Timbuk 3

Formed in Madison, Wisconsin, USA in 1978, Timbuk 3 was a duo consisting of husband and wife, Pat MacDonald and Barbara Kooyman MacDonald. The pair met while attending the University of Madison and began writing and performing their songs. They went to New York City where they played on the street for tips before settling in Austin, Texas. While in Austin they became regulars at clubs such as the Hole in the Wall and the Austin Outhouse. They recorded a demo and made an appearance on MTV's I.R.S. The Cutting Edge, which led to a record deal with I.R.S. Records. Using a boombox for their rhythm section, the duo (playing acoustic and electric guitars) began making appearances on other television programmes and recorded their debut, GREETINGS FROM TIMBUK 3, in 1986. It reached number 50 in the US, largely on the strength of the sparkling first single, The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades, a danceable novelty song which climbed to number 19 (21 in the UK). The album was a mixture of similarly light fare and darker, more serious themes, as was the 1988 follow-up, EDEN ALLEY. Following the release of EDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, the couple was joined by drummer Wally Ingram, and by BIG SHOT IN THE DARK they had evolved into a full band with the addition of bassist Courtney Audain. A HUNDRED LOVERS was a strong album lyrically with clever wordplay on tracks such as I Just Wanna Funk With Your Mind and the openly honest A Hundred Lovers and Cynical. Their stories of relationships contain a magical blend of humour and pathos.