Hour One – The British Invaders

1.   The Shadows: Midnight - 1961
2.   Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas: I’ll Keep You Satisfied - 1963
3.   The Searchers: Don’t Throw Your Love Away - 1963
4.   The Dave Clark Five: Glad All Over - 1963
5.   The Swinging Blue Jeans: The Hippy, Hippy Shake - 1964
6.   The Animals: Boom Boom - 1965
7.   Gerry & The Pacemakers: I’m The One - 1964
8.   Peter & Gordon: World Without Love - 1964
9.   Herman’s Hermits: Just A Little Bit Better - 1965
10. The Hollies: I’m Alive - 1965
11. Them: Gloria - 1965
12. The Kinks: All Day And All of The Night - 1965
13. The Rolling Stones: Time Is On My Side - 1964
14. The Honeycombs: Have I The Right - 1965
15. The Seekers: I’ll Never Find Another You - 1964
16. The Yardbirds: Heart Full Of Soul - 1965
17. Spencer Davis Group: Keep On Running - 1965
18. Whistling Jack Smith: I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman - 1966

Hour Two - The Canadian Response *

1.   Chad Allan & The Expressions: Hey, Ho What You Do To Me - 1965
2.   The Big Town Boys: Jack Rabbit - 1967
3.   The Esquires: Rhythm Shoes - 1964
4.   Canadian Beadles: I’m Coming Home - 1964
5.   Jack London & The Sparrows: Sparrows & Daisies - 1965 
6.   Les Habits Jaune: Rock n’ Roll Music - 1965
7.   The Ravens: Young Blood - 1965
8.   The Liverpool Set: Seventeen Tears To The End - 1966
9.   Lyn McEachern: Searchin’ - 1969
10. Wes Dakus & Club 93 Rebels: Pink Canary - 1965
11. The Checkerlads: Shake Yourself Down - 1966
12. Don Norman & The Other Four: Your Place In My Heart - 1967
13. The British Modbeats: Somebody Help Me - 1967
14. The Lords Of London: Cornflakes & Ice-Cream - 1967
15. The Du-cats: Off The Hook - 1965
16. The Haunted: Searching For My Baby - 1966
17. Our Generation: Cool Summer - 1967
18. The Ugly Ducklings: She Ain’t No Use To Me - 1966
19. The Eyes Of Dawn: Time To Be Going - 1967

CanCon = 51%

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And Now for The Particulars:

Hour One – The British Invaders

1.   The Shadows: Midnight
(Hank Marvin / Bruce Welch)
45 rpm single bw F.B.I.: Columbia (UK) - 45-DB 4580
London UK
Hank Marvin: lead guitar
Bruce Welch: rhythm guitar
Jet Harris: bass guitar
Tony Meehan: percussion
Produced  1961

Brian Robson Rankin (Hank Marvin) b. 28 October 1941 Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

In England, before The Beatles broke, The Shadows were the biggest rock band in the land. With instrumental hits of their own, including Apache, they were also the backing band of Cliff Richard and even played themselves in Richard’s hit 1963 film, Summer Holiday. Guitarist Hank Marvin inspired countless budding guitar players who went on to lead the British Invasion.

2.   Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas: I’ll Keep You Satisfied
(Lennon / McCartney)
Top Twelve Hits: Capitol Records of Canada: T 6091
Liverpool UK
Billy J Kramer: vocal
Tony Mansfield: drums
Robin MacDonald: guitar
Ray Jones: bass
Mike Maxfield: lead guitar
Produced by George Martin, 1963
Recorded at Abby Road Studios
Released in UK, Nov 1, 1963; Canada October, 1964

Born William Howard Ashton, 19 August 1943 in Bootle, Lancashire, England.

Kramer was managed by Brian Epstein who produced Lennon & McCartney songs for him to record in 1963. His first hit single release was “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, followed by “I’ll Keep You Satisfied”, “Bad To Me” and “From A Window”. Although Kramer never really broke through in North America, he is considered to be a father of the Invasion. The Dakotas, who were a well known band like The Shadows, backed him in the studio. They did play Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens November 1, 1964 on a double bill with Gerry & The Pacemakers.

3.   The Searchers: Don’t Throw Your Love Away
(Billy Jackson / Jimmy Wisner)
Sugar & Spice: Pye Records: NPL-30044
Liverpool UK
Tony Jackson: lead vocals, bass
Chris Curtis: drums
Michael Pender: lead guitar
John McNally: rhythm guitar
Produced by Tony Hatch, 1963

The Searchers were formed in 1959 by John McNally & Michael Pender taking the name from John Ford western The Searchers (1956).

