The group was formed by merging two popular Oregon bands, Seafood Mama andPilot…. while continuing under the name Seafood Mama….the band originally released the single “Harden My Heart” on a local private label, Whitefire Records, in the spring of 1980….with the B-side track being “City of Roses”.
“Harden My Heart” was a big hit on Portland radio stations and got the band a one-hour TV special, Seafood Mama In Concert, on KOIN on June 5, 1980…..which would later be rerecorded by the band after they renamed themselves Quarterflash….which came from an Australian slang description of new immigrants as “a quarter flash, three quarters foolish”.
