The Marvelous 3 (person) by LadySun

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, the Marvelous 3 consists of Butch Walker on vocals and guitar, Mitch McLee (Slug) on drums and backups, and Jayce Fincher on bass and backups. Their first album release, in 1997, was called Math & Other Problems and was released on an independent label. Their second indie album, Hey! Album (1999), sported a single called "Freak of the Week" which won lots of local radio airtime and eventually attracted a deal with Elektra Records. Elektra rereleased Hey! Album that same year, and in late 2000 they released their third album, ReadySexGo. After much to-do and trouble with Elektra, they were finally granted a release from their contract in early 2001. (See Butch Walker's statement below for details.) They also had a song on the soundtrack to Me, Myself and Irene.

Complete Discography

Math & Other Problems(1997)

Hey! Album(1999)

ReadySexGo(2000)

Bonus tracks: Always Something There to Remind Me, Radio Tokyo (Radio Edit)

Me, Myself and Irene(soundtrack)

Reelin' in the Years

Positive reviews for the band have come from sources ranging from MTV Online and E! online to Spin Magazine, Billboard Online, and Maxim. What you make of these is your choice. View reviews at http://www.marvieworld.com/reviews/index.html.

Butch Walker's statement, March 26, 2001:

Hey all of you marvie headz out there. Sorry for the slight disappearing act we pulled on you, more recently. There are a shitload of excuses for this, as I will get into it, in the next few paragraphs. First off, we would love to say, "thanks" to all of you who have supported us, and been there for us, and for being dedicated enough to be a fan of the BAND, instead of just a bunch of posers that only like a band that is on the radio at the current moment, with major label support. As you can plainly see, if you are a true marv3 fan, there has been an incredible amount of "lack of interest" for the band over at Elektra (...cough...ahem....Neglektra...cough cough...) Records lately, and that comes as no surprise, seeing that every record they put out most recently, sinks like a dead, anchored body in the Hudson river. You see, the way it went down over there, is similar to a lot of unfortunate, yet great bands... the story goes like this: Butch and manager (Nancy Camp) push the marv3 on every label out there, trying to get a record deal, with very aloof response from them all. Most people said it was "too over the top", or "didn't sound enough like everything else on the radio at the current moment", so I didn't listen to them (naturally), and kept doing what we did best. Leslie Fram, the program director of 99x in Atlanta, tells me she hears hits on my record, especially this little ditty called "Freak of the Week". By the grace of God, she starts playing the hell out of it, then the station phones went nuts. So did the phones at my house. Every record company was calling, including Elektra, wanting to sign us. In Elektra's defense, the person that ended up signing the band was a wonderful woman by the name of Nancy Jeffries, who was unaware of the band, before the success story of Freak. We sign to Elektra, the single continues to be a huge hit, before the label even has to do anything, except put the record out. I recorded the record, prior to getting signed, so that is taken care of. Next, all they need to do is repackage it, and put it out in stores. Well, they finally did that, by the time the single was at #10 on the charts. The label puts it out at full price. This is a no-no.... you don't put a brand new, emerging artist's record out for 18.99! this is not smart. They assume that just because they are all rich, that I guess they think the rest of us are in the world, and that we will buy a record for 19 bucks, if you've only heard one song so far. Well, you could buy 2 records for the price of my one, so what do you think most people would do, if all they had was a 20 spot on 'em? To make matters worse, the video for "freak" gets delayed ridiculously. it was a nightmare, and I was starting to see what all of my respected peers in the industry were talking about when they said, "watch out for yourself at that label". Needless to say, MTV (the people that will decide if you sell 2 records or 2 million, based on wether or not they play your video.. seriously.. don't laugh.. I'm not kidding...) loved the band and the video, but by the time it was getting aired, the song had been on the charts and on radio stations for 5 months! A feat for us, nonetheless, but a great excuse for MTV to only play it until it peaks on the charts (at #4).

