was replaced by Pierre Taillefer before the next album. Florent also left and was replaced by Claude Thibeault.
Their debut album ''The Box'' was released in 1984 and produced the hit singles "Must I Always Remember"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box - Must I Always Remember (Official Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDscwJvNjvo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/gDscwJvNjvo |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and "Walk Away".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box Walk Away |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TjiNnN1-N4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/5TjiNnN1-N4 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=jam /> Drummer Sylvain Coutu joined the band for its supporting tour,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box 1984 Tour |url=https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=artist:%28The+Box%29+date:%5B1984-01-01+TO+1984-12-31%5D |website=setlist.fm |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref> but was replaced by Pierre Taillefer before the next album. Florent also left and was replaced by Claude Thibeault.


In 1985, The Box released ''All the Time, All the Time, All the Time''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box, All the Time... |url=http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=22129 |website=progarchives.com |publisher=Progarchives.com |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref> That album, which included backing vocals by [[Sass Jordan]] and [[Marie Carmen]],<ref name=jam /> produced the hit singles ''My Dreams of You''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box - My Dreams of You (Official Musical Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDrKOjaY5oE |website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref> and ''L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say to Me)''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box - L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) [Official Music Video] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A3gcDg5M3M |website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref><ref name=jam /> They won the 1985 [[Félix Award]] for group of the year{{citation needed}}, and were nominated for the 1985 [[Juno Award]] for Most Promising Group of the Year.<ref name=jam /><ref>{{cite web |title=Winners & Nominees |url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/winners-nominees/ |website=junoawards.ca |publisher=Juno Awards |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref>
In 1985, The Box released ''All the Time, All the Time, All the Time''. That album, which included backing vocals by [[Sass Jordan]] and [[Marie Carmen]],<ref name=jam /> produced the hit singles "My Dreams of You"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box - My Dreams of You (Official Musical Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDrKOjaY5oE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/dDrKOjaY5oE |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and "L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say to Me)".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Box - L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) [Official Music Video] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A3gcDg5M3M |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/4A3gcDg5M3M |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-09-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=jam /> They won the 1985 [[Félix Award]] for group of the year{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}, and were nominated for the 1985 [[Juno Award]] for Most Promising Group of the Year.<ref name=jam /><ref>{{cite web |title=Winners & Nominees |url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/winners-nominees/ |website=junoawards.ca |publisher=Juno Awards |access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref>


1987's ''Closer Together'' was the band's most commercially successful album. Featuring the hit singles "Ordinary People", "Closer Together" and "Crying Out Loud for Love", the album was certified platinum.<ref name=jam /> Backing vocals on the album were provided by Jordan and [[Martine St. Clair]].
1987's ''Closer Together'' was the band's most commercially successful album. Featuring the hit singles "Ordinary People", "Closer Together" and "Crying Out Loud for Love", the album was certified platinum.<ref name=jam /> Backing vocals on the album were provided by Jordan and [[Martine St. Clair]]. The band's biggest hit, "Closer Together", was originally commissioned for a fundraiser for a anti-leukemia foundation. <ref name=littlest>{{cite web |title=5 Questions: Jean Marc Pisapia |url=https://thelittlestvoice.com/2019/11/15/5-questions-jean-marc-pisapia/ |website=The Littlest Voice |date=15 November 2019 |access-date=2021-12-08}}</ref>


After touring for more than eighteen months,<ref>"More goodies found in The Box". ''[[Toronto Star]]'', June 23, 1988.</ref> the band took six months off to recover before returning with 1990's ''The Pleasure and the Pain''.<ref name=jam /> That album was a commercial disappointment, and The Box disbanded in 1992 after releasing the [[greatest hits]] compilation ''A Decade of Box Music''.<ref name=jam />
After touring for more than eighteen months,<ref>"More goodies found in The Box". ''[[Toronto Star]]'', June 23, 1988.</ref> the band took six months off to recover before returning with 1990's ''The Pleasure and the Pain''.<ref name=jam /> That album was a commercial disappointment, and The Box disbanded in 1992 after releasing the [[greatest hits]] compilation ''A Decade of Box Music''.<ref name=jam />
Line 35: Line 36:
Pisapia released a solo album, ''John of Mark'', in 1995.<ref name=jam /> This was later reissued as a Box album in 2015.
Pisapia released a solo album, ''John of Mark'', in 1995.<ref name=jam /> This was later reissued as a Box album in 2015.


