Category Archives: Canada

Categories: Canada, Toronto

Transfusion

February 8, 2023 Nick Warburton 1 Comment

Simon Caine (Vocals)

Danny McBride (Guitar, Vocals)

Rick Shuckster (Bass)

Tom Sheret (Keyboards)

Pat Little (Drums)

Later members included:

Andy Kaye (Guitar)

Louis Yacknin (Bass)

Ray Arkenstaul (Keyboards)

Stan Endersby (Guitar, Vocals)

Brother of Lighthouse singer Bob McBride, Danny McBride (b. 1951, Toronto) had started out playing in The Shades alongside his brother in 1965. The group was the house band at Charlie Brown’s coffeehouse.

Danny McBride later helped Don Walsh start The Downchild Blues Band and also did stints with The Diplomats and Bob McBride and The Breath.

Danny McBride formed the original line up of Transfusion around July 1968 with former Georgian People (later Chimo!) drummer Pat Little (b. 10 March 1947, North Bay, Ontario), who had recently rehearsed with McKenna Mendelson. With the help of John Brower, who was looking for a house band to play at the Rock Pile, they completed the line up with former Simon Caine & The Catch members, Simon Caine, Tom Sheret and Rick Shuckster.

The first line up played together for most of the year before Caine, Shuckster and Sherett moved on and McBride and Little brought in Andy Kaye from Peter & The Pipers and Louis Yacknin from The Carnival Connection.

Former Livingston’s Journey member Stan Endersby replaced McBride in January 1969 after briefly working in England in late 1968 with Horace Faith and the house band at Hatchetts Playground in Piccadilly, London and then returning home to play a few shows with Leather.

Transfusion then changed name to Crazy Horse and opened for The Mothers of Invention in February. The band successfully auditioned for a show at Toronto’s Electric Circus during February 1969 but Endersby left soon afterwards and flew to England to form Mapleoak with Peter Quaife of The Kinks.

The rest of the band, still under the Crazy Horse name, began a show at the Electric Circus on 21 April 1969.

Yacknin left later that year to join Lighthouse and the band broke up soon afterwards. Little traveled to New York and played with Van Morrison.

Danny McBride rejoined Pat Little in January 1970 in a revamped Luke & The Apostles. McBride established a solo career and worked as a session player, subsequently joining Chris de Burgh among others.

Advertised gigs

20 September 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Blood, Sweat & Tears

22 September 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Blood, Sweat & Tears

27-28 September 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with The Silver Apples

4 October 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Fever Tree

5 October 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Procol Harum and Fever Tree

6 October 1968 – Massey Hall, Toronto with The Fugs and McKenna Mendelson Mainline

27 October 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Jeff Beck Group

30 November 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with McKenna Mendelson Mainline

27 December 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Mandala and The Paupers

31 December 1968 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Kensington Market and Sherman and Peaboby

15 February 1969 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Witness Inc (billed as New Transfusion)

Venue poster. Thanks to Stan Endersby for sharing

22 February 1969 – Unknown venue, Toronto with Leather (billed as Transfusion)

23 February 1969 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention (billed as Crazy Horse)

27-28 February 1969 – The Garage, Toronto (billed as Crazy Horse)

3-6 March 1969 – El Patio, Toronto (billed as Crazy Horse)

21 March 1969 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Mary Lou Horner (billed as Crazy Horse)

All gigs are from the Toronto Telegram‘s After Four section. This website was also very useful: https://yorkvillecoffeehouses.org/

Huge thank you to Danny McBride, Pat Little and Stan Endersby for providing information on the band.

We’d love to hear from anyone who can provide more information and photos.

Categories: Canada, Toronto

Franklin Sheppard & The Good Sheppards

February 8, 2023 Nick Warburton Leave a comment

The group in August 1967. Left to right: Chuck Slater, Rick Berkett, Glen Higgins, Franklin Sheppard, Wulf Stelling, Gordon Baxter and Sonnie Bernardi. Photo: Gord Baxter

Franklin ‘Zeke’ Sheppard (Vocals)

Ed Patterson (Guitar)

Robbie King (Organ)

Ronnie Banks (Bass)

Gordon Eves (Drums)

Wulf Stelling (B-3 organ)

Gordon Baxter (Guitar)

Glen Higgins (Saxophone)

Rick Berkett (Bass)

Frank De Felice (Drums)

Sonnie Bernardi (Drums)

Chuck Slater (Drums)

Singer Franklin Sheppard had started out with The Dovermen in the early 1960s before putting together Franklin Sheppard & The A-Go-Gos around 1965 with the first line up. Guitarist Ed Patterson may have been the same musician who was in Brantford, Ontario band, Jaye’s Rayders, but this needs confirmation.

