#32: Easy Come, Easy Go by Barry Allen

City: Edmonton, AB
Radio Station: CHED
Peak Month: March 1965
Peak Position in Edmonton ~ #6
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Easy Come, Easy Go”
Lyrics: N/A

Barry Allen Rasmussen was born in 1945 in Edmonton, Alberta. His family was musical, and he learned guitar and sang from an early age. Barry wrote for the Canadianbands.com website decades later of himself: “While attending Victoria High School, he was a member of the curling club, and had aspirations of becoming a chartered accountant. But by the time he’d graduated, he was looking at a musical future, and spent the next couple of years in a number of makeshift groups, honing his chops and emulating his British invasion idols.” He joined Wes Dakus and the Rebels in 1965.

They band went to New Mexico and recorded with Norman Petty, producer of Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Roy Orbison, Buddy Knox and others. Petty was taken with Barry Allen’s vocal abilities and suggested Allen make some solo records. The outcome included his first single release in early 1965, “Easy Come Easy Go”.

“Easy Come, Easy Go” was cowritten by Abbe Gail and M Slavin. Abbe Gail is the spouse of Martin Slavin. She wrote the lyrics to the 4 songs composed by her husband used in 4 films including “Why Am I Living” for the 1961 film “Young, Willing and Eager”, sung by Jess Conrad. Martin Slavin was born in London, England, in 1922. His family owned a record shop while Martin was growing up, spiking his interest in music. He started on the piano, studying at Trinity College and the Royal college of music. In 1947 he turned his attention to popular music. The first professional engagement of Martin was in 1954 as vibraphonist in the band of Kenny Baker, after he joined in the sextet of Geoff Taylor (1955), in the mid 1950s recorded two albums under own name and worked in television as a director music.

In 1958 he had a hit in his own right in with a novel arrangement of Knees Up Mother Brown entitled Cha Cha Momma Brown. It reached #18 on the British music chart. The recording was released under the artist name of Martinas and His Music. During the years 1950s and 1960s he worked as a sideman in recording studios in London and continuing to play in jazz clubs.

Slavin scored music for nine feature films in the 60s and 70s. He died in a car accident in 1988 at the age of 66.

“Easy Come, Easy Go” is a song that notes in youth you can date someone for a day, or more. At a young age, be careful not to make promises you can’t keep.

“Easy Come, Easy Go” climbed to #6 in Edmonton in January 1965, and made the Top 30 in Regina (SK) and Calgary (AB).

Allen’s followup release was “It’s Alright With Me Now”.  The followup single climbed to #8 in Edmonton in July 1965. Barry Allen’s next release was “Lovedrops”, which peaked at #1 in Edmonton in May 1966. In September 1966, Barry Allen had a #9 hit in Hamilton (ON) with “Turn Her Down”. The song also made the Top 20 in Peace River (AB), Edmonton (AB), and Regina (SK).

In 1967, Barry Allen was part of Wes Dakus band who released “Armful Of Teddy Bears”. In June 1967, Allen’s cover of the Barbara George song “I Know” was a #13 hit in Edmonton.

Allen formed Southbound Freeway in 1967 and concurrently continued with Wes Dakus’ Rebels into 1968. From 1969 to 1972, Allen hosted a variety show in Calgary titled Come Together.  The TV shows backup band, Cheyenne Winter, toured with him in 1971. While in 1970, Allen signed with Randy Bachman’s Molten Records. He recorded a song written by Bachman and previously recorded by the Guess Who titled “Wednesday In Your Garden”. It spent seven weeks in the Top Ten on CHED in Edmonton.

In 1972 he formed Painter, which included some former members of the 49th Parallel. In 1972, Painter toured with Dr. John and Steely Dan. Later, Allen produced records after he established Bumstead Studios. In the late 80s Wes Dakus and The Rebels reunited and performed at rock ‘n roll revival shows over a number of years.

In 2001, Barry Allen received the first of two Prairie Music Alliance awards as Engineer of the Year. In 2003, Allen won both the Engineer of the Year and Studio of the Year awards at the Western Canadian Music Awards.In 2013, Barry Allen relaunched The Rebels after Wes Dakus died. At the age of 74, in 2020, Barry Allen died after a battle with cancer.

December 13, 2023
Ray McGinnis

References:
Barry Allen, Dwayne Osepchuk, “Barry Allen,” Canadianbands.com, April 11, 2022.
“Barry Allen, Edmonton musician, Dead at 74,” CTV, April 5, 2020.
“Martin Slavin,” Wikipedia.org.

CHED 630-AM Edmonton (ON) Top Ten | March 7, 1965