Extreme
Countless bands are remembered for one thing: a song, an album or even involvement in a notorious event. It’s unfair since bands are often more accomplished than they are given credit for and find that their catalog goes unrecognized.
What’s really crazy is what they are remembered for is something that is not indicative of the band. That’s Extreme and their hit “More Than Words.” It’s ironic that with the name Extreme they are best known for a ballad.
Some groups are acknowledged only when a former member achieves a higher profile. Here too, Extreme fits – but barely. Following Extreme’s dissolution in ‘95 singer Gary Cherone joined Van Halen. But he was “one-and-done” with Van Halen. ‘98’s “Van Halen III” was one of the platinum band’s few albums to only go gold. It was also probably one of the few times Extreme was mentioned in the late ‘90s.
Extreme began in the late ‘80s by essentially merging of two rival bands leading to a partnership between Cherone and the Portuguese-born guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. The latter would also have a high profile post-Extreme career.
Drummer Paul Geary came from Cherone’s band Dream and bassist Pat Badger was added a few months later. Badger, a Berklee College of Music student, was making custom guitars for a music shop when he met Bettencourt.
The group’s self-titled debut landed in ’89 and put them on the road.
Extreme II Pornograffitti
Beyond the hit, and the acoustic “Hole Hearted” which went to #4, the group blended Metal, Blues and Funk selling over 10-million albums worldwide.
Driven by “More Than Words,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100, “Extreme II Pornograffitti” sold over two million copies.
More Than Words
Though it peaked at #10 on the U.S. album chart, ‘92’s “III Sides To Every Story” didn’t have the impact of its predecessor. Grunge was 24/7 and Extreme was from the northeast (Boston), not the northwest.
But the album charted higher in the U.K. and even did better than “Extreme II Pornograffitti.”
The ’95 set, “Waiting For The Punchline” came and went with Extreme disbanding shortly thereafter.
III Sides To Every Story
Then came Cherone’s brief and unfortunate stint with Van Halen.
Extreme made comeback attempts in ’04 and ’06 but couldn’t pull it off. Then, Cherone, Bettencourt and Badger with the addition of drummer Kevin Figueiredo, released “Saudades De Rock” in ’08. In a business where who you know counts. Bettencourt had worked with Figueiredo in DramaGods and Satellite Party (founded by Jane’s Addictions’ Perry Farrell).
Hole Hearted
#Rebel
In ’23, Extreme released “Six” (with #Rebel”), their first studio album in 15 years.
Betttencourt also contributed his guitar talents to the Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath “Back To The Beginning” farewell concert in Birmingham, England. Held during the summer of ’25, Bettencourt was part of a supergroup that performed Sabbath and Osbourne classics for 45,000 fans in the Villa Park stadium and the millions who streamed the event.
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