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Too Much Joy is an American
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
music group, that formed in the early 1980s in
Scarsdale, New York Scarsdale is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Scarsdale is coterminous municipality, coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate ...
.


Members

The original members were Tim Quirk (vocals), Jay Blumenfield (guitar, vocals), Sandy Smallens (bass, vocals) and Tommy Vinton (drums). During 1982-1983 Tommy LaRussa temporarily replaced Vinton as drummer. Smallens departed on amicable terms in 1994, after which producer William Wittman joined on bass guitar and vocals. Blumenfield was also in Fields Laughing (which released an EP in 1985 on Stonegarden Records) and Smallens was also in Beauty Constant (whose ''Like the Enemy'' LP was issued in 1987). Wittman continues to play with
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
.


History

The band, originally called the Rave, took the name Too Much Joy after a phrase that Quirk had seen after his first
mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...
trip. After the success of their third album ''Cereal Killers'', TMJ released several other studio albums, but none achieved the same popular success. In 1997, TMJ announced a hiatus, saying that the commercialism of the music business had taken the "joy" out of performing. Too Much Joy emptied its vaults in 1999 and 2001 to produce the album ''Gods and Sods,'' composed of studio outtakes and demos from the period between ''Mutiny'' and ''...Finally'' and the live album ''Live at Least''. The later incarnation of the band briefly reunited in the early 2000s to record the one-off holiday single "Ruby Left a Present Underneath the Christmas Tree." Its members have also formed the sometimes-overlapping subprojects the ITS, Surface Wound and Wonderlick. In 2021, the band self-released the album, "Mistakes Were Made."
Penn and Teller Penn may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Penn'' (film), 1954 Tamil film starring Vyjayanthimala * ''Penn'' (TV series), a 1991 Tamil mini-series * ''Penn'' (TV series), a 2006 Tamil-language soap opera * '' The Penn'', or ''The Stylus'', ...
are fans of the band. Teller directed the video for "Donna Everywhere," and
Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American Magic (illusion), magician, actor, comedian, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller (magician), Teller as half of the t ...
would often jam with the band in studio.


2007 reunion

While never officially broken up, the entire band performed for the first time in 10 years on May 4, 2007, at the
Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment and is co-owned and co-operated by Knitting Factory Entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United Stat ...
in New York City. The opening band, the Final Stand, included Tommy Vinton's son Tommy on drums and Sandy Smallens' son Ziya on bass, followed by New Jersey's the Impulse. Both TMJ bassists, Smallens and William Wittman, took part in the performance, trading between second guitar and bass. The concert was a celebration of drummer Tommy Vinton's retirement from the
NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
. The band later recorded "We Are the Clash" for ''Recutting the Crap, Volume One'', an album paying tribute to
the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
released by Crooked Beat Records.


Legal issues


Bozo the Clown lawsuit

TMJ were sued by
Bozo the Clown Bozo the Clown, sometimes billed as "Bozo, The World's Most Famous Clown", is a clown character created for children's entertainment, widely popular in the second half of the 20th century. He was introduced in the United States in 1946, and to tel ...
for including a sample taken from a Bozo album in the intro to the song "Clowns" on the independent release of '' Son of Sam I Am''. The five-second sample ("I found something in one of my pockets. It was about as big as your shoe, but it was shaped like a rocket!") was pulled from the track when the album was re-released by Warner Bros. Records. The song went on to be used in the soundtrack of the film '' Shakes the Clown'' (also without the sample).


Florida arrest and acquittal

In 1990, the members of Too Much Joy were taken aback to learn that hip-hop group
2 Live Crew 2 Live Crew is an American hip hop group from Miami, Florida, formed in 1984. The group was originally composed of DJ Mr. Mixx (David Hobbs), Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won), and Amazing Vee (Yuri Vielot), though its most well-known lineup ...
had been arrested on
obscenity An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
charges in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, and that a record store owner had been arrested for selling 2 Live Crew's music. In response, the band planned a protest concert in which several acts would cover a 2 Live Crew song in Miami. Failing to drum up much commitment among other bands, Too Much Joy played a number of selections from 2 Live Crew's ''
As Nasty As They Wanna Be ''As Nasty as They Wanna Be'' is the third album by American Miami bass group 2 Live Crew. It was released on February 7, 1989, and became the group's largest seller, being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In ...
'' album and were arrested, spending a night in jail. Quirk recalled the incident in an interview with ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
''. Too Much Joy went on trial for obscenity in Fort Lauderdale in January 1991. The jury took just minutes to acquit the band members. Following the abrupt acquittal, the Broward County prosecutors dropped obscenity charges in the trial of the Hollywood, Florida, nightclub owner of the venue where 2 Live Crew and Too Much Joy had been arrested and suggested that no further arrests of musicians would be made.


