M+M's

"M+M's"
Song

"M+M's" is a song by American rock band Blink-182, released on May 23, 1995 as the lead single from the group's debut studio album, Cheshire Cat. Written by guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus, the song became the band's debut single and their first to receive radio airplay. "M+M's" is sung by Hoppus and lyrically revolves around a vacation elsewhere.

The band's label, Cargo Music, gave the band a small budget to film a music video, which was featured on numerous surf video compilations. In the clip, the trio steal items from their girlfriends but are confronted by them later in a gunfight. "M+M's" was later included on the band's Greatest Hits.

Background

"M+M's" originated from rehearsals in DeLonge's garage in the summer of 1993, when the band was preparing to record their debut album. The track was recorded at the famous Westbeach Recorders in Los Angeles shortly after the band secured their label deal with Cargo Music. "M+M's" is based around power chords and Hoppus' lead vocal of a vacation elsewhere. Journalist Joe Shooman described it as "Blink in microcosm," commenting that, "in less than three minutes they nail their sonic colors to the mast."

"M+M's" was the first song by Blink-182 to receive radio airplay. Mike Halloran, a radio deejay for San Diego-based 91X, made the song a regular part of his radio show playlist. DeLonge first heard the song in his car and rolled down his windows, yelling at passersby to "turn their damn radios on," while Hoppus later likened it to a scene from the film That Thing You Do!.

Music video

Cargo offered the band a small budget to film a music video, to be shot for under $10,000. Darren Doane, who had previously worked with MxPx and Pennywise, directed the video. In the clip, the trio wake up in the morning beside their girlfriends (played by hired models) and proceed to steal an item from them. They are confronted before a concert later by their significant others, and a gunfight ensues. The band's original vision was a bit different: "I wanted the M+M's video to be fifty guys lined up, and have us shooting at their nuts," said DeLonge in 2001. "Just a whole video of slo-mo close-ups of these guys' nuts exploding." The video was shot at Belmont Park and at SOMA, an all-ages punk and hardcore venue the band often headlined. Ken Duario co-directed the clip.

Filming a video made the band gain confidence, although they had no plans to market the video. The band's new manager, Rick DeVoe, held connections that proved instrumental in tying the group into skate, surf and snowboarding scenes. "M+M's" made its first appearance on Good Times, a surf video directed by DeVoe's friend Taylor Steele. The clip eventually landed on several surf videos and video compilations. An employee of Cargo Music presented the video to MTV, but network executives "threw the tape out at first sight of the girls with guns."

Format and track listing

CD (1995)

1. "M+M's" – 2:35

References

• Hoppus, Anne (October 1, 2001). Blink-182: Tales from Beneath Your Mom. MTV Books / Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-2207-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Shooman, Joe (June 24, 2010). Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return. Independent Music Press. ISBN 978-1-906191-10-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• "M+M's" (uncensored music video) on YouTube
• "M+M's" (censored music video) on YouTube