The first Pye single; 'Sweets For My Sweet' featured Tony Jackson as main vocalist supported
by Pender and Curtis and shot to number one in the UK in 1963. I saw ‘em play at Harbourfront Centre in the early 1980s and as far as I can tell, it was their 2nd ever appearance in Toronto; the first being with a package tour: The 1960s British Rock Invasion Revisited at Maple Leaf Gardens, June 28, 1973.

4.   The Dave Clark Five: Glad All Over
(Dave Clark / Mike Smith)
Single bw I Know You: Capitol Canada: 72138
London UK
Dave Clark, Drums
Michael Smith, keys
Dennis Payton, sax
Lenny Davidson, guitar
Rick Huxley, bass
Produced by Adrian-Clark, 1963
Canadian Production: Paul White

The DC5 only played Toronto a couple of times, both in 1964. Other than The Beatles, they were probably the biggest British Invasion draw that year. They played at Varsity Arena in the University of Toronto in June and half-filled Maple Leaf Gardens on the 2nd of November. They were incredibly popular on this side of the ocean, and again, other than The Beatles and The Stones, they probably had the biggest career in America of all the other first wave British Invasion bands.

5.   The Swinging Blue Jeans: The Hippy Hippy Shake
(Chan Romero)
45 single bw Now I Must Go: Capitol Records Canada: 72143
Liverpool UK
Ralph Ellis: guitar
Norman Kuhlke: drums
Les Braid: bass, keys
Ray Ennis: lead guitar, vocals
Produced by Walter Ridley, 1963
Recorded December 1963

Written & recorded by Chan Roman of Australia when he was just 17.  Also preformed & recorded by The Beatles on their BBC Sessions in July, 1963. The Swinging Blue Jeans were a big part of the original British Invasion of 1964, covering a few solid hits with songs like Good Golly Miss Molly but petered out as more and more great records were flown across the ocean by other artists trying their luck in America. American craving for more of the Liverpool ‘Mersey Beat’ Sound seemed insatiable.

6.   The Animals: Boom Boom
(John Lee Hooker)
The Best Of The Animals: Quality Records: V-1786
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne UK
John Steel, drums
Eric Burdon, vocals
Chas Chandler, bass
Alan Price, keys
Hilton Valentine, guitar
Produced by Mickey Most, 1965
Recorded by Val Valentin

It didn’t really matter if they were from London, Manchester or Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: to us North Americans, as long as they were British, bands joined the British Invasion. The Animals were northern working class kids who played the blues; Eric Burdon was their take-no-prisoners lead vocalist. They broke ground during the invasion, opening up opportunities for bands like The Rolling Stones. The Animals played MLG with Herman’s Hermits on August 6, 1966.

7.   Gerry & The Pacemakers: I’m The One
(G Marsden)
45 single bw You’ve Got What I Like: Capitol Records Canada: 72145
Liverpool UK
Gerry Marsden: vocals, guitar
Freddie Marsden: drums
Les Chadwick: bass
Les Maguire: piano
Produced by George Martin, 1964
Recorded at Abby Road Studios, London

Gerry & The Pacemakers were managed by Brian Epstein, as were Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Cilla Black and Sounds Incorporated. The Pacemakers made two trips to Toronto in 1964 with The Dakotas.

8.   Peter & Gordon: World Without Love
(Paul McCartney)
45 Single bw If I Were You: Capitol Records 5175
London UK
Peter Asher, vocals
Gordon Waller, vocals
Geoff Loves Music
Produced by Norman Newell, 1964
Recorded 21 January 1964 Abbey Road Studios

The song was written by Paul McCartney. It was the first of many big hit songs for P&G. They also recorded “If I Fell,” “Nobody I Know”, “I Don't Want to See You Again”,  and another McCartney song: Woman. Of course, Peter Asher’s sister Jane was Paul McCartney’s girlfriend at the time which helped the duo secure some pretty lucrative songs from The Beatles. By being in the right place at the right time, Peter & Gordon lucked out by being part of the initial invasion. Peter Asher went on to records by James Taylor, Tony Joe White, Linda Ronstadt, Cher, 10,000 Maniacs, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, to name a few.

