Bates left his skateboard shop, Bates Skates, behind in Palm Springs and moved to Newport Beach in early 1981. He looked to start a new band in Orange County and found Meyer and Hanna who were playing with guitarist Dave Marriott and singer Scott Brandon in a local punk band called Moral Sin. Bates had originally joined the line-up of Moral Sin as a second guitarist but soon after, Scott Brandon left the group leaving it without a singer. Bates then moved into the dual role of guitarist/singer and suggested the group change its name to Uniform Choice with the explanation that it represented our right to do whatever we wanted to do.
After about two months, Marriott left the group to pursue other endeavors and the remaining members pressed forward as a power trio. Meyer and Bates wrote a number of songs together over the course of the next year including "War is Here" and "Don't Take the Car You'll Kill Yourself". After the Cuckoo's Nest in Costa Mesa closed down, there were limited places for the band to play in the Orange County area. Not too long after the closure of the Cuckoo's Nest, the club reopened as "The Concert Factory" and it was there that Uniform Choice played most of their early shows in 1982. Bates played guitar and sang lead vocals in the beginning until the group landed on lead singer Elliott Colla, a former classmate of Meyer and Hanna's from Corona Del Mar High School. When Colla wasn't fronting the band, they experimented with other singers including, Newport Beach local Eric Whittick who sang for a short while, and later in the tradition of X-Ray Spex, 14-year-old Jennifer Harper fronted the band for a short time along with second guitar player Eric "Arab" Groff (Love Canal). The band made its first studio demo in September 1982 (Orange Peel Sessions) with Colla heading up vocals. The recordings were engineered and produced by Tom Springston (Tom Tom) of Burnt Party Host and were recorded in Corona Del Mar, California. In late 1982 the band experimented with an additional second lead bass player, Brent Turner. Turner only played several shows with the band and left the group to record the album When in Rome Do as the Vandals with The Vandals (punk). Over the course of the first two years the group performed with other established punk acts such as Black Flag, SIN 34, Circle Jerks, Channel 3, Shattered Faith, Bad Religion, Circle One and Angry Samoans.
In 1983, Hanna and Meyer decided to leave the band and Bates enlisted an entire new line-up which would be fronted by Pat Dubar and drums being played by Hanna's friend and classmate Pat Dyson (who had played with Plain Wrap 1983). Meyer went on to play with other groups such as the Finks and Peace Corp. while Bates left the group later in 1983 to pursue other endeavors in Hollywood, California.
The group with this final line-up of Pat Dubar, Pat Dyson, Vic Maynez and David Mello went forward with a new vision as Uniform Choice and continued to record and create what was considered the first O.C. Straight Edge Demos. The group gained momentum nationally while performing throughout California and beyond bringing the group to their existing level of fame and recognition in the Southern California punk subculture.
Screaming for Change is their most acclaimed album. They also recorded another less well received LP called Staring into the Sun and their demo has been bootlegged several times. Pat Dubar was a graduate of Pepperdine University and created the label Wishingwell Records, which released albums by Uniform Choice, Blast, and Youth of Today, among others. Uniform Choice is historically among the first five Straight Edge Hardcore bands to emerge from Southern California.
Uniform Choice is a straight edge hardcore band from Orange County, California fronted by Pat Dubar. Screaming For Change is one of their records. They also recorded another less well received LP called Staring Into The Sun and their 1984 demo has been bootlegged several times. Pat Dubar was a graduate of Pepperdine University and the had created the label which their albums were distributed on by the name of, "Wishing Well Records." Members also played/play in Unity, Mindfunk and Ignite.
Vocals- Pat Dubar,
Guitar- Vic Maynez,
Bass- Dave Mello,
Drums- Pat Dyson
EARLY MEMBERS:
Guitar/Vocals- Myke Bates
Bass Guitar/Vocals- Hanson Meyer
Drums- Eric Hanna
Vocals- Elliott Colla
fan site's & mp3's myspace.com/uniformchoicefans, myspace.com/uniformchoice, myspace.com/uniformxchoice
Early band information, photos, etc: http://blackflagnervousbreakdown.blogspot.com/2014/08/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html#comment-form
Choice
Uniform Choice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well there is a choice
Open your eyes and see the choice
Of a uniformed choice
Uniform Choice, Uniform Choice
Uniform Choice, Uniform Choice
You think with no thought
Open your eyes
So we can deal with it
So many of us
So many different ways
One common goal
Deep beyond the haze
Building strong ideas
Make a solid frame
Realize what's wrong
First step to change
Sore eyes, see what
Builds these walls
Minds are strong
And will make them fall
You still can't release
What seems unclear
To ignorant to see
You need not fear
Silence the division
As a result of choice
A powerful expression
Through one voice
The lyrics to Uniform Choice’s song “Choice” are a call to action, urging people to open their eyes and recognize the power of making a choice. The repetition of the phrase “Uniform Choice” emphasizes the importance of taking a unified approach, all working towards a common goal of change. The song speaks to the notion that many people go through life “thinking with no thought,” not realizing that they have a choice in how they live and act.
The second verse highlights the importance of taking action and building strong ideas as the first step towards change. The lyrics suggest that by recognizing what’s wrong and opening our eyes to the truth, we can break down the walls that divide us and create a powerful collective voice. The song ends with the powerful message that even if we feel confused or uncertain, we need not fear: “Silence the division, as a result of choice, a powerful expression, through one voice.”
Overall, the lyrics to “Choice” are a powerful call to action, urging listeners to recognize the power of their choices and work towards building a more unified world.
Line by Line Meaning
You think you've got a choice
You believe that you have a choice to make
Well there is a choice
However, only one option is available
Open your eyes and see the choice
Pay close attention and realize the limited options available
Of a uniformed choice
The only option is pre-determined and uniform to all
Uniform Choice, Uniform Choice
This pre-determined option is called Uniform Choice
You think with no thought
You make decisions without considering the consequences
As if it makes a shit
As if the outcome doesn't matter
Open your eyes
Get a better grasp of the situation
So we can deal with it
Address the issue at hand
So many of us
There are a lot of people involved
So many different ways
They have different perspectives and ideas
One common goal
However, they share a common objective
Deep beyond the haze
It's a fundamental aim that transcends their differences
Building strong ideas
They work on developing solid concepts
Make a solid frame
They create a well-structured foundation for their ideas
Realize what's wrong
They acknowledge the issue that needs to be addressed
First step to change
It's the first step towards making a positive difference
Sore eyes, see what
Even though it hurts, they must look at what
Builds these walls
Caused the division or issue that needs to be resolved
Minds are strong
They possess powerful intellects
And will make them fall
They have the capacity to break down the walls or solve the problem
You still can't release
You are still unable to let go of
What seems unclear
What appears to be uncertain or vague
To ignorant to see
You lack the knowledge or understanding to perceive it
You need not fear
However, you don't have to be afraid to learn what it is
Silence the division
Put an end to the conflict or disunity
As a result of choice
Because of the decision or option that was made
A powerful expression
An impactful way to communicate a message
Through one voice
By speaking with a unified voice
Contributed by Adalyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.