The Young Adults
Encyclopedia
The Young Adults were a rock quintet based in Providence, Rhode Island
. They were formed by vocalist/saxophone player Bruce McCrae (aka Rudy Cheeks), vocalist/drummer David Hansen (aka Sport Fisher), piano player Jeff Shore, and guitarist Ed Vallee in the early 1970s. Their songs, with such titles as
"A Power Tool Is Not A Toy", "Do The Heimlich" and "Christmas In Japan In July", were often satirical. They were regular performers at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence and had a rather large following.
In 1979 they released the single Complex World/Beer on Genius Records. Complex World
became something of a local hit getting lots of airplay on local radio. They broke up shortly
thereafter due to conflicts over band direction. David Hansen moved to New York and formed
the no wave
band Cool It Reba
in 1981.
In 1987 Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel was in danger of closing so owner Rich Lupo came up with an idea.
Lupo's bartender Jim Wolpaw was nominated for an Oscar for a short film he had done, so they threw a benefit concert
and filmed it and wrote a sub-plot around the idea of a club closing.
In the process they got The Young Adults to reform to play a few shows at Lupo's in
July 1987. The results were released as the film (It's A) Complex World (named after
Young Adults song) and The Young Adults Helping Others album
.
In the late 1990s, another band named The Young Adults formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. This band was part of a local group of indie rock
bands that often played together, including The Shins
and The Rondelles
. This band released one self-titled album in 1999, which was re-released with bonus tracks as “Preserve Right Now” in 2007.
Side A
1. Complex World (4:39)
2. A Power Tool Is Not a Toy (4:12)
3. Beer (3:04)
4. Summer Song (3:45)
5. Men (6:10)
Side B
1. Meat Rampage (4:58)
2. Christmas In Japan In July (3:20)
3. Meeting Girls (3:41)
4. New Deal (3:57)
5. Drunken Celebrities (5:42)
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. They were formed by vocalist/saxophone player Bruce McCrae (aka Rudy Cheeks), vocalist/drummer David Hansen (aka Sport Fisher), piano player Jeff Shore, and guitarist Ed Vallee in the early 1970s. Their songs, with such titles as
"A Power Tool Is Not A Toy", "Do The Heimlich" and "Christmas In Japan In July", were often satirical. They were regular performers at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence and had a rather large following.
In 1979 they released the single Complex World/Beer on Genius Records. Complex World
became something of a local hit getting lots of airplay on local radio. They broke up shortly
thereafter due to conflicts over band direction. David Hansen moved to New York and formed
the no wave
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
band Cool It Reba
Cool It Reba
New York City's Cool It Reba was part of the downtown post punk / no wave scene in the early 1980s. They combined elements of James Brown funk, Television's guitar interplay and David Byrne's lyrical paranoia to a danceable beat....
in 1981.
In 1987 Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel was in danger of closing so owner Rich Lupo came up with an idea.
Lupo's bartender Jim Wolpaw was nominated for an Oscar for a short film he had done, so they threw a benefit concert
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
and filmed it and wrote a sub-plot around the idea of a club closing.
In the process they got The Young Adults to reform to play a few shows at Lupo's in
July 1987. The results were released as the film (It's A) Complex World (named after
Young Adults song) and The Young Adults Helping Others album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
.
In the late 1990s, another band named The Young Adults formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. This band was part of a local group of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
bands that often played together, including The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
and The Rondelles
The Rondelles
The Rondelles are an indiepop band originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The band, which formed in the late 1990s, when the three members were still in high school, consisted of Juliet Swango on guitar and vocals, Yukiko Moynihan on bass, and Oakley Munson on drums and keyboard...
. This band released one self-titled album in 1999, which was re-released with bonus tracks as “Preserve Right Now” in 2007.
Discography
- Complex World b/w Beer, 1979, Genius Records
- Helping Others, 1988, Heartbreak Hits
Side A
1. Complex World (4:39)
2. A Power Tool Is Not a Toy (4:12)
3. Beer (3:04)
4. Summer Song (3:45)
5. Men (6:10)
Side B
1. Meat Rampage (4:58)
2. Christmas In Japan In July (3:20)
3. Meeting Girls (3:41)
4. New Deal (3:57)
5. Drunken Celebrities (5:42)
Members
- Bruce McCrae (aka Rudy Cheeks) (vocals, saxophone, percussion)
- David Hansen (aka Sport Fisher) (vocals, drums, guitar)
- Jeff Shore (piano)
- Ed Vallee (guitar)
- Thomas Enright (bass, guitar)
- John Rufo (bass)
- Tom Dequattro (drums)
- Paul ILL (bass)
- Jim Whittle (drums)
External links
- http://www.last.fm/music/The+Young+Adults Last.fm page, with downloadable tracks
- IMDB Complex World IMDB page
- Yahoo Groups Page Page dedicated to David Hansen
- Lupos Official site
- Western Caravan David Hansen is the vocalist for this New York Country/Western band
- Thom Enright Official site for Thom Enright
- Ed Vallee Official site for Ed Vallee
- Steve Smith & The Nakeds Ed Vallee is the guitarist for this Rhode Island based band
- Young Adults Fan Site Fan Site by Steven Salemi, Young Adults Fan from Santa Fe, New Mexico USA (not currently active)
- Yahoo Groups Page Page dedicated to The Young Adults