9.   Herman’s Hermits: Just A Little Bit Better
(Kenny Young)
The Best Of Herman’s Hermits: Quality Records V1783
Manchester UK
Peter Noone: vocals
Derek Leckenby: lead guitar
Keith Hopwood: rhythm guitar
Barry Whitwam: drums
Karl Green: vocals, bass
Produced by Mickie Most, 1965

Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone b. 5 November 1947 Davyhulme, Lancashire, England

Herman’s Hermits lead an impressive charge up the charts in 1965. Their barrage started with the release of “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” followed by “Silhouettes”, “Mr. Brown (You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter)”, “Wonderful World”, “I’m Henry The VIII, I Am” before releasing “Just A Little Bit Better” in August. (They would go on to release another great single, “A Must To Avoid” in December). They also made appearances on several network US TV shows and toured with another Mickey Most managed band, The Animals, in 1966. All in all, not a bad year for The Hermits. They made three films between 1965 and 68.

10. The Hollies: I'm Alive
(Clint Ballard Jr)
45 single bw You Know He Did: Capitol Records of Canada 72268
Manchester UK
Allan Clarke: lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
Graham Nash: vocals, guitar
Tony Hicks: vocals, guitars, banjo, mandolin, bass, sitar, keyboards
Eric Haydock: bass
Bobby Elliott: drums
Produced by Ron Richards, 1965
Recorded at EMI Abby Road Studios

Another great British Invasion band that was around at the beginning of the British Invasion, The Hollies (named after Buddy Holly) were made up of some of the most profession pop musicians in England. They were able to release a slew of hit songs, including "Bus Stop", "Stop Stop Stop", "On a Carousel" and "Carrie Anne". The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

11. Them: Gloria
(Van Morrison)
Here Comes The Night: Parrot Records (Mono) PA 61005
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Van Morrison, vocals, tenor sax
Billy Harrison, lead guitar
Alan Henderson, bass
John McAuley, drums, piano, harmonica
Peter Bardens, organ
Produced by  Dick Rowe, 1965

Alan Henderson and Billy Harrison, along with Ronnie Milling, formed a band called the Gamblers in 1962 in East Belfast. Over time, they added Eric Wrixton on piano and, finally, Van Morrison on sax, harmonica and vocals. Since Billy Fury, in England, was already backed by a group called the Gamblers, they were forced to change their name in order to have a chance of getting heard in the UK, and they became Them.  After recording Gloria and Here Comes The Night (plus a couple of albums), Them broke up in 1966 with Morrison going solo. Henderson put a new version of Them together and in the late 60’s recorded some more tunes. After that he started a construction company.

12. The Kinks: All Day And All Of The Night
(Ray Davies)
The Kinks Greatest Hits: Pye Records: NPL 30090
London UK
Ray Davies: guitar, vocals
Dave Davies: guitar
Mick Avory: bass
Pete Quaife: drums
Produced by Shel Talmy, 1964
Recorded 23 September 1964 at Pye Studios No. 2, London
Released 23 October 1964

The Kinks were a second wave British Invasion band who were on the cusp of striking gold in America but kind of got screwed up in the process. Someone messed up! Let’s just put it this way: everything that could go wrong on that tour did so and everyone shares the blame. Band members fighting: one lands in hospital, the other’s in jail. Unpaid union dues. Badly promoted gigs. A terrible itinerary. In the end, The Kinks were banned from ever performing in the United States for a period of five years!

Similarities between this song and the Doors' 1968 song, "Hello, I Love You" have been pointed out. Ray Davies said "My publisher wanted to sue. I was unwilling to do that. I think they cut a deal somewhere, but I don't know the details." In the liner notes to the Doors Box set, Robby Krieger has denied the allegations that the song's musical structure was stolen from Ray Davies. Instead, he said the song's vibe was taken from Cream's song "Sunshine of Your Love". According to the Doors biography No One Here Gets Out Alive, courts in the UK determined in favor of Davies and any royalties for the song are now paid to him.

13. The Rolling Stones: Time Is On My Side
(Jerry Ragovoy  aka Norman Meade)
Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass): London Records NPS 1
London UK
Mick Jagger: lead vocals, tambourine
Keith Richards: lead guitar, backing vocals
Brian Jones: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Bill Wyman: bass guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts: drums
Ian Stewart: Vox Continental organ
Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, 1964
Compilation Album produced, 1966
Recorded at Chess Studios,  Chicago on November 8, 1964

First recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his Orchestra in 1963, the song was covered by both soul singer Irma Thomas and the Rolling Stones in 1964. The Stones recorded it twice: the British release was recorded in the UK June 1964 featuring an organ intro. This version was recorded when the Stones were in Chicago, at Chess Studios in November, 1964. This was one of two songs The Stones performed on their first Ed Sullivan Show appearance, October 25, 1964. The other was "Around And Around," a Chuck Berry cover.

