(2004-2007) Independence and Recognition
Cheap Trick's own label, Cheap Trick Unlimited, was started in 1997, controlling a substantial inventory of master recordings, including
Cheap Trick 97 (Red Ant),
Woke Up with a Monster (Warner Bros. Records 1994),
Silver (a double live CD/DVD),
Music for Hangovers (live CD/DVD), various singles including the theme from Fox's
That 70's Show, "That 70's Song" and "Cold Turkey",
Bun E. in a Box (a drum sample CD), plus various videos and live footage. Nielsen commented: "Running our own label has been a lot of fun. One day Bun E. gets to be President and one day I get to play President." Zander added: "It's been a little tedious and a little overwhelming at times but we've got more control over our chaos." In May 2003, Cheap Trick brought their record label to Big3 Entertainment. Under the deal, Cheap Trick Unlimited/Big3 Records released
Special One. Said Bun E.: "We brought our label to Big3 because we got tired of being record moguls and riding around in limos and making the big bucks. We thought we'd give Big3 a chance."
Through the mid 90's and on, many compositions from Cheap Trick began appearing in commercials, video games, movie soundtracks, and on T.V. episodes, For example in 1999, a live version of their song
Surrender from the
Live At Budokan album was used in the soundtrack to the movie
Detroit Rock City. Cheap Trick wrote and performed the theme song for
Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, featuring former
Daily Show correspondent
Stephen Colbert. Rick Nielsen recently played guitar with Peter Frampton and members of indie band The Decemberists for a jam session at the end of Stephen Colbert's humorous "Shred-Off" at the end of Colbert's show, the Colbert Report. Cheap Trick also performed "That '70s Song", the theme song to the Fox Network television series
That '70s Show. The song is a remake of the
Big Star song "In The Street", but with references to Cheap Trick's own "Surrender" included. In the 2003 film
Daddy Day Care, performing the song "Surrender", with Jeff Garlin in guest vocals. On March 7th, 2006, "Surrender" became the theme song to the ABC show,
Sons and Daughters.
On
June 6, 2006, Cheap Trick released the album
Rockford on Cheap Trick Unlimited/Big3 Records. The first single from the album was "Perfect Stranger" (produced by Linda Perry and co-written by Cheap Trick and Perry). The band promoted the album through appearances on the
Sirius and
XM satellite radio networks and a North American tour. Also in
2006, "Surrender" was featured as a playable track in the hit video game
Guitar Hero II.
In
2007, officials of Rockford, Illinois honored Cheap Trick by reproducing the
Rockford album cover art on that year's "city sticker" (vehicle registration). On June 19, 2007, Senators Syverson and Burzynski of Illinois offered Senate Resolution No. 255 designating April 1 of every year as Cheap Trick Day in the State of Illinois. The Senate of the 95th General Assembly resolved the resolution. The resolution can be found in Senate Journal No. 57 of the State of Illinois-95th General Assembly.
http://www.ilga.gov/senate/journals/95/2007/SJ095057R.pdf
On
Aug 10th &
Aug 11th 2007 Cheap Trick honored the 40th Anniversary of the Beatles classic "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by playing the album in its entirety with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (conducted by Edwin Outwater) along with guest vocalists Joan Osborne, Aimee Mann among others.
http://hollywoodbowl.com/tix/performance_detail.cfm?id=3251 An amazing feat considering the Beatles themselves never played the album live, considering it too challenging. Of particular note was that the Beatles' original engineer,
Geoff Emerick, who had engineered all the sound effects on "Sgt. Pepper's", engineered the same sounds live for these two concerts, providing concert-goers with an authentic sound replica of the original album.
The Chicago Chapter of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) honored Cheap Trick at the 2007 Recording Academy Honors event in Chicago on October 11, 2007. Both Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos were on hand to receive the award, which was presented to them by Steve Albini. The band "Plain White T's" played a medley of "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender" - with Rick joining in on "Surrender." [www.cheaptrick.com]