The Units
| The Units | |
|---|---|
 The Units in San Francisco (1979) |
|
| General information | |
| origin | San Francisco , United States |
| Genre (s) | New Wave , Electropunk |
| founding | 1978 |
| resolution | 1984 |
| former members | |
synthesizer |
Scott Ryser |
Drums |
Jay Darrah |
Electric bass |
Tim Ennis |
singing |
Randy Dunagan |
Electric guitar |
Lori Lorenzo |
Electric guitar |
Ron Lanz |
Electric guitar |
Amy Weiss |
Drums |
Richard Driskell |
Vocals, synthesizers |
Rachel Webber |
Drums |
Brad Sounders |
Drums |
Seth Miller |
Synthesizer, percussion |
Jon Parker |
The Units was one of the early American new wave bands that was formed in San Francisco in 1978 and broke up in 1984. They are considered to be one of the musical groups that paved the way for Electropunk in the United States.
history
The Units was originally created in the summer of 1978 by Scott Ryser ( synthesizer ), Jay Darrah ( drums ), Tim Ennis ( electric bass ), Randy Dunagan ( vocals ), Lori Lorenzo ( electric guitar ), Ron Lanz (electric guitar ) and Amy Weiss (guitar) in San Francisco. In the same year the lead singer, the three guitarists and the drummer left the band again.
With a new three-man line-up, consisting of Scott Ryser (synthesizer), Tim Ennis (electric bass) and the newly added Richard Driskell (drums) - as a replacement for Jay Darrah - The Units played at various events throughout the United States in 1979 , but especially in San Francisco. At the same time, Rachel Webber, who is now part of the main cast, joins.
The self- published releases of the singles High Pressure Days , San Francisco, Ca Units and Warm Moving Bodies followed in 1980 the debut album Digital Stimulation , which is considered to be one of the earliest electro punk albums in the United States, recorded with Scott Ryser (vocals and synthesizer) , Rachel Webber (vocals and synthesizer) and the newly-added Brad Sounders (drums).
This was followed by the release of the single The Right Man in 1982 , which reached number 18 in the Billboard Disco Top 80 charts. The 1983 single A Girl Like You and the mini album New Way to Move , both on Epic , could not build on previous successes.
In 1984 Scott Ryser and Rachel Webber left The Units, as a result of which the band split up. A planned second album for 1982 was no longer released at this time. It was only published in 2016 with the title Animals They Dream About, using old restored tapes, recorded in 1981, with the line-up Scott Ryser (vocals and synthesizer), Rachel Webber (vocals and synthesizer), Seth Miller (drums) and Jon Parker (synthesizer and percussion). The debut album Digital Stimulation was previously released as a reissue on the same label .
Discography
Albums
- Digital stimulation (1980; 415 records)
- New Way to Move (1983; Epic )
- Digital Stimulation (2016; Futurismo), Reissue
- Animals They Dream About (2016; Futurismo), Reissue
Singles and EPs
- High Pressure Days (1979; self-publication)
- San Francisco, Ca Units (1979; self-published)
- Warm Moving Bodies (1980; self-publication)
- The Right Man (1982; Up Roar Records)
- A Girl Like You (1983; Epic)
Compilations
- History of the Units - The Early Years: 1977-1983 (2009; Community Library)
Videography
- Unit Training Film 1: Warm Moving Bodies
- Unit Training Film 2: Cannibals
- Units- "Cowboy" (Official Unit Training Film 1980)
- The Units - High Pressure Days 1979 - with intro by Dirk Dirksen
- The Units & Larray Cuba - Warm Moving Bodies with Calculated Movements
swell
- ^ Billboard (Ed.): Billboard Dance / Disco top 80 . March 5, 1983.
- ↑ Heather Phares: The Units, Animals Dream About. Allmusic, accessed on January 29, 2017 .
- ^ Paul Simson: The Units, Digital Stimulation. AllMusic, accessed February 4, 2016 .