14. The Honeycombs: Have I The Right
(H & A Blaikley)
45 single bw Please Don’t Pretend Again: Pye Records 749
London UK
Denis D'Ell: lead vocal, harmonica
Martin Murray: rhythm guitar
Alan Ward: lead guitar
John Lantree: bass
Honey Lantree: drums
Produced by Joe Meek, 1964
Recorded by Joe Meek at 304 Holloway Road, London

The group were made up of Martin Murray, a hairdresser, his salon assistant Honey Lantree, her brother John and two friends. Originally they called themselves the Sheratons. Meek used his apartment at 304 Holloway Road, Islington (north London) as a recording studio. Three U.K. No.1 hits were produced there: "Johnny Remember Me" by John Leyton in 1961, "Telstar" by The Tornados in 1962, and the last of them, "Have I the Right?" in 1964.

Although Have I The Right was a huge hit in the West, it was The Honeycombs only hit. It obviously rode on the waves of the Invasion.

15. The Seekers: I’ll Never Find Another You
(Tom Springfield)
The  Best of The Seekers: Capitol Records SM 2746
Melbourne / Victoria, Australia
Judith Durham: piano, vocals
Athol Guy: bass, vocals
Keith Potger: 12 string guitar, banjo, vocals
Bruce Woodley: guitar, mandolin, banjo and vocals.
US Release Produced by Bill Miller, 1968

The Seekers were formed in 1962. This record was originally released December 1964, it reached No. 1 in the UK in February 1965. It eventually went on to sell 1.75 million copies worldwide. The Seekers had several overseas hits and are just another example of the never-ending supply of great records produced in England that made a huge impact over here.

16. The Yardbirds: Heart Full Of Soul
(Graham Gouldman)
The Hits Of The Yardbirds: Capitol Records Canada T 6229
London UK
Jeff Beck: guitar
Keith Relf: lead vocal, acoustic guitar
Jim McCarty: drums
Ron Prentice: bass
Produced by Paul Samwell-Smith, 1965
Compilation Produced 1967

Paul Samwell-Smith, the regular bass player for the Yardbirds, produced the song and hired a session player, Jeff Beck, to play the bass on Heart Full of Soul. It was also the first song released by the band after Beck replaced Eric Clapton. It was released in the UK on 4 June 1965. Graham Gouldman, who wrote the song, played with another Invasion Band, The Mindbenders, who sometimes back-up singer Wayne Fontana.  Gouldman then played with 10CC. Two more of his songs appeared on this “Hits of the Yardbirds” album: Evil Hearted You and the band’s first big hit, For Your Love.

17. Spencer Davis Group: Keep On Running
(Jackie Edwards)
The Very Best Of Spencer Davis Group: United Artists (mono) UA-LA433-E
London UK
Spencer Davis: guitar, vocal
Steve Winwood: keys, lead vocal
Muff Winwood: bass
Pete York: drums
Produced by Chris Blackwell and Jimmy Miller, 1965
Compilation produced by Paul Burke 1975

Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948)

It’s a legendary story: a young kid takes the world by the balls. While still a pupil at Great Barr School, Winwood was a part of the Birmingham rhythm and blues scene, playing the Hammond C-3 organ and guitar, backing blues singers such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Eddie Boyd, Otis Spann, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley on their United Kingdom tours

He formed the Spencer Davis Group with his Brother Muff and Spencer in 1963, when he was just 13. Two years they recorded Dimples, followed by their number one hit, Keep On Runnin’. By 1967 he was tiring of the Spencer Davis Group and did a one-off album (and tour) with Blind Faith, featuring Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker before forming Traffic with Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, and Chris Wood.

18. Whistling Jack Smith: I Was Kaiser Bills Batman
(Roger Greenway / Roger Cook)
I Was Kaiser Bills Batman: Derem Records DE 16006 mono
UK
Noel Walker: whistling
Studio Musicians
Produced by Noel Walker 1967

The Creation of Noel Walker, there was no actual performer called ‘Whistling Jack Smith’. The name was a take-off on the name of the baritone singer of the 1920s called ‘Whispering’
Jack Smith. So credited to ‘Whistling’ Jack Smith, “I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman” rose up the UK singles charts. When it was to be featured on the ‘Top of the Pops’ BBC TV program, actor Coby Wells was used to mime the whistling, and later toured as the public face of Whistling Jack Smith. (Wells' real name was Billy Moeller; he was born in 1946 and was a brother of Tommy Moeller, lead vocalist, guitarist, and pianist with Unit 4 + 2).

The cover for the record features Wells wearing a Red British military jacket, spreading his arms and hands around a globe of the world. British enough to sell a lot of records.


