The Power Project

 

Doug Stokes (Vocals)

Greg Carducci (Bass)      

Ray Rychlewski (Drums)

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Josef Chirowski (Keyboards)

Larry Leishman (Guitar)

Singer Doug Stokes formed The Power Project in mid-1967 with former Roy Kenner & The Associates members Carducci and Rychlewski.

Former Mandala member Josef Chirowski and ex-David Clayton-Thomas & The Phoenix and Jon-Lee Group guitarist Larry Leishman joined around November 1967.

The band never recorded but did open for James Brown at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The Power Project played during the evenings only as Chirowski was working for Canadian Pacific Railways during the day.

After a few months of playing live, the group changed name to Freedom Fair in January 1968.

The band reverted to The Power Project name in mid-1968. Chirowski joined Grant Smith & The Power at the end of 1968, before becoming a member of Crowbar, while Leishman ended up with Rhinoceros after a stint with The Duke Edwards Cycle and Bobby Kris & The Imperials.

Advertised gigs

10 June 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

30 June 1967 – North York Centennial Centre, Toronto with Mandala, The Spirit and Livingstone’s Tripp

30 June 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

 

14 July 1967 – Balmy Beach Club, Scarborough, Ontario

15 July 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with The Ugly Ducklings and Trayne

26 July 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

28 July 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

 

6 August 1967 – Port Carling Surf Club, Port Carling, Ontario

 

8 September 1967 – The Thing, Toronto with The Jon-Lee Group

15 September 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

23 September 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

Chirowski and Leishman joined during November

4 November 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto with The Tiffanies

11 November 1967 – The Pavilion, Orillia, Ontario

19 November 19 1967 – Maple Leaf Gardens with James Brown (this may have been May 1968)

25 November 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

 

2 December 1967 – Inferno, Toronto

9 December 1967 – The Bunny Bin, Toronto with The Counts and Bunny Band

30 December 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

31 December 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with Jackie Shane, Frank Motley The Hitch-Hikers

 

26 January 1968 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

 

28 June 1968 – Port Carling Surf Club, Port Carling, Ontario

 

5 July 1968 – Port Carling Surf Club, Port Carling, Ontario

The gigs were taken from the After Four section in the Toronto Telegram. Thanks to Larry Leishman for some background information.

2 thoughts on “The Power Project”

  1. It is my understanding that Bob Horne (Lords of London, Nucleus and A Foot In Coldwater) was at one point the keyboardist for The Power Project .

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