{{Short description|Swedish alternative rock group}} {{Lead too short|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Whale | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Sweden | genre = {{Flatlist| *Alternative rock *experimental rock *electronic *trip hop}} | years_active = 1992&ndash;1999 | label = Hut/Virgin | associated_acts = | website = | current_members = | past_members = Cia Berg<br/>Henrik Schyffert<br/>Gordon Cyrus<br/>Jorgen Wall<br/>Jon Jefferson Klingberg<br/>Heikki Kiviaho }} '''Whale''' was a Swedish alternative rock group active from 1992 to 1999.

==Career== Gordon Cyrus and Henrik Schyffert met while working on a commercial and decided to collaborate on a music track.<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=480}}</ref> Schyffert recruited his then-girlfriend, Cia Berg, to perform vocals.<ref name="NewmanWatson1995">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zwsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18|title=Whale Follow 'Hobo' With A Full-Length Virgin Album|last1=Newman|first1=Melinda|last2=Watson|first2=Miranda|magazine=Billboard|date=June 24, 1995|volume=107|issue=25|pages=18–20}}</ref> The band enjoyed some success, particularly in the European market. Their first single, 1993's "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe", was positively received by critics and received heavy spins in the Euro dance club scene and saturation airplay on MTV.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> It reached the Top 10 in Denmark and Norway, Top 30 in the Netherlands and Austria, Top 40 in Sweden,<ref name="NewmanWatson1995"/> and No. 24 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe - Whale |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/t1314850 |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=AllMusic |publisher=Netaktion LLC}}</ref> It also reached No. 46 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994, and when reissued in 1995, reached No. 15.<ref name="britishcharts">{{cite book|title=The Complete Book of the British Charts Singles and Albums|last1=Warwick|first1=Neil| last2=Kutner|first2=John| last3=Brown|first3=Tony|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2004|isbn=1-84449-058-0}}</ref>

The music video for "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe", directed by Mark Pellington, won the first MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video in 1994.

Whale toured with Tricky,<ref>{{cite web|title=Tricky Taps Whale For U.S. Tour|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1434948/tricky-taps-whale-us-tour.jhtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907232555/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1434948/tricky-taps-whale-us-tour.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 7, 2012|work=MTV|access-date=13 October 2011|date=1998-10-08}}</ref> Blur and Placebo.<ref>{{cite web|title=Whale Gigography, Tour History|url=http://www.songkick.com/artists/289781-whale/gigography?page=3|website=Songkick.com|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

In the late 1990s, the band's official website stated that their original name was Southern Whale Cult 1987, and that several albums had previously been released under that name. This was later admitted to have been a joke; the band had copied a presentation by The Cult and simply changed the name of the band in the text.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/510624/19990106/whale.jhtml|title=VH1.com : Whale : Whale Swimming From Electronica To Rock - Rhapsody Music Downloads|date=5 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605024928/http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/510624/19990106/whale.jhtml|access-date=22 July 2021|archive-date=2011-06-05}}</ref>

Whale disbanded after the 1999 single "Deliver the Juice", to little fanfare.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/whale|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101180009/http://www.mtv.com/artists/whale|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 1, 2013|title=Whale &#124; News, Music Performances and Show Video Clips &#124; MTV|website=Mtv.com}}</ref>

==Post-breakup== Schyffert has pursued a television and comedy career, while Cyrus has worked in audiovisual marketing and design.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== *''We Care'' (1995, Virgin Records/Hut Records) *''All Disco Dance Must End in Broken Bones'' (1998, Virgin/Hut)<ref name="LarkinHR"/>

===Singles and EPs=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:24em;"| Single ! colspan="7"| Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:90%;" ! width="35"| SWE<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Whale |title=Discography Whale |publisher=Swedish Charts |access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> ! width="35"| BEL<br>(FLA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Whale |title=Discografie Whale |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> ! width="35"| NLD<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Whale |title=Discografie Whale |publisher=Dutch Charts |access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> ! width="35"| SWI<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/showperson.asp?name=Whale |title=Whale - hitparade.ch |publisher=Hitparade.ch |access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> ! width="35"| UK<br><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/30027/WHALE/ |title=Official Charts Company: Whale |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=2014-06-15}}</ref> ! width="35"| US<br><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Whale.art|title=Whale Songs *** Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography *** Music VF, US & UK hits charts|publisher=Music VF|access-date=November 3, 2019}}</ref> ! width="35"| US<br>Alter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/whale/chart-history |title=Whale Chart History - Billboard |publisher=Billboard |access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> |- | rowspan="1"|1993 ! scope="row"| "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" | 30 || 13 || 17 || 22 || 46 || 102 || 24 | align="left" rowspan="5" |''We Care'' |- | rowspan="4"|1995 ! scope="row"| "Pay for Me" | 6 || — || — || — || — || — || — |- ! scope="row"| "I'll Do Ya" | — || — || — || — || 53 || — || — |- ! scope="row"| "Kickin'" (feat. Tricky) (US promo) | — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- ! scope="row"| "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" (reissue) | — || — || — || — || 15 || — || — |- | rowspan="1"|1997 ! scope="row"| "Heavy Stick" | — || — || — || — || — || — || — | align="left" rowspan="1" |''single only'' |- | rowspan="2"|1998 ! scope="row"| "Four Big Speakers" (feat. Bus 75) | 50 || — || — || — || 69 || — || — | align="left" rowspan="3" |''All Disco Dance Must End in Broken Bones'' |- ! scope="row"| "Crying at Airports" (feat. Bus 75) | — || — || — || — || 94 || — || — |- | rowspan="1"|1999 ! scope="row"| "Deliver the Juice" | — || — || — || — || 133 || — || — |- |align="center" colspan="13" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Whale (band)}} Category:Swedish musical groups Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Category:MTV Europe Music Award winners Category:English-language Swedish musical groups Category:Female-fronted musical groups