This band subsequently became The Good Sheppards and gigged extensively in Toronto before travelling to Vancouver in September 1966 for a show at Dirty Sal’s Cellar. On their return, the musicians went their separate ways and the singer looked around for a new band to become the second version of The Good Sheppards.

In October 1966, he found a Brantford, Ontario band led by Wulf Stelling and took over from the original singer Larry Lewellan. He then took the band back to Toronto.

Group leader Wulf Stelling had worked with The Marques Royales in the early 1960s alongside several future Grant Smith & The Power members.

During the spring of 1966, he began to put together a new soul/RnB group with former Jaye’s Rayders members Rick Berkett, Glen Higgins and Frank De Felice. To complete the formation, he brought in singer Larry Lewellan plus (from Kitchener group The Counts Royale) guitarist Gordon Baxter.

The new band rehearsed intensively for three months before Franklin Sheppard turned up and took over the lead singer position. Through their Toronto-based manager Gary Salter, they began to pick up work on the southern Ontario club circuit.

The new version also appeared on CTV’s It’s Happening and played tonnes of soul tunes. One of Sheppard’s popular numbers was Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’.

During mid-1967 Sheppard and Stelling decided to add a second drummer and brought in Sonnie Bernardi from Marianne Brown & The Good Things.

However, when the group was offered a US tour in August 1967, Frank De Felice decided to leave and later worked with the band Jericho. Chuck Slater took his place.

The following month, Franklin Sheppard & The Good Sheppards embarked on a US tour that lasted until May 1968, kicking off with a residency at Tony Mart’s in Ocean City, New Jersey on 3 September, playing alongside The Coachmen.

Through their US booking agent Jack Fisher from Hillside, New Jersey, the band performed seven nights a week on the US ‘nightclub circuit’.

Through him, Gord Baxter remembers that they got to perform at #3 Lounge in Boston from early October 1967 and then worked a number of nightclubs in Boston, including the Intermission, before moving on to New York to play at Trude Heller’s in Greenwich Village, starting in mid-November. After playing in the Big Apple, Chuck Slater departed in December and later joined Ocean.

Photo: Gord Baxter. Castaways Club, Chicago

Reverting to a single drummer, the musicians next travelled to Chicago to perform at the Castaways Club before moving to Nashville. From there they headed to Miami, Florida and worked at Wayne Cochran’s club, the Barn during February 1968 alongside Wayne Cochran and The CC Riders and Freddie Scott & His Kinfolk.

Baxter remembers that after they finished up in Miami, the group headed north again and performed in Newport, Rhode Island, around Cape Cod and back to Boston.

In May 1968, the group was playing at the Inferno in Buffalo, New York when Sheppard decided he had had enough. With the rest of the musicians exhausted, everyone returned to Ontario where Baxter started to put together a new group in Kitchener.

Then, in January 1969, Stelling contacted him to join a new version of Grant Smith & The Power alongside Berkett and Bernardi.

Stelling left in May that year while the others remained with The Power until August when Grant Smith paired the band down. Baxter then reunited with Stelling in The Wulf Pack.

Sheppard joined Mainline in the spring of 1970 and later played with Blackstone. During the ‘70s he may have played with The Dutch Mason Band before moving to Nashville to work as a studio musician. After working in Florida he died of cancer.

Selected gigs

1 October 1965 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario with The Morticians (billed as Franklin Sheppard & The A Go Gos)

3-4 December 1965 – Devil’s Den, Toronto

10-11 December 1965 – Devil’s Den, Toronto

24-25 December 1965 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

14 January 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Counts

15 January 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Jaye’s Rayders and Hamilton and His Teejays

18-19 February 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

25-26 February 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

1 April 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto with Jon and Lee & The Checkmates

2 April 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

22-23 April 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto with G Lawson Knight & The Chancellors

14 May 1966 – Inn Crowd, Toronto

20-21 May 1966 – Inn Crowd, Toronto

22 May 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto with Jon and Lee & The Checkmates

31 July 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

26-27 August 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

2-4 September 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto

23 September 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Soul Searchers featuring Dianne Brooks and Eric Mercury, George Lawson Knight and & The Chancellors, Greg Winkfield and Al Lalonde

24 September 1966 – Dirty Sal’s Cellar, Vancouver, British Columbia with The Villains (Vancouver Sun)

The second version began here

18 February 1967 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with E G Smith & The Power and The Wyldfyre

24 February 1967 – The Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Five Good Reasons, The Dana and Sunny and Peter

