Young Elders
Encyclopedia
Young Elders was a Melbourne
-based pop/rock band formed in 1982. The band is best remembered for its song Fly Monica Fly which was adopted by the tennis player Monica Seles
. The band split in 2000.
The band was formed in Melbourne in 1982 and played largely in Christian music circles for the next eight years. They were key performers at the National Christian Youth Convention
in Ballarat in 1987 and were a main-stage artist at Black Stump Music and Arts Festival
in 1990.
Young Elders crossed over into the secular live music scene in Melbourne in 1991 when they won a round of the 3RRR
Reel-to-Real competition with the song Real Town. Michael Parisi, later to head Warner Music Australia and Mushroom Records
described it at the time as a "satisfactory cross between anything Kiwi and XTC
".
The band enlisted assistance from former Skyhooks bass player Greg Macainsh for its 1993 four track CD Fly Monica Fly. The Melbourne Age noted its "sure-handed guitar pop" and "pleasingly bitter-sweet lyrics" and music paper Inpress noted its "magnificent bright catchy pop songs".
In 1995, the title track Fly Monica Fly came to the attention of prominent tennis player Monica Seles, who was recovering from her 1993 stabbing. Seles stated "I received this at a pretty tough time in my life and it was very inspirational and I played it a lot". At the conclusion of the Australian Open
in January 1996, Seles met the band who played a rendition of the song to her. Their meeting was subsequently broadcast by ESPN
.
In 1999, the band changed its name to The Monicas and released Celebration, with Rolling Stone
magazine noting its "heart-on-sleeve lyrics" and "acoustic-bent pop"
The band, described as "one of the most enduring Christian bands in the country" played its final gig at Melbourne’s Continental Café in May 2000.
Celebration (1999) Blah-Blah-Blah Records BBB0134 (as The Monicas)
Featured Tracks on compilations
Flags of Metal on Nu-Music Sampler Series 3 (Studio 52 records) (1991)
Fly Monica Fly on Nu-Music Sampler Series 7 (Studio 52 records) (1997)
Fly Monica Fly on The Big Backyard (1999) (as The Monicas)
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-based pop/rock band formed in 1982. The band is best remembered for its song Fly Monica Fly which was adopted by the tennis player Monica Seles
Monica Seles
Monica Seles is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, former Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007...
. The band split in 2000.
The band was formed in Melbourne in 1982 and played largely in Christian music circles for the next eight years. They were key performers at the National Christian Youth Convention
National Christian Youth Convention
The National Christian Youth Convention is a national week long conference for people aged 16-30 years held by the Uniting Church in Australia every second January. It is held in a different Australian city each time in the long summer school and university holidays. It attracts over 1,500...
in Ballarat in 1987 and were a main-stage artist at Black Stump Music and Arts Festival
Black Stump Music and Arts Festival
The Black Stump Music and Arts Festival is a four day Christian festival that is held in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan region over the labour day long weekend, often the first weekend in October.-Features:...
in 1990.
Young Elders crossed over into the secular live music scene in Melbourne in 1991 when they won a round of the 3RRR
3RRR
3RRR is a popular Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. It is the largest per capita subscribed radio station in the world....
Reel-to-Real competition with the song Real Town. Michael Parisi, later to head Warner Music Australia and Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
described it at the time as a "satisfactory cross between anything Kiwi and XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
".
The band enlisted assistance from former Skyhooks bass player Greg Macainsh for its 1993 four track CD Fly Monica Fly. The Melbourne Age noted its "sure-handed guitar pop" and "pleasingly bitter-sweet lyrics" and music paper Inpress noted its "magnificent bright catchy pop songs".
In 1995, the title track Fly Monica Fly came to the attention of prominent tennis player Monica Seles, who was recovering from her 1993 stabbing. Seles stated "I received this at a pretty tough time in my life and it was very inspirational and I played it a lot". At the conclusion of the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
in January 1996, Seles met the band who played a rendition of the song to her. Their meeting was subsequently broadcast by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
In 1999, the band changed its name to The Monicas and released Celebration, with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine noting its "heart-on-sleeve lyrics" and "acoustic-bent pop"
The band, described as "one of the most enduring Christian bands in the country" played its final gig at Melbourne’s Continental Café in May 2000.
Discography
Fly Monica Fly (1993) Disctronics/Studio 52 52CD058Celebration (1999) Blah-Blah-Blah Records BBB0134 (as The Monicas)
Featured Tracks on compilations
Flags of Metal on Nu-Music Sampler Series 3 (Studio 52 records) (1991)
Fly Monica Fly on Nu-Music Sampler Series 7 (Studio 52 records) (1997)
Fly Monica Fly on The Big Backyard (1999) (as The Monicas)