Hour Two - The Canadian Response

1.   Chad Allan & The Expressions: Hey Ho What You Do To Me
(Simpson / Ashford / Arhstead)
45 Single b/w Goodnight, Goodnight: Quality Records: 1752X
Winnipeg MB
Chad Allan: vocals/guitar
Bob Ashley: keyboards
Randy Bachman: guitars
Jim Kale: bass
Garry Peterson: drums
Produced 1965

Allan Peter Stanley Kowbel aka Chad Allen b. Winnipeg March 29, 1943

When Chad Allen & The Expressions first got together in 1962, they were a cover band from Winnipeg that got caught between Buddy Holly and the emergence of The Beatles. In fact, they were one of the first Canadian bands to hook onto the Beatles’ Liverpool sound. By 1965 they were suffering at the hands of the nearly-non-existent Canadian music industry who refused to play their discs so they recorded a  Johnny Kidd & the Pirates  song "Shakin' All Over" and wouldn’t tell anybody who they were. They just used the name Guess Who? Instead of their real name and it worked. Their version became a hit, It went to no. 1 in Canada, no. 22 in the States and even scored big in Australia – coz nobody knew who they actually were: a little rock band from Winnipeg. Because of their hit, they changed their name to The Guess Who but wouldn’t find success until the end of the decade.
   
2.   BTB-4: Jack Rabbit (The Big Town Boys)
(Resnick / Levine)
Yorkville Evolution Compilation: Yorkville YVM 33001
Toronto ON
Tommy Graham: vocals, guitar
Josh Collins: drums
Peter Sterbach: keys
Louis Yacknin: bass
Produced by Bob Halley, 1967

1963-68 – The Big Town Boys, Little Caesar & The Consuls and The Esquires were the 3 big  Canadian rock bands who got to open for big touring acts as the local component of their package shows. These shows were big! Several opening acts were used to warm up the crowds.
 
Originally released as single on Yorkville YV-45010

3.   The Esquires: Rhythm Shoes
(Gary Comeau / Don Norman)
Introducing The Esquires: Capitol Records - T-6075
Ottawa ON
Don Norman: vocals
Gary Comeau: lead guitar
Clint Hierlihy: bass
Paul Huot: guitar
Richie Patterson, drums
Produced by Clint Hierlihy, 1964
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Montreal
First Published in Canada August, 1964

The Canadian Esquires, who were the first band to win the Maple Leaf Award 1964 (later called The Junos). There other Esquire bands in Indiana, West Virginia, Texas (not to mention Neil Young’s Esquires in Winnipeg).

4.   Canadian Beadles: I’m Comin’ Home
(Triune)
Three Faces North: Tide Records TLP 2005
Sarnia ON
Vic Miller: guitar
Paul Case: drums
Bruce Pollard: bass, vocals
Produced 1964

Origin:  Sarnia, Ontario (group); Vancouver, British Columbia (Vic Miller); Kingston, Ontario (Paul Case); Sarnia, Ontario (Bruce Pollard).

Recorded 3 singles as The Blue Echoes 1964 & 1 LP as Canadian Beadles 1965. They also recorded 2 singles under the name Vic, Paul and Bruce.

A Merseybeat-influenced band whose records are now very sought-after and collectable. They started out in early 1963 as The Blue Echoes and came from Sarnia, Ontario, but also spent some time in California.
 
Canadian Beadles from Sarnia (Ontario) included in its membership three guys named Vic Blunt (Ralph Miller, guitar, played in The Blue Echoes, Mojo Men, The Frantiks, Center Stage), Paul Case (drums) and Bruce Pollard (drums, vocals, previously played in The Staccatos, later - in The Soul Survivors).  
 
Recorded for the "Tide" label in the US, in which the band sent a tape to with recordings of group as “The Blue Echoes” in 1963, playing in the style of "merseybeat". The head of Tide Records, Ruth Christy, was impressed and invited them to come to the US, which they did. It was there, at the beginning of 1965 before a show in the Los Angeles "Coliseum" (which was held under the name "KFWB's Beatle Alley") that they were billed as “The Canadian Beadles”. As a trio they enjoyed great success in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas since Vic, Paul & Bruce (the name they began using at the end of 1965) could sing just like The Beatles.

5.   Jack London & The Sparrows: Sparrows and Daisies
(Dennis Edmonton)
45 single bw Our Love Has Passed: Capitol Records Canada
Oshawa ON
Jack London (Dave Marden): vocals
Dennis Edmonton (future Mars Bonfire): guitar
Dave Hare: keys
Bruce Palmer: bass
Jerry Edmonton: drums
CJ Feeney: organ, piano
Producer not listed, 1965

Dennis Edmonton (born Dennis Eugene McCrohan, 21 April 1943), also known by the stage name Mars Bonfire

This was the band that would later constitute Steppenwolf from the pre-John Kay era. Jack London was a Toronto based singer who tried capitalizing on the British Invasion by speaking with a fake British Accent and wearing Carnaby Street clothes. The bass player was Bruce Palmer who would later go to California with Neil Young and join Buffalo Springfield. This song may have been produced by CJ Feeney who played keys. But that is just a guess.

