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Extreme music biography continued...

bassist Pat Badger, drummer Paul Geary and vocalist Gary Cherone. Cherone and Bettencourt began writing songs together and the band played numerous shows in the Boston area. They gradually developed a strong local following, and were named "Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Act" at the Boston Music Awards in 1986 and 1987. The band had accumulated several original songs by the time they were signed to A&M Records in 1988. The band then recorded their self-titled debut album which was issued in 1989, and got a lift when the album's last track, "Play With Me," was used as the "mall chase" song in the film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. The band finally broke out on the their sophomore album, Extreme II: Pornograffiti, which showcased Bettencourt's guitar-playing prowess and yielded the hit acoustic ballad, "More Than Words," which hit number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in 1991. Other hit singles off the album included "Decadence Dance," and "Get Out the Funk," which were a mixture of funk, pop and Glam metal sounds and did extremely well in the U.K. Thanks to Pornograffiti, the band had established themselves on hitmakers on both sides of the Atlantic.



In 1992, Extreme released their third album, III Sides to Every Story, and though it was well-received critically, it failed to generate the enthusiasm of their sophomore effort. After a change of drummers, the band released Waiting for the Punchline, behind the singles "Hip Today," "Unconditionally," and "Cynical," but the album sold less than III Sides to Every Story and Extreme disbanded in 1996, on amicable terms. Extreme reunited in 2004 playing in their hometown of Boston, as well as a few concerts in Japan and Azores. The worldwide tour followed in 2008 with the release of a new album, Saudades de Rock, which reestablished Bettencourt and his crew as able and talented musical craftsmen.