The Oranges

In Tokyo, Japan, The Oranges assembled in 1997. Several years beforehand, frontman Jeff Orange had already chosen to title his upcoming group after the Anthony Burgess novel Clockwork Orange and the Stanley Kubrick-directed motion picture. The choice proves ironic, because the quartet favors bright glam and bubblegum pop in the spirit of seventies acts instead of the dark, violent hard rock implied by the source material; their chief touchstones include the Bay City Rollers, Suzi Quatro, and Kiss, together with the Beatles, the Monkees, and Japanese GS, a fusion of traditional Japanese pop tunes and Western standards from the 1960s.

At the time of formation the lineup—Jeff Orange on lead vocals and guitar, bassist Robin Orange, guitarist/vocalist Nelo Orange, and drummer Pea Orange—consisted entirely of experienced players. Jeff’s prior outfit, the Shamrocks, a Japanese power pop band influenced by the Who, had issued six albums and eleven EPs in Japan through Epic/Sony and Pony Canyon. Robin had earlier belonged to Kusu Kusu, whose popularity enabled a sell-out performance at Budokan Hall. The Oranges first released the seven-song EP Balloon on Glam Rock Records, then delivered two EPs and two full-length albums via Rabbit Records in 1999-2000.

Attention from Smile Records, the pop label founded in L.A. by Tony Valenziano of the Stand, led to their American debut. Distributed by Image Entertainment, Smile reissued the album Young Now! USA on June 25, 2002.