3 March 1967 – The Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Lords of London, The New Breed and Murray McLaughlan

17 March 1967 – The Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Stampeders, The Dana and Doug Brown

24 March 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto with Bobby Kris & The Imperials and R K & The Associates

31 March 1967 – Weston Legion Hall, Toronto with The Ugly Ducklings

15 April 1967 – The Gogue Inn, Toronto With G Lawson Knight & The Paytons

26 May 1967 – Don Mills Curling Club, Toronto with The People

27 May 1967 – Club 888, Toronto

24 June 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with Luv-Lites and Act IV

27 June 1967 – Balmy Beach Club, Scarborough, Ontario

15 July 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

2-3 September 1967 – Sauble Beach Pavilion, Owen Sound, Ontario (The Sun Times)

1 October 1967 – #3 Lounge, Boston, Massachusetts, USA with The Coachmen (start of three-week engagement)

22 October 1967 – Intermission, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (start of week-long engagement)

12 November 1967 – Trude Heller’s, NYC, USA (start of four-week engagement at this club)

10 December 1967 – West Dance, New Jersey, USA (start of two-week engagement) The band returns to NYC after this to play at Trude Heller’s again

January 1968 – Castaways Club, Chicago, Illinois, USA

February 1968 – The Barn, Miami, Florida, USA with Wayne Cochran and The CC Riders and Freddie Scott & His Kinfolk

May 1968 – Inferno, Buffalo, New York

All Toronto area gigs are from The Toronto Telegram’s After Four section. RPM Music Weekly was also very helpful for background information.

Huge thanks to Gord Baxter for the group photos and providing details about the second version

Categories: Canada, Toronto

The Diplomats

February 7, 2023 Nick Warburton Leave a comment

Peter McGraw (Vocals)

Bob McBride (Guitar, Vocals)

Ricky Capreol (Guitar)

John Brower (Bass)

Pat Godfrey (Piano) replaced by John Goadsby (aka Goldy McJohn) (Keyboards)

Jeff Smith (Drums) replaced by Richie Grand (Drums)

The Diplomats were an interesting mid-late ‘60s outfit, which featured future Lighthouse singer Bob McBride and top session player Pat Godfrey.

John Brower later became a top rock promoter and was instrumental in setting up Canada’s first outdoor rock festival. He was also involved in organising the Toronto Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival concert with The Plastic Ono Band.

Peter McGraw later led Diamond Back in the mid-‘70s, while original drummer, Jeff Smith, later started his own recording studio.

The original line up, with the exception of McBride, had previously played together as Little John & The Friars and changed name sometime in early 1965 after Grand and Goadsby had joined The Mynah Birds a few months earlier.

According to Toronto Telegram‘s After Four section, McBride formed his own band Bob McBride & The Breath in late 1967 and played at the Purple Peanut Club in Toronto on 26-27 December.

McGraw sang with Dave Nicols & The Coins when the band broke up while Godfrey went on to Simon Caine in late 1969.

Richie Grand, who had come in from The Mynah Birds in May 1965 ended up with The Stormy Clovers. John Goadsby, who also came in from The Mynah Birds that same month, only stayed a few months and ended up joining The Sparrows, changing his name to Goldy McJohn. The band sometimes gigged as Little John & The Diplomats.

Advertised gigs

21 May 1966 – North Toronto Memorial Arena, Toronto with The Five Rogues, The Big Town Boys, J B & The Playboys and Dee & The Yeomen

1 October 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto

16 September 1967 – Peggy’s Pavillion, Stroud, Ontario

28-30 December 1967 – The Purple Peanut, Toronto with The New Breed

All of these gigs were advertised in the Toronto Telegram‘s After Four section. Thanks to Peter McGraw for providing some of the band information.

We’d love to hear from anyone who has any photos or can add any more information.

Categories: Canada, Toronto

Little John & The Friars

February 7, 2023 Nick Warburton Leave a comment

Peter McGraw (Vocals)

John Goadsby (aka Goldy McJohn) (Keyboards) replaced by Pat Godfrey (Keyboards)

Ricky Capreol (Guitar)

John Brower (Bass)

Richie Grand (Drums)

Little John & The Friars were an early R&B band formed in Toronto in 1962 by singer Peter McGraw (b. 23 December 1943, Toronto, Ontario).

The group is perhaps best known for containing Goldy McJohn and Richie Grand (b. 11 June 1945, Toronto, Ontario) who went onto play with The Mynah Birds with Rick James 1964-1965.

