Young Elders Explained

Young Elders
Alias:The Monicas
Origin:Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genre:Pop rock, Jangle pop, contemporary Christian
Years Active:–
Label:Disctronics, Blah-Blah-Blah
Past Members:Phil Hawkins
Chris Heazlewood
Peter Heazlewood
Ross Jackson
Paul Taylor

Young Elders were an Australian pop rock band formed in 1982. The band released an extended play, Fly Monica Fly, in 1993, and the lead track was adopted by the tennis player, Monica Seles. In 1999 the group, renamed as The Monicas, released a studio album, Celebration, but disbanded in 2000.

History

Young Elders were formed in Melbourne in 1982 by Phil Hawkins, Chris Heazlewood, Peter Heazlewood and Ross Jackson. For the next eight years they played largely in contemporary Christian music circles.[1] They performed at the National Christian Youth Convention in Ballarat in 1987 and were a main-stage artist at Black Stump Music and Arts Festival in 1990. Young Elders crossed over into the secular live music scene in Melbourne in 1991 when they won a round of the 3RRR Reel-to-Real competition with the song "Real Town". In November that year Michael Parisi, later head of Warner Music Australia and Mushroom Records, described it as a "satisfactory cross between anything Kiwi and XTC".[2]

The band were assisted by former Skyhooks bass player Greg Macainsh[1] to record its 1993 four-track extended play, Fly Monica Fly.[3] [4] The Melbourne Age noted its "sure-handed guitar pop" and "pleasingly bitter-sweet lyrics"[5] and music paper Inpress noted its "magnificent bright catchy pop songs".[6] The title track, "Fly Monica Fly", was written by Peter Heazlewood for a girlfriend in distress.[7] It came to the attention of prominent tennis player, Monica Seles, who was recovering from her 1993 stabbing. Seles stated "I received this at a pretty tough time in my life and it was very inspirational and I played it a lot".[8] At the conclusion of the Australian Open in January 1996, Seles met the band which played her a personal rendition.[9] [10] [11] Their meeting was subsequently broadcast by ESPN.[12]

In 1999, the band changed its name to The Monicas and released Celebration, with Rolling Stone (Australian edition) noting its "heart-on-sleeve lyrics" and "acoustic-bent pop"[13] The band, described as "one of the most enduring Christian bands in the country"[14] played its final gig at Melbourne's Continental Café in May 2000.[15]

Members

Discography

Featured Tracks on compilations

Notes and References

  1. Campbell . Vic . March 1994 . Young Elders – Non-nonsense Pop in the Pubs . On Being . 37–38 .
  2. Parisi . Michael . 13 November 1991 . Reel-to-Real . Inpress . 65 .
  3. Book: Spencer, Chris . 570 . The who's who of Australian rock . 4 . 1996 . 9780864445599 . Informit, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology .
  4. Web site: Young Elders – Fly Monica Fly . Tag Tuner . 3 April 2010 .
  5. News: Going It Alone . Masterson . Andrew . 21 April 1995. The Age (EG). 10. Melbourne.
  6. News: Young Elders – Fly Monica Fly. 25 May 1994. 37. Bassett. Daryl. Inpress.
  7. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) . 'Fly Monica Fly' at APRA search engine . 3 April 2010 .
  8. Book: Seles . Monica . Monica Seles . Nancy Ann . Richardson . Monica – From Fear to Victory . 1996 . 205 . HarperCollinsPublishers . 9780060186456 .
  9. Global Music Pulse – Australia . David Sinclair . Eliezer . Christie . 4 May 1996 . Billboard. 49 . 17 August 2012 .
  10. News: Seles Swings into Smash Hit . 3 March 1996. Herald-Sun. 126. Melbourne.
  11. News: A musical fairy tale. October 1997. Crosslight (UCA). Melbourne.
  12. Web site: Monica Seles meets Young Elders. January 1996. ESPN. 3 April 2010.
  13. Grimson . Tracey . June 1999 . The Monicas – Celebration . . 95 .
  14. News: The Monicas end this tune. Best. Bruce. May 2000. Crosslight (UCA) . 3. Melbourne.
  15. May 2000. Brief updates. Alive Magazine. 45.
  16. Web site: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20000830130000/http:/acmusic.nu/artistdetail-163.html . Young Elders – Fly Monica Fly . ACMusic . 17 October 1999 . 30 August 2000 . 16 August 2012 .
  17. Web site: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20000830130000/http:/acmusic.nu/artistdetail-156.html . The Monicas – Celebration . ACMusic . 17 October 1999 . 30 August 2000 . 16 August 2012 .
  18. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) . 'Flags of Metal' at APRA search engine . 3 April 2010 .
  19. Web site: Various artists: indie compilations etc... . wolf's kompaktkiste. 3 April 2010.

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