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Harem Scarem

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Harem Scarem, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025
Harem Scarem
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1987 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
FounderPete Lesperance, Harry Hess
Defunct2008
FateReunited in 2013
Headquarters
Toronto
,
Canada
Area served
Canada, Japan, Europe, worldwide
Key people
Harry Hess (vocals), Pete Lesperance (guitar)
ProductsStudio albums, live albums, compilation albums, singles, DVDs
Number of employees
5 (band members)
Websitewww.haremscarem.net

Harem Scarem is a melodic hard rock and hard rock ensemble originating from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They rose to prominence in the early 1990s, particularly within Canadian and Japanese markets. The group was active between 1987 and 2008 before reuniting in 2013. Over their career, they have produced 16 studio albums (including two under the name Rubber in Canada, not counting the 2023 vinyl reissue of Mood Swings), alongside numerous live recordings and compilation albums. Additionally, they released a re-recorded version of Mood Swings II in 2013. Worldwide sales of their records have surpassed one million copies.

1987–2008

Guitarist Pete Lesperance and vocalist Harry Hess, both formerly part of Blind Vengeance, founded Harem Scarem in 1987. The band's name was inspired by a Bugs Bunny cartoon. The original lineup featured Darren Smith on drums and Mike Gionet on bass guitar. Their demo CD from 1990 caught the attention of Warner Music, resulting in their self-titled debut album released in 1991, which climbed to No. 68 on Canadian charts. This album included collaborations with various Canadian musicians and yielded the successful single "Slowly Slipping Away," which peaked at No. 25. The album also gained exposure through its inclusion in the Canadian television series Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High.

Their second album, Mood Swings, arrived in 1993 with a heavier musical approach and reached No. 83 in Canada, significantly enhancing their following in Japan. This release marked drummer Darren Smith's first vocal contribution. Following this, they issued the live acoustic EP Live & Acoustic and then their third studio album, Voice of Reason, in 1995, which presented a darker tone. After bassist Mike Gionet left the band, Barry Donaghy took over bass duties.

The subsequent albums Karma Cleansing (known as Believe in Japan) and Big Bang Theory introduced a more contemporary sound, with Donaghy performing lead vocals on one track for the first time. Despite these changes, neither the albums nor their singles achieved notable chart success. In 1998, they released the single "So Blind".

Rubber

In 1999, Harem Scarem adopted the name Rubber for releases within Canada while maintaining their original name internationally. Under this alias, they delivered two albums; guitarist Pete Lesperance made his vocal debut on the song "Trip". The band also produced a memorable music video for "Sunshine" that humorously parodied popular films of that era. During this phase, drummer Creighton Doane replaced Darren Smith. By 2002, the group returned to using the Harem Scarem name.

The 2002 album Weight of the World, their first release through Frontiers Records, revisited the musical style found on Mood Swings and marked their initial proper distribution across Europe. It was succeeded by Higher in 2003, an album combining classic melodic rock elements with contemporary production techniques and featuring the power ballad "Higher". Solo efforts by Hess and Lesperance were launched in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Subsequent studio projects included Overload (2005) and Human Nature (2007). Notably, the Japanese edition of Overload contained a cover of an AC/DC track. In July 2007, Hess disclosed intentions to produce one final studio album before disbanding; this plan culminated with the release of Hope in 2008. Drummer Creighton Doane explained that no internal disputes prompted the break-up but cited members' engagement in other ventures as contributing factors.

2008–2013

In June 2010, Frontiers Records introduced First Signal, a collaborative endeavor featuring Hess and Smith. That same year, numerous Harem Scarem albums were reissued with additional bonus tracks, including exclusive Japanese releases such as B-Side Collection, Rocks, and Ballads. In December 2012, the band reunited to headline Firefest in Nottingham, UK, where they performed the entire Mood Swings album in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

2013–2019

Following their Firefest appearance, Harem Scarem revisited Mood Swings II by re-recording and expanding it with three new songs, releasing the album via Frontiers Records alongside a tour across Europe. Reflecting on their early years during the grunge era’s emergence, Hess admitted that unfortunate timing and certain strategic errors hindered their commercial breakthrough despite a loyal fanbase.

In September 2014, Hess and Lesperance revealed plans for their thirteenth studio record, Thirteen, which was financed through Pledge Music pre-orders. Concurrently, Darren Smith took on the role of lead singer for Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel. First Signal followed up with a sophomore album in 2016.

In February 2017, Harem Scarem was confirmed to perform at the Rockingham Festival in the UK; that year also saw them release their 14th studio album, United, featuring Hess, Lesperance, Doane, and original drummer Smith contributing backing vocals.

