Posted in: News, Trivia Q & A | No Comments | November 19, 2021
Q. What is the name of the 198o’s Toronto based band who’s debut album, “Love Junk”, was produced by the amazing Todd Rundgren with the single “I’m An Adult Now” quickly becoming a smash hit on MTV and all across Canada?
A. Pursuit of Happiness
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.
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.
