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The Young and the Useless (2)
The Young and the Useless (2)

In late 1984, the Young and the Useless (2)* reformed with different members. The band line-up was Adam Horovitz on guitar, Adam Yauch on bass, Kate Schellenbach on drums, and Dave Scilken on vocals.

The Young and the Useless (2)

In late 1984, the Young and the Useless (2)* reformed with different members. The band line-up was Adam Horovitz on guitar, Adam Yauch on bass, Kate Schellenbach on drums, and Dave Scilken on vocals.

This formation of the band was Adam Yauch's idea. After the Beastie Boys and Def Jam Recordings were picked up and signed to the parent label CBS Records in spring 1984, Kate Schellenbach was forced out of the Beastie Boys by Rick Rubin, who "didn't like women rapping, the sound of women's voices rapping, or something ridiculous" according to Schellenbach. Yauch had the idea of still playing the hardcore songs with Schellenbach under a different name--that of the Young and the Useless.

In a 2006 interview with Beastiemania.com, Kate Schellebach recalled her days playing drums in the Young and the Useless (2). "We did record at the studio Yauch was working at--Arthur Baker's Shakedown Sound Studios. I don't know if there was a plan for the recordings per se," said Schellenbach.

In a 2006 interview, Tom Cushman also remembered the Young and the Useless (2) demos, stating that there were three songs: "(Come on Baby) Let's Do Some Work," "Reuben Is Groovin'," and "Shish-ke-bob."

"(Come on Baby) Let's Do Some Work" had the first line of "Listen up baby and listen good, you're gonna do the job that you know you should, listen up baby and listen good...come on baby and do some work..." which was played over a fast progression built around Adam Horovitz having just learned to play the pseudo-jazz root cord from the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze." Throughout the song, Dave Scilken yells "The show is over, it's getting late!"

The second song "Reuben Is Groovin'" makes reference to former Beastie Boys and the Young and the Useless manager Nick Cooper and his father Neil Cooper (then owner of ROIR Records). The lyrics for that song were as follows:

Reuben is groooovin'

Nick got busted, he must've been framed.
Jumped the train, 50 hits to his name
The cops must've that he was insane
But Neil gave the cops a lot of cocaine

But, Reuben is groooovin'
He always does the penis dance
He never gives the chicks a chance
So go get a man like Jack Palance

Reuben is groooovin'...

Reuben is a complex man
Hard times don't phase him
He always has bank on hand
Cause...
Reuben is groooovin'...

With Dave Scilken singing the vocals, Tom Cushman recalls this song having a "fuckin' amazing Yauch bassline that comes on slow and then builds in power and speed. I was always trying to get him [Yauch] to steal it back for a Brooklyn song, but we came up with 'Gratitude' instead."

The third song, "Shish-ke-bob," uses a somewhat familiar Beastie Boys lyric, "worm is the spice," which later showed up in the 1994-95 original version of "Intergalactic." The lyrics for "Shish-ke-bob" were:

Shish-ke-bob, shish-ke-bob
Shish-ke-bob, shish-ke-bob
Only a dollar for a shish-ke-bob

Worm is the spice
And the pork fried rice
Shish-ke-bob, shish-ke-bob
Only a dollar for a shish-ke-bob

The 1984/1985 formation of the Young and Useless ended when the Beastie Boys were booked to tour with Madonna on her 1985 Virgin tour.

*See the Young and the Useless (1).