Pure (band)
Encyclopedia
Pure was a Canadian
rock band
, formed in Vancouver
in 1991. Previously, the band was known as After All and Grin Factory. Signed to the Reprise
label, the band reached a greater audience once their song "Greedy" was featured on the soundtrack album
Songs from the Cool World
, and the single "Blast" reached #22 on Billboard's
Modern Rock chart in 1993.
Pure was discovered at Vancouver's Music West Conference in 1991, when they went there to showcase their demo, impressing amongst others, an executive from Restless Records. They were subsequently signed by Warner/Reprise and the band's song "Greedy" was used in the Ralph Bakshi
animated movie Cool World
.
keyboardist Jerry Harrison
. The video for "Blast" won the award for the "Best Alternative Video" at the 1993 Much Music Video Awards and the song charted on Billboard's Modern Rock chart in 1993, peaking at #22. Later that year Pure were nominated for a Most Promising Group of the Year
Juno Award
in 1993, but they lost to Skydiggers
.
festival in Australia. Despite this, they were dropped by Warner/Reprise. Pure then started their own record label - Shag Records, and released the song "The Hammock" in the summer of 1995 and Extra Purestrial EP. "Lemonade", the first single, was a hit.
In 1996 Pure re-released Generation 6-Pack on Mammoth as Generation Six-Pack. The album became a Canadian Campus chart in late 1996 hit fueled by the singles "Denial" and "Anna Is A Speed Freak".
, though not featured on the soundtrack
.
The group disbanded in 2000, citing "musical differences".
Todd Simko is now working as a successful record producer/engineer in Vancouver, Canada. Todd has made records with such artists as Xavier Rudd
, The Organ
, Big John Bates
, The Yoko Casiono's, Current Swell and Patrick Brealey, plus many others.
Mark R. Henning formed Vancouver PowerPop trio Blisterene in 1995 and released the full-length CD "So I Have Them" in 1997 on the Poncy Rocket/IMD label. As of 2007 Mark has formed a new group Combine the Victorious with fashion designer Isabelle Dunlop, and released their debut cd "The World Over" independently. Combine the Victorious also recently became part of the Boutique Empire label.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, formed in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in 1991. Previously, the band was known as After All and Grin Factory. Signed to the Reprise
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
label, the band reached a greater audience once their song "Greedy" was featured on the soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
Songs from the Cool World
Songs from the Cool World
Songs from the Cool World is the soundtrack album for the 1992 Ralph Bakshi film Cool World.-Track listing:# "Real Cool World" - 5:24# "Play With Me" - 4:06# "Disappointed" - 4:22...
, and the single "Blast" reached #22 on Billboard's
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Modern Rock chart in 1993.
History
The band's original members were singer Jordy Birch, guitarist Todd Simko, base guitarist Dave Hadley and drummer Leigh Grant. Grant was replaced in 1996 by Jim Hobbs. Mark R. Henning played keyboards, but left in 1994.Pure was discovered at Vancouver's Music West Conference in 1991, when they went there to showcase their demo, impressing amongst others, an executive from Restless Records. They were subsequently signed by Warner/Reprise and the band's song "Greedy" was used in the Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
animated movie Cool World
Cool World
Cool World is a 1992 American live-action/animated film directed by Ralph Bakshi, and starring Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, and Brad Pitt. It tells the story of a cartoonist who finds himself in the animated world he created, and is seduced by one of his characters, a comic strip vamp who wants to...
.
Purafunalia
Pure's first chart success occurred in 1992 with the single "Blast" from Purafunalia. In November 1992 "Blast" reached #1 on RPM Magazine's Canadian Content (Cancon) chart. Purafunalia was produced by Talking HeadsTalking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
keyboardist Jerry Harrison
Jerry Harrison
Jerry Harrison is an American songwriter, musician and producer...
. The video for "Blast" won the award for the "Best Alternative Video" at the 1993 Much Music Video Awards and the song charted on Billboard's Modern Rock chart in 1993, peaking at #22. Later that year Pure were nominated for a Most Promising Group of the Year
Juno Award for New Group of the Year
The Juno Award for the New Group of the Year has been awarded since 1974, as recognition each year for the best new group or band in Canada. The award was originally known as Most Promising Group of the Year, and from 1994–2002 it was known as Best New Group.-Most Promising Group of the Year...
Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
in 1993, but they lost to Skydiggers
Skydiggers
Skydiggers are a Canadian roots rock band from Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:Formed in 1987 by singer Andy Maize and lead guitarist Josh Finlayson, the band soon added rhythm guitarist Peter Cash, drummer Wayne Stokes and bassist Ron Macey to their lineup...
.
Generation Six-Pack
Generation 6 Pack was released in August 1994 and led off with the single "Denial". The band toured relentlessly in the fall and winter of 1994. In January 1995, they played the Big Day OutBig Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival in Australia. Despite this, they were dropped by Warner/Reprise. Pure then started their own record label - Shag Records, and released the song "The Hammock" in the summer of 1995 and Extra Purestrial EP. "Lemonade", the first single, was a hit.
In 1996 Pure re-released Generation 6-Pack on Mammoth as Generation Six-Pack. The album became a Canadian Campus chart in late 1996 hit fueled by the singles "Denial" and "Anna Is A Speed Freak".
Feverish
On April 14, 1998 Pure released their third full length album, Feverish. The song "Tennis Ball" was featured in the movie BASEketballBASEketball
BASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy...
, though not featured on the soundtrack
BASEketball (soundtrack)
-Track listing:#Reel Big Fish: "Take on Me" – 3:02#Nerf Herder: "Don't Hate Me " – 2:46#Deep Blue Something: "Tonight" – 3:42#Supersuckers: "Psyched Out" – 2:52#Plastiscene: "Lemon Yellow" – 4:09...
.
The group disbanded in 2000, citing "musical differences".
Post Breakup
Jordy Birch went onto having a solo career, with the single, "Moola Moola". In 2008 he formed a new group, Guilty About Girls. Joining him in the band is Mark R. Henning on Bass, and DJ Lucas T. Poth on drums and programming. Guilty About Girls is now a part of the Vancouver artist's collective, Boutique Empire.Todd Simko is now working as a successful record producer/engineer in Vancouver, Canada. Todd has made records with such artists as Xavier Rudd
Xavier Rudd
Xavier Rudd is an Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in 1978 and grew up in Torquay, Victoria. He attended St. Joseph's College, Geelong....
, The Organ
The Organ
The Organ was a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia. They officially broke up on December 7, 2006, due to illness and personal conflicts in the band.-Early years:...
, Big John Bates
Big John Bates
Big John Bates began recording for Germany's Rookie Records and Glitterhouse Records in 2010 with upright bassist Brandy Bones. They moved away from their original punkabilly style to follow their rustic, southern influences with dark, rural lyrics & melodies...
, The Yoko Casiono's, Current Swell and Patrick Brealey, plus many others.
Mark R. Henning formed Vancouver PowerPop trio Blisterene in 1995 and released the full-length CD "So I Have Them" in 1997 on the Poncy Rocket/IMD label. As of 2007 Mark has formed a new group Combine the Victorious with fashion designer Isabelle Dunlop, and released their debut cd "The World Over" independently. Combine the Victorious also recently became part of the Boutique Empire label.
Singles
- Blast (Warner/Reprise, 1992)
- Greedy (The Morphine Mix)/Laughing Like A Fiend (The Mammoth Version) (Warner/Reprise, 1992)
- Spiritual Polution (Warner/Reprise, 1993)
- Blissful Kiss (Warner/Reprise, 1993)
- Pure (Warner/Reprise, 1993)
- Denial (Warner/Reprise, 1994)
- Anna Is A Speed Freak (Warner/Reprise, 1994)
- The Hammock (Warner/Reprise, 1995)
- Lemonade (Shag/Outside, 1995)
- Baba O'Riley (Shag/Outside, 1995)
- Chocolate Bar (Mammoth, 1998)
- Feverish (Mammoth, 1998)
- Swinger (Mammoth, 1998)
Albums and EPs
- Greed (Reprise, 1992) - EP
- Pureafunalia (Reprise, 1992)
- Generation 6-Pack (Reprise, 1994)
- Generation Six-Pack (Mammoth, 1996)
- Extra Purestrial (Shag, 1995) - EP
- Feverish (Mammoth, 1998)