"Vacation" by The Chemical People - February 20th 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

If you like the Go-Go's hit song "Vacation" then, you may also like this cover version of the song done by Los Angeles punk band Chemical People.  This band never got really big, and recorded most of their 9 albums on small indie label Cruz records, but I remember coming across this band, and this song on their 1989 Ten-Fold Hate album.  I was doing a radio show on college radio station 91.3 FM/ W.U.N.H. at the time, and this song got a lot of airplay on my show.

Chemical People were Dave Naz (lead singer and drums), Ed Urlik (bass), Jaime Pina (guitar - and stints with Blair Jobe and Robert Hecker of the band Red Kross on guitar) and Dave Landry or Greg Cameron on drums during stints.

The band formed in Los Angeles in 1986 and released their debut album, So Sexist in 1988.  The album this song, "Vacation" was on, Ten-Fold Hate came next in 1990.   That same year, Naz and Urlik also worked on a side project with Dave Smalley called Down by Law.  In 1990 they released album, The Right Thing.  Their first three albums were all produced by Bill Stevenson who was the drummer for The Descendants, and All.

The band became known for their musical contributions to several porn films.  In fact their first two albums featured porn starlets on the covers.  In 1991 they compiled much of their work from these films into an album called Soundtracks.  In 1991 Chemical People also released a mini album, Angels 'n' Devils.  Red Kross guitarist Robert Hecker joined the line-up for 1992's self-titled album.

The band went on a five year hiatus and came back in 1997 to release one last album, Arpeggio Motorcade before they broke up all together in 1998.

Lyrics:

Can't seem to get my mind off of you
Back here at home there's nothin' to do
Now that I'm away
I wish I'd stayed
Tomorrow's a day of mine
that you won't be in

When you looked at me I should've run
But I thought it was just for fun
I see I was wrong
And I'm not so strong
I should've known all along
that time would tell

A week without you
Thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I
Still haven't gotten over you yet

CHORUS
Vacation
All I ever wanted
Vacation
Had to get away
Vacation
Meant to be spent alone

A week without you
Thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I
Still haven't gotten over you yet

CHORUS