Blogspot Update - December/Christmas 2024

Hello everyone! I hope all's well and you're all enjoying your Holiday season thus far. Canadian Cult Classics HQ has been quiet as of late. Due to a rigorous on-call snow job, my time for bios has been severely limited. I'm still posting daily videos on the Youtube channel. Here's my Canadian Christmas Rarities playlist for your enjoyment. I'm working on interviews for a couple bios in the background and updates for Tony Kingston and The Magic Cycle are in the works. Stay tuned in the new year for new bios. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! 

Yorkville's Forgotten Poet - The Origins Of Hyde

The story of Hyde and his 1969 singer-songwriter masterwork is one of Canadian music's ongoing mysteries. For decades, the identity of this powerful poet has gone unknown to those outside of a select few. Friends and family kept his real name hidden while people who saw him perform in his pre-alias days in Yorkville seemingly forgot him altogether.

During the mid-to-late 1960s, Toronto was a highly competitive music city in multiple genres. So Hyde's fate is one experienced by many who stepped on Toronto’s smaller stages during that period. The sheer abundance of clubs and coffeehouses in the city meant that artists who couldn’t distinguish themselves against the tidal wave of similarly passionate individuals and bands would be forgotten.

Hyde’s self-titled album stands as a testament to the talent of Yorkville’s songwriters. With the exception of one Bob Dylan cover, the Hyde album is a varied batch of original songs that hints at his influences while displaying his unique talent for lyrics. Another point in its favor is the connection to Toronto psychsters Rockadrome, who provided musical backing throughout.

To collectors, the above attributes paired with an unfortunate rarity (for a Quality Records release) further drive the want and cost of this album into the stratosphere. It stands as a brick wall of rarity, ever elusive, especially in good condition. Though large, the hunt for a copy of his album pales in comparison to the hunger for information on the man behind the music. Today, the story of Hyde will finally be told.

Hyde was the eventual alias and secret project of Toronto-based singer-songwriter Brian Victor Alexander. Brian was born on March 7th, 1946, to Alice and Victor Alexander. He was raised in the west end of the city, quickly developing a love for baseball and hockey. Brian was extremely athletic, and he received the constant approval of his doting father. He attended Harwood Public School in Toronto’s west end before attending York Memorial High School.

Brian didn’t come from a musical home, but the dawning musical revolution of the mid-1960s would take residence in his mind at an early age, as it did for so many others. He developed a love of music, specifically R&B, around the age of ten. His knowledge of music grew fast, and it wasn’t long before he was the D.J. at neighborhood weekend dances.

Brian began playing guitar and harmonica around the age of fifteen. He spent countless hours enjoying the records of some of his favorite blues and R&B artists and constantly begged his parents for a guitar. They relented, and Brian began a lifelong relationship with his instrument. An “A” student and all-around intelligent boy, Brian learned fast and showed himself to have quite the way with words. He started with R&B music, but hearing Bob Dylan’s debut album in 1962 blew him away; he was an instant, lifelong fan, even considering naming his daughter Dylan. Bob was his sole inspiration thereafter to pursue folk music, learn to sing, and soon, learn how to write songs of his own. He fashioned himself after the American folk troubadour in many respects, but his songwriting grew to be wholly unique.

Newfound folk fascination aside, Brian still enjoyed listening to and dancing along to hits of the day. He was a regular teen in many regards; fascinated with pop culture, dramatic about the trivial, and, of course, enamored with the opposite sex. Sixteen-year-old Brian, at one particular dance taking place at Fairbanks dancehall (in the Fairbanks Park just south of Eglinton Avenue), met his first love. The two instantly hit it off and, with time, began dating. She was smitten by Brian’s creative side and the fact that he was then starting his musical journey. Brian was smitten by her kindness and intellect, ultimately trusting her as the sole critic of his original music and poetry.

Brian’s deep dive into folk music began in the early 1960s, first as an observer, then as a performer. He was awestruck by the amazing talent springing up in Yorkville, Toronto’s musical mecca. He began attending concerts regularly at the Riverboat coffeehouse and various other folk-oriented venues on the avenue.

A formative musical experience for Brian was seeing Bob Dylan perform at Massey Hall during late 1965, where the singer-songwriter was doing a pair of shows. This double night event took place during Bob Dylan’s highly contentious “electric” period, backed by local Toronto R&B act Levon & The Hawks (formerly Ronnie Hawkins' backing band). As with many shows along their tour, Bob Dylan was arguing with hostile fans over their dislike of his new sound. This event emboldened Brian as an artist. Paired with Brian's constant intake of top-tier folk talent in Yorkville, the Bob Dylan event inspired Brian to stand by his music, stand up for his art, and, most importantly, develop the courage to sing. He set his sights on Yorkville and, in time, became a regular performer.

During December of 1965, Brian approached the owner of the famous Mynah Bird coffeehouse, Colin Kerr, to see if he could perform there. Colin hired Brian right away, after an extremely brief audition, and booked him for the first weekend of January (7th-9th) 1966, alongside R&B band Bobby Lee & The Sceptres. The Mynah Bird had two levels and two stages; bands played on the first level, while solo acts played on the second level. “He sat on a stool on the second-floor stage, belting out his songs to an audience drinking coffee and juice drinks; dry ice filled the air while go-go girls danced in the window," says Diane. "We were young, dressed as beatniks and experiencing a new age of music and culture.”

Brian became a regular performer at the Mynah Bird coffeehouse through 1966, playing most weekends. He befriended some of the performers and patrons along the way, forming friendships and partnerships, many of which lasted over the years. A lifelong bond Brian made during this period was with bassist and singer Neil Merryweather, who was playing in Yorkville with his band Just Us (also known as The Ookpiks and The Sikusi's). Brian was known for his distinct, Dylan-esque tone and introspective original songs. He soon began performing regularly on Monday nights at the famed Riverboat coffeehouse, first as a sign-up, then as a featured performer. 

1966 was an important year for Brian's development, both musically and in his personal life. In addition to his musical trappings, he got married, and the couple had a child. This prompted Brian to get a day job in addition to his frequent live performances as a means of making ends meet. Despite their best efforts, the couple ended up separating in mid-1968. Brian moved to an apartment on Carlton Street, where he continued to work and eventually began dating again. 

Brian went through a bit of a slump, as many men/women in his situation would. He lost his wife and child and was living alone. Brian continued to perform, albeit sporadically. He soon threw himself into writing new songs and reworking old ones. By November of 1968, Brian had roughly ten songs written, including one cover. This was a dedication to his wife and child; the aptly titled “I Threw It All Away” by Bob Dylan.

With the dawn of 1969, Brian found renewed purpose in his music through a new alias: Hyde. He had a goal: to record his own songs. He continued to gig through the winter and early spring under his new Hyde alias. In June of 1969, a few months after his twenty-third birthday, Brian came to the attention of famed Toronto music mogul Art Snider. He had caught one of Brian’s shows at the Riverboat via a word-of-mouth recommendation and was so impressed that he invited him to his office the following day. Art at this time had helmed the creation of multiple record labels, with the sole goal of achieving success while promoting Canadian talent. After learning of Brian’s desire to record an album, paired with hearing a summation of his multiple original songs, Art booked him into Sound Canada Recording Studios, backed by his house group, Rockadrome.

