The Pursuit of Happiness

BCGUY · Post by **BCGUY** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:13 pm

Canadian indie band from the 80's.

Barris · Post by **Barris** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:16 pm

Very cool. I've never seen this video before but am a fan of the song. Cool FG RM Rick as well....I wonder if he played it on the recording? On Youtube there is also a different video of the same song where the band has more members and the singer is playing a telecaster. I also believe that they were shot over two different studio recordings. The latter one is on a CD compilation I have of of various tunes which Todd Rundgren produced where there is obviously more than one guitar. This one you have here sure sounds like just one guitar and very well may be the overdriven Ric. The arrangements are very similar, but you can really notice the difference at the beginning of the guitar solo...

Anybody else know more about this band or their history?

tmossman · Post by **tmossman** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:17 pm

Great band.

I saw them several times at a bar on Queen St. in TO. They would play some nights as a cover band too (different name?) and were spot-on.

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:54 pm

This was the indie version of this song. They signed to Universal after this & re-recorded the song & video, much heavier. I prefer this version.

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:42 am

I saw these guys at a now defunct club called Bogart's here in Long Beach back in the day. I think The Muffs opened up for them.

Barris · Post by **Barris** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:01 pm

I also prefer the earlier version. I tried to download it on itunes, but it is not available in the U.S. itunes store. It can be purchased in the Canadian itunes store, however. There is a compilation where both versions are available.

scotty · Post by **scotty** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:27 am

Thanks for that Shawn.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:32 am

One of my all-time favorite bands.
The cover band name is / was Monteforte, and they still turn up from time to time at the Horseshoe in Toronto and rock out on some amazingly cheesy 80's classics (think Total Eclipse of the Heart, Lick it up, Flashdance, etc.)
Moe Berg is the primary songwriter / guitar player and Kris Abbott is the other guitar player. She almost always would be on a black LP Custom, while Moe's weapon of choice onstage was a strat-style copy. (some kind of 80's strat clone).
Never saw the Rick guitar much in their videos / live.
Seen them live a few times and have all of their records. Great pop / rock band and some of my favorite songs.

A taste of Monteforte:

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:55 am

I jammed with Kris Abbott (the rhythm guitarist) once. I came close to joining a band that we were mutual friends with, but the whole thing fell apart. Whe was pretty awesome, really nice, and I was envious of the excellent gear she had.

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:30 am

TPOH's first major album "Love Junk" was produced by Todd Rundgren. Here's an excerpt of a piece written by Moe for "Canadian Musician" back in 1988 recounting his initial meeting with Rundgren:

"(The project) starts with my initial conversation with our album's producer Todd Rundgren (who, I should state from the onset, is a hero and a major influence of mine) after he expressed interest in producing The Pursuit of Happiness. His end of the conversation went something like this, "The tunes are good, I really like the sound of the band but we're really going to have to watershed the guitar solos - the guy has no technique at all." Of course at this point he didn't realize he was SPEAKING TO THE GUITAR PLAYER."

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:24 pm

I really loved this band, and it's not just because I have a soft spot for pasty-faced, long-haired, nearsighted white kids...

At the risk of over generalization, I think they have an earnest simplicity and directness that I find absolutely...well, Canadian. I agree that these qualities come through unfiltered in the raw 'indie' recording and video of IAAN...

You sure can hear Todd's involvement in the other two tunes...I think he must have showed them a couple of the top-secret 'Runt' chord changes. If Neil Young is the most 'American' of the Northern songwriters, then Todd is the most 'Canadian' of ours...

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:32 pm

Its always nice seeing that original video for IAAN - Queen St. W has changed just a bit since then...

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:04 pm

Dane, it warms my heart to know that you like this band. Don't know why, but it does.

This was also the first band I saw where the bassist was using a Kubicki X factor bass. I was like, what the hell is THAT thing?

And very true about the guitar solos, which is why they are very effected and processed on the recordings. Moe has gotten a lot better though since that first record. If anyone is looking for something of theirs, let me know. I have a lot.

BCGUY · Post by **BCGUY** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:53 am

I'm glad to hear so many of you know of this band. I saw them play in Vancouver a couple times in the 80's I guess it was....... uummm ya, the 80's.

This is my favorite version of this song with out a doubt. I remember being surprised when they produced a second version and made the second video. I know now how the marketing machine works and MTV was probably the goal for the video. The first video is actually quite good considering the tight budget I'm sure they were working with. I think the part where the kid is giving Moe the stink eye and Moe singing back to him is great.

Here's the second version in case anyone is wondering.

chucksimms · Post by **chucksimms** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:14 am

Yeah, that first album is great, every song. We opened for them when they were touring Love Junk and very impressive live.

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