| Junk Yard Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Washington, D.C., USA |
| Genres | Go-go |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | Def Jam |
| Members | |
| Buggs, Gene Pratt, KC, Mo Shorter, Wink-O, Daniel Baker, Demi-Doc, T-Bob, Dre Dog, Bruce Bailey, Dave Ellis aka 32, Plucky, Mike Strong, Blue Eye Darryl, Peetey, Black Pooh, Jason Lane<"The Music District". 1995. Directed by Susan Levitas. Distributed by California Newsreel, San Francisco. Video, color, 57 minutes. | |
| Past members | |
| Heavy One, Shorty Pop, Lil Derrick, | |
The Junk Yard Band is a go-go band, founded in the early 1980s by children playing on improvised instruments. They are best known for their song, Sardines.
Contents |
The band was formed in 1980 by children, ranging in age from 8 to 13, living in the Barry Farm government housing project in Washington, D.C.. They were inspired to play after witnessing the performances of local go-go bands in their neighborhood. Not having resources to purchase traditional instruments, the children instead scoured their neighborhood in search of objects that could emulate the sound of real instruments: hubcaps, plastic buckets, crates, cans, and discarded pots and pans. After a few informal performances in Barry Farm, the group was dubbed the "Junk Yard Band" by locals. This is perhaps a reference to the animated television program, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, whose band "The Junk Yard Gang" also performed on improvised instruments.
With go-go music gaining in popularity, and the band gaining local notoriety, the band began booking performances at schools, recreation centers, fundraisers, and government agencies. The band was often seen performing for tourists on the streets of Washington, D.C. This popularity led to appearances in a 1984 Cavalier Men's Store television advertisement, the 1983 film D.C. Cab and the 1988 film Tougher Than Leather with Run-D.M.C. It was this interaction with Run-D.M.C.'s DJ Run that led to an eventual recording contract with older brother Russell Simmons' Def Jam Recordings.
DefJam released the band's song "Sardines" as a single in 1986. The song received considerable airplay, and the band embarked on a tour of the United States as an opening act for acts such as Guy, Salt-n-Pepa, Tupac Shakur, The Roots, and labelmates Beastie Boys and Slayer. No longer viewed simply as a novelty act, the group performed at such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater.
The group signed with Street Records, a Motown Records subsidiary, in 1992.
| Title | Format | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Word / Sardines | LP | Def Jam | 1986 |
| Live at the Safari Club | LP | Street Records | 1989 |
| Don't Sleep On Us | LP | Street Records | 1991 |
| Creepin Thru Da Hoodz | LP | Street Records | 1994 |
| Reunion 95 | LP | Street Records | 1996 |
| Go Hard | LP | Street Records | 1996 |
| The Beginning / The End | LP | Liaison | 1999 |
| Title | Format | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jigglin' Baby | 12" EP | Street Records | |
| The Word/Sardines | 12" EP | Def Jam | 1986 |
| The Word/Sardines | 7" single | Def Jam | 1986 |
| Ruff It Off | 12" EP | Street Records | 1992 |
| Loose Booty/Let It Ride (Socket Beat) | 12" EP | Street Records | 1994 |
| The Rippa Medley/Ha Ha, Yuck Yuck Yuck Yah | 12" EP | Street Records | 1995 |
| Here Come The Freaks/Uh Oh | 12" EP | Street Records | 1996 |
| JY On The Rise (Wink & Dog)/Redrum | 12" EP | Street Records | 1996 |
| Tiddy Balls | 12" EP | Street Records | 1996 |
Many bootleg tapes and cds of the band's live shows are in circulation. Although recordings exist from throughout the band's existence, recordings from the band's prime era (1987–1997) are the most sought-after.