Rockadrome was a local group of musicians assembled in the summer of 1968 by guitarists Mike Clancy (also piano and occasional drums) and Ron Dove. The pair was musically associated for most of the 1960s and played with Ronnie Hawkins’ "Hawks" before forming their own group called "The Outlaws” during 1965. The addition of drummer Rick Vallieres and bassist Paul LaChapelle was the birth of Rockadrome. Rick drummed on a 45 session for Ron Dove in 1967 while Paul was relatively new to the fold but gelled well with the guys. Rockadrome was a band for three years, releasing their own extremely rare album on Art Snider’s “Sound Canada” label in February of 1969 and an EP in 1971 (featuring Ron Dove's 1967 recordings). Art Snider kept the band busy later that year, employing them as session musicians on a couple of equally rare albums. Of course they backed Hyde, but they also backed The Allan Sisters on their debut studio album for Sound Canada.

Art Snider had faith in Brian’s songs from the start. He gave producers Ernie Lyons and Larry Malone free rein to follow the project in whatever direction it may lead. This resulted in what many consider one of Toronto’s best singer-songwriter pieces. Brian’s amazing original songs with their sparse arrangements weave a delicate, urgent musical web; this is in part thanks to the consummate musicianship of Rockadrome. Each song in this ten-song cycle creates a unique mood spun by Brian’s music and words. The only outlier is a cover of the aptly titled Bob Dylan song “I Threw It All Away.”

Thanks to his clout in the local music industry, Art Snider managed to get Brian’s album (released under the Hyde alias) a couple of spins on CHUM Radio after its release in August 1969. Through this radio promotion, Brian landed a gig promoting his new album at a secret new Toronto club known as Global Village. It was an after-hours hangout for “in the know” local musicians, many of whom had just finished sets at various Yorkville or Yonge Street clubs. The club was known as The Global Village Theatre to some, and during the 1970s, it would put on plays, including Spring Thaw (featuring Norm Amadio and Salome Bey). Primarily, though, Global Village was a secret hangout and jam spot for some of Toronto’s best and brightest talent. Early frequenters included Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young (on his brief returns to the city), and McKenna Mendelson Mainline. The venue was an important link between the incubated culture of Yorkville, which was slowly coming to an end, and the soon-to-reign Queen St. West scene of the late 1970s.

Art Snider hired Rockadrome to rehearse with Brian and back him up during his Global Village set (possibly the only live performance he did with a band). The performance went extremely well, receiving a standing ovation, with Brian and the band playing the album song by song. Brian began mingling with the crowd, where he met local guitarist Danny McBride (younger brother of Bob McBride).

Danny McBride was an in-demand young guitarist in Toronto during the latter half of the 1960s. As an active member of Toronto’s music scene from his early teens onward, Danny formed or joined multiple bands with other members who’d reach major success in the years that followed. His first teenage band was The Edgar Allen Poes with Gary Weeks and Dave Beckett (later of Gary & Dave fame), followed by an R&B outfit of his brother’s known as The Shades; he then reformed another R&B band of his brothers known as The Diplomats (previously featuring Johnny Brower singing). This was followed by a brief stint in Abernathy Shagnaster Wash and Wear Band with drummer Gil Moore (later of Triumph fame), before teaming up with Don Walsh in the pre-Downchild Blues Band “Leather.” This was short-lived, and by 1969, Danny was looking for other outlets.

To Danny, other outlets meant more challenging, unique material, so naturally he was drawn to Brian's music. Danny's favorite band thus far was Bob McBride & The Breath. This was a Jimi Hendrix cover band his brother started, on the cusp of Jimi's meteoric rise to fame. As one of the group's guitarists, Danny had to learn some of Hendrix's challenging riffs and solos. He yearned for more of that and, in the wake of "The Breath," got more involved with Eastern scales and psychedelic music. This brief foray into eastern exploration is heard in Danny's lead guitar on "Revelation (I Fell In Love)". This was a song Danny recorded with Jay Telfer in April of 1969 for Jay's unreleased "Perch" album; Danny was only eighteen.

Brian and Danny agreed to meet up a few days after Brian's Global Village show. They hung out, got high, talked music, and jammed for hours. This, of course, caused the pair to develop a quick friendship, bonding over shared musical interests and general outlook on life. Brian and Danny began work on a follow-up to Brian’s debut studio album. They both contributed songs, with Danny taking lead guitar duties and Brian on acoustic. Danny would spend time at Brian's apartment frequently while the duo worked on the new songs. Somewhere during the writing process, however, there was a falling out between the two musicians, and the concept was scrapped before anything could be recorded.

After the demise of his new writing partnership, Brian was offered a job by Tommy Hunter to write for The Allan Sisters on his program, “The Tommy Hunter Show.” It seems Art Snider really liked Brian’s writing style and passed his name on to others. The music on Tommy’s show was definitively characterized by a “Country & Western” flavor, and this turned Brian off to the opportunity. Although he was encouraged by friends and family, he ultimately declined Tommy’s offer.

With the Tommy Hunter offer no longer on the horizon, Brian’s music career waned. This caused him to move out west to Calgary in the early 1970s. After settling in Calgary, Brian quickly found a job in manufacturing, making good money and finding himself a decent apartment. He decided to hang up his guitar for many years after the move, but he did eventually pick it up again. 

After nearly a decade away, Brian returned to Toronto at the dawn of the 1980s. Perhaps this was homesickness, but nobody is really sure what prompted the move. He quickly found himself a job and an apartment, though being back in Toronto didn’t inspire him to get back into music right away.

After over a decade working in various fields, Brian retired and moved to Wasaga Beach in the late 1990s. He kept in touch with family, as well as musical friends from over the years, such as Neil Merryweather. Slowly, he rediscovered his love of music and playing instruments after he settled in his new home. Throughout his later years, Brian built a recording studio in his home. He would write and play music (he had many guitars, a keyboard, speakers, etc.), jamming with other musical friends he made from around the area, as well as visiting friends from Toronto. 

As with the fate of many of Canada’s mid-to-late 20^th century performers, larger success (if any) eluded Brian [Hyde]. The Canadian music industry was infantile when compared to its contemporaries abroad, offering little in the way of beneficial options for artists prior to the mid-1970s. Brian Alexander’s music fills a particular niche: that of a talented singer-songwriter, penning introspective lyrics and sparse, moody arrangements (usually in a folk-tinged psych-rock style). In the intervening decades, audiences for artists like this have cropped up across the globe, appreciating the musicianship and fawning over the rarity of many of these artists’ works. In Canadian terms, Brian is in a sparsely populated class of psych-folkie songwriters that have achieved some level of cult success. His contemporaries include Stefan Gnys, Winston George, Gordon Lowe, and Phillip Lewin, among others.

                                               THANKS TO THE FAMILY OF BRIAN [HYDE] FOR THEIR PHOTO/HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS 

Tongue Tied - The Story Of Tony Kingston

Anthony Mossop is known by three different names: Tony Kingston, Tony Mossop, and Tony Tribe. Each of these aliases represents a different facet of his identity, as well as a different notch on his musical toolbelt. Despite the variations in names, they all point to the same individual. Anthony Mossop was a renowned singer and performer who saw success under each of these aliases in multiple countries and genres of music. This is the story of his promising career and how it was cut short. 

                                                 *FOR REFERRENTIAL EASE, ANTHONY WILL BE REFERRED TO AS TONY/TONY KINGSTON* 

Tony Kingston [Anthony Mossop] was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 9th, 1943. Tony began singing around the age of eight and had his first public performance at Kingston's Ward Theatre when he was nine.

 

During 1956, while Tony was thirteen, the Mossop family moved to the United Kingdom. Tony continued to sing regularly in church and at home while pursuing a higher education. He also eventually found work at the High Commission of Jamaica in London, England.