Pisapia revived The Box with a new lineup in 2002, issuing two new Box tracks (recorded in 1996 and 2002) on a new hits compilation, ''Always in Touch With You.'' This version of The Box was essentially Pisapia backed by session musicians, but the line-up soon coalesced into steady group that had a decidedly more [[prog-rock]] orientation than the original incarnation of the band.<ref name=jam />
Pisapia revived The Box with a new lineup in 2004,<ref name=littlest /> issuing two new Box tracks (recorded in 1996 and 2002) on a new hits compilation, ''Always in Touch With You.'' This version of The Box was essentially Pisapia backed by session musicians, but the line-up soon coalesced into steady group that had a decidedly more [[prog-rock]] orientation than the original incarnation of the band.<ref name=jam />


In 2005 the band released ''Black Dog There'', its first new album in 15 years.<ref name=jam /> This was followed up by the 2009 album ''D'Après le horla de Maupassant'', the first Box album sung entirely in French.
In 2005, the band released ''Black Dog There'', its first new album in 15 years.<ref name=jam /> This was followed up by the 2009 album ''D'Après le horla de Maupassant'' (or simply ''Le Horla'' for short<ref>{{cite web |title=Le Horla |url=https://theboxband.com/js_albums/le-horla/ |website=The Box band |access-date=2021-12-09}}</ref>), the first Box album sung entirely in French.

By the 2010s, the music industry had changed so much that Pisapia felt no need to create entire albums. "Back in the 80s, it was very simple... Today, even the most experienced executive in a record company doesn’t know where to start."<ref name=spill>{{cite web |title =A conversation with Jean-Marc Pisapia of The Box |url=https://spillmagazine.com/spill-feature-right-out-of-the-box-a-conversation-with-jean-marc-pisapia-of-the-box/ |website=The Spill Magazine |date=22 January 2020 |access-date=2021-12-08}}</ref> Pisapia had begun painting, but still had his own recording studio for when he got "the urge" to make music. The Box released several singles (in both English and French) and a four song EP, ''Take Me Home'' during this decade.<ref name=littlest /><ref name=spill />


==Discography==
==Discography==
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! scope="row"| "Inside My Heart"
! scope="row"| "Inside My Heart"
| 20
| 20
|-
| rowspan="1"| 2014
! scope="row"| "Les plus belles années de ta vie"
| —
| align="left"| (Single only)
|-
| rowspan="1"| 2015
! scope="row"| "Life is a Party"
| —
| align="left"| (Single only)
|-
| rowspan="1"| 2015
! scope="row"| "Trop Loin"
| —
| align="left"| (Single only)
|-
| rowspan="1"| 2016
! scope="row"| "Incredible Human Being"
| —
| align="left"| (Single only)
|-
|-
| colspan="10" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart
| colspan="10" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart
Line 139: Line 162:
|November 2009
|November 2009
|''D'Après le horla de Maupassant''
|''D'Après le horla de Maupassant''
|align="center"|-
|-
|March 2018
|''Take Me Home'' (EP)
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|}
|}


'''†''' Originally issued as by "John of Mark"; reissued as by The Box in 2015.
'''†''' Originally issued as by "John of Mark"; reissued by The Box in 2015.


====Compilation albums====
====Compilation albums====

Latest revision as of 10:18, 23 March 2024

For the British 1980s band, see Clock DVA.
The Box
The Box performing at the 2015 Festival of Friends
The Box performing at the 2015 Festival of Friends
Background information
Also known asBox
OriginMontreal, Quebec, Canada
GenresNew wave, rock, progressive rock
Years active1981–1992, 2002–present
LabelsAlert, Universal, Capitol
MembersJean-Marc Pisapia
Dan Volj
Guillaume Jodoin
Francois Bruneau
Martin Lapierre
Isabelle Lemay
Past membersGuy Florent
Jean-Pierre Brie
Guy Pisapia
Sylvain Coutu
Philippe Bernard
Claude Thibault
Luc Papineau
Denis Faucher
Eric Theocharides
Sass Jordan
Websitetheboxband.com

The Box is a new wave group from Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1981, they achieved commercial success in Canada, recording four charting albums and 10 charting singles between 1984 and 1990. The group broke up in 1992, but a new line-up was founded in 2005. This iteration of the group has released two further albums.

Biography

[edit]

The band was formed in 1981 by Jean-Marc Pisapia, an early member of Men Without Hats.[1] He recruited guitarist Guy Florent and bassist Jean-Pierre Brie and, before they settled on calling themselves The Box,[1] the group was known as Checkpoint Charlie.

