Young Canadians (originally The K-Tels) were a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver in 1978 and active for just under two years. The YC's were influenced not only by the other punk bands in town at that time such as D.O.A. and the Pointed Sticks, but also by the

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...

, the Stooges, and 1960s

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

. Although the band only released a small amount of material before breaking up, their single "Hawaii" is one of the classic Canadian punk anthems.Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider, '' Have Not Been the Same: The Can-Rock Renaissance 1985-1995''.

ECW Press ECW Press is a Canadian book publisher located in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded by Jack David and Robert Lecker in 1974 as a Canadian literary magazine named ''Essays on Canadian Writing''. They started publishing trade and scholarly book ...

. . The band's leader, songwriter and guitarist was Art Bergmann, who went on to become one of the key figures in Canadian alternative rock in the 1980s and 1990s."The resurrection of a lost Art". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', February 18, 2009. The other band members were bassist Jim Bescott and drummer Barry Taylor. Their first-ever recording was the song "I Hate Music", for the '' Vancouver Complication'' punk compilation album. Just before the release of "Hawaii", they were forced to change their name when threatened with legal action by the K-Tel corporation. The K-Tels supported the Boomtown Rats on a tour across Canada. Following their breakup, their two EPs and single, plus unreleased live tracks, were re-released in 1995 on the album ''No Escape'', with liner notes written by Buck Cherry. ''Joyride on the Western Front'', a live album documenting a 1980 concert at Mabuhay Gardens, was released in 2001. Founding member and bassist Jim Bescott died in an accident in Vancouver on August 31, 2005 at the age of 52."Jim Bescott, Singer-songwriter, 1953-2005". ''

'', October 7, 2005.

Discography

*''Hawaii'' 4-song 12" EP *"Automan" 3-song 7" single (available only as a bonus single inside the first pressing of ''Hawaii'' EP) *''This Is Your Life'' 4-song 12" EP (produced by Bob Rock) *''No Escape'' (CD compilation of studio and live tracks) *''Joyride on the Western Front (live concert recording from 1980)

References

External links

K-Tels
at Pacific Northwest Bands site Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups disestablished in 1980 Musical groups from Vancouver Canadian punk rock groups 1979 establishments in British Columbia 1980 disestablishments in British Columbia Canadian garage rock groups {{Canada-band-stub