 

In mid-1965, Tony joined a gospel outfit known as The Soul Seekers from Calvary Apostolic Church in Camberwell, London. Tony's charisma and good looks saw a stark rise in the female viewership of the group. During 1965 and early 1966, the group recorded a pair of soul/gospel singles with Tony singing lead vocals. During August of 1966, a rift formed in The Soul Seekers, which caused Tony to leave the group and go solo.

 

The remainder of 1966 saw Tony performing in churches and clubs across London under his new stage name, "Tony Kingston." He had a new manager in Don Broughton, and he eventually attracted the attention of Decca Records, who signed him to a two-side deal. He recorded his debut solo release (featuring an original song by him) during the early weeks of 1967. "Mama Come On Home/Agony And Ecstasy" was released on April 21st of that year and unfortunately flopped, but eventually became popular on the Northern Soul circuit. 

 

During August/September of 1967, Tony signed a second two-side deal, this time with PYE Records. "Master Hand/Look Into My Eyes" was distributed on October 6th as a PROMO only thing to radio stations. This frustrated Tony, his management, and of course his fans. Tony's manager Don Broughton was quoted as saying, "How can a record sell when it is not offered to the public? Tony's fans live in the rural areas and among the immigrant community, but the record has not been sent to these districts (I also tried to buy the disc at six major West End record shops, but not one had received a copy from the distributing company). The fans are clamoring for the record, but they cannot obtain it if the recording company does not send it to their dealers."

 

1968 saw Tony head in a different direction. After a minor operation, Tony had plans to record another single and an album. He was also paired with an experienced English backing group for live bookings. This new group was known as "Kingston Bypass," named after a major highway running into South London. In the past year he made numerous television and radio appearances, and this would continue. 

 

In late-April 1969, using the stage name Tony Tribe, Kingston released a reggae version of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine," a song that had previously been a hit for Jimmy James and the Vagabonds. Tony's version was produced by Dandy Livingstone and backed by the Rudies' (whose track "Blues" appears on the B-side). Tony's version charted at #46 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the then-fledgling Trojan Records' first UK chart hit, in spite of them managing to misspell his stage name as "Tony Tripe." A little known fact is that Tony Kingston's version of "Red, Red Wine" was a direct influence on the 1983 smash hit version by UB40.

 

After the success of "Red, Red Wine," Tony was invited to perform his hit record on the UK's Top Of The Pops music television show. It's rumored that he dressed as a skinhead wearing braces and cherry red Docs for the taped performance, but no photos or video have turned up since.

 

Before releasing his sophomore single under the name Tony Tribe, he was invited to perform at the Caribbean Music Festival. This was the first major Reggae event to be held in Britain and would open the door to a decades' long love affair with the genre. Tony shared the stage at Wembley Arena with Johnny Nash, Desmond Dekker, Max Romeo, the Rudies, Derrick Morgan, Jackie Edwards, Jimmy Cliff, Jimmy James, the Skatalites, the Mohawks, Root and Jenny Jackson, and Black Velvet. He was later filmed as part of Horace Ové's legendary 1971 documentary Reggae, but it's unknown if Tony made it into the film. Tony Kingston's final single under the Tony Tribe name came in August of 1969. His cover of "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got". The single failed to chart, and Tony left the UK for Canada. 

Tony Kingston settled in Toronto, Canada, during 1970. After a short period of acclimation, Tony began writing songs and performing on the local bar/club circuit at venues like The Friars Tavern and Broom & Stone. By the end of the year he managed to put together a steady band, which allowed him to play more "upscale" gigs such as lounges, hotels, and restaurants. This caught the attention of the CBC. The CBC knew of his previous career abroad as Tony Mossop/Tony Tribe/Tony Kingston and wanted to capitalize on him moving to Toronto. They offered him radio and television spots on various CBC programs, but first they sent him into Toronto's CBC Studio 4 with the Dave Woods Orchestra to record some of his new original songs during April of 1971. 

The result of these sessions with the CBC was a four-song EP of light, orchestrated Soul/R&B tunes featuring three originals by Tony ("Now You're Gone," "Tongue Tied," and "People Started Talking") and one Bonnie Dobson cover ("You're My Woman"). Unfortunately, Tony's CBC sessions were not commercially released and were only ever available through the CBC's "Light Music [LM] Series" and its subscribing radio stations. This makes the few remaining copies still in circulation very rare today. materialized. 

The CBC opportunities Tony received early on in his Canadian stay allowed him to ingratiate himself with some of Toronto's top talent. This included singers such as Juliette, Jodie Drake, Karen Oxley, and Mike McConnell, among others. This also included band leaders such as Dave Woods, Russ Little, Guido Basso, Rick Wilkins, Jimmy Dale, and more. This opened the door to touring opportunities for Tony across Canada. 

By 1971, Tony had a new musical direction and a new band, comprised of visiting Latin American musicians and local backing singers. The musicians consisted of Manuel Oliveira (bass), Tony Raposo (guitar), Fernando Tarares (piano/organ), and Fansto DaCosta (drums/percussion), while the identities of The Flying Chains singers are currently unknown. While performing in Toronto, the new group caught the attention of talent scouts from Canadian budget label Paragon/Marathon Records. In the interim, Tony was contacted by Paragon/Marathon Records founder Jack Boswell. An album deal was inked, and the group was whisked away to Art Snider's Sound Canada Studios. Though it seems simple enough, Jack Boswell was notorious for approaching artists directly with questionable contracts, recording and releasing albums/singles with questionable equipment, and doing little to no pre- or post-release promotion. See my Birchmount Records Story for another example of Canadian budget label shenanigans. 

Upon its release in mid-1971, "Tongue Tied" received no promotion and unfortunately sank like a stone outside of pockets of Tony Kingston fans locally and nationally. Musically, the album features a great spread of blues/psych, funk, soul/R&B, and gospel. The album features covers of then-current hits ("Proud Mary," "Summertime," "The Letter," "One Night With You," and "Teeny Weeny Bit") as well as three Tony Kingston originals ("Tongue Tied," "Lookin' Down The Aisle," and "Now You're Gone") and a pair of tracks from Tony Kingston band members ("Sleepin' In The Shadow Of My Dream" and "Lonely Blues"). 

The failure of Tony Kingston's debut album might have felt like a serious blow at the time, but Tony's luck was about to change. During late-summer-1971 Yorkville Records president Bill Gilliland caught one of Tony's weekend gigs at Friar's Tavern. Bill loved Tony's gospel-meets-R&B style, and Tony was signed to a multi-single deal with Yorkville, which included eventual US distribution through Kama Sutra Records.

A series of recordings took place with producer Roger Cooke during the summer/fall of 1971. The sessions produced six songs: "I Am A Preacher," "What We Need (Is A Great Big Melting Pot)," "Faith, Hope And Charity," "Come Softly To Me," "Shedding Tears," and "Satan's Choice." The location of the recordings (studio) is currently unknown, and the identity of the producer is currently disputed. It is possible that Tony Kingston returned to London to record with Roger Cook of the legendary writing team "Cook-Greenaway," but this has not been confirmed. This would make sense due to the inclusion of multiple Cook-Greenaway compositions among the recorded tracks (as well as a few other Yorkville recording artists' then-recent releases). 

Tony Kingston's debut Canadian single, "I Am A Preacher/What We Need (Is A Great Big Melting Pot)," was released during December 1971. Both sides were written by the aforementioned Cook-Greenaway writing duo. The single started off modestly, entering the national RPM singles chart at #98 before topping out at #65 by February 1972. "I Am A Preacher" had a significantly better outing on Toronto's CHUM charts, reaching #15 the same month. The song fared even better in Vancouver, where it climbed to #2. The song also made the Top 30 in Hamilton (Ontario). The U.S. release of "I Am A Preacher" in March 1972 managed to reach the Top 30 in Rochester (New York), among other places, but faltered overall. 