Now I understand MTV and there reason for doing this, because they need to make way for other groups climbing up the charts with their own hit (of the moment). Well, this never got the momentum started that an artist needs to make the machine run. The video, the song on the charts, the album (available in stores, at a good price) is all key here. So far, we're not off to a good start. Well, the label tries to put out a 2nd single, and they totally wipe their ass with it, when it comes to promoting it. I guess it was just easier to sit back and try to take credit for making "Freak" a hit (yeah right... it was already a hit before signing a deal), then to promote a new song from scratch (I suppose that would be too much work). All of these things add up to the classic "horror story". It's all about the moment. It's not about a career artist anymore. I forgot to mention that by this time, nancy Jeffries (the a&r person)has left the label in disgust, and I am stuck with no one except Sylvia to be the judge. This sucks. She doesn't understand why I don't want to sound like everybody else on the radio, and use the same producers, and wear the same clothes as everybody else. She doesn't "get" me. I make READYSEXGO, the best album I have ever made. She doesn't "get" it when they say, "this is gonna be the next thing!" .. I mean, I can't blame her. She dropped Moby and Prodigy, when they were at Elektra, before they ever had any success and look what they went on to do for their careers! (simulate old man singing "Oh lordy.. traveled so.. fast to another label.." ...) I never even wanted to put this album out for Elektra, because I knew they wouldn't be able to promote it properly. But, in Elektra's defense, I had some real believers in the radio dept. (besides g#$@ d#%$&*@). Much love and respect goes out to those of you at the label that "tried". Without the boss' love, it won't fly, though. To make the last 6 months worse, you have a new guy inheriting the VP position from Nancy Jeffries (don't ask me how... I think he signed Vitamin C...), and he doesn't even like me! This is going nowhere. can you say "Drop me"?!?! (I guess I should have dedicated "Let Me Go" to them... ). Don't think I am using this chance to just bitch and whine, and say, "oh poor little us". That's not the deal at all. I am here to say that we couldn't be happier with our lives. We have accomplished (so far) more than most bands that even get recording deals. There is an upside to all of this! I co-wrote the SR71 hit "Right Now", and goes Certified Gold. Next, I produced an album for a band called Injected on Island/DefJam that will be out this summer. It's pretty kool, because now I am getting to write/produce some of my favorite groups at other labels, when I am usually having to be on the road 300 days a year, breaking my back to promote a record (hey! That's the record company's job... isn't that why they get 85%???). It's a nice change of pace every once in a while. I miss the road, sure, but hey, if you had sex with Jennifer Aniston or brad pitt every five minutes, it might lose its impact, right? (for some reason, I think this is a good analogy... many people might not agree with me on this one...;-) If I could just get us free from Elektra. Well, the time has come. We are free from Elektra. I asked them to let us go, and they did. WE DID NOT GET DROPPED.. I ASKED TO LEAVE.

All the while, the Marv3 have suffered some pretty shitty, emotional baggage by this point. We needed to take a break from it all. Step back, and enjoy life and what amount of success we have. A lot of people don't realize that we have been touring the country since we left high school. We've fucking lived the hard road for still being so young. We all did our time when we were 18, living in a one bedroom roach motel in Hollywood. We got signed and put out records for major labels by the time we were 21, we toured the world (Asia, Australia, America, Etc.) in cars, vans, busses, and slept from park benches to the 4 Seasons, then back to the benches again (trust me, the story of our history is long and somewhat interesting, but I will spare you for now, the details. We will have a DVD available soon that pretty much says it all..). This was our college. This was our life.

This IS my life. We don't even know what it's like to go on vacations, or spend time with family, or to do another project on the side. It's been 10 years of constant struggle to get where we have, with no stopping. Most bands we know have, or soon would throw in the towel, or burn out. Not us. Not me. I think we deserve a break. A break from all of this, and a break from each other. We will never stop making music or striving for success or even be crushed by anything. We have done this for the love of music, in the end. I myself, have worked my fingers to the bone, to make my band succeed, and watched a label not give a damn about it. This is my way of getting the best of it. We are still gonna play big Marv3 rock shows (keep posted on the website for all the dirt on everything and everyone). We are putting together a live album soon. We are gonna have a video for Grant Park as well, available on the website and DVD. We are headlining the Music Midtown Festival (on the 99x big stage) in Atlanta the first weekend in May. We're also just gonna do other projects for awhile. Why? Because we can! We can do whatever we wanna fucking do with our lives, and that is the freedom and rebellion that has made us who we are over the past years (assuming cocky stance and swinging my fist in the air..). The only thing that we ask from you, the fans, is for your support. Nothing can take away the bond that has been created between the MARV3 and you. There is no better fan than ours. You are our best friends, and we love you for loving us. And just so you know, we (jayce, slug, myself, and even j.j.) are still the best of brothers, and are fully supporting each other in our other endeavors. So before the rumours fly about conflict, corruption, greed and money, etc.. please know, there is none of that shit. I wont let anything in this world stop us from making the best music possible or being the best friends in the world.

See you at the top.

Butch Walker, Marvelous 3
Source: The Marvelous 3 official website, http://www.themarvelous3.com

Freak of the Week	Write It on Your Hand	Me, Myself and Irene	Boom!
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster	Elektra	Atlanta, Georgia