The Pursuit of Happiness (band)
| The Pursuit of Happiness (TPOH) | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | power pop, college rock |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Chrysalis, Mercury, Iron |
| Associated acts | Universal Honey |
| Website | http://tpoh.net/ |
| Members |
Moe Berg Dave Gilby Kris Abbott Brad Barker Renee Suchy |
| Past members | Tamara Amabile Natasha Amabile Johnny Sinclair Leslie Stanwyck Susan Murumets Jennifer Foster Rachel Oldfield |
The Pursuit of Happiness is a Canadian power pop group perhaps best noted for their song "I'm an Adult Now."
Led by Edmonton, Alberta singer and songwriter Moe Berg, The Pursuit of Happiness were launched in 1985 when Berg and drummer Dave Gilby moved to Toronto, Ontario. They soon met bassist Johnny Sinclair and formed the band, adding sisters Tamara and Natasha Amabile as backing vocalists. Their debut single, "I'm an Adult Now," quickly became a smash hit across Canada in 1986, sparked by a low-budget video which made it onto the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic.
The band signed with manager Jeff Rogers (Swell) in 1986. However, the band did not immediately sign to a record label, but instead released another independent single, "Killed by Love," in 1988. The Amabile sisters left the band that year, and were replaced by Kris Abbott (guitar, backing vocals) and Leslie Stanwyck (backing vocals).
In 1988, they signed to Chrysalis Records. Their debut album, Love Junk, was produced by Todd Rundgren and released that year. "I'm an Adult Now" was re-recorded and released as a single again, making it to the charts a second time. In January 1989 the song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard's Alternative songs chart. It was followed by "She's So Young" and "Hard To Laugh." The album sold over 100,000 copies in Canada, was certified platinum.
Stanwyck and Sinclair left, going on to form Universal Honey, after completing the band's follow-up with Rundgren, 1990's One Sided Story. That album, led by the hit singles "New Language" and "Two Girls in One," did not sell as well as Love Junk, but was still a significant hit for the band. Starting with the tour for the album, Brad Barker (bass) and Susan Murumets (backing vocals) joined the lineup. Rachel Oldfield replaced Murumets in 1992.
The band then went through difficulties with their record label, but signed to Mercury Records for 1993's The Downward Road. Despite some success with the single "Cigarette Dangles" (the video appeared on Beavis and Butt-head), label troubles continued, and the band recorded their next two albums for the now-defunct Canadian label Iron Music. Oldfield left the band in 1995, and was replaced by Jennifer Foster, who in turn left the following year and was replaced by Renee Suchy.
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