Interestingly, the U.S. version of "I Am A Preacher" had two versions: a dual-sided promo and a version with "Satan's Choice" as the B-side. This is an original song written by Toronto writers (and Yorkville affiliates) Mickey Erbe and Richard [Gael] Gilliland for the Tony Kingston sessions. It is currently unknown if the Canadian Yorkville release has any versions with "Satan's Choice" as the B-side. 

With the success of "I Am A Preacher," radio and magazine ads began popping up promoting Tony's sophomore release, "Faith, Hope & Charity." This was another Cook-Greenaway production. Released in June 1972, there were two versions of the single: a dual-sided promo and a version with "What We Need (Is A Great Big Melting Pot)" on the B-side. Expectations were high for Tony's sophomore single release, but unfortunately, it stalled out on the charts, with only minor success in small pockets. 

One final single of Tony's came out on Yorkville Records during 1972. This was "Come Softly To Me/Shedding Tears," in October. Currently there is no available chart history on this single, so check back soon for an update if I find any more info. 

                                                                                            

                                                                     

If You Try And Imagine - The Story Of Carol Lipson

    Throughout the 20th century, Canada has seen no shortage of fantastic singer-songwriters. It's vast, beautiful landscape and deep history of folk and country music have lent themselves heavily to young songwriters over the decades. A handful have become nationally or internationally recognized and respected, but many have been obscured by the passage of time. Obscurity's a cruel fate to befall any artist, especially for those with a story to tell. Today's spotlighted artist is Toronto singer-songwriter Carol Lipson. Her lone commercial release, "Carol," is a wholly original outing put together in her late teens. Though not a commercial success upon release, "Carol" represents a high watermark of quality on the Audat label as well as a great example of original female folk/psych in general. Here is her story:

    Carol Debra Lipszyc was born in Toronto on August 28th, 1955. Both her parents were adolescent Holocaust survivors of Poland and Belarus who settled in Toronto during 1952. During her youth, Carol attended McMurrich Public School. She didn't come from a musical family but found her love of singing early on, listening to various show tunes. It wasn't long before she was singing in youth choirs, both in English and Hebrew. Carol also began studying piano around the age of eight.

    The Lipszyc family moved to a house on Bathurst St. around the fall of 1965. Carol then attended Dufferin Heights Junior High. While studying at the school, she began singing solo in front of a group. Between the ages of ten and thirteen, she sang acapella at luncheon celebrations (bar-mitzvahs).

Carol's professional singing start came at the ripe young age of thirteen, when she made her debut on CBC Radio. The show in question was the Bruce Marsh hosted "What's New," which she performed on for a few weeks. This netted her a guest role at fifteen on another CBC Radio show, "9:15 Alarm Clock." This show (produced by Eithne Black) featured Alan Thicke, Brent Titcomb, Maribeth Solomon, Mickey Erbe, Brian Russell, and Brenda Gordon [Russell], among others. "They produced it in the old CBC building on Jarvis," says Carol. I became a regular and would sometimes skip class to do the show." She also appeared a number of times as a guest vocalist alongside Juliette and Alex Trebek, who co-hosted a CBC radio show at the Colonnade Theatre; the show was called “The Afternoon Show.”    

    "9:15 Alarm Clock" was an important learning experience for Carol as the youngest amongst the cast. She found mentorship amongst the cast as well, which really helped for comfortability as a singer and musician. "On the show, I looked up to Maribeth Solomon in particular," says Carol. "She was about seven years older than me; she wrote songs and played piano and flute." The Alarm Clock show also represented a shift in Carol's musical approach, moving from show tunes toward pop music. 

    Throughout the early 1970's, Carol continued to develop as a singer but also began devoting more time to the piano and songwriting. By early 1973, Carol’s talents were undeniable. She caught the attention of Audat Records. An old friend and gigmate of hers, Vern Kennedy had co-founded the label with Bob Stone and was acting as the A&R man. He insisted that she should record an album of her original songs. With little convincing, Carol was on her way to Halifax with Vern to record at famed Audio Atlantic Studios. This was the place where many “Boot Records” were recorded, as well as most music on the Audat label.

    Audat was an Oshawa-based Country & Folk label with a focus on the Maritimes. This was an extension of label owner Bob Stone's previous label concepts, Stone and Now Records. Though the main focus was on country, folk, and fiddle music, Audat did manage to release quite a few compelling rock/psych/funk projects during its day, mostly Maritimes acts, with many of these releases fetching three-figure sums today due to their rarity and quality: bands like Borealis, Gord Tracey & The Constellations, Brothers & One, The Neighbors Kids, Wes Mackey & The Brotherhood, etc. 

    Carol was set up with top studio players by Audat Records, including Eric Robertson on keyboards. Vern Kennedy handled the arrangements for all of her songs, and Al Feeney handled the mix. The album represents a very talented young lady with a lot to say. All songs were written by the then seventeen-year-old Carol Lipson. The songs convey a (mostly) sunny, orchestrated, acoustic-pop vibe, with vocals comparable to Joni Mitchell or Beverly Copeland. One of the gems of the album is “Ballad Of The Old Man.” The song is lyrically and musically a standout, creating a longing, nostalgic mood and painting a bittersweet story of growing old alone.

    Excitement around the release of Carol’s debut was growing. There was genuine faith in the songs and their ability to reach a larger audience. In an attempt at cross-pollination, Audat had label mates Johnny Cowell and The Oak Island Treasury Department record a pair of her songs. Johnny covered "Pickin Plums" on his 1973 album "Hot Brass," and Oak Island covered "Bring It Down" on their 1973 self-titled album. 

    But unfortunately, it was not to be. Other than pockets in Halifax and Toronto, the album really didn’t perform well due to a lack of meaningful promotion. This left Carol in a tough spot. But one thing she was known for and would become more known for in her later years was perseverance.

    After Carol's debut album failed to find any meaningful success, she'd continue on as a songwriter and performer. She appeared on countless television and radio shows (with hosts like June Callwood, Martin Short, and Peter Gzowski); she did stints in Toronto piano bars; sang and played with many local and visiting jazz luminaries (including the late Paul Grosney, which opened her mind and ears to a deeper level of music study); and generally just tried her hand at breaking into the business in whichever manner she saw fit. Her time playing in piano bars and with jazz musicians was integral to her growth as a musician and songwriter. It highlighted for her the importance of melody line, especially in relation to starker arrangements. “You were compelled to sing well-constructed songs where possible,” says Carol.You were compelled to sing well-constructed songs where possible, says Carol. 

    Her twenties were a time of risk-taking and evolving disillusionment with the music industry. She drifted along, taking whatever music-related work she could while focusing on her craft as a songwriter. Her songwriting continued to improve, and this compelled her to re-enter the recording studio, most often with Jack Lenz as producer, cutting a number of demos throughout the 1980’s. She adopted the stage name Carol Palmer and released her debut singleDown On The Street Corner/In Slow Motion" during 1983 through Rich Dodson's (of Stampeder's fame) Marigold Records label. Apart from a short stint on the Adult Contemporary Billboard Pop charts with "(Down On The) Street Corner" (a song she penned with the late Danny Deardorff), none of the songs managed to gain any traction. Carol, undeterred, continued on in the music industry until her mid-thirties, upon which time she re-entered university to train to teach ESL.

