Young Canadians
Scott Beadle and Les Wiseman | April 19, 2010 in Art Bergmann, K-Tels, Los Popularos, Young Canadians
The Young Canadians were a three-piece made up of guitarist/singer Art Bergmann, bassist Jim Bescott, and powerhouse drummer Barry Taylor. Originally named the K-Tels, the Young Canadians were around barely two years — but they made a lasting impression on the Vancouver punk/indie music scene. They released two 12-inch EPs, one of the first cable-TV targeted music videos (“Automan”), recorded an all-time punk-rock anthem (“Hawaii”), and are credited with discovering the dormant Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret and helping transform it into a west coast punk-rock landmark.
The Young Canadians were one of the biggest names on the local scene, creating an enormous buzz over their brief career. They toured down the west coast a couple of times, toured western Canada with the Boomtown Rats, and were landing plenty of prestigious opening slots for visiting bands. Thus, it came as a big surprise when the band announced their split in December 1980. They marked their demise with a four night engagement at the Lotus Gardens Hotel. Art Bergmann left to concentrate full-time on his sideline project, Los Popularos (and followed that with a storied solo career).
Tragically, Jim Bescott died after being struck by a vehicle in a parking lot near his Kitsilano home in August 2005. Young Canadians studio recordings and live tracks were collected in 1995 on the CD No Escape (Zulu Records); since reissued by Sudden Death Records. Joyride On The Western Front, a live CD of a 1980 concert at the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco, was released in 2001.
Les sez: Art Bergmann was Canada’s Lou Reed a volatile songwriter, groundbreaking guitarist, and kinetic live performer. He also epitomized the rock’n’roll lifestyle. A Juno-award winner for best new artist, the Berg traded the statuette for drugs. Though he had major label releases with assistance from stars including John Cale and Chris Spedding, he never got the commercial response the record companies wanted. Perhaps because they perceived him as mad, bad and dangerous to know. With the Young Canadians and as a solo artist, his legacy is the strongest and most vital music to come out of Vancouver punk.
Early article on Art Bergmann on www.densemilt.com
http://www.densemilt.com/2008/01/art-history.html
OBOLENSKYS
OBOLENSKYS took their name from a Russian aristocratic family that the singer Mark Oliver was vaguely related to. Oliver's style was equal parts Iggy and James Brown as filtered through the ex-English public school white boy that he was. Obolenskys and the later Bang Bang were the only band to try to infuse a funky, danceable (as opposed to "pogo-able" beat into their music - at least until later post-punk bands like Bolera Lava.
Obolenskys and other art-punk strain bands were at the other end of the spectrum from bands like DOA that came rom a suburban background that was basically 'greaser' in culture. The suburban punks mingled with the art school types and created a larger community. Sections needed here on Obolenskys and Bolera Lava. They may not be pure punk but were very much vital players in the scene. So far the history has emphasized the DOA side of the scene but the scene was largely an arty community that found the DOA / Subhumans types macho and boring - homophobic metalheads in disguise. The DOA types probably found the arty types pretentious in turn. It wasn't a class difference but a consciousness difference - most of the arty types were working class as well. But it was a grassroots community with many subcultures that could work and play together constructively. They were brought together by a mutual feeling of alienation from the mainstream and a desire to be expressive and have fun.
A. Balkind
obelenskys/Bang Bang
Bescott very briefly played with Bang Bang. Mark Oliver was the central figure and vocalist in Obolenskys (later Bang Bang) . Reed Eurchuck played keyboards. They did not play dub but rather did funk tunes -by James Brown especially- in a punk style as well as original songs using the same hybrid formula. Oliver is remembered for performing in a diaper (nothing else) and a pink, authentic toreador's "suit of lights". When Bang Bang opened for the Clash at Kerrisdale Arena, Joe Strummer gave the band a bottle of champagne before the gig that the members of Bang Bang later realized (on stage) was spiked with LSD. Mark Oliver went on to become a successful voice actor for movies and television.