Note: this song was also recorded by The Big Town Boys as BTB-4 in 1967.

6.   Les Habits Jaune: Rock And Roll Music
(Chuck Berry)
Les Habits Jaune: Laval Records LF-4202
Coteau-sur-lac (Valleyfield) QC
Gilbert Chenarde: guitare soliste
Bernard Desranleau: guitar, vocals
Ronald Grenier: saxophone et chant
Mike Egan: organ
Armand Leger: bass
Raymond Parent: drums
Produced 1965
Recorded May 1965 at Stereo Sound, Côte-des-Neiges QC

Les Habits Jaune made their debut under the name of The Marvel 's. In 1965, they changed their name and recorded two hits for Laval Records: "Miss Boney Maronie and Mr. Long ." They were known for their yellow suits, made from curtain fabric that never wrinkled. They played on mostly yellow instruments and got around in a yellow car. They even bleached their hair yellow but quickly abandoned that following allergic reactions to the bleaching product they used. When Boney Maronie became a hit in Quebec they filled a 500 seat room in Chicoutimi leaving people standing outside just to hear the band play. It sold 62,000 copies.

7.   The Ravens: Young Blood
(Leiber / Stoller)
Rock & Roll Comes To Newfoundland & Labrador CD Compilation
St John's NL
Bob Rowe, guitar
Rod French, guitar
Don Oakley, lead guitar
Jim Hennessey, Fender Bass
Rocky Wiseman, drums
Paul Rumsey, vocal
Produced 1965
Originally released on Arc Records A-1099
Recorded in Halifax NS
Reproduced by Wayne Sturge, 2007

Jim Hennessey ordered his Fender bass guitar from Peet’s Music in Montreal. When Leo Fender heard about this, he wrote Hennessey a letter to go along with the guitar claiming that it was the first one Fender had sold in Newfoundland.

The Ravens didn’t name themselves after a bird. It was the combination of surnames: Ryan and Evans, who formed the band in 1960. They went down to Toronto to record at Arc Sound and released Young Blood bw Sincerely in 1965 which hit Number One at CJON in Vancouver. But the band had no recording contract with Arc Records & they saw no royalties from their record which sold an estimated 20,000 across Canada.

8.   The Liverpool Set: Seventeen Tears to The End
(Dave Donnell / E Lancing)
45 Single: Columbia C4-43813
Toronto
Dave Donnell [aka Lachlan Macfadyen]  (vocals, guitar)
Jack Douglas (bass)
Kent Daubney (drums)
Evan Hunt (guitar)
Garry Nelson (guitar)
Shane Sennet (bass)
Produced by Don Law & Frank Jones, 1966

Kent Daubney (of Newark, England) was formerly in the Mynah Birds with Rick James (nee Matthews) briefly for the rare single recording on Columbia called "The Mynah Birds Song" before leaving the band to co-form The Liverpool Set with Macfadyen.
 
As their name suggests, the first single "Must I Tell" was influenced by the British Invasion. The song took them into the Canadian Top-20 and peaked at #18).
 
Following the demise of the band, Macfadyen would join the Townsmen. Later, he would team with Daubney and Douglas would form Waterfront Productions; Macfadyen would discover and produce Harlequin and has worked with Joe Hall's Rancho Banano; Douglas would go on to produce John Lennon, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick and The Trews among others; Daubney is currently owner of the Polar Bar ice cream parlour in Unionville, Ontario.

9.    Lyn McEachern: Searchin'
(Leiber - Stoller)
45 rpm: C.M.I. Records - CMI 1002
Thunder Bay, ON
Don Brown: guitar, vocals
Tom Horricks: sax, lead vocals
Lyn McEachem: drums, lead vocal
Joey Stapansky: keys, vocals
George Stevenson: bass, vocals
Produced by Don Grashey at Don Grashey Production, 1969
P.O. Box 44, Fort William Ontario

Lyn McEachern was the drummer for Thunder Bay's top grunge band, “The Plague”, who most likely backed him up on this, his solo release. Lyn did put out another 45 “I Know I Love You” on London Records in 1973.