    Carol embarked upon a journey to re-educate herself, acquiring Masters and Doctoral degrees in Education at OISE, University of Toronto, while teaching diverse student populations and often integrating music as a teacher. A literacy/ESl Reader, “People Express” (published by Oxford University Press in the late 1990's), included her self-penned chants and songs as a teaching strategy to help new immigrants with little education.

    Her children’s CD, If You Try and Imagine, orchestrated and engineered by Donald Quan, was conceived of during her teaching certification training in St. Catharines; she believed in the power of integrating curriculum with songs and chants to address multiple intelligences.

    Eventually armed with her doctorate in education, Carol found a tenure-track position at an upstate SUNY College where she taught English teacher education and creative writing until retirement. During that fruitful and fulfilling period, she published across genres, including a book of lyrical poetry, Singing Me Home (Inanna 2010); a book of short stories on children in the Holocaust, The Saviour Shoes and Other Stories (Inanna, 2014); an anthology of poems on the heart, The Heart is Improvisational (Guernica, 2017); and a chapbook, In the Absence of Sons (Kelsay Books, 2020), as well as arts-based educational articles in international journals.

    Carol represents a woman of true courage and tenacity. She's a person who believed in her art and her ability as a songwriter. Whenever Carol was beaten down by the industry, she got back up and fought harder. After her journey of re-education in the 1990's, she attacked the arts world with a new purpose: teaching others, especially children. She’s a multi-talented, warm-hearted person who deserves further recognition for her works. I especially think her 1973 album deserved further inspection. It represents a very talented young lady on the cusp of her creative breakthrough, whose voice is equally at home with the likes of Joni Mitchell and Beverly Copeland. 

                             THANKS TO CAROL LIPSON FOR HER HELP WITH THIS AND ALLOWING ME TO SHARE HER MUSIC ON YOUTUBE

Come Together - The Story Of Goody Two Shoes

 

    Goody Two Shoes is an album with an unforgettable face—a pair of raggedy conjoined shoes atop a sterile white background. Though the album cover is striking for all the wrong reasons, the music inside is the opposite. It's a stellar mix of rock, funk, psych, and country—a 50/50 blend of original Canadian compositions by the band and (mostly) international covers. Like many of Canada's country music-focused labels, Paragon Records (who released the album) had a semi-frequent tendency to sign local acts of other genres, record and release their material with little to no promotion, and call it a day. With the advent of the internet and DJs/tastemakers working tirelessly over the intervening decades, small pockets of music fans have discovered these albums, and many are very good. This is essentially the fate of The Goody Two Shoes album, and below is the untold story of its history. But first, we must briefly touch on the history of the band that preceded Goody Two Shoes: A Passing Fancy. They were one of Toronto's earliest garage band success stories. Along with "Nothin" by The Ugly Ducklings, A Passing Fancy's "I'm Losin' Tonight" is considered one of Toronto's finest garage slabs. 

    A Passing Fancy began in Toronto as The Dimensions. They performed early on in the Yorkville neighborhood, at various clubs during July of 1965. The original line-up consisted of Ian Telfer (bass), Brian Price (organ/vocals), Jay Telfer (rhythm guitar/lad vocals), Phil Seon (lead guitar), and Greg Hershoff (drums). Bernie Finkelstein, a young and ambitious music promoter who recognized some of the members from Downsview High School, caught their set at El Patio, where he was working as a coffee maker. He offered to be their manager, which in turn got them a regular spot performing at El Patio through the end of the year.

    1966 saw Bernie Finkelstein move on to managing The Paupers, as well as some line-up changes for A Passing Fancy. The beginning of 1966 saw the group officially change their name from The Dimensions to A Passing Fancy. They began playing regularly at high schools across Ontario, started a fan club, and managed to get noticed by friends of their fan club manager, Barb Young. The Wal-Den Management Company was formed and within no time helped A Passing Fancy garner the attention of Columbia Records, who signed them to a three-single deal. 

    

    Early 1967 saw A Passing Fancy's popularity skyrocket. They embarked on tours (Eastern Canada, New York, etc.) and played regularly at some of Toronto's most popular clubs (The Night Owl, Gogue Inn, Club 888, etc.). The timing was perfect for the release of their debut single, "I'm Losing Tonight/A Passing Fancy." It managed to reach #22 on the RPM Singles charts in March. The second single "You're Going Out Of Your Mind/Sounds Silly" also charted in June, but at a lower position (#37). The third release was "I Believe In Sunshine/She Phoned," and it managed to get to #28 on RPM, almost directly between the first and second singles' chart positions. Of the three singles released by A Passing Fancy thus far, Jay Telfer wrote five of the six sides ("I Believe In Sunshine" was by Greg Hambleton). He was showing exceptional talent as a songwriter, and talent would only grow in the coming years. 

      A Passing Fancy saw a fourth single release in November 1967, mostly spurred on by Columbia Records. Though the group was popular at the time, "People In Me/Spread Out" only managed to reach #89 on the RPM charts. Columbia Records also expected an album from the band, but at this time, the group was in turmoil due to scheduling issues. Brian Price (Organ/Vocals) quit the band in March 1968 and was replaced by Fergus Hambleton. After shooting an episode of CBC's "Let's Go" (the first one in color) and doing a few scattered performances, Jay Telfer was fired from the band. That was a catalyst for a mass exodus in May of 1968; A Passing Fancy had broken up. 

 

    The Wal-Dan management company asked Fergus Hambleton to put together a new version of A Passing Fancy, and within a short frame he managed to do so. The lineup was: Glenn Brown (vocals), Ron Forster (guitar), Fergus Hambleton (organ/vocals), Dan Troutman (bass), and Wally Cameron (drums). The new group recorded four sides and pitched them to John Irvine's Boo Records. He signed the group to a one-sided, one-album deal and managed to buy their tapes from Columbia Records. The single "Your Trip/Island" was released in June 1968 and barely managed to scrape RPM's singles chart at #92. 

    November 1968 saw the release of A Passing Fancy's self-titled debut album. Though it was packed full of their previous hits, the album didn't sell particularly well. Interestingly, the album version of "I'm Losing Tonight" is missing the lead guitar solo. The story goes that when recording the song, the guitar solo was recorded afterwards on a separate piece of tape and spliced in. Fun fact: Phil Seon was taught the solo by Robbie Robertson. "When John Irvine bought the tapes, he was unaware of the separate solo and released the song as is," says Fergus Hambleton. "So any subsequent releases with the solo included were dubbed from 45." 

 

    The band tried their best to promote it during their residency at Yorkville's famous El Patio club, but it was for not. 1969 mostly spelled the end for the band. With their recent sales blunders and diminishing creative opportunities, they decided to go their separate ways by March or April of that year. 

 

    During their time together in A Passing Fancy, Fergus Hambleton and Jay Telfer became close. So naturally, Fergus had been spending a lot of time hanging out with Jay after he was fired. "Jay and Fergus were very good friends and in fact used to get together almost weekly to have songwriting jam sessions," says Kevan Staples (former roadie for A Passing Fancy—later of Rough Trade). "Goody Two Shoes grew out of that friendship and those jam sessions." 

 

    Post-A Passing Fancy, Jay Telfer became a machine, writing and recording over a dozen songs with Fergus' brother Greg Hambleton at Sound Canada Studios. Jay pitched two of the songs to Ottawa's Sir John A Records, one of Canada's finest psych/garage labels of the era, which fostered a lot of young, mostly Ottawa-based talent. During November 1968, Jay Telfer's debut solo single "Life, Love, And The Pursuit Of Happiness (A Hippy Philosophy)/Watch The Birdie" was released in a limited run of 250 copies (as most of Sir John A's Records were, driving up their value in later years, when even fewer copies remained). The B-side, "Watch the Birdie," is the title track of a self-penned play that Jay Telfer wrote and debuted at Toronto's "Old Angelos' Theatre" a month or two prior to the release of the single. 

