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Kon Kan
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Barry Harris of Kon Kan, 2023
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1988–1994, 2013–present |
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| Members | Barry Harris |
| Past members | Kevin Wynne |
| Website | Kon KanonFacebook |
Kon Kan is a Canadian synth-pop project conceived and formed in 1988 by Barry HarrisinToronto, Ontario. Kon Kan were awarded a 1990 Juno for the song "I Beg Your Pardon" and nominated for a 1991 Juno Award for the single "Puss N' Boots/These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".[1]
Musician Barry Harris said the name "Kon Kan" is a play on the term "Can Con", the Canadian radio regulation that states radio stations must play Canadian artists at least 30% of the time. Harris named the group "Kon Kan" as a subtle advertisement to Canadian stations that he was Canadian. However, he said the move didn't work, and he wasn't noticed by the stations until Atlantic Records signed them.[2]
"I Beg Your Pardon" was inspired in part by both the Pet Shop Boys hit single "Always on My Mind" and an increasingly prevalent use of sampling by artists such as Public Enemy, M/A/R/R/S and Coldcut.[3] The track sampled Lynn Anderson's 1971 hit "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden", Silver Convention's 1976 hit "Get Up and Boogie (That's Right)", GQ's "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)", Tones on Tail's "Go!", Spagna's "Call Me", National Lampoon's "Disco Hotline" sketch from their That's Not Funny, That's Sick album, and the opening bars from the theme music from The Magnificent Seven (which was also well known as the theme to a commercial for Marlboro cigarettes in the 1960s).[4][5]
In a 1989 Billboard magazine interview, Harris reported it was a trip to Portugal that inspired him to write "I Beg Your Pardon", stating that he "got frustrated not getting anywhere as a DJ, so I went to Portugal to clear my mind. That's where the idea for 'Beg' came." The record was Harris' first studio project.[6]
Kon Kan's debut album, Move to Move, was recorded in Los Angeles in January and February 1989. Later that year, it appeared on the RPM Top 100 Albums chart.[7] As well as "I Beg Your Pardon", it also spawned the singles "Harry Houdini", "Move to Move" and "Puss N' Boots". The latter track included samples and interpolations of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and "Good Times Bad Times", Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and the Champs' "Tequila".
Following the commercial failure of Syntonic, Kon Kan was dropped from Atlantic Records' roster.
For the next album, Vida!... (Hypnotic Records), Harris resumed songwriting duties with Bob Mitchell and Kon Kan expanded to a 4-piece band. Along with original songs such as the album's lead single "Sinful Wishes", there was a remake of "Move to Move" and a cover of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream". The second single released from the album was "S.O.L." (short for "shit outta luck").
In April 2020, Harris released Vida! worldwide digitally with additional previously unreleased remixes.[8]
In June 2013, Barry Harris and Kevin Wynne briefly reunited as Kon Kan, but went their separate ways again in the spring of 2014.
On 16 May 2022, Harris posted a letter to Kon Kan's Facebook Page to announce that he will not be performing as part of the band for the Lost 80's Live 2022 U.S. tour, and that he allowed Wynne to use the Kon Kan name for the said 2022 tour. He also said that there will not be any new Kon Kan music. Also performing as part of the band was Sandy Horne of Spoons.[9]
On October 21, 2023, Harris announced on Kon Kan's Facebook Page the new Kon Kan 2023/2024 live touring band featuring himself (vocals, keyboards, guitar) with new band members Kimberley Wetmore (vocals), Christian McFadden (vocals, bass, keyboards), Adam Weatherup (guitar) and Tim Fleming (drums, percussion).[10]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
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| CAN | US | UK [11] |
GER | NLD | AUS [12][13] |
NZ [14] | |||
| 1988 | "I Beg Your Pardon" | 19 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 100 | 7 | Move to Move |
| "Harry Houdini" | 39 | — | 88 | — | — | 156 | 14 | ||
| 1989 | "Puss N' Boots/These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" | 61 | 58 | — | — | — | 173 | 11 | |
| "Move to Move" | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Liberty!" | 91 | — | — | — | — | 152 | — | Syntonic |
| "(Could've Said) I Told You So" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Better Day" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sinful Wishes" | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Vida!... | |
| "S.O.L." | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" (re-recorded for Hi-Bias Records) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden) (EP) |
| 2007 | "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2007 Remixes (iTunes release) |
| 2014 | "I Beg Your Pardon 2014" (Barry Harris presents Kon Kan) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "I Beg Your Pardon 2014" (Edson Pride Remixes / Part 2) |
| 2021 | "Arias & Symphonies" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Spoons "Echoes" (various artists) |
| 2023 | "Stars" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| 2023 | "Sinful Wishes (2023 Moonlight Mix)" (feat. Kimberley Wetmore) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
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