10. Wes Dakus & Club 93 Rebels: Pink Canary
(Bob Clarke)
45 single bw Road Block (Quality) 1982X
Edmonton AB
Wes Dakus: steel
Barry Allen (guitar, vocals)
Bob Clarke (guitar)
Stu Mitchell (drums)
Dennis Paul (bass)
Produced 1959

Wesley "Wes" Dakus b. Mannville Alberta April 2, 1938 / d. August 18, 2013 Vancouver (75)

Wes Dakus & The Rebels formed in 1958 and often interchanged personnel with Edmonton’s Nomads. They were signed to Quality Records in 1960 and released “El Ringo” that year. Touring as the backing act for several other prominent artists, including Buddy Knox, which established the band as seasoned professionals allowing them to record material as Wes
Dakus & The Rebels with famed producer Norm Petty (Buddy Holly, The Fireballs) starting in 1962. Later sessions in 1964 also produced recordings for Dakus himself and erstwhile member Barry Allen’s side project as a solo artist.

Allen still reunited with The Rebels from time to time, usually at auspicious benefit concerts, although guitarist Bob Clarke died on December 13, 1998. In 2006, Minnesota based Super Oldies Records hosted several 'oldies rock and roll reunions' in Edmonton in the '80s and '90s, and released the definitive Wes Dakus collection:  three individual discs that compiled all of his and The Rebels' hits, out-takes and alternate versions.

The weekly music trade magazine RPM named the Rebels the Canadian instrumental group of the year for three consecutive years from 1964 to 1966.
  
Wes Dakus and Club 93 Rebels was what they called the band when they worked for an Edmonton radio station: they only released one 45 under that name.

11. The Checkerlads: Shake Yourself Down
(L Reich / B Buckolz / B Frel / A Riplinger / H Frasz)
45 Single bw Baby Send For Me: Gaiety G 116
Regina SK
Bob Edwards: keys
Harvey Frasz: drums
Larry Reich: guitar
Arnie Sanns: bass
Bob Stevens: vocal
Produced by Charles Williams & Don Grashey, 1966
Recorded in Thunder Bay, ON

“Baby Send For Me”, a Rolling Stone clone song, was supposed to be the A Side of this single but djs preferred spinning the B Side Shake Yourself Down. It got pretty good exposure on Vancouver’s Rock station CFUN.

12. Don Norman & The Other Four: Your Place In My Heart
(John Matthews / Don Norman)
Sir John A Records 45: RG 1019
Ottawa ON
Don Norman (vocals, guitar)
Gary Comeau (guitar, vocals)
Ron Greene (guitar, keyboard, vocals)
Bill Helman (bass, vocals)
Brian Dewhurst (drums)
Produced by Norman Green, 1967

Like another band from 1967, Yellow Balloon, who recorded the song Yellow Balloon, the B Side of the single was the same song as the A Side, only played backwards.

13. British Modbeats: Somebody Help Me
(Jackie Edwards)
Mod........Is The British Modbeats: Red Leaf Records - RED 1002 - vinyl
St. Catherines / Grimsby, ON
Fraser Loveman: vocals
Joe Colonna: bass
Robbie Jeffrey: drums
Greig Foster: guitar
Mike Gorgichuk: guitar
Produced by Stan Klees, 1967

In 1963, a St. Catherines Shadows-style instrumental band called The Lintels were already aware of the British scene before it ever made it over the Atlantic and so in late-'64/early '65 they became The British Modbeats. They were quick to jump on the invasion craze and were the first to wear paisley, bell bottoms and shaggy hair which worked drove Ontario teens out of their minds. Fraser Loveman, the lead vocalist was subscribing to British pop music magazines. He was one of the first Canadians to embrace the Mod culture.

The album was produced by the same Stan Klees who founded the Juno Awards (as the RPM Maple Leaf Awards in 1964) and the RPM trade magazine. Klees was born 29 April 1932 in Toronto and began working at CHUM radio in the late 1940s. From there he got a job with London Records before starting his own production and record label. He was also responsible for designing the MAPL logo for Canadian Content rules. He was awarded the Special Achievement Award at the SOCAN Awards in Toronto in 2001.