    After the release of Jay's debut single, he began work on his debut album, "Perch." Greg Hambleton assisted Jay in recording the demos during the winter of 1969, which Jay presented to Bernie Finkelstein over lunch one day. Bernie enjoyed what he heard and expressed an interest in producing an album. 

 

    The recording of Perch is one of Toronto music's most fascinating mysteries, mostly because the album was never released and the master tapes narrowly escaped the trash compactor. Pair Jay's unique "psyched" out writing style with a roster of Yorkville's finest musicians, many of whom were currently undergoing their own psychedelic music awakening, and you have a match made in heaven. Ten original songs were recorded in the spring of 1969 at Sound Canada Studios, featuring performances by Murray McLauchlan (then twenty years old), Danny McBride (then nineteen years old), Fergus Hambelton (on saxophone and clarinet), Kensington Market (featuring John Mills Cockell on Moog synth), Milkwood (featuring Malcolm Tomlinson), Cathy Young, Donna Warner, and more. As Telfer recalls, the musicians had a ton of fun doing the album, but when it came to selling it, Finkelstein asked the late Felix Pappalardi, who’d produced Kensington Market, but was turned down.

    

    After the demise of A Passing Fancy, Fergus Hambleton went back to school and played music on the side. He became acquainted with fellow schoolmates who had their own band called "The Ginger Group." Fergus was invited to join, which he graciously accepted. The line-up consisted of Eric Canning (lead vocals/lead guitar), Scott Lowell Mollison (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), Jack Merrick (drums/backing vocals), Peter Lye (bass), and Fergus (piano/backing vocals). After some time rehearsing, they recorded a handful of original songs at Sound Canada Studios in the summer of 1969. Two of the songs were pressed onto singles to be released by an early version of Greg Hambleton's Tuesday Records, but they were never put out. It is currently unknown how many copies were pressed. 

 

    During summer 1969, Jay Telfer began apprenticing as an engineer at Art Snider's Sound Canada Studios. Jay and Fergus had been discussing teaming up to record some songs, and with a little persuasion from Art Snider, the pair made the switch. "Art Snider was operating a bunch of different labels out of his Sound Canada studio at the time and looking for product for some of them," says Fergus Hambleton. "He offered me and Jay 50$ each for every album we recorded." The only caveat Art had regarding the proposition was that one side of the record (or a sides-worth of material) needed to be "current" charting songs. 

    The recording of the Goody Two Shoes album (done during October of 1969) was a fairly laid-back process. Jay Telfer spent weekdays in the studio experimenting, while Fergus was in school during the day. "I learned some production and engineering while working at Sound Canada, so I would hang out while Fergus was away, set up the tape, run in to perform the parts, then run back out to rewind and listen to them," says Jay. Through this process, Jay recorded all the drums, rhythm guitar, bass, and organ, plus most of the vocals. Fergus came in on weekends to record piano, clarinet, vocals, and saxophone parts. 

 

    Jay and Fergus both sang on the record, contributing some of their originals. Jay contributed four songs ("High Falootin'," "I'm Losing Tonight," "Sounds Silly," and "Ten Pound Note," and Fergus contributed one ("Without You"). Two of Jay's contributions were previously recorded by A Passing Fancy ("I'm Losing Tonight" and "Sounds Silly"), while Fergus' contribution ("Without You") was previously recorded earlier that summer by him and The Magic Cycle for a "shadow" production that Greg Hambleton was working on [See my Birchmount Records Story for more info on that]. The covers were a mix of The Beatles ("Come Together"), Harry Nilsson ("One"), The Band ("Up On Cripple Creek"), Larry Williams ("Slow Down"), and The Everly Brothers ("Dream").

 

    Interestingly, The Goody Two Shoes album features the first recording of Jay Telfer's "Ten Pound Note," which would become a hit for Toronto's Steel River when they covered it in July 1970 (going Top 10 on Canada's RPM charts). Jay Telfer wrote, recorded, and produced "Ten Pound Note" solo, specifically for and at the Goody Two Shoes sessions, all in one day. Additionally, this album features one of the earliest known publicly released covers of The Beatles "Come Together" (which the album is named after). 

 

    Speaking of "Come Together," the only extra musician used on the Goody Two Shoes album was Kevan Staples (later of Rough Trade). Kevan was close to A Passing Fancy and was their roadie during 1968/1969. "At the time I was sharing an apartment with Jay, and he asked if I wanted to play guitar on a couple of songs," says Kevan. "The challenge was to recreate George Harrison‘s solo for "Come Together," which, although not terribly difficult, I’d only been playing guitar for two years. The other song they had me play on was “I’m Losing Tonight." I must’ve been asked to play the guitar solo that Phil Seon had played on the original song. In fact, I believe it was the same guitar." 

 

    After the album's release in November of 1969, Jay, Fergus, and Kevan remained friends, collaborating multiple times over the years. Kevan Staples got into session work during the 70's, doing a few transcription sessions for the CBC (Dianne Brooks and Jodie Drake) before co-founding Rough Trade in the late 1970's. Jay Telfer was bit by the theater bug again and managed to land the guitar part in the Toronto production of "Hair." In addition to this, he got back to writing songs in his free time, with one crucial change: he began shopping them around for local artists. This decision proved vital to his legacy, as some of his compositions would go on to be hits in the hands of others. Fergus continued working at Sound Canada Studios with his brother Greg in the aftermath of Goody Two Shoes. During 1971, Fergus Hambleton was signed to Capitol Records, where he began his solo career. 

                                                                          

Who Is Suzanne - Birchmount Records Mystery

    The story of Suzanne is intrinsically linked to the story of Birchmount Records. Despite the popularity and availability of Birchmount Records' releases in Toronto (and Canada at large), the story of Suzanne had more or less been lost to time. This all changed, however, when two Canadian music historians began researching the early history of the Birchmount label. Though unaware of each other's work at the time, these two historians collectively unearthed the story of Suzanne. "Who is Suzanne?" you may be asking... The below article aims to answer this question: 

   

    Suzanne [Susie] Filion was born in London, Ontario, on July 7th, 1949. During her youth, the Filion family relocated to Toronto for work opportunities. Suzanne began attending Rosedale Public School in September of 1955. Early on, she showed a talent for singing. This didn’t come as a surprise to her family, however, as they had listened to her belting out tunes since before she could walk. The irony is, other than her grandfather, John Tindal, who was an opera singer around Ontario during the 1940’s, the Filion family wasn’t really musically inclined. That is, unless you count the regular and unabashed shower time a cappella sessions, practiced individually and embraced collectively.

    With the encouragement of her parents, Suzanne began singing in the children's choir at her school before the age of ten. Early on, they had the opportunity to play Toronto's legendary Massey Hall, which was a joy for the young vocalist. Suzanne loved singing, and it came easily to her from a young age. She began playing violin in her pre-teens, giving it up after a few years. This was replaced with an occasional interest in guitar. 

    After graduating from Rosedale Public School, Suzanne attended Jarvis Collegiate. Here, she made many musical friends and eventually put together an a cappella girl group with some schoolmates called “The Four Notes.” Though they didn’t record, they had a blast performing around Toronto. The highlight of this time together was a handful of Sunday night gigs they performed at The Blue Note club on Yonge Street.

