New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Juno-Award winning, Canadian alternative power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness (TPOH) announce details of a remastered deluxe edition of their 1988 debut album, Love Junk in celebration of the 30th anniversary since its release. The album is set to be released on
September 21 through Universal Music. The Love Junk
Deluxe Edition will be available on 2CD, 2LP
Deluxe and digital versions. The 2CD
Deluxe housed in a digipak includes a 24-page booklet and the special 2LP
Deluxe edition is housed in a triple gatefold and includes a special 12 x 12 LP sized booklet. The booklets for both editions contain brand new liner notes with interviews from band members past & present, written by
David Wild, an Emmy nominated TV writer, best-selling author and a longstanding contributing editor to Rolling Stone. The booklet also includes archival photographs both licensed and from the band's personal archives, many which have never been seen.
TPOH are excited to return to the stage and play their nostalgic songs for fans. Today, the band announce details of a special show to celebrate the release of the remastered album on October 4 where they will be performing Love Junk in its entirety at The Supermarket in
Kensington Market. More details for that show can be found HERE including tickets for purchase which are limited. The band have also been announced to perform in Kitchener as part of the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour, presented by Scotiabank and Dodge, as part of the live Sportsnet NHL broadcast on October 7.
TPOH then head west, first teaming up with 54-40 in Winnipeg, followed by a headlining homecoming performance in Edmonton and then joining The Northern Pikes in Vancouver, see details below. Stay tuned for more show announcements. After many years of evolution, the band's current line-up features original members, Moe Berg (lead vocals, lead guitar, songwriting) Kris Abbott (guitar, backing vocals), Dave Gilby (drums), and long-term additions, Brad Barker (bass,) and Renee Suchy (backing vocals, live percussion).
Love Junk was originally produced by long-time collaborator Todd Rundgren and went on to be certified platinum in Canada. Today it is recognized as one of the Top 100 debut albums ever released, anywhere! The deluxe edition of the album includes unreleased demo and live versions, along with the original indie tracks that were recorded and released that landed the band their deal with Chrysalis Records in 1988. Along with the stand out track, "I'm An Adult Now", the album is known for its alternative radio staples "Killed By Love", "Hard to Laugh" and "She's So Young".
In an excerpt from the liner notes, Wild remarks "Junk is generally defined as any rubbish that is considered useless and disposed of quickly. Love remains somewhat harder to define. Yet in a world where popular music can all too often sound relatively disposable, Love Junk -- the 1988 masterpiece of a debut by The Pursuit Of Happiness, AKA TPOH -- has been justifying our love for thirty years now. What can you say about an altogether inspired song cycle that has kept many us happy, horny and humming along for three decades? Now add to that significant accomplishment the fact that the songs at the heart of Love Junk continue to make us think, feel and smile -- even at times where it can feel increasingly hard to laugh."
Time changes many things -- as Moe Berg wrote and sang in "I'm An Adult Now," that is "no cliché -- it's the truth." Yet even three decades later, Moe and all of the men and women who together made Love Junk what it was -- and what it still is -- often discuss their triumphant first album as the best kind of rock & roll dream." The band's extensive career and accomplishments are highlighted in the detailed timeline below.
