#9: You Gotta Have Love by Robbie Lane & the Disciples
City: Saint John, NB
Radio Station: VOCM
Peak Month: September 1966
Peak Position in Saint John ~ #9
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “You Gotta Have Love”
Lyrics: N/A
The Disciples were formed when Robbie Lane held auditions with members of various local bands in greater Toronto during the early sixties. By the summer of 1963 the lineup was Lane, Domenic Troiano on guitar, drummer Sonny Milne, Marty Fisher on piano, bassist Gene Trach, Bert Herriston on sax and flute, and William Cudmore on harmonica, sax and keyboards. After toiling away in the club scene their big break was when Ronnie Hawkins hired them in December of ’63 as a back up plan, since he knew his Hawks were intending to leave the nest.
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#22: Rock And Bird by Cowboy Junkies
City: Burnaby, BC
Radio Station: CFML
Peak Month: October 1990
Peak Position in Burnaby ~ #6
Peak position in Vancouver ~ Hit Bound
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Rock And Bird”
Lyrics: “Rock And Bird”
The Cowboy Junkies were formed in 1985 by Alan Anton on bass guitar, Michael Timmins on guitarist, Peter Timmins on drums and Margo Timmins on vocals. The three Timminses are siblings. Alan Anton worked with Michael Timmins during their first couple of bands prior to the formation of the Cowboy Junkies, including the Hunger Project. This was followed by an improvisational band named Germinal. In 1985, a fourth sibling, John Timmins, was also member of the band. But he but left the group before the recording of their debut studio album in 1986. The band line-up has never changed since: Margo, Michael, and Peter Timmins, and Alan Anton. All were born in Montreal. Michael and Alan in 1959, Margo in 1961, and Peter Timmins in 1965. When Margo was lobbied to join the Cowboy Junkies, she recalls, “I was contemplating going on to graduate school, staying in school. That was safe. I never wanted to be a musician or be onstage.”
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#6: If You Don’t Want My Love by Jack London & The Sparrows
City: Saint John, NB
Radio Station: CHSJ
Peak Month: January 1965
Peak Position in Saint John ~ #2
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “If You Don’t Want My Love”
Lyrics: N/A
The original Jack London and the Sparrows line-up was formed in Oshawa, Ontario, in early 1964. It was founded by British émigré Dave Marden, who took the stage name Jack London. He was born in 1944, in London, England. Another bandmate was guitarist Dennis Edmonton, who was born Dennis McCrohan, in 1943, in Oshawa. A third original member was keyboard player Dave Hare, who later played with Everyday People. Jack London and the Sparrows began as a beat group and played heavily on Dave Marden’s English background. Their early repertoire reflected the influence of the “British invasion” and London even went as far as coaxing the others to “fake” English accents, in order to convince the audience that they had just arrived from England. Early on, Dennis’ brother Jerry Edmonton, born Jerry McCrohan, in 1946, in Oshawa, joined the band on drums. The group began to build up a local following, playing at various venues, such as the local Jubilee Auditorium (which was owned by the Edmonton brothers’ father).
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#33: She’s On A Mountain by Five Guys Named Moe
City: Burnaby, BC
Radio Station: CFML
Peak Month: October 1990
Peak Position in Burnaby ~ #14
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #27
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ no chart
YouTube: “She’s On A Mountain”
Lyrics: N/A
Five Guys Named Moe is a band formed in Waba, Ontario, which is a small town 45 minutes northwest of Ottawa. Their music is characterised by its diversity, drawing on pop, jazz and country influences. They showcased brilliant harmonies as a feature of their performances. The group consisted of Jonathan Evans on guitar and vocals, Meg Lunney on piano and vocals, Tom McKay on bass guitar and vocals, and the one native Scotlander, Graeme Murray on drums and vocals. If you’re counting, Five Guys Named Moe had four bandmates. Jonathan, Tom and Meg were students at the University of Ottawa.
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#1: Tin Soldier by Streetheart
City: Regina, SK
Radio Station: CJME
Peak Month: January 1981
Peak Position in Regina ~ #1
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Tin Soldier”
Lyrics: “Tin Soldier”
Kenny Shields was from Nokomis, Saskatchewan in 1947. When he was six years old he won an amateur talent contest. Once he graduated from high school he pursued music and in 1967 formed a band in Saskatoon named Witness Inc. The band had several Top Ten hits in local radio markets in the Canadian Prairies and in Ontario. These include “I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow”, “Jezebel” and “Harlem Lady”. In 1969 Shields had a near fatal car accident and had to undergo therapy and rehab for a number of years. This meant he had to quit the band. In 1975 Shields was back with Witness Inc. and by that time he was the only original member in the band. But the pseudo-psychedlic sound that Witness Inc. was known for was no longer in vogue. The band changed its name to Streetheart and with it got a newer rock ‘n roll sound. Bass player Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve and keyboard player, Daryl Gutheil, made the transition from Witness Inc. As Streetheart, they were joined by Paul Dean and Matt Frenette who both moved on to form Loverboy.