    During 1967, after graduating high school, Suzanne began waiting tables part-time at the famous Riverboat Coffeehouse, located in Toronto’s bustling Yorkville district. The music venue was located in a basement. The Riverboat's decor was modeled after the interior of a boat, featuring porthole windows, wood paneled walls, and intimate booths. The burgeoning folk-rock scene in Toronto gravitated toward The Riverboat and venues like it. The intimacy they provided trained an artist’s dynamic ability while simultaneously inspiring their songwriting. A number of famous songs by influential folk artists of the time were rumored to have been written at The Riverboat (Gordon Lightfoot's "Steel Rail Blues," Joni Mitchell's "Night in the City," Neil Young's "Ambulance Blues," and Phil Ochs' "Changes.".

    Working at the Riverboat Coffeehouse, Suzanne saw and heard nothing but the highest tier of both local and visiting folk and blues talent, night after night. On top of this hotbed of creativity spurning on her singing, Suzanne had numerous opportunities to meet and spend time with the musicians who performed at the venue. Her biggest influence at this time was, without a doubt, Joni Mitchell. The two became casual friends over Suzanne’s time working at The Riverboat.

    In an attempt to pay for her tuition at the University of Toronto, Suzanne began looking for other jobs around town in 1968. She eventually answered an ad in the Toronto Star newspaper looking for an assistant/secretary. The ad was placed by local musician and producer Greg Hambleton, who had just founded his “Tuesday Music Production” company and was looking for employees. 

 

    Greg Hambleton was the eldest of five siblings, many of whom were musically gifted. At the time, Greg was developing quite the resume. After a few years performing and writing songs in Toronto’s Yorkville district, he grew interested in production and publishing in 1967. He began work as an independent recording engineer at Sound Canada and RCA Studios in Toronto, recording legendary singles by The Midnight Angels, The Boodly-Hoo, The Fringe, A Passing Fancy, The Humble Sponge, and The Eighth Day, among others.

 

Greg's “Tuesday Music Production” was housed in an office at 9 Sultan Street, across from The Windsor Arms Hotel. Suzanne enjoyed working with and for Greg. Early on in her employment, there was talk around the office of Greg getting hired as a producer and talent scout by a new local label known as Birchmount Records.

A sub-label of Toronto’s Quality Records, Birchmount Records was a budget label that was born out of a want of their parent label to offload some of their deleted or out-of-print vinyl records. Though this may have been the initial intention, about half of the first eighty releases were unique Canadian content, exclusive to the label. Instrumental to these homegrown musical beginnings was Greg Hambelton. In tune with the local scene and its various happenings, they tasked Greg with finding local talent to record. Who was the first person on his list? Suzanne Filion.

Suzanne was never known for writing original songs, but Greg was. So with that in mind, four of the ten tracks that were rehearsed and recorded for Suzanne's album were songs written by Greg (“Weather (later popularized by Gloria Kaye),” “Shendah,” “You Try,” and “Island”). Notably, "You Try" is a vocal version of what appears as an instrumental track on the Tuesday's Children later album on Birchmount Records (BM-508). Additionally, Greg's younger brother Fergus contributed a song to the session ("Without You").

The rest of the Suzanne album were cover songs chosen from pop hits of the current era. Suzanne sings “Traces,” “I Love How You Love Me,” “(Do You Know The Way To) San Jose,” “This Girl’s In Love,” and “Anyone Who Had A Heart” in her own distinct style. The latter three cover choices are all Burt Bacharach/Hal David compositions. "Burt Bacharach and Hal David were probably my favorite songwriting duo at the time," says Suzanne. "Greg and I chose what were, in our opinion, the duos' three best songs." 

    The recordings took place at Art Snider's Sound Canada Studios in Toronto over a two-week span, during the summer of 1969. "We recorded the songs late at night as the studio's high demand meant this was the only available time slot," says Suzanne. Greg Hambleton brought in local psych-rockers The Magic Cycle (soon to be Cycle) to record the bed tracks for drums (Kevin Barry; brother of Paul Clinch), guitar (Stan Theriault & Paul Clinch), piano/organ (Peter Goodale), and bass (Joey Rome). It’s unknown who plays trombone on Fergus Hambleton’s “Without You,” but a likely guess is Larry Crawford.

 

    Greg used the band that backed Suzanne to record a number of other projects he did for Birchmount, including Candy Rock Fountain, Tuesday’s Children, and The Sultan Street Nine (which I suspect Greg sang uncredited on). He later used some of the same musicians as session players when he started his own record label. Sessions include Fergus Hambleton, Gary & Dave, etc. 

 

    With the songs recorded, the album was ready for release. During September 1969, the announcement came down in RPM's weekly magazine and a few other music publications that Quality Records was launching their new label, "Birchmount Records." Suzanne's album (simply called "Suzanne") was released simultaneously with twenty-one other Birchmount releases before October. The Suzanne album bears the “BM-501” catalog number and was the first album released by the label, receiving minor local buzz due to its inclusion in the initial announcement of Birchmount’s founding in RPM and other publications. The album was released locally and stayed that way. Unfortunately, it was the first in a long line of causalities on the label. As a budget label, Birchmount did minimal promotion for its albums, making it very hard for any of these artists to get picked up or receive airplay. 

 

    Shortly after Suzanne’s album was released, she gave copies to friends and family as Christmas gifts. Suzanne soon noticed that she gave away all the copies she owned. Upon the realization of her mistake, Suzanne went to Sam The Record Man on Yonge Street to buy a copy. “The look on the salesman’s face was priceless when he realized I was the gal on the back cover who had to buy her own album. I had to eat crow that day,” says Suzanne.

    After the album debacle was over, Suzanne retired from music all together. She quit working at The Riverboat in 1972. Afterwards, she worked at the infamous Julies on Jarvis Street in the Bombay Bicycle Club for seven years as a bartender and waitress. She stayed in the city as a legal assistant until around 1980. "By that point, I had had my fill of Toronto and was looking for something new," says Suzanne. She relocated to British Columbia during 1980-1981, where she got a job working in the office of the B.C. Attorney General. She remained there until her retirement, which she is currently enjoying in the golden British Columbia sun. 

 

    With that, you have the definitive "closing of the book" moment on one of Canadian pop/psych music's early cult figures. Recorded during summer midnight slots in the nook of one of Toronto's busiest recording studios, Suzanne and Greg Hambleton were able to cook up something special—a Bubble-Gum-Psych-tinged snapshot into the beginnings of one of Canada's most frustrating (but vital) music labels. The Suzanne album has found fans all over Canada, the United States, and spots in Europe. Wherever there are budget bins and music buyers willing to take a chance on an intriguing cover, that's where Suzanne and many artists like her can find their niche. 

                                            THANK YOU TO SUZANNE AND GREG HAMBLETON FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS   

The Demo Cates Story - Part I: The Counts

    Demo Cates is a name that moviegoers and music lovers alike should recognize. With over fifty years in the entertainment industry, living in both the US and Canada, Demo has amassed an impressive resume and has even won awards along the way. Although primarily a saxophonist, Demo Cates has flexed his vocal muscles on record multiple times (including one of Canada's first hip-hop recordings), also singing on countless radio jingles over the years. On top of the musical accolades, Demo has also had occasional supporting or guest roles as an actor, including in the television series Forever Knight, Goosebumps, and The Jane Show, and the films Blues Brothers 2000 and A Raisin in the Sun. Below is the story of where it all began for Demo. 