14. Lords of London: Corn Flakes and Ice Cream
(Greg Fitzpatrick)
45 single bw Time Waits For No One: Apex Records 77054
Toronto ON
Greg Fitzpatrick (bass, vocals)
Hughie Leggat (guitar)
John Richardson (guitar, vocals)
Danny Taylor (drums)
Sebastian Agnello (keyboards)
Produced by Al Mair and Greg Fitzpatrick, 1967
Recorded at RCA Studios, Toronto

Originally got together in North York in Grade 8 as Danny Taylor and the Phantoms. They had this hit when most of the members of the group were only 14. Their established teen fan club requested "Cornflakes" so often that it shot to #1 in Toronto and soon followed suit

15. The Ducats: Off The Hook
(Jagger / Richards)
45: RCA Victor 57-3375
Port-aux-Basques, NL
Lew Skinner, lead guitar
Jim Crewe, rhythm guitar
Bob Battiste, bass
Joe Boulos, drums
Winston Blackmore, vocal
Produced 1965
Recorded in Boston Mass

The Du-Cats were awarded the Stompin’ Tom Award at the 2010 East Coast Music Awards.  The group ventured down to the New England States to record in 1965 and turned down a contract with Smash Records in the 1960s. Still, they were one of the first Newfoundland and Labrador rock bands to make records. Lead guitarist Lew Skinner is still active, playing rock in St. John’s, most recently with a band called Generations.

Playing in the States in the mid 1960s The Du-Cats were paired up with Bill Haley. "Bill Haley, he didn't even have a cent when we met him," said Jim Crewe. "He wasn't making any money. He was going to come to Newfoundland and spend a summer with us.

"We were planning to come back and spend July and August back here. At that time, he wasn't getting any work in the U.S., so he said he'd come down here and we'd play the theatres. I remember how old he was at the time - 39, going on 40. We thought - he's old!"

16. The Haunted: Searching for My Baby
(Arthur Lee)
45 Single bw Searching For My Baby: Trans World Record Co. TW 1674
Montreal QC
Bob Burgess (lead vocals)
Pierre Faubert (guitar)
Glen Holmes (bass)
Peter Jugen (guitar)
Peter Symes (drums)
Produced by L McKelvey & H Squires, 1967

17.  Our Generation: Cool Summer
(Louis McKelvey)
45 single: Trans-World Records - TW-1678
Montreal, QC
Bob Burgess: lead vocals, bass
Tim Forsythe: keys
Louis McKelvey: guitar
Nick Farlowe: drums
Produced 1967

Former members of Montreal bands: The Haunted (Burgess), The Rabble (Forsythe) and The A-Cads (McKelvey). Unfortunately, they only stayed together for a few months.

18. The Ugly Ducklings: She Ain’t No Use To Me
(Dave Byngham / Roger Mayne)
Somewhere Outside: Yorktown Records - YT 50,001
Toronto ON
Dave Bingham (vocals)
Glynn Bell (guitar)
Roger Mayne (guitar)
John Read (bass)
Robin Boers (drums)
Produced by Bill Huard, 1966
Recorded by Dave Leonard, Ray Lawrence, Gary youngblood & Terry Vollum at
Stea Phillips, NYC - Hallmark Sound, Toronto - Bay Recording, Toronto

The Ducks were really the first local band we thought of as Stars. They got together in 1965 as a Rolling Stones attitude band with one of them in a Brian Jones haircut and the lead vocals approximating Mick Jagger. After releasing their first hit, “Nothin’”, they were one of many bands who got to open for the Stones at Maple Leaf Gardens before 15,000 fans.

She Ain’t No Use To Me was a good follow-up but it wasn’t until they released Gaslight in 1967 that they hit the number one spot in Canada. In 1968 Yorkville Records released the band's debut album, 'Somewhere Outside', and Mick Jagger proclaimed The Ugly Ducklings as "my favourite Canadian band". The trouble was, they had already disbanded.

19. The Eyes Of Dawn: Time To Be Going
(The Fortunes)
45 Single: Sir John A RG 1018
Ottawa ON
Wayne McQuaid (lead vocals)
Terry King (bass, lead vocals)
Rich Francoeur (lead guitar)
Warren Henry (guitar)
Leo Leclair (bass)
Greg Magee (drums)
Jack Arsenault (organ)
Produced by Norman Greene, 1967


When The Fugitives 4 lost their guitarist, Jack Arseneault, his parting gift to the band was suggesting they change their name. They became Eyes of Dawn in 1966 and their first break came when they won the 'Big 9' battle of the bands in Hull, Quebec. From there they perfected their playing and performing four nights per week as the house band for at the Le Petite Souris coffee house. Their standing room only/sold out shows brought them to the attention of manager John Poser who took them on as clients. He soon arranged a recording session in Montreal with Don Norman and Ron Greene as producers. Their first single "Time To Be Going" was released in January 1967. Shortly after the release McQuaid left the band. Throughout 1967 they began to establish themselves on the Ottawa/Quebec circuit highlighted by an opening slot for Eric Burden & The Animals at the Ottawa Coliseum that ended in a riot and the end to rock shows at the venue.

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