Jules & The Polar Bears

Following the breakup of the Funky Kings, Jules Shear assembled a new group that included Stephen Hague on keyboards (who would later gain recognition as a producer), Richard Bredice on guitar, David White on bass, and David Beebe on drums. Columbia Records offered the ensemble a contract in 1978 purely on the strength of Shear's demo recordings, even though the musicians had yet to perform together in concert. Their debut album, Got No Breeding, appeared that same year and earned strong critical praise for its echoes of Jackson Browne, the Kinks, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Despite the acclaim, sales remained poor after Columbia marketed the group alongside its new-wave roster. The follow-up, Fenetiks, issued in 1979, proved another strong recording yet attracted almost no attention. A third album, Bad for Business, was completed, but Columbia declined to release it, leading to the band's dissolution. Shear subsequently pursued a respected if unprofitable solo path, while Hague concentrated on production work. The group's recordings, above all Got No Breeding, have continued to attract a dedicated following. Columbia/Legacy finally issued Bad for Business in late 1996.