TPOH UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
October 04 - Toronto, ON - The Supermarket
October 07 - Kitchener, ON - Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour
November 02 - Winnipeg, MB - Club Regent Event Centre (With 54-40)
November 03 - Edmonton, AB- The Station
November 10 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom (With The Northern Pikes)
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS - LOVE JUNK (DELUXE)
DISC 1 / LP 1 - LOVE JUNK (REMASTERED)
LP1 - SIDE A #1-6 / SIDE B 7-13
Hard To Laugh
Ten Fingers
I'm An Adult Now
She's So Young
Consciousness Raising As Social Tool
Walking In The Woods
Beautiful White
When The Sky Comes Falling Down
Looking For Girls
Man's Best Friend
Tree Of Knowledge
Killed By Love
Down On Him
DISC 2 / LP2: LOVE JUNK (SESSIONS/OUTTAKES/DEMOS/LIVE)
LP1 - SIDE A #1-6 / SIDE B 7-13
I'm An Adult Now (Original 1986 version)
Let My People Go (The Todd Rundgren sessions)
Walking In The Woods (Demo)
Handsomest Man and Prettiest Girl (Live)
All That You Got Me For Christmas (Demo)
Wake Up and Smell Cathy (Demo)
Take You With Me (The Todd Rundgren Sessions)
Shave Your Legs (Demo)
Master (Live)
She's So Young (Original 1986 version)
Killed By Love (Original 1986 version)
If You Feel That Way (Demo)
Santa Claus Is Back In Town (Live)
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS TIMELINE:
1986 - The Pursuit of Happiness were launched in early 1986 when lead vocalist Moe Berg and drummer Dave Gilby moved from Edmonton to Toronto, Ontario. They soon met bassist Johnny Sinclair and formed the band, adding sisters
Tamara and Natasha Amabile as backing vocalists.
1986 -
September - Their debut single, "I'm an Adult Now" released independently became a smash hit across Canada in 1986, sparked by a low-budget video
1987 - Winner of the CASBY Awards Most Promising Group: The Pursuit of Happiness (Canadian awards ceremony for independent and alternative music, presented annually by Toronto, Ontario radio station CFNY, currently branded as 102.1 The Edge. CASBY is an acronym for Canadian Artists Selected By You)
1987 - Juno Award winner Best Video "I'm An Adult Now"
1988 - October - Signed to Chrysalis Records. Their debut album, Love Junk, was produced by Todd Rundgren and released on October 26 which included the following original band members; Moe Berg Vocals and Guitar / Kris Abbott Guitar and Vocals / Dave Gilby
Drums / Johnny Sinclair Bass /
Leslie Stanwick Vocals
1989 - January 1989 "I'm An Adult Now" was re-released as a single, making it to the charts a second time. The song peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's alternative songs chart and was followed by "She's So Young" and "Hard To Laugh".
1989 - March 16 - 'Love Junk' certified GOLD in Canada
1989 - Juno Award winner for 'Most Promising Group of the Year'
1990 - March 29 - 'Love Junk' certified PLATINUM in Canada for sales over 100,000 copies
1991 - Personnel change: Stanwyck and Sinclair leave after completing the band's follow-up with Rundgren, 1990's One Sided Story and are replaced by Brad Barker (bass) and Susan Murumets (backing vocals). Rachel Oldfield later replaces Murumets in 1992.
1991 - March 13 - 'One Sided Story' certified Gold In Canada
1993 - Signed to Mercury and released 'The Downward Road' that featured the single "Cigarette Dangles" (the video appeared on Beavis and Butt-head)
1995 - 'Where's The Bone' the band's 4th album released on Iron Music
1995 - Rachel Oldfield left the band in 1995, post 'Where's The Bone' release and was replaced by Jennifer Foster, who in turn left the following year and was replaced by Renee Suchy, who still remains with the band today!
1996 - 'The Wonderful World of The Pursuit Of Happiness' the band's 5th album is released
1997 - Moe Berg releases 'Summer's Over' via Iron Music, his first and so far only solo release
2005 - Band record two new tracks for a greatest hits compilation ' When We Ruled: The Best of The Pursuit of Happiness', a cover of
Prince "When
Doves Cry" along with an original "Hey Mary Anne"
2006 - March 2006, they were inducted into the Canadian Indies Hall of Fame.
2014 - December - The band reunited for the Q107 Jingle Ball on December 13, 2014, at the
Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto
2016 - 'Love Junk' was # 28 on 'Classic Rock Magazine (UK)' list of "The Real 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s" and listed as one of the 'Top 100 debuts of all time'
2017 - October - Performance at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on October 27, 2017 as part of the Horseshoe's 70th anniversary series of shows.
2018 - Band current line-up features Moe Berg - lead vocals, lead guitar, songwriting / Kris Abbott - guitar, backing vocals / Brad Barker - bass, occasional live backing vocals / Dave Gilby - drums / Renee Suchy - backing vocals, live percussion
