4 Non Blondes is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1989. Their lineup comprises Linda Perry, Christa Hillhouse (bass), Dawn Richardson (drums) and Roger Rocha (guitar); founding members Shaunna Hall (guitar) and Wanda Day (drums) were previously in the band.
members: Linda Perry
formed in: San Francisco
labels: Interscope Records, Atlantic Records
genres: alternative rock
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Bassist Christa Hillhouse and guitarist Shaunna Hall had been roommates and met drummer Wanda Day when they joined a band she was playing in. When the three left that band, they started playing as a trio, but after seeing Linda Perry sing at a solo performance, Hillhouse and Hall asked her to join as vocalist. According to Perry, she and Hall were at Nightbreak, a San Francisco club, and when it was mentioned the trio was looking for a vocalist, Perry announced she was a singer, to which Hall replied, "I know". Their first rehearsal was supposed to be at 6:10 pm on October 17, 1989, but shortly after 5:00 pm the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the San Francisco area.
Are you them, or do you know them? The mail slot is open.
"What's Up?" is a song by American rock group 4 Non Blondes, released in March 1993 by Interscope Records as the second single from their debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992). The song was written and produced by lead singer Linda Perry.
The credited producer is David Tickle; however, Perry claims only her version was released to the public.
The song originated long before 4 Non Blondes formed. Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins recalled sitting in a room with Linda Perry (at that time in her life, working as a waitress nearby) performing their original compositions to one another while both were struggling musicians in San Francisco. During these sessions, the two played early versions of "Semi-Charmed Life" and "What's Up?", which would later become major hits for their respective bands. Decades later, Jenkins realized that the songs shared in that private session would go on to sell a combined 17 million records.
"What's Up?" was first recorded with lyrics and arrangement reworked by producer David Tickle at Groove Masters studio, as part of 4 Non Blondes' debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992). However, Perry was dissatisfied with that recording. Perry said in an interview with Tape Op magazine:
AllMusic editor Tom Demalon described the song as a "massive, neo-hippie anthem" in his review of Bigger, Better, Faster, More! Rolf Edmund Lund from Norwegian Altaposten complimented Perry's voice as "incredibly good". Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Gymnastic vocals, leaping from a breathy, high range, to gravelly, bar-rock blues in a single passage, front this straightforward, heartfelt rocker. Treads the line between album rock and modern rock, with the piano version favoring the former." Tom Sinclair from Entertainment Weekly described it as "funky" and added that it "is only one of the goodies in the Blondes' musical grab bag". In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton viewed it as "a wonderful piece of laid back...
A music video was produced to promote the single. It was directed by American film director Morgan Lawley and features the band, dressed in punk clothing, performing the song as they stand in a living room set decorated with paintings. In between, there is footage of the band in a park and a playground. It was nominated in the category for Best Alternative Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. The video was later published on YouTube in 2011. On February 17, 2021, "What's Up?" passed a billion views. As of August 2026, the videos has received over 2.2 billion views on YouTube.
"Spaceman" is a song by American alternative rock band 4 Non Blondes. It is the sixth track on their debut studio album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992), and was released as the album's third single in September 1993 by Interscope and Atlantic Records.
The song was written by lead singer Linda Perry with guitarist Shaunna Hall and was produced by David Tickle. While the album's lead single, "What's Up?", became a worldwide hit, "Spaceman" reached the top 20 only in Austria, Iceland, Italy, and Switzerland while missing the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Spaceman" is composed in the key of G major and is set in common time with a slow tempo of 69 beats per minute. The song is three minutes and forty seconds long.
Tom Demalon from AllMusic stated that the song's "yearning lyrics are delivered over a quiet, martial drum rhythm." Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Follow-up to the gold-selling 'What's Up?' is fueled by a similar wall-shattering vocal performance. The tune itself is a strumming, guitar-anchored rock ballad, deriving much of its motion from a rolling, militaristic beat. While it is not immediately catchy, slowly ingratiating track will likely meet with warm approval at top 40 and album-rock levels." Dave Jennings from Melody Maker said, "More histrionics, this time at a slower pace and with tacky "military" drumming." Alan Jones from Music Week gave "Spaceman" a score of three out of five, adding that the song "offers pretty...
The song's accompanying music video was directed by American film director Scott Kalvert and filmed in Los Angeles. It features the band performing the song in several locations, including inside a house with colorful lights, in a sunny park, and under a full moon. The video was added to the playlists of MTV and The Box on the week ending September 26, 1993.