Secret Service

Lead singer Quirk was detained by the
Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For i ...
after a performance in which he made a joke about strangling
President Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the att ...
. Although the band believed that Clinton's daughter Chelsea was in the audience at the time, the Secret Service contingent was actually there to protect an obscure foreign ambassador. As it was the band's tradition to tell an obvious lie during the break section of their version of the
LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...
song "That's a Lie," Quirk explained that the band was aware of the presence of agents with coiled cords in their ears, and that the Secret Service was "not famous for their sense of humor." He added that, during the break section, "my friends will jump in and sing 'that's a lie'... so If I were to, for example, say that I voted for President Clinton but when I see him eviscerating the
Bill of Rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...
it makes me want to strangle him, you'll understand that I don't mean it because..." Quirk announced the next song, "I Want to Poison Your Mind," as "I Want to Poison the President." At the end of the show, the Secret Service detained the band and questioned Quirk.


Reviews

TMJ has been compared to musical contemporaries
They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...
and
Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies (BNL) is a Canadian Rock music, rock band which was formed in 1988 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their Barenaked Ladies (EP), self-titled 1991 cassette becoming th ...
because of the band's unconventional style, grassroots fan appeal and quirky yet honest and insightful lyrics.


''Green Eggs and Crack''

The band's first LP, entitled ''Green Eggs and Crack'', was released in 1987 on the small Stonegarden label. It contains material that the band had recorded during the previous four years during college breaks, and from their high-school years as well. LaRussa appears as drummer for "James Dean's Jacket" and "Don Quixote," but all other tracks have Vinton on drums.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
describes the album's songs as "often extremely clever and catchy," although "clearly the work of over-educated, under-employed, upper-middle class kids with far too much time on their hands." When the album was rereleased in 2002, ''
The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication ...
'' called it "a thinly produced, underwhelming record recorded by teenagers, and charming mostly for reasons revolving around sentiment and potential," while Quirk described the long out-of-print record as the perfect legend: "a cool title that people could talk about and search for without any real chance of ever actually hearing it." However, college radio's attraction to quirky songs such as "Drum Machine" paved the way for a wider reception of the band's subsequent recordings.


''Son of Sam I Am''

The band's next album, ''Son of Sam I Am'', was released on the independent Alias label in 1989. The album was re-released by Giant/Warner Bros. in 1990 with two extra tracks, "If I Was a Mekon" and "Seasons in the Sun," and without the introduction to "Clowns" (see above).


''Cereal Killers''

Too Much Joy's 1991 LP '' Cereal Killers'', released by
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, met with some popularity on American college and alternative radio stations. The song "Good Kill" features hip-hop star
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
. The single "Crush Story" reached No. 17 on the
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
chart in 1991. The album's "Theme Song" is a fan favorite that is sung with the crowd at the end of the band's live shows. American music essayist
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
gave the album an A− and wrote, "After a year of sleeping on floors, stealing wives, and expressing solidarity with 2 Live Crew, their music is thicker, tougher, hookier, sometimes even a tad overproduced. And their lyrics are still what it's there for. So smart they have dumb people sniffing about the
Dead Milkmen The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist Dav ...
, they have their moments of empathy, social responsibility, self-knowledge, and so forth. But as a sucker for a cheap laugh, I prefer 'King of Beers' ('na na na na na na sorrow') and 'Long Haired Guys from England' ('i bet in london i could get a date/'cause i'm a short haired guy from the united states'). Both of which are longer on self-knowledge than most dumb people I meet." A review in the ''
St. Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute f ...
'' said, "Humor and youthful energy enliven the good ol' rock 'n' roll dispensed by Too Much Joy."


Discography

*''Green Eggs and Crack'', 1987, Stonegarden Records, rereleased 1997 on Sugar Fix Recordings *'' Son of Sam I Am'', 1988,
Alias Records Alias Records is a small American indie-rock record label based in Lexington, Kentucky. Alias has released albums by American Music Club, Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, The Magnolias, The Loud Family, Too Much Joy and Knapsack, among othe ...
, rereleased in 1990 on Giant Records label *'' Cereal Killers'', 1991,
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
*''
Mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...
'', 1992, Giant Records *''Dr. Seuss Is Dead'' EP, 1994, JoyBuzzer fan club-only release *'' ...finally'', 1996,
Discovery Records Discovery Records was a United States–based record company and label known for its recordings of jazz music. Discovery was founded in 1948 by jazz fan and promoter Albert Marx; it was headquartered in Hollywood, California. The record label wou ...
*''Gods and Sods'', 1999, Sugar Fix Recordings *''Live at Least'', 2001, Susquehanna Hat Company *''We Are the Clash b/w We Are Not the Clash'', 2018, 7" single Asbestos Records *''Mistakes Were Made'', 2021 *''All These Fucking Feelings,'' Propeller Sound Recordings, 2023


References


External links


Official site
for Too Much Joy and its sub-projects Surface Wound, Wonderlick, and The ITS.
Map Like Mine
a resource center for all things Too Much Joy
''Rolling Stone'' bio
on Too Much Joy * Allmusic: Too Much Joybr>In-depth article
on Too Much Joy by Sean Koepenick on ''Earcandy Magazine'' as part of the "Rock and Roll Case Study" series. {{Authority control 1980s establishments in New York (state) Alternative rock groups from New York (state) Indie rock musical groups from New York (state)