Formed in 1989 at Providence College, 4Fun performed both original and cover songs, secular and sacred.
4Fun was active for 3 years, performing and making two analogue studio recordings, after which its members followed their academic and career paths:
- Dan Friesen (Bass) as a Missionary in Africa
- David Kruse (Baritone) in multiple roles in Manitoba, including Pastor
- Dale Enns (Tenor) in multiple roles in British Columbia, including as a Pastor
- D. Bruce Moore (Lead) as computer programmer and musician (voice professional) in Manitoba with some mission work in Scotland
4Fun reunited to sing at each other's weddings after which geography, family, and life prevented them from all being in the same place at the same time for decades...
UNTIL 2025!
Unexpectedly, the former members of 4fun found themselves all in the Winnipeg area with an overlap of about four days. (Bruce is pretty sure he hadn't seen Dale in 20 years.) With a couple months notice, Bruce got a crazy idea that he at first dismissed, but which returned to haunt him:
"Could we possibly, now, 35 years after we were last in the recording studio, write and record something original within this small window of opportunity"?
Bruce had the seed of a song, a middle-aged anthem whose only line was "You'd think we'd Know Better by Now". He recorded the idea of a chorus and sent to the guys asking, "Do you think we could pull this off?" Just like old times they said, "Let's go for it!"
When the guys said, "Go for it", Bruce had to work double-time!
FIRST: WRITE THE REST OF THE SONG
Bruce only had the single line: "You'd think we'd know better by now" and a bunch of "woahs". Knowing that he wanted to use archive footage to make a music video, the first verse came easy: "We were young...."
A verse for the past, a verse for the present, and a bridge for the future - a concurrent discussion with Dan (Bass) brought in a unifying theme and the lyric was complete. Within a week, the vocal parts were arranged and Bruce made scratch recordings of each member's part to send to them ahead of time as we had zero time to practice together as in our Days of Yore.
Every step of this project was one of faith and hope. Could we still do this? It became rapidly apparent during our recording sessions that they guys had NOT forgotten how to sing in harmony. Two takes per part, MAXIMUM, and we had what we needed!
David (Baritone), being a relatively short distance from Bruce's home recording studio, was the first to record his part. Dan had to juggle a family celebration but managed to carve out a half-day. Dale (Tenor) arrived and announced that he was "mostly over" his bronchitis (!) and, oh yeah, "I don't really use my falsetto voice anymore". YIKES! But after the first take Bruce just shook his head and exclaimed, "Dale, you say your lungs aren't all there and you don't sing falsetto anymore, but your falsetto is STILL better than mine!" LOL
When we first recorded in 1989 and 1990, there were no computers, no auto-tune, and we paid BY THE HOUR. We didn't have time (or money) to experiment, adjust, re-do: nothing fancy at all. But now, in Bruce's own recording space, he could take as much time as he wanted on the mix - balancing the voice just-so, getting the drums just-right. He didn't count the hours, but he did NOT stop until he was completely satisfied he had squeezed the best sound possible out of their session.