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)

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.