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#4: Comin’ True by Streetheart
City: Regina, SK
Radio Station: CJME
Peak Month: February 1983
Peak Position in Regina ~ #1
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Comin’ True”
Lyrics: “Comin’ True”
Kenny Shields was from Nokomis, Saskatchewan in 1947. When he was six years old he won an amateur talent contest. Once he graduated from high school he pursued music and in 1967 formed a band in Saskatoon named Witness Inc. The band had several Top Ten hits in local radio markets in the Canadian Prairies and in Ontario. These include “I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow”, “Jezebel” and “Harlem Lady”. In 1969 Sheilds had a near fatal car accident and had to undergo therapy and rehab for a number of years. This meant he had to quit the band. In 1975 Shields was back with Witness Inc. and by that time he was the only original member in the band. But the pseudo-psychedlic sound that Witness Inc. was known for was no longer in vogue. The band changed its name to Streetheart and with it got a newer rock ‘n roll sound. Bass player Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve and keyboard player, Daryl Gutheil, made the transition from Witness Inc. As Streetheart, they were joined by Paul Dean and Matt Frenette who both moved on to form Loverboy.
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#121: Lovin’ Sound by Ian & Sylvia
City: Calgary, AB
Radio Station: CKXL
Peak Month: June 1967
Peak Position in Calgary ~ #11
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #57
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Lovin’ Sound”
Lyrics: “Lovin’ Sound”
Ian Tyson was born in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1933. He learned to ride horses on his father’s farm, and eventually became a rodeo rider in his late teens and early twenties. He took up the guitar while in hospital recovering from a broken ankle sustained in a rodeo accident. Fellow Canadian country musician Wilf Carter was an influence. After graduation, Tyson moved to Toronto where he began a job as a commercial artist. There he performed in local clubs and in 1959 began to sing on occasion with Sylvia Fricker. By early 1959, Tyson and Fricker were performing part-time at the Village Corner as Ian & Sylvia. The pair became a full-time musical act in 1961 and married in 1964. Sylvia Fricker was born in 1940 in Chatham, Ontario. At a young age Fricker decided to become a singer. Although her parents tried to discourage her from pursuing a career as an entertainer, she left Chatham in 1959 to perform in Toronto.
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#6: Down Again by Queen City Kids
City: Regina, SK
Radio Station: CJME
Peak Month: July 1981
Peak Position in Regina ~ #1
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Down Again”
Lyrics: “Down Again”
Queen City Kids bandmates formed a group in Regina in 1969. The lineup consisted of Alex Chuaqui on vocals and guitars, Jeffrey Germain on drums, John Donnelly on bass and guitarist Kevin Fyhn. Alex, Jeffrey and John were enrolled in music in high school. Alex Chauqui played violin, John Donnelly played the bagpipes, and Jeffrey Germain who also in a Police Boys Band played bass guitar. Germain soon added drums to his skillset. They three heard Kevin Fyhn play “Hey Jude” by the Beatles in music class, and he was invited to join the band. Initially, they were a cover band playing tunes by the Animals, the Beatles, Bee Gees, and the Safaris. Donnelly’s dad suggested they call themselves the VIPs. In 1971, they entered the Saskatchewan Homecoming ’71 talent contest and won second prize. In 1973, they changed their name to Cambridge. They began to play covers of heavier rock bands like Blue Oyster Cult, Deep Purple and Foghat.
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#8: Girls Night Out by Toronto
City: Regina, SK
Radio Station: CJME
Peak Month: August 1983
Peak Position in Regina ~ #1
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Girls Night Out”
Lyrics: “Girls Night Out”
Toronto was formed in 1979 when singer Holly Woods met guitar player Brian Allen in 1977. Annie “Holly” Woods was born in Durham, North Carolina, in 1953. She moved to San Francisco and fronting local bands Sass, and then Gambler. She moved to Toronto and initially performed in as Annie Woods and Shivers. Brian Allen was with a band called Rose. Woods and Allen formed the band they first called Sass in 1979. But a bar manager changed the band’s name to Toronto minutes before they went on stage at a concert in 1979. The name stuck. They added Sheron Alton (Brian Allen’s girlfriend) on guitar and backing vocals, Scott Kreyer on keyboards and backing vocals, Nick Costello on bass guitar, and Jimmy Fox on drums. Kreyer, Costello and Fox were each native New Yorkers. Toronto released a debut album, Lookin’ For Trouble, in 1980. The album sold over 100,000 copies. The lead single, “Even The Score”, was a minor hit across Canada which stalled at #104 beneath the Billboard Hot 100. A second album, Head On, spawned three single releases that were not commercially successful. Head On also exceeded sales of 100,000 copies.
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#12: I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow by Witness Inc.
City: Regina, SK
Radio Station: CJME
Peak Month: August 1967
Peak Position in Regina ~ #3
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow” (original by Randy and the Rainbows)
YouTube: “I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow” (cover by Tommy Vann and the Echoes)
Lyrics: N/A
Witness Inc. was a band from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They formed in 1967 and won the Saskatoon Teen-Town Band Battle. They immediately became a touring sensation in the western provinces. They released a series of singles which became increasingly pop after the second. The band finally caught on in Ontario after several years and many personnel changes. The original band consisted of Kenny Shields on lead vocals, Ed Clynton on guitar, Dennis Tremeer on bass guitar, Les Bateman on organ and piano, and Craig Kaleal on drums. The website, Citizen Freak, “was surprised to learn that the band traveled to New Mexico to record their first 45, probably at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis.” Their first single release was “I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow”.
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