Blue Feeling - The Story Of Snakeye

Snakeye was formed in August of 1971 out of the remnants of multiple local Halifax, Nova Scotia, groups: Langley Beach Crowd, Pepper Tree, and Melody Fair. The original members consisted of Allard Barkhouse (drums/lead vocals), Jim White (guitar), Tony Argent (guitar), and Kenny Umphrey (bass/backing vocals). The leader of the group (as well as the main songwriter and lead singer) was Allard Barkhouse. He also acted as de facto management during the early days.

During 1971 and early 1972, Snakeye performed around Nova Scotia and garnered a small but devoted following. They began a management arrangement with H.P. & Bell, who also managed Lighthouse at that time. H.P. & Bell arranged a central Canadian tour (Ontario/Montreal) for Snakeye during the summer of 1972 in an attempt to bolster their popularity. They played the regular circuit for bands of the time: high schools, colleges/universities, coffee bars/clubs, bars, etc.

While in Toronto during their summer 1972 tour, Snakeye recorded their debut album at Toronto's famous Thunder Sound Studios. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Keith Jollimore partnered with them to produce the sessions. This was something of a reunion, as Keith was also from Halifax and had previously played in Central Nervous System with Snakeye guitarist Jim White. Keith Jollimore was a reeds player in multiple Halifax bands, including the house band of Frank's Bandstand, The Offbeats. In addition to this, Keith was a singer, songwriter, arranger, and in-demand session musician before relocating to Toronto.

The material recorded for Snakeye's debut album was wholly original. Bandleader Allard Barkhouse co-wrote every song with various members of the band, with the exception of "Blue Feelin'" and "Choked Up," which were credited to the whole band. Producer Keith Jollimore added flute and saxophone to some songs. He also hired Paul Hoffert (Lighthouse) to be executive producer on the sessions, brought in Dianne Brooks for backing vocals, and current bandmate (Dr. Music) Doug Riley to add piano/keyboards. This clearly affected the band, as they would eventually add a keyboardist to the lineup.

 A total of ten songs were chosen for the album, but it's possible that more songs were recorded during the June/July Thunder Sound sessions. Two songs were chosen for a debut single, and the band was excited to begin shopping their demos around to record labels. They hit the road and continued their tour before returning to Halifax in the fall of 1972. Upon their return, the gigging continued, but Snakeye struggled with finding a label for their album.

In early 1973, Snakeye's luck changed when they managed to secure a contract with the Canadian brand of the United States record label United Artists Records. Though the album was still shelved, the band was able to test the waters with their lead single, "Blue Feelin'/Choked Up." The only condition, was that they had to add horns, which makes the single recordings unique to the album versions. Released in the spring of 1973 internationally, the A-side managed to reach #51 on the RPM Hot 100 Singles Chart, which gave the band another shot at Toronto. They were invited to open a series of high-profile gigs with A Foot In Cold Water and April Wine. The band graciously accepted, but after all was said and done, they had to quickly return to the Maritimes, where another high-profile opening slot awaited, this time for Blood, Sweat & Tears on nearly a half dozen East Coast dates.

From the outside, things were looking up for Snakeye: chart success, touring, and opening for big Canadian acts. But unfortunately, behind the scenes, lineup changes were on the horizon. First, bassist Kenny Umphrey left the band in late 1973 and was replaced by Gordon Tucker (Double Blind). This lineup solidified through early 1974 when Snakeye was touring with Ocean and The Bells, two other Canadian mega-acts. Then, after contract disputes with their management (mostly due to H.P. & Bell losing Lighthouse as a client) again delayed the release of their album, guitarists Jim White and Tony Argent left the band. They were replaced by Steve Brown and Cedric Upshaw. 

Throughout the remainder of 1974, Snakeye coasted on existing gigs, and leader Allard Barkhouse returned to management duties temporarily. Bassist Gordon Tucker left the group, and former bassist Kenny Umphrey was asked to rejoin the band, which he accepted. The band signed a management contract with Hudson Productions and continued to search for new recording/record release opportunities as the months progressed. 

Near the end of 1974, Snakeye was contacted by Halifax record label owner Harold Langille. He had recently launched a new label called Big Harold's Records, and though it only had two releases on its roster (a single by Blakeney Still and an album by The Festival Family), Harold felt Snakeye's album would be a perfect addition to the label. Plans were made, and the album (entitled Blue Feelin') finally saw release in early 1975. New members and old members were credited on the album jacket, but none of the new members performed on any of the tracks. The album is a phenomenal ten-song platter of pure original blues rock magic. Standout tracks include "I'm Coming Home", co-written by Allard Barkhouse and bassist Kenny Umphrey. 

Kenny Umphrey's second phase with the band came to an end in early 1975, shortly after the release of the band's debut album. He was replaced by Allard Barkhouse's former bandmate from Langley Beach Crowd, bassist Steve Russell. After getting Steve up to speed on the band's repertoire, Snakeye embarked on their third Ontario tour, which was followed up with an opening slot on April Wine's Maritimes tour to close out 1975.                                                    

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