Men Without Hats
Formed in Montreal, Canada, in 1980, this act was the brainchild of siblings Ivan (vocals) and Jeremy Arrobas (drums), who manufactured remaining accompaniment on their records with synthesizers. An independent EP, FOLK OF THE '80S, created overseas cult interest to the extent that it was re-issued on Britain's Stiff label, along with an edit of its Antarctica track as a single. However, just after the release of 1981's Nationale Seven, Jeremy left to allow composer Ivan to front a Men Without Hats with the brothers Stefan (guitar/violin) and Colin Doroschuk (keyboards) plus Allan McCarthy (drums). Produced by manager Marc Durand, RHYTHM OF YOUTH reached number 14 in the USA in the wake of Safety Dance, a global smash born of a truce between electro-pop and medieval jollity that carried an anti-nuclear message over into an arresting video. A sure sign of its impact was a parody by Weird Al Yanovic. No more hits came the group's way, but their recordings still received a fair critical consideration.