Brower and Godfrey had started out playing in The Omegas. In early 1965 the group added second vocalist Bob McBride and changed name to The Diplomats.

Advertised gigs:

8 October 1966 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as Little John & The Diplomats) (Toronto Telegram’s After Four section)

We’d love to hear from anyone who has any photos of the band and can add more information

Categories: Canada, Ontario, Toronto

Livingstone’s Journey

July 20, 2022 Nick Warburton 6 Comments

Parliament Hill, Ottawa, 1967. Photo: Stan Endersby. Left to right: Bob Ablack, Dennis Pendrith, Stan Endersby and Jimmy Livingston

Jimmy Livingston (Vocals)

Stan Endersby (Guitar, vocals)

Ed Roth (Keyboards)

Dennis Pendrith (Bass, vocals)

Bob Ablack (Drums)

Ted Sherrill (Drums)

Bobby Kris (Vocals)

This short-lived, albeit important, Toronto rock band evolved out of The Tripp in late May 1967 and was briefly known as Livingstone’s Tripp. In July the musicians modified the name to Livingstone’s Journey.

Jimmy Livingston, Stan Endersby, Ed Roth and Bob Ablack had all earlier been in The Just Us. Livingston had also briefly co-fronted The Mynah Birds in 1965 with Ricky James Matthews (aka Rick James).

The Livingston-led line up entertained fans at Toronto’s Esplanade (a plaza on the ground floor of the Richmond-Adelaide Centre) during mid-August 1967 and played at Ottawa’s Mall and Parliament Hill (the latter at a ‘smoke-in’ in support of pot legislation).

Sometime in October, Ted Sherrill came in on drums from The Vendettas (Keith McKie of Kensington Market fame’s old band) and former The Imperials frontman Bobby Kris (real name Bob Burrows) was drafted in to replace Livingston.

The new line-up lasted only a few months and in the spring of 1968 the group played its final date at Toronto’s Night Owl (which was recorded live but never released).

Photo: Bob Burrows. Left to right: Dennis Pendrith, Stan Endersby, Ted Sherrill, Ed Roth and Bobby Kris (aka Bob Burrows)

These recordings included group originals ‘Inner City’ (written by Bobby Kris) and ‘Bull Feathers’ (written by Ted Sherrill), and a heavy version of The Beatles ‘You Can’t Do That’.

Endersby left for England soon after, where he met The Kinks’ Peter Quaife at Hatchettes Playground in Piccadilly, London (together they later formed Mapleoak), while Roth travelled to Los Angeles and worked with former Tripp members Neil Lillie (aka Neil Merryweather) and Livingston, who later died of cancer on 1 June 2002. Kris reformed The Imperials, who gigged into 1969.

Burrows and Pendrith continue to perform and record with Burrows & Company, who have a number of tracks on Spotify.

Selected gigs

2-4 June 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)

9 June 1967 – Boris’, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)

11 June 1967 – Boris’, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)

30 June 1967 – North York Centennial Centre, Toronto with Mandala, The Spirit and The Power Project

1 July 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp) with The Reelers and The Deep End

5 July 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp).

9 July 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough with Mandala (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)

28 July 1967 – Kin-Oak Arena, Oakville, Ontario (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)

4 August 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

5 August 1967 – Broom & Stone, Toronto with A Passing Fancy and The Dana

14-19 August 1967 – Esplanade, Toronto

19 August 1967 – Danceiro, near Sauble Falls, Ontario (Sun Times, Owen Sound)

22-27 August 1967 – Le Hibou, Ottawa (Ottawa Journal)

26 August 1967 – The Mall, Ottawa (Ottawa Journal)

August 1967 – Parliament Hill, Ottawa

29 August-3 September 1967 – Le Hibou, Ottawa

22 September 1967 – Purple Peanut Teen Club, Toronto

3 November 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as featuring Bobby Kris), with the Tiffanies

8 December 1967 – Purple Peanut, Toronto (billed as Bobby Kris with Livingstone’s Journey)

6 January 1968 – Purple Peanut, Toronto

26-27 January 1968 – Club 888, Toronto

10 February 1968 – El Patio, Toronto

15 February 1968 – The Flick, Toronto

8 March 1968 – BCI, Brantford, Ontario (cancelled when truck broke down) (billed as Bobby Kris & The Livingstone Journey) (The Expositor)

Toronto gigs from the Toronto Telegram and Ottawa gigs from the Ottawa Citizen. This article is based on research originally undertaken in the early 2000s. Many thanks to Bob Burrows, Stan Endersby, Ed Roth and others for their help.

