Villains is the third album and first major label release by American rock band the Verve Pipe, released in March 1996. The album contained the band's first hit single, "Photograph", which peaked in the top 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. A year after the release of the album, a reformatted version of "The Freshmen" peaked at number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single was also the band's sole appearance in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 5. The success of the song helped this album go Platinum. Villains is the Verve Pipe's best-selling album. The album originally included a slower recording of "The Freshmen," before it was replaced in subsequent pressings with a faster rerecorded version.
Track listing
Personnel Adapted from the Villains booklet and liner notes.
The Verve Pipe Brian Vander Ark – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar Brad Vander Ark – Bass guitar, backing vocals Donny Brown – Drums, backing vocals A.J. Dunning – Lead guitar, backing vocals Doug Corella – Keyboards, percussion
Artwork Sean Mosher-Smith – Art direction, design Aldo Mauro – Band photography Slow HEARTH – Bird photography
Management Doug Buttleman – Management for The Fitzgerald Hartley Company Fred Bohlander – Booking for Monterey Peninsula Artists Howard B. Abrams – Legal
Production Jerry Harrison – Producer Brian Malouf – A&R Jason Rio, Philip "Mac" Ward – Coordinators Douglas Biro and Ria Lewerke – Creative directors Karl Derfler – Engineer Doug McKean – Additional editing Larry "Hot" Brewer – Additional engineering Chris Buttleman – Guitar technician Ted Jensen – Mastering at Sterling Sound, New York, NY Tom Lord-Alge – Mixing Alvaro Alencar & Mauricio Iragorri – Assistant mixing
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart performance for Villians Chart (1996–1997) Peakposition US Billboard 20024 US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)1
Year-end charts Chart (1997)PositionUS Billboard 20069
Singles YearSingleChartPosition1996PhotographUS Mainstream Rock Tracks15US Modern Rock Tracks6Cup Of TeaUS Mainstream Rock Tracks351997"The Freshmen"US Mainstream Rock Tracks9US Modern Rock Tracks1US Billboard Hot 1005US Adult Top 407US Top 40 Mainstream7"Villains"US Mainstream Rock Tracks24US Modern Rock Tracks22
Certifications
References