Kon Kan

Kon Kan
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Synthpop, Hi-NRG, electronic music
Years active	1988 - 1994
Labels	Atlantic, Hypnotic
Associated acts	Fun Fun Spagna
Past members
Barry Harris Kevin Wynne

Kon Kan was a Canadian synthpop band formed in 1988 in Toronto, Ontario. The band was awarded a 1990 Juno for their song "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" and nominated for a 1991 Juno Award for their single "Puss n' Boots/These Boots (Are Made for Walking)".

History

The band members consisted of Barry Harris (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Kevin Wynne (vocals). Their debut album, Move to Move (1989), produced the single "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)", which 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)", Spagna's 1987 hit, "Call Me" as well as 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).

From the same album, they returned to the charts with another original/cover combination, "Puss N' Boots". The track included samples of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". Another single, "Harry Houdini", failed to chart in the United States, but managed a Top 40 placing in Canada.

Wynne, who sang on all but two tracks from Move to Move, left in 1989 and is currently a semi-pro video golfer. Harris released two more albums under the band's original name. Whilst 1990's Syntonic could not boast a big hit single like its predecessor, it did again fuse dance tracks with original songs such as Jimmy Soul's "If You Wanna Be Happy" on "(Could've Said) I Told you So" and Canadian band Trooper's "We're Here For A Good Time" on "Time".

By 1993, Kon Kan were dropped out from Atlantic. The next, Vida!... (on the Hypnotic label), saw Harris resuming songwriting duties with Bob Mitchell. Alongside original songs such as the album's lead single, "Sinful Wishes", was "Move To Move" and a cover of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream".

Harris then went on to form Outta Control together with Kimberley Wetmore and Rachid Webbi. The latter project released a self-titled album in 1996 which featured versions of Kon Kan's "Sinful Wishes" and Joan Osborne's "One Of Us". The album also featured a version of Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey's "Together In Electric Dreams" sung by Harris (credited to guest vocals by Kon Kan).

Harris gained his greatest post-Kon Kan popularity as half of Thunderpuss (sometimes credited as Thunderpuss 2000), collaborating with DJ Chris Cox, producing and remixing dozens of dance hits for many major music artists in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Cox had previously worked with Harris on the Outta Contol album.

The band's name is a parody of the Canadian content regulation (often referred to as "Can Con"), which mandates that thirty-five percent of songs played on commercial radio stations in Canada must be Canadian in origin.

Discography

Albums

• Move to Move (1989)
• Syntonic (1990)
• Vida! (1993)

Singles

• "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" (1988) (CAN #19; U.S. #15; UK #5; D #8; NL #3)
• "Harry Houdini" (1988) (CAN #39)
• "Puss n' Boots/These Boots (Are Made for Walking)" (1989) (CAN #61; U.S. #58)
• "Move to Move" (1989) (CAN #84)
• "Liberty!" (1990) (CAN #91)
• "Could've Said I Told You So" (1990) (CAN #72)
• "Better Day" (1993)
• "Sinful Wishes" (1993) (CAN #75)
• "S.O.L." (1993)
• "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" (Re-Release) (1994)
• "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" (2007 Remixes - iTunes release) (2007)