Categories: Montreal, Quebec

The Forgotten of Cartierville

June 8, 2021 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Forgotten, from left: Mike Lachance, Bob Panetta, Denis Bergeron, Rick Grannary, and Mik Fouquet

The Forgotten were a short-lived group notable for having two members who would go into the Mike Jones Group: Michael Lachance (Mike Jones) and Bob Panetta.

The group’s members were:

Mike Lachance – lead vocals
Bob Panetta – lead guitar
Denis Bergeron – rhythm guitar
Mic Fouquet – bass
Rick Grannary – drums

They played some shows in the Cartierville neighborhood of Montreal, including in the hall of the Transfiguration of Our Lord church.

Rick Grannary sent the photos seen here. Rick wrote to me:

The Forgotten did play several live venues … I can remember a battle of the bands in the Cote de Neiges area near the Jewish General Hospital, and in the Boys and Girls Club in Point St. Charles.
We did our practice sessions in the my basement (12100 St. Germain Blvd, Cartierville). Sometimes they turned out to be live performance for my neighbours, or my older Sister’s gang. My Dad had a 1965 Dodge Polara for which we volunteered his car and driver to get all the equipment to and from. I had to take the skins off the drums to make storage room for microphones and anything else that could be packed inside.

Mel Younger became their manager and the group reformed as the Mike Jones Group. Rick wrote: “Sadly, I could not follow that path with them as I was just too young. I am still a closet drummer. I haven’t been in a band since the Forgotten and have cherished memories”.

The Forgotten, 1965, from left: Bob Panetta, Mike Lachance, Denis Bergeron, Rick Grannary, and Mik Fouquet

The Forgotten, from left: Bob Panetta, Denis Bergeron, Mike Lachance, Rick Grannary, and Mik Fouquet

The Forgotten at the Transfiguration church hall, 1965

Manager Mel Younger in foreground, at the Transfiguration church hall, 1965

from left: Bob Panetta, Mike Lachance sitting on stage, Rick Grannary on drums, and Mic Fouquet

Fans at the Transfiguration church hall, 1965

The Forgotten on stage, Mike Lachance on vocals

Categories: Canada, Ontario, Toronto

The Boodly Hoo

March 3, 2021 Nick Warburton 7 Comments

Doug Caldwell (lead vocals)

Michael Rowlands (harp)

Martin Obern (lead guitar)

Vic Shantora (rhythm guitar)

Rick Halas (bass)

John Tanti (drums)

Our single was recorded at the Shoreacers building on Don Mills Road, north of Lawrence Avenue in 1966. We had it played on CHUM AM. It never made the top 50 chart and and is the only recording the band made.

Mornington Crescent Audio recording 2019-08-01 18-50-38

The A side is “Mornington Crescent” and the B side is “Then She Takes You Down”, both written by Martin Obern, the lead guitarist.

We all quit our jobs and took a mini tour to Ottawa for a week in February 1967. When we came back we all got our jobs back. All the members are still around. Now in our seventies we play with various people around Toronto.

Thanks to Richard Halas for providing all the information and photos, which I’ve credited to the relevant people where needed. The following band photos are from Michael Rowlands.

Categories: Canada, Montreal, Toronto

Milkwood

November 23, 2020 Nick Warburton 2 Comments

Mary Lou Gauthier (Lead vocals)

Louis McKelvey (Guitar, Vocals)

Malcolm Tomlinson (Guitar, Flute, Drums, Lead vocals)

Ron Frankel (Drums)

Ronnie Blackwell (Bass)

Jack Geisinger (Bass, Vocals)

This fascinating Anglo-Canadian group was put together by former Influence and Our Generation member Louis McKelvey (b. 31 October 1943, Killorglin, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland) with ex-King Curtis sideman Ron Frankel (b. April 1947, Montreal, Canada).

Frankel had previously played in The Soul Mates (and with his wife Mary Lou Gauthier) in the lounge band, Five of a Kind, who also featured Brian Wray, Brian Edwards and Freddie Gilbert. According to the Montreal Star‘s 7 November 1967 issue, page 4, Five of a Kind played at the King’s Inn in Freeport, the Bahamas that week.

They then joined King Curtis & The King Pins in 1968. (Ed: McKelvey may have met Frankel at the Hawk’s Nest on 23 July 1968 when King Curtis & The King Pins played there).

McKelvey approached Frankel and Gauthier about putting a new band together in September 1968 after leaving Influence, but the group didn’t form properly until early March 1969.

During the interim, McKelvey returned to England for around five months and reunited with his old friend Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex, England), from the early 1960s west London band Jeff Curtis & The Flames.