Rick Hambleton
Recollections
Thanks for your valuable recollections! The commenters on this site are awesome and adding so much to the stories & histories. BTW, is this Rick aka R. Dick Trace-it, or just a coincidence?
trembling torso
was it not iggy in the diaper? at the pender ballroom? i can't imagine mark in a diaper although i'm sure he would wear it well. i seem to remember a few friends who lived next to the pender ballroom (including rick h.) being very amused by the diaper stunt but i remember that being iggy. i could easily be wrong. my brain was already soft back then so just imagine how it runs now. hey and what about "E"? that was michael wonderful and gary bourgoise. around 77.78, inspired by eno and electronics before electronics were invented.
peter schuyff
[e]?
[e]?, and more, can be found here: http://thepunkmovie.com/articles/art-punk-bands
Young Canadians played my cafeteria, 1980
I'm not sure how it happened, but a young punk impresario named Al Campbell (a one-time roommate of Bud Luxford) arranged to have a "post-grad" party held in our cafeteria at Killarney High School in the fall of 1980 (I think). The Young Canadians played, and we butthead Aerosmith fans waited all evening for them to play Hawaii, which Art & co never did. Good for them, as we were obnoxious.
- Mike Klassen
Young Canadians at Killarney Highschool
Yes, I promoted that show and the Young Canadians - with the excellent Bob Montgomery as roadie - played the school cafeteria.
With an all-star bill offered up for $800 - including P.A., lights, opening act Rude Norton and the Young Canadians - by manager Gerry Barad - himself a very important figure in the Vancouver punk scene - we took in $805 at the door and the night was a success. I had to go down to Barad's office - The Cave - to negotiate the deal - and I was only 17.
With the crowd full of East Van shit-kickers - followers of Slamm - and assorted teens weened on Trooper, Prism and Foreigner (it was still the '70s in East Van) - Rude Norton got up and rocked the crowd with a set of Stones' cover and their own classics to raucous applause. These guys knew how to please a crowd. This wasn't the Sam Feldman crap cover bands that had played Killarney so often before.
The Young Canadians, however, didn't fare so well. Bergmann struggled to get the crowd going, the band seemed on the skids - and not one of their best performances. Someone, sadly, chucked a drink on Bergmann, a terrible image of him dripping wet - open to potentially getting electrocuted. He was playing the blue Fender Jazzmaster or Strat at the time, his brown sunburst Strat that he played for so long, stolen awhile for that.
The show was in late 1980 and the YCs soon broke up after that - a couple of nights at the Lotus Hotel - and they were gone forever.
I always thought they were the best of the Vancouver bands, no member better than the other - three amazing musicians.
I later took guitar lessons from Bergmann for $5 an hour when he lived at the Hacienda - a two-story walk-up on Richards - that was across from The Kingston Hotel - I idolised Art - while he was getting Los Radico Popularos going - also a very talented band.
Jim Bescott, RIP, played briefly in a fantastic dub-reggae band called the Obilinskys or Bang Bang - that opened for the Clash when they played Kerrisdale Arena - circa 1981 or 1982? Fun times. Barry Taylor - always a legend.
Ed Banger
Your Cafeteria, my High School gym
Mike...the next night they played my high school (Cariboo Hill in Bby) and said they were told at Killarney they should not play "Hawaii." They asked us if they should (well, Gerry Barad did) and I said, "Fuck Ya!"
They played it, and my friend Richard (Students Council Prez) was standing beside the Principal during "Hawaii" and asked Richard "What are they singing?" Quick draw McGraw replies:
"Let's get a bucket of water, go out in the sun..."
Principal smiles...students rock...world peace is achieved!
-Doug Smith
Bby High School Show.
That show at Cariboo Hill is all I can remember of 3 years at that school. Killer.
Nothing ever happened there. Cultural wasteland. Then suddenly the Young Canadians in the fuckin gym!
Hey Doug, I remember driving with you to play minor hockey.
How's things?