Toronto singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay Telfer is arguably best known for his work with 1960s rock group, A Passing Fancy, and for penning Steel River’s hit, “Ten Pound Note”.

Starting out with folk group, The Voyageurs at the age of 14, Telfer befriended future Bruce Cockburn manager Bernie Finkelstein, who was responsible for bringing the promising singer/songwriter into the ranks of The Dimensions and renaming the band, A Passing Fancy in 1965.

Fast-forward four years to spring 1969. Telfer has moved on from A Passing Fancy and composed some intriguing new songs. He approaches Finkelstein with the exciting new material and his old friend expresses an interest in producing an album, inviting into the sessions a diverse mix of musicians from the Toronto scene.

These include members of Kensington Market (managed by Finkelstein), a young Danny McBride years before he played lead guitar with Chris De Burgh and the Anglo-Canadian group Milkwood, including multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Tomlinson, who’d recently arrived in Toronto from London after working with a pre-Jethro Tull Martin Barre for two years.

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. The album was never mentioned again and Telfer lost his copies of the tapes. Over the years, Finkelstein also lost his.

As luck would have it, former A Passing Fancy member Fergus Hambleton salvaged some old tapes from his brother Greg’s driveway as they were being put out with the rubbish.

Among those tapes was Greg’s copy of “Perch”, Telfer’s unreleased album from 1969. In total, there are 10 tracks waiting to be heard. The titles and the personnel on each track are as follows and I’d personally like to thank Jay for sharing these with me before he died.

ANYTHING MORE THAN YOUR SMILE

Jay Telfer – guitar, lead and backing vocals

Keith McKie – second guitar

Jimmy Watson – drums

John Mills Cockell – synth

I WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE WALL

Jay Telfer – guitar, bar stool, organ, lead and backing vocals

Murray McLaughlan – second lead guitar

WAR BABY (BABY)

Jay Telfer – guitar, vocals

Keith McKie – electric guitar

Ronnie Blackwell – bass

Malcolm Tomlinson – drums

Fergus Hambleton – saxophone

NUMER ONE HUM

Jay Telfer – electric guitar, piano, electric piano, vibraphone, drums, bass, lead and backing vocals

REVELATION (AKA I FELL IN LOVE)

Jay Telfer – guitar, vocals

Danny McBride – electric guitar

Phillip Jalsevec – piano

DOLDRUM

Jay Telfer – guitar, vocals

Igor Romanyk – violin

Heavanly Host Rentals – see chorus below.

TO ALL

Jay Telfer – guitar, vocals

Malcolm Tomlinson – flute

Rick Lyon – drums

WASHED DOWN

Jay Telfer – guitar, vocals

Louis McKelvey – electric guitar

Alex Darou – bass

Malcolm Tomlinson – drums

SUZIE

Jay Telfer – piano, drums, guitar, vocals

Ronnie Blackwell – bass

Fergus Hambleton – clarinet

GLOW

Jay Telfer – guitar, vocals

Murray McLauchlan – second guitar

Ray Bennett – harmonica

Donna Warner – backing vocals

Orpheus – backing vocals

Cathy Young – backing vocals

Keith McKie – backing vocals

Sydney – backing vocals

Perch is a lost gem from the Toronto scene and awaiting discovery. Anyone interested in finding out more about this recording, should contact the author at Warchive@aol.com

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

This article was originally posted on the Nick Warburton website on 25 May 2009.