Mid 70's Canadian bands

Anybody remember Horn? They got some airplay in B.C. and No. Washington state. Not bad, if I'm remembering it right.

 

We just got used to the press, Dave. They were presented as being an L.A. band and from what I saw, the band didn't argue much. Probably too busy spending their money. I saw them play first on the bill with Three Dog Night and they were introduced as being from L.A. Of course, that was years ago and maybe they said something like "fresh from Los Angeles", which could have come from management or label people. As far as being bummed, I thought they were hot, regardless of hometown status.

Frank G

 

This is quite interesting. I grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada during the early to late 70's (my Jr High/Snr High/College years). Canadian music, in Canada, during that era was played down by our own music industry and it almost seemed that they were not being encouraged. I remember Rush having a heck of a time getting a record contract in Canada. If I remember correctly, they actually had to go state side. Even the friends I grew up with would not purchase any Canadian music, only British/American bands. And to tell you the truth, it was no secret that our Canuck stuff didn't hold a candle to most US and UK bands of that era. Let's face it, if you were a teenager with a limited budget and was seriously into music, you were going to buy Zep, UFO, Scorpions, Grand Funk, Santana, etc, etc, etc.
Nonetheless, artists, like Lighthouse (early stuff sounded like Chicago), Mahogany Rush and Pat Travers, were some of the best stuff. Chilliwack's eary material was great, but got really radio orientated later on. Klaatu, Rush, Goddo, Mahogany Rush, Pat Travers were all great. April Wine and BTO had some fun stuff too.

 

Maybe it was a Toronto thing, but there was a free magazine called The New Music (which spawned the show on City TV), and it featured a "the making of a record" featuring a band called Hellfield. The leader was drummer Mitch Hellfield (I'm sure it wasn't his real name!). They had a minor hit called Tell Me Are You Listening. They had a second album called Night Music, IIRC. Then they went poof.

 

I have never heard "City of Fear", I am a young cat.
Wish me luck finding the LP I guess.

Does The Band, "Northern Lights, Southern Cross" count?
Because that is another damn good mid 70's Canadian album.

I guess Rush is too obvious, but Farewell To Kings is killer!

 

I got into Fludd when they signed with Attic records and released "Great Expectations".
The biggest hit from that LP was 'What An Animal'.

Biggest hit was their first: 'Turned 21' from 1971. I think 'Cousin Mary' did OK too.

 

Kim Mitchell, the former lead singer of 'Max' is now the daytime DJ on a local (webcast too) radio station out of Toronto. Q107... he's doing a fine job.

Most of the tunes you lads mention are on various Juno award compilations I've found at the local library.

 

Afternoons. Derringer is daytime.
And the last time I heard him, he was pretty pooey.

 

What about the group, Pollen, from Quebec?
Spacey-Floydy-Genesis-folk-rock?
Good stuff! Lyrics in French.

 

Some other Canadian bands worthy of mention, most of them semi obscure:

The Hunt
From Montreal, 3 LPs on the Daffodil label, late 70's

Copperpenny
Harlequin
Jackson Hawke, 'Set Me Free' was a great track
Madcats
Segarini
Streetheart, their first two LPs were in the '70's
Teaze

A couple of good sources:http://www.newworldcds.com/

Click on the Canadian Artists section. The most complete listing of Canadian music I've ever seen, much of it for sale on this site.

http://www.unidisc.com/srch-db.html

This label has reissued a lot of the artists mentioned in this thread. The artwork is reproduced nicely and the sound is OK. Not sure what the sources are but I'd be real surprised if they are needle drops.

 

You mean the monotone ?

 

Just sounds like a guy they grabbed off the street and said "here, be a DJ!". It's like listening to instant oatmeal soak in hot water.

 

Thanks for those links.

 

the first Moxy album is a classic! check out the songs with Tommy Bolin's guitar solos, especially 'Fantasy', 'Time to Move On', and 'Moon Rider'. the latter features probably my favorite bolin solo on album. just plain ripping! bolin was in another room at the studio and he 'bartered' those solos with Moxy's producer, whom he knew from his days in the James Gang, purely for the COCAINE!

i also like Lighthouse a lot. very underrated act. never knew the fellas in Steppenwolf were from up yonder, either. i knew J. Kay was from Germany, but that's about it.

 

Ridin High is a pretty good Moxy album also, Buzz's voice was going but the music had a lot harder edge than the previous 2

 

Prism - Armageddon...killer record.

 

Fludd also had a hit with "Turned 21" in 1971.

edited to add: OOops, just saw a similar post a couple of posts above this... still a great tune and may I add Motherlode's And When I Die to the pile ?

 

Not really. David Clayton Thomas was the only Canadian in the band. He didn't join until the second album.

 

Remember Zon?
Or Walter Zwol?

 

King Biscuit Boy AKA Richard Newell and Crowbar

Really enjoyed these guys a lot, especially their Official Music, Bad Manors, Gooduns, and KE 32746 lps. Great fun!

 

Definitely!

I have the two Zon albums on Epic, the first on blue vinyl.

Don't have any Walter Zwol solo but I do have the Brutus album.

 

According to classicbands.com HJF&R were from California. But they did put out some classic pop in their day.

In 1973, Tommy Reynolds left the group to join Shango who had had previously had a novelty hit "Day After Day" in 1969, about the scare in California where it was supposed to be sliding into the sea. Reynolds was a co-writer of the song, according to that site. It also credits a Stuart Margolin as one of the co-writers, but no inidication if it's 'that' Stuart Margolin or not.

 

Joe Frank was from Hamilton?

 

Lighthouse was probably by favorite band from that period. They sounded REALLY good live.

We had a band in Nova Scotia called "Pepper Tree" that I think put out one album that was pretty good.

Matt Minglewood put out some decent stuff at the time.

A neat link for East Coast old guys:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~jrice/Discography45.htm