    Demo [Demetrius] Cates was born on November 13th, 1948. He was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in a musical family. Demo didn't take up his first instrument until around the age of nine, when his mother encouraged him to try the saxophone and even offered to pay for lessons. Demo quickly took to the saxophone and excelled in his studies. He took lessons at a music shop in downtown Detroit known as Grenelles. At school, Demo received constant praise and encouragement from his music teacher. "I went to Nolan Jr. High in Detroit, and my music teacher, Mr. Paxton, really encouraged me," said Demo. "He thought that I had a great tone at such an early age." 

    While still in school, Demo started his first band, "Demetrius And The Gladiators." Granted, they were all around 13–14 years old at the time, so clubbing was out of the question. But they still had a lot of fun as a garage band, playing their favorite jazz, R&B, and rock and roll songs. "It was a cool name," comments Demo. "We didn't have any gigs; we just had fun practicing." 

    Throughout his teens, Demo continued to improve his playing. As he puts it, "I started lessons at nine and turned professional by the time I was fifteen." After the Gladiators, Demo got involved with some other local bands on the Detroit scene. It wasn't long before he was making some serious money. "I was making $250 a week and was able to afford to pay off a brand-new car." 

    During 1964, at the age of sixteen, Demo Cates co-founded The Fabulous Counts in Detroit with Mose Davis (keyboard/organ/bass), Leroy Emmanuel (guitar), and Andrew Gibson (drums). Demo was introduced to Mose by a mutual friend, and they quickly hit it off and began jamming. Mose invited Andrew to join, and one day after a jam session, they all went to Grenelles (the music store where Demo was taking lessons). "We went inside, and Leroy Emmanuel was sitting trying out some guitars, and we were all amazed by his playing," says Demo. "We convinced Leroy to join and called ourselves The Fabulous Counts." Jam sessions quickly grew to include their neighbors Raoul Keith Mangrum (Congas), Shelton Hill (saxophone), and Jim White (tenor sax). This completed the original line-up, as Mose opted to play keyboard bass with his foot pedals, allowing them to proceed without a bassist.

The Fabulous Counts quickly developed a repertoire of mostly instrumental songs—R&B, jazz, rock—you name it, they played it. This meant that the group were prime candidates to back up local and visiting singers at various Detroit music venues. Thankfully, they caught the attention of Fred McClure (a member of the Masonic Temple), who offered to manage them. One of Fred's first acts as manager was getting them a rehearsal space and regular gigs performing at the Elk's Hall in Detroit. They also performed at a number of other union halls across the city. Their main working relationship came from backing Detroit singer Spyder Turner. The Fabulous Counts' recording debut came from 1968 sessions for Spyder Turner's hit "Stand By Me." 

    The Fabulous Counts then caught the attention of Detroit producer Richard "Popcorn" Wylie by the end of 1968. Richard convinced the band to record some songs with him. From these sessions, the band recorded four songs: three originals ("Jan Jan," "Scrambled Eggs," and "Dirty Red") and one cover ("Girl From Kenya). Richard then set out trying to get the band a record deal and succeeded with Ollie McLaughlin's Detroit-based Moira Records. "Jan Jan/Girl From Kenya" was their debut release. Though "Jan Jan" was a strong single (featuring Demo Cates' debut sax solo on record), it narrowly missed cracking the Billboard R&B Hot 100 Singles Chart. Demo Cates reminisces about a local Detroit DJ's response to the song: "Ernie Durham [known as "Frantic Ernie"] used to play Jan Jan all the time, and right before my solo, he'd always say, 'Come on, Demo, blow, blow, Demo!'" 

    The group reappeared in April 1969 with their sophomore release, "Scrambled Eggs/Dirty Red," but unfortunately, it failed to chart. Talks began about switching labels, and a lot was riding on the performance of their third release. 

     After returning to the studio with Richard Wylie during the spring/summer of 1969, The Fabulous Counts emerged with more recordings. Their final release for Moira Records was "Get Down People/Lunar Funk" (which features Demo Cates' first lead vocal on record), which hit #32 R&B and #88 on the US pop charts. The success of this single saw the band get contacted by Cotillion Records, who were interested in putting out a full-length album before the end of 1969. The Fabulous Counts left Moira and joined Cotillion. An album titled "Jan Jan" was released, cobbling together their six single sides as well as six unreleased tracks: two originals ("The Other Thing" and "The Bite") and four covers ("Simple Song," "Soulful Strut," "Hey Jude," and "Man's, Man's World"). 

     1970 brought about a few changes for The Fabulous Counts. First and foremost, they signed a new record deal with Detroit label Westbound Records. They also began touring extensively, doing West Coast promo tours as well as an established East Coast circuit. This consisted of Detroit, New York, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Toronto (plus many Ontario cities), and Montreal, among others.

    After their debut single with the Westbound label, "Rhythm Changes/Pack Of Lies," failed to chart, the band decided to shorten their name to simply "The Counts" and record the remainder of their sophomore album, "What's Up Front That Counts," in Toronto during early 1971 at RCA Studios. 

    September of 1971 saw the release of The Counts' debut (technically sophomore) album, "What's Up Front That Counts," and oddly enough, even though it was recorded in Toronto, the album never received a Canadian release. 

    The Counts were excited for the album and felt it had potential. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by labelmates The Ohio Players and Funkadelic. This was in part due to preferential promotions for the aforementioned acts that left The Counts somewhat neglected. Although the band was overshadowed at the time by their label mates, their "What's Up Front" album has gone on to garner significant praise in the funk community as well as become a hip-hop sample classic, with nearly a dozen noteworthy sections.

    The remainder of 1971 and early 1972 saw The Counts touring with Funkadelic across America. The band admits to having Funkadelic rub off on them stylistically speaking. "We were more conservative," says Demo. "But throughout the tour we started getting influenced by them—headbands, afros, the whole nine." 

    During the tour, while playing in Atlanta, The Counts caught the attention of entrepreneur Michael Thevis (who is infamous for funding the movie Deep Throat, among other things). He was Atlanta-based and was on the verge of launching a new record label known as Aware Records (a subsidiary of GRC). Michael really wanted The Counts to help launch his label with an album release. Though reluctant at first, the band were offered free studio time, a truck to make the arduous journey from Detroit to Atlanta, and spending money for their time there, to which they ultimately accepted Michael's offer. 

   The Counts made the cross-country journey from Detroit to Atlanta during late 1972 and began work on their second (technically third) album, "Love Sign." The band was no longer a six-piece due to Raoul Keith Mangrum (congas) and Jim White (tenor sax) leaving before the move. Nonetheless, the album was a wholly original affair, featuring contributions by the whole band, including Demo Cates' first original composition on record. "Mose and Leroy typically handled the writing," says Demo. "During the recording of this album, I was going through some things in my personal life, and I worked up this song called Sacrifice, with a little bit of help from Mose and Leroy." The album as a whole represents a more "far-out" style of funk than its predecessor, "What's Up Front." 

    Released in early 1973, Love Sign was not commercially successful. Though the band was happy to stick it out in Atlanta with Aware Records and try again the following year with another album (and multiple singles), Demo was growing restless. "At the time, I was getting really involved with religion and reading the Bible with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I grew dissatisfied with the "band" lifestyle and needed to get out," says Demo. "I moved back to Toronto as I really enjoyed the diversity there during the recording of "What's Up Front" and felt it was the perfect place to start my new life." And start a new life he did. Though Demo wanted to take a break from music, Toronto's bustling scene was too much to resist. A brief session with Wayne St. John's band back in Toronto (c. 1972) started a lifelong friendship with the singer, and he helped Demo get temporary and eventually permanent citizenship. 

                                                     STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO - THANKS TO DEMO CATES FOR HIS HELP!