Jeff Curtis & The Flames, London, 1963. Louis McKelvey (far left) and Malcolm Tomlinson (drums). Photo: Dave Wigginton

Tomlinson was currently playing with Gethsemane (featuring future Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre), and had done a BBC radio session with Elton John in October 1968.

McKelvey and Tomlinson both auditioned for the guitar position in Jethro Tull, but when Barre was offered the place and Gethsemane split up, Tomlinson returned to Toronto with McKelvey around March 1969 to put together Milkwood.

Adding ex-Five Bells bass player Ron Blackwell (b. 27 July 1948, Montreal, Canada), the band played at the Penny Farthing in Toronto in early May. They also played regularly at the Electric Circus.

The band sent a four-track demo to Polydor Records around this time and, according to Billboard, the label signed the band before it had played a single show.

Left to right: Ron Frankel, Jack Geisinger, Louis McKelvey, Mary Lou Gauthier and Malcolm Tomlinson

In mid-June 1969, former Influence member Jack Geisinger (b. March 1945, Czech Republic) joined replacing Ronnie Blackwell in time for sessions at the Hit Factory in New York.

Kicking off on 20 June, the week-long sessions were overseen by famous producer and song-writer Jerry Ragavoy who produced the LP and also played piano on some tracks.

While in New York, the band took part in the Polydor Benefit gig at the Village Gate with Dutch band, The Golden Earring on 23 June.

Sessions were completed in July. Members of The Band were at the Hit Factory when the group cut “There’s A Man” and complimented Mary Lou Gauthier on her vocals.

Back in Toronto, the band signed to the Frederick Lewis booking agency and embarked on Canadian dates.

Meanwhile, the LP was slated for release in September to coincide with an American tour, which never happened.

A disagreement between Milkwood’s manager and Polydor resulted in the LP being shelved. In November 1969 the group split up.

The band’s greatest claim to fame is that it appeared at Toronto’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival concert on 13 September. Although the group wasn’t billed, they performed just before John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, according to roadie Dave Mandel.

McKelvey and Tomlinson (and later Geisinger) stuck together to work in Damage during 1969-1970.

McKelvey also briefly worked with Powerhouse in late 1970, before retiring from the music business.

Tomlinson later recorded with Rick James and Bearfoot and issued two solo LPs. Geisinger played with Charlee and Moonquake among others.

Frankel later did sessions for Jesse Winchester while Mary Lou Gauthier recorded a solo single, “In The Summertime” c/w “Come Run” for Polydor and later sang with Celine Dion at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Blackwell is a computer consultant and lives in Las Vegas.

Thanks to Carny Corbett for the supplying the image

Malcolm Tomlinson died in April 2016. Louis McKelvey died in November 2017 and Jack Geisinger has also passed away.

Advertised gigs

3 May 1969 – Penny Farthing, Toronto (possibly when Jimi Hendrix dropped in to listen)

25 May 1969 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Kensington Market, Grand Funk Railroad and Leather

June 1969 – Electric Circus, Toronto (this is where Rubbott Management spotted them)

21 June 1969 – Rock Pile, Toronto with Brother Brent

23 June 1969 – Village Gate, New York with The Golden Earring

18 August 1969 – Penny Farthing, Toronto (Led Zeppelin played this night at the Rock Pile and Robert Plant and John Bonham dropped in at the club afterwards)

13 September 1969 – Toronto Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival, Varsity Stadium with John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, Gene Vincent, Alice Cooper and many others

19 September 1969 – York University, Toronto with Teegarden and Vanwinkle

11 October 1969 – Electric Circus, Toronto

17 October 1969 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

21 October 1969 – Van Morrison at Le Hibou This may be evening that Mary Lou and Malcolm jumped up on stage

14-29 November 1969 – Laugh-In, Montreal, Canada

Many thanks to Louis McKelvey, Mary Lou Gauthier, Ron Frankel, Ronnie Blackwell, David Mandel, Malcolm Tomlinson and Jack Geisinger for information.

Toronto gigs were taken from the After Four section of the Toronto Telegram. Also Ottawa Citizen and Montreal Star

Categories: Canada, Toronto

The Magic Circus

November 22, 2020 Nick Warburton 14 Comments

RPM Weekly, 19 August 1967. Thanks to Ivan Amirault for providing

James Houston (Guitar, Vocals)

Al Palmquist (Guitar, Vocals)

Al Spencer (Bass)

Roz Parks (Drums)

Colin Walker (Drums)

The Magic Circus were best known for containing future Paupers’ members Roz Parks (b. 15 April 1945, Picton, Ontario) and James Houston (b. 25 May 1946, Belfast, Northern Ireland).