Between late 2018 and 2019, work advanced on their 15th studio album, which Hess mastered at HBOMB Mastering. Meanwhile, First Signal released their third album titled Line of Fire in 2019.

2020–present

Harem Scarem’s fifteenth studio effort, Change the World, was released on March 4, 2020, including deluxe editions with DVD extras. Frontiers supported the launch with promotional videos highlighting key tracks. By January 2021, the band confirmed they had commenced work on their sixteenth studio album.

On February 7, 2022, Frontiers announced First Signal’s fourth album titled Closer to the Edge, which was released on April 8 accompanied by music videos.

In March 2023, Harem Scarem issued a limited-edition 30th anniversary package of Mood Swings, comprising a purple vinyl LP and additional bonus materials priced at $89.95.

During an interview in February 2025, Hess disclosed plans to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the band’s debut album originally released on August 6, 1991.

A European tour kicked off on April 24, 2025, promoted by Frontiers Music with scheduled performances across Spain, Italy (including Frontiers Rock Festival), the UK (London), and the Netherlands through May 4. Around this period, new material was teased via social media; on February 4 Frontiers premiered a lyric video for "Reliving History" from the forthcoming album Chasing Euphoria, slated for release on April 25. Hess later clarified that "Reliving History" was not an official single; instead, lead singles included "Chasing Euphoria" (February), "Better The Devil You Know" (March), and "In A Bad Way" (April).

Coinciding with Record Store Day Canada in April 2025, Harem Scarem released Best of Anthology Vol.1 on vinyl featuring remastered singles from their first decade by Hess.

Band members

Current

  • Harry Hess – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
  • Pete Lesperance – guitars, backing vocals
  • Darren Smith – drums and vocals (studio/touring)
  • Creighton Doane – drums and vocals (studio)
  • Mike Vassos – bass guitar, vocals

Former

  • Mike Gionet – bass guitar, vocals
  • Barry Donaghy – bass guitar, vocals
  • Stan Miczek – bass guitar

Studio albums

  • Harem Scarem (released August 6, 1991)
  • Mood Swings (issued June 11, 1993)
  • Voice of Reason (September 25, 1995)
  • Karma Cleansing (1997; titled Believe in Japan)
  • Big Bang Theory (1998)
  • Rubber (1999; released as Harem Scarem exclusively in Japan)
  • Ultra Feel (2001; under the name Rubber)
  • Weight of the World (2002)
  • Higher (2003)
  • Overload (2005)
  • Human Nature (2006)
  • Hope (2008)
  • Mood Swings II (2013; a re-recorded version of Mood Swings with additional tracks)
  • Thirteen (2014)
  • United (2017)
  • Change the World (2020)
  • Mood Swings Bundle - Limited Edition (2023; commemorative release)
  • Chasing Euphoria (2025)

Live albums

Compilation albums

  • The Best Of Harem Scarem (1998)
  • B-Side Collection (1998)
  • Ballads (1999)
  • Rocks (2001)
  • The Very Best of Harem Scarem (2002)
  • The Early Years (2003)
  • The Essentials (2005)
  • This Ain't Over – Best of the Avalon Years (2009)
  • Harem Scarem - The Ultimate Collection (2019)
  • Harem Scarem - Best of Anthology Vol.1 (2025)

Extended plays

  • Acoustic Sessions’’'’(1991)
  • ’’Live and Acoustic’’'’(1994)
  • ’’Melodic Rock’’'’(2008)

DVDs

  • ’’Video Hits & More’’'’(2002)
  • ’’Live at the Gods’’'’(2002)
  • ’’Raw and Rare’’'’(2007)
  • ’’Live at the Phoenix’’'’(2015)

Singles

  • "Slowly Slipping Away" - CAN #25 (1991)
  • "Love Reaction" (1991)
  • "Honestly" - CAN #68 (1992)
  • "With a Little Love" (1992)
  • "Something to Say" (1992)
  • "No Justice" (1993)
  • "Change Comes Around" (1993)
  • "If There Was a Time" (1994)
  • "Die Off Hard" (1997)
  • "Rain" (1997)
  • "New Religion" (1998)
  • "What I Do" (1998)
  • "Turn Around" (1998)
  • "So Blind" (1998)
  • "Chasing Euphoria" (2025)
  • "Better The Devil You Know" (2025)
  • "In A Bad Way" (2025)

External links

Official website: http://www.haremscarem.net Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harem.scarem.band/ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/haremscaremband HMBOMB Mastering: http://www.hbombmastering.com/ My Remote Producer: https://www.myremoteproducer.com

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