Jules & The Polar Bears

After the demise of the Funky Kings, singer/songwriter Jules Shear formed his own band consisting of Stephen Hague (keyboards and, later, a noted producer), Richard Bredice (guitar), David White (bass), and David Beebe (drums). They were signed to Columbia Records in 1978 solely on the basis of Shear's demos -- at the time, the band had never played live together. They recorded their first LP, Got No Breeding, in 1978, which quickly found critical acclaim, drawing favorable comparisons to Jackson Browne, the Kinks, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, it failed to sell when Columbia tried to lump the band in with its new wave promotion. 1979's Fenetiks, another fine effort, went virtually unnoticed as well. A third LP, Bad for Business, was recorded, but Columbia decided to pass on it and the band folded. Shear moved on to a distinguished, though commercially unsuccessful, solo career, and Hague focused on production. The albums, especially Got No Breeding, remain cult favorites. Bad for Business was finally released in late 1996 by Columbia/Legacy.
© Chris Woodstra /TiVo