Houston, Parks and Spencer (b. 7 March 1947, London, England), had previously been members of The Creeps but changed name in early 1967 when guitarist Al Palmquist replaced Dave Morgan.

The band was best known for the 50-minute rock symphony, ‘March of The Mushroom’, written largely by Houston. Aside from playing other original material, the group also played Beatles, Beach Boys, Association and Mamas & The Papas covers.

The band was popular on Toronto’s club scene and opened for many of the top artists of the day, including Del Shannon, Wilson Pickett, The Turtles, Mitch Ryder, Eric Burdon & The Animals, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Ronnie Hawkins and The Left Banke. They also toured widely throughout Ontario playing high schools and dance halls.

Parks left in July 1968 to play with Edward Bear briefly before replacing Skip Prokop in The Paupers in October.

Australian Colin Walker from the Australian band, The Flying Circus joined in his place. The band then played as The Carnival (apart from a couple of shows, including the ‘Time Being’ held at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in September where they played as The Magic Circus).

Houston also joined The Paupers in April 1969 after turning an offer down from Skip Prokop to play bass in Lighthouse (he may also have fronted Wizard’s Hand for a while).

Palmquist and Spencer carried on as The Carnival on TV shows and then resumed the Magic Circus name.

Advertised gigs

18 March 1967 – Lakeshore Lions Arena, Toronto with The Strays

24 March 1967 – Queen’s Park, London, Ontario

25 March 1967 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario with The Left Banke

27 March 1967 – St John’s Church, Niagara Falls, Ontario

28 March 1967 – The Night Owl, Toronto

29 March 1967 – The Castle, St Catherine’s, Ontario

30 March 1967 – Brant Inn, Burlington, Ontario

31 March 1967 – Royal Plaza, Clarkson, Ontario

1 April 1967 – Huntingdon Park Commercial Centre, Hamilton, Ontario

3 June 1967 – The Flick, Toronto

10 June 1967 – Scarborough Arena Gardens, Scarborough, Ontario with Eddie Spencer & The Mission, Roy Kenner & The Associates, The Tripp, Bobby Kris & The Imperials, The Lords of London and others

