Doug Stokes (Vocals)

Walter Cholowski (Guitar) replaced by Larry Leishman

Bob Horne (Keyboards) replaced by Josef Chirowski

? (Bass) replaced by Greg Carducci

Ray Rychlewski (Drums)

Singer Doug Stokes and Walter Cholowski first worked together in The Blue Set in Toronto in late 1966 after the lead guitarist had previously performed with The Outcasts.

As Thom Cholowski, Walter’s son explains, Toronto promoter Ron Scribner, who had his own agency and managed bands, used to hawk for talent and would scour local high schools in search of talent.

Walter Cholowski had won a youth guitar contest when he was around 16/17 for playing covers of The Ventures’ “Perfidia” and “Walk Don’t Run”. As a result, he was invited to try out on stage at Ronnie Hawkins’ club the Hawk’s Nest at its amateur ‘open mike night’ where he befriended Dominic Troiano.

Scribner was impressed and suggested the guitarist form The Outcasts who signed with his agency. When they split up around September 1966, Scribner hooked Cholowski up with musicians from his pool of groups, including singer Doug Stokes.

The Blue Set signed to the Ron Scribner Agency and subsequently changed its name to The Liana around February 1967. Ron Scribner, who also managed the group, however, decided to change their name to The Power Project a short while later.

Doug Stokes confirms in the comments section below that former/future Lords of London member Bob Horne was the original keyboard player, but it is not clear who the bass player and drummer were.

Ray Richards (Rychlewski), who played with The Power Project later in the year, was fired from Roy Kenner & The Associates in March 1967, so it’s plausible he came in on drums when they became The Power Project.

On 29 August 1967, The Power Project performed at the CNE Teen Fair, which was reported in the Toronto Telegram.

The quintet also recorded a demo 45, but it was never issued. According to RPM Music Weekly, The Power Project was a popular draw at Club 42 in Hamilton, Ontario as well as regulars at Ronnie Hawkins’ club, the Hawk’s Nest in Toronto.

On 19 November 1967, The Power Project opened for James Brown at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. However, while they were opening the show, Brown’s bus broke down and he didn’t make it to the venue. Apparently, Ron Scribner pulled the musicians off the stage after their set and told them to leave Maple Leaf Gardens quickly as there were no refunds for the show. When Brown failed to turn up, there was a riot in the venue, which was reported in the press the next day.

Sometime around November/December 1967 another former Roy Kenner & The Associates member Greg Scott (Carducci) joined on bass. It’s also possible that former Mandala keyboard player Josef Chirowski, who’d gone to school with Cholowski, replaced Bob Horne at the same time. Horne went on to play with Nucleus and A Foot In Cold Water.

Around February 1968, longstanding guitarist Walter Cholowksi left and Larry Leishman from Jon and Lee & The Checkmates, The Jon-Lee Group and David-Clayton-Thomas Combine took his place.

According to writer Aaron Lusch, who interviewed Carducci for an article on Roy Kenner & The Associates, singer Lee Jackson (also ex-Jon-Lee Group) briefly co-fronted the band, which Stokes renamed Freedom Fair. However, he isn’t pictured with them.

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.

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

The Power Project is featured in RPM Music Weekly in the issue of the week ending 12 August

29 August 1967 – CNE Teen Fair, Toronto

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

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

11 November 1967 – The Pavilion, Orillia, Ontario

19 November 1967 – Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto (headliner James Brown’s transport broke down so he did not appear)

25 November 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

2 December 1967 – Inferno, Toronto

According to RPM Music Weekly and the issue in the week ending 9 December, The Power Project appeared at Marty’s Place Pavilion on 17 November and played to a packed house. They videotaped a segment for CKNX-TV’s Marty’s Place, which was shown the following Monday. For the TV, The Power Project performed covers of “Good Lovin’”, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”, “Knock On Wood” and the group original “I Got To Have Her”.

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 and RPM Music Weekly. Thanks to Larry Leishman for some background information. A huge thank you to Thom Cholowski for supplying additional images and information about his father.