The band's first single attracted the attention of Montreal radio station CKOI-FM, leading to a deal with Alert Records.[1] Also that year, Jean-Marc's brother Guy Pisapia joined on keyboards.[1]

Their debut album The Box was released in 1984 and produced the hit singles "Must I Always Remember"[2] and "Walk Away".[3][1] Drummer Sylvain Coutu joined the band for its supporting tour,[4] but was replaced by Pierre Taillefer before the next album. Florent also left and was replaced by Claude Thibeault.

In 1985, The Box released All the Time, All the Time, All the Time. That album, which included backing vocals by Sass Jordan and Marie Carmen,[1] produced the hit singles "My Dreams of You"[5] and "L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say to Me)".[6][1] They won the 1985 Félix Award for group of the year[citation needed], and were nominated for the 1985 Juno Award for Most Promising Group of the Year.[1][7]

1987's Closer Together was the band's most commercially successful album. Featuring the hit singles "Ordinary People", "Closer Together" and "Crying Out Loud for Love", the album was certified platinum.[1] Backing vocals on the album were provided by Jordan and Martine St. Clair. The band's biggest hit, "Closer Together", was originally commissioned for a fundraiser for a anti-leukemia foundation. [8]

After touring for more than eighteen months,[9] the band took six months off to recover before returning with 1990's The Pleasure and the Pain.[1] That album was a commercial disappointment, and The Box disbanded in 1992 after releasing the greatest hits compilation A Decade of Box Music.[1]

Pisapia released a solo album, John of Mark, in 1995.[1] This was later reissued as a Box album in 2015.

Pisapia revived The Box with a new lineup in 2004,[8] issuing two new Box tracks (recorded in 1996 and 2002) on a new hits compilation, Always in Touch With You. This version of The Box was essentially Pisapia backed by session musicians, but the line-up soon coalesced into steady group that had a decidedly more prog-rock orientation than the original incarnation of the band.[1]

In 2005, the band released Black Dog There, its first new album in 15 years.[1] This was followed up by the 2009 album D'Après le horla de Maupassant (or simply Le Horla for short[10]), the first Box album sung entirely in French.

By the 2010s, the music industry had changed so much that Pisapia felt no need to create entire albums. "Back in the 80s, it was very simple... Today, even the most experienced executive in a record company doesn’t know where to start."[11] Pisapia had begun painting, but still had his own recording studio for when he got "the urge" to make music. The Box released several singles (in both English and French) and a four song EP, Take Me Home during this decade.[8][11]

Discography

[edit]

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Peak positions Album
CAN
[12]
1984 "Walk Away" 48 The Box
"Must I Always Remember" 82
"Dancing on the Grave" —
1985 "With All This Cash" — All the Time, All the Time, All the Time
"L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say to Me)" 21
1986 "My Dreams of You" 51
1987 "Closer Together" 13 Closer Together
"Ordinary People" 16
"Crying Out Loud for Love" 40
1988 "I'm Back" —
1990 "Carry On" 12 The Pleasure and the Pain
"Temptation" 39
"Inside My Heart" 20
2014 "Les plus belles années de ta vie" — (Single only)
2015 "Life is a Party" — (Single only)
2015 "Trop Loin" — (Single only)
2016 "Incredible Human Being" — (Single only)
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Albums

[edit]

Original studio albums

[edit]
Release date Title Chart positions
Canada
RPM Album charts
May 1984 The Box 95
January 1986 All the Time, All the Time, All the Time 73
March 1987 Closer Together 25
March 1990 The Pleasure and the Pain 31
June 1995 John of Mark† -
March 2005 Black Dog There -
November 2009 D'Après le horla de Maupassant -
March 2018 Take Me Home (EP) -

† Originally issued as by "John of Mark"; reissued by The Box in 2015.

Compilation albums

[edit]
  • A Decade of Box Music (1992)
  • Always in Touch with You: The Best of the Box (2003)
  • The Best Of The Box (2007) CD + DVD

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n The Box[usurped] at canoe.ca's Pop Music Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ "The Box - Must I Always Remember (Official Video)". youtube.com. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  3. ^ "The Box Walk Away". youtube.com. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  4. ^ "The Box 1984 Tour". setlist.fm. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  5. ^ "The Box - My Dreams of You (Official Musical Video)". youtube.com. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  6. ^ "The Box - L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) [Official Music Video]". youtube.com. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  7. ^ "Winners & Nominees". junoawards.ca. Juno Awards. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  8. ^ a b c "5 Questions: Jean Marc Pisapia". The Littlest Voice. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  9. ^ "More goodies found in The Box". Toronto Star, June 23, 1988.
  10. ^ "Le Horla". The Box band. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  11. ^ a b "A conversation with Jean-Marc Pisapia of The Box". The Spill Magazine. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  12. ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Top Singles". RPM. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
[edit]
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