5 July 1967 – Muskoka Pavillion, Bala, Ontario

21 July 1967 – Huron Park Recreation Centre, Cooksville, Ontario

9 August 1967 – Cobourg Pavilion, Cobourg, Ontario

27 August 1967 – Summer Gardens, Port Dover, Ontario with The Federations

1 October 1967 – Paradise Gardens, Guelph, Ontario with Three to One

16-18 October 1967 – The Flick, Toronto

19 October 1967 – The Flick, Toronto

2 November 1967 – Stratford College Institute, Stratford, Ontario

3 November 1967 – Crosby High School, Forthill, Ontario

4 November 1967 – Belleville Arena, Belleville, Ontario

5 November 1967 – Club Shingaling, Welland, Ontario

21 December 1967 – Annandale High School, Ontario

22 December 1967 – Brampton High School, Brampton, Ontario

23 December 1967 – Pelham District High, Fenwick, Ontario

26 December 1967 – St Nick’s Church, Hamilton, Ontario

27 December 1967 – Kitchener College Institute, Kitchener, Ontario

28 December 1967 – The Night Owl, Toronto

29 December 1967 – St Martin’s Church, Niagara, Ontario

30 December 1967 – Haileybury High School, Haileybury, Ontario

31 December 1967 – Kirkland Lake, Ontario

6 January 1968 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario

12 January 1968 – York University, Toronto with The Paupers and The Last Words

12 January 1968 – Brantford Collegiate Institute, Brantford, Ontario

1 February 1968 – University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario

2 February 1968 – Forrest Hills Collegiate, Forest Hills, Ontario

3 February 1968 – Forest Hills CI, Kitchener, Ontario

4 February 1968 – St Martin In The Field Church, Toronto

6 February 1968 – St John’s Church, Niagara Falls, Ontario

5 April 1968 – Cayuga High School, Cayuga, Ontario

6 April 1968 – Barton High School, Hamilton, Ontario

11 April 1968 – Port Dover Composite School, Port Dover, Ontario

12 April 1968 – Club Shade Blue, Toronto

13 April 1968 – Wallaceberg Teen Club, Wallaceberg, Ontario

18 May 1968 – Sauble Beach Pavilion, Sauble Beach, Ontario

13 June 1968 – Waterford Arena, Waterford, Ontario

14 June 1968 – Elmiria District HS, Elmiria, Ontario

15 June 1968 – Crystal Beach Pavilion, Crystal Beach, Ontario

16 June 1968 – St Gabriel’s Church, Burlington, Ontario

18 June 1968 – Glenbriar Arena, Kitchener, Ontario

20 June 1968 – East Hamilton Kiwanis Club, Hamilton, Ontario

21 June 1968 – Brantford Collegiate Institute, Brantford, Ontario

22 June 1968 – Rideau Ferry Inn, Smith Falls, Ontario

25 June 1968 – Dundas Arena, Dundas, Ontario

26 June 1968 – Georgetown Arena, Georgetown, Ontario

27 June 1968 – Stratford Arena, Straford, Ontario

28 June 1968 – Cobourg Pavilion, Cobourg, Ontario

29 June 1968 – The Gette, Oshawa, Ontario

2 July 1968 – Toronto City Hall, Toronto

3 July 1968 – Wallaceburg Arena, Wallaceburg, Ontario

5 July 1968 – Pav-Orillia, Orillia, Ontario

6 July 1968 – Kee-to-Bala, Bala, Ontario (Roz Parks’ last gig?)

10 August 1968 – Sauble Beach Pavilion, Sauble Beach, Ontario

1-2 September 1968 – ‘Time Being’ at CNE, Toronto

14 February 1970 – The Get (O’Neill Collegiate), Toronto

7 March 1970 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

16 May 1970 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario with Beadree

17 May 1970 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario

5 June 1970 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Onatario with The Poor Souls (billed as Majic Circus)

Most of these gigs were taken from the After Four section of the Toronto Telegram. Thanks to Roz Parks, James Houston and Al Spencer for their input.

Categories: Canada, Toronto

Jericho

November 21, 2020 Nick Warburton 7 Comments

Left to right: Gord Fleming, Frank De Felice, Fred Keeler and Denny Gerrard. Photo may be subject to copyright.

Fred Keeler (Guitar, Vocals)

Gord Fleming (Keyboards, Accordion, Vocals)

Denny Gerrard (Bass, Vocals)

Frank Di Felice (Drums)

Scott Cushnie (Keyboards)

Danny Marks (Guitar, Vocals)

Bob Yeomans (Drums)

This musically interesting band was formed in March 1970 by former Paupers member (turned manager) Chuck Beal, who teamed Fleming and Keeler, both of whom had worked together in the mid-1960s with The Shays with former Paupers’ bass player Gerrard and ex-Grant Smith & The Power drummer Di Felice.

Between The Shays and Jericho, Fleming had played with Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, John Hammond and Gord’s Custom R&B Sound, while Keeler had been in The Majestics. Gerrard had done stints with McKenna Mendelson Mainline and Luke & The Apostles.

The group recorded an album, produced by Todd Rundgren, at The Band’s Bearsville Studios. Rundgren incidentally also worked with The Band around this time and is also featured on guitar.

The sound not surprisingly then is reminiscent of The Band’s Stage Fright period and is thoroughly recommended. Rundgren’s production is top notch, particularly on tracks “Make It Better” and “Lonely As Me”.

“Make It Better” reached #80 on the Canadian RPM chart in July 1971 by which point Fleming and Keeler had lost interest and left. Gerrard left too to join Heaven and Earth.

Di Felice quickly reformed the group with ex-Tundra member Scott Cushnie and former Edward Bear and Mama Lion member Danny Marks.

Bob Yeomans replaced Di Felice in late 1971 but the band broke up soon afterwards. Cushnie subsequently played with Mudlark (and also worked with Aerosmith) while Yeomans was one half of Jackson Hawk.

Fleming subsequently joined Great Speckled Bird and also did stints with Cat Stevens and the McGarrigle sisters. He died in February 1996.

Gerrard played with Heaven and Earth and recorded two singles for RCA Victor before forming Great White Cane (both groups were fronted by Rick James).

Marks subsequently joined Rick James & The Stone City Band after a brief stint with Zig Zag.

Recordings

45 True Fine Girl/Back Track (Ampex 1303) 1971 (Canada)

45 Make It Better/Cheater Man (Bearsville X31003) 1971 (US)

LP front cover. Left to right: Gerrard, Fleming, De Felice and Keeler

LP Jericho (Ampex 10112) 1971 (Canada)

LP Jericho (Bearsville 10112) 1971 (US)

Garage Hangover

Category Archives: Canada

Transfusion

Franklin Sheppard & The Good Sheppards

The Diplomats

Little John & The Friars

Livingstone’s Journey

The Forgotten of Cartierville

The Boodly Hoo

Milkwood

The Magic Circus

Jericho

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