Song of the Day: Love Tractor “Fun To Be Happy”

Coming out of the same 1980s Athens, GA indie rock scene that also spawned R.E.M., the B-52s and Pylon, the all-instrumental Love Tractor were one of the most unique bands to emerge. Eschewing vocals altogether, the group opted for a punchy, largely unprocessed, two-guitar setup, while also occasionally mixing in subtle shadings of keys. Indeed, the group was so concerned with the clarity of its guitar tones that they notoriously used to forego amplifiers, plugging directly into venue PA systems.

“Fun To Be Happy” is a great song that comes at the very end of Love Tractor‘s debut, self-titled LP. Clocking in at just under 3-minutes, the track is an almost Ventures like surf guitar epic that is paced like a pop single.

Love Tractor was formed in April 1980 by guitarists Mark Cline, Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford. The band played their first few gigs with only a drum machine, but soon enjoyed a rotating cast of drummers including Kit Swartz of The Side Effects and Bill Berry (or R.E.M.), before finally settling on Andrew Carter. The group recorded some 6 albums and a handful of EPs over the course of their career. While initially breaking up in 2002, the band have reformed a number of times and continue to periodically tour.