#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.

Now based in Regina, Streetheart released several singles that charted in the Top Ten in many Canadian record markets. In 1979 they released a cover of a song from 1965 by Them called “Here Comes The Night”. It made the Top 20 in Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa. Their next hit was a cover of the 1966 song by the Rolling Stones called “Under My Thumb.”

In 1980 the band won the Juno Award for most promising group of the year. The single “Draggin’ You Down” reached #3 in Regina and #12 in Winnipeg. In 1981 they released a “Best of” album. As well, they released a cover of the Small Faces 1960s hit “Tin Soldier”.

“Tin Soldier” was originally written by Steve Marriott for singer P.P.Arnold. But Marriott liked it so much he kept it himself. It was a song that he wrote to his first wife, Jenny Rylance. P. P. Arnold can be heard singing backing vocals on the Small Faces original recording, and also performed as guest singer at television recordings of the song. “Tin Soldier” signalled a return to the Small Face’s R&B roots while continuing their forays into psychedelic rock. When “Tin Soldier” was released by the Small Faces in 1967, the BBC informed the band that the last line of the song had to be removed from all TV and radio broadcasts. The BBC mistakenly believed that Marriott sang “sleep with you”, when in fact the lyric is “sit with you”. Marriott explained that the song was about “getting into someone’s mind—not their body”. “Tin Soldier” reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart.

Talking about the song, and the influence of his wife Jenny, Steve Marriott stated:

The meaning of the song is about getting into somebody’s mind—not their body. It refers to a girl I used to talk to all the time and she really gave me a buzz. The single was to give her a buzz in return and maybe other people as well. I dig it. There’s no great message really and no physical scenes.

Streetheart are one of a number of recording acts to cover the song. Others include Humble Pie, Uriah Heep, Lou Gramm, The Guess Who, Quiet Riot, Charly Garcia, the Scorpions, and Todd Rundgren.

Songwriter, Steve Marriott, was born in 1947 in Plashet, a suburb of London. From childhood the boy learned to play ukulele and harmonica. Steve Marriott showed an early interest in singing and performing, busking at local bus-stops for extra pocket money and winning talent contests during the family’s annual holiday near Clacton-on-Sea. In 1959, at the age of twelve, Marriott formed his first band with school friends Nigel Chapin and Robin Andrews. They were called ‘The Wheels’, later the ‘Coronation Kids’, and finally ‘Mississippi Five’. They later added Simon Simkins and Vic Dixon to their line-up. From a young age, Marriott was a huge fan of American singer Buddy Holly and would mimic his hero by wearing large-rimmed spectacles with the lenses removed. He wrote his first song, called “Shelia My Dear”, after his aunt Shelia to whom he was close.

In 1960 he was cast as the Artful Dodger in the new musical Oliver! at a theatre in London’s West End. In 1963-64 his band, Steve Marriott and The Moments, were a back-up band to headliners The Nashville Teens, The Animals, Georgie Fame and others at concerts in London. Marriott played guitar and was his bands’ lead vocalist. After the group disbanded in July 1964 Marriott met bass player Ronnie Lane and drummer Kenney Jones at a club when they were playing with their band, the Outcasts. They added Jimmy Winston on keyboards and began releasing singles, including  Sha-la-la-la-lee,” which went to #3 in the UK in 1966. The Small Faces were part of the British mod subculture, sharp-dressed and absorbed with looks and fashion. The word faces signaled as much, and small was a reference to all of them being no taller than 5’6″.

Marriott later wrote “Itchycoo Park” which became one of the Small Faces biggest hits. He also wrote the Small Faces hits “All or Nothing”, “My Mind’s Eye”, “Lazy Sunday”, and “Hey Girl” – all Top Ten hits in the UK. Steve Marriott went through four tumultuous marriages. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, he died in a fire in his 16th Century cottage in 1991.

“Tin Soldier” climbed to #1 in Regina (SK), #6 in Saskatoon (SK), and #8 in Winnipeg (MB).

Later in 1981, “Teenage Rage” cracked the Top Ten in Regina.

In 1982 they released a self-titled album, Streetheart. It included “What Kind Of Love Is This”. By this time their lineup also included Jeff Neil on guitar and vocals, Herb Ego on drums, as well as Sinnaeve, Gutheil and Shields. “One More Time” was a Top Ten hit in Winnipeg later that year. While “Look In Your Eyes” was a Top Ten hit in both Regina and Winnipeg. In 1983, “Comin’ True” was a number-one hit in Regina, and made it to #5 in Winnipeg. Their last notable regional hit single was “Snow White” which climbed to #3 in Regina.

After six studio albums and a double-live album, Streetheart dissolved in 1983. Shields continued to perform with the Kenny Shields Band. In the 1990’s Streetheart saw some of its’ old bandmates regroup for reunion tours. The band was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Association Hall of Fame in 2003. The band planned a 40th Anniversary tour that was disrupted when Kenny Sheilds took ill and died at age 69 after undergoing cardiac surgery. A tribute concert in remembrance of Kenny Shields in Winnipeg, on August 28, 2017, featured the Canadian bands, Loverboy, Harlequin and Honeymoon Suite.

March 2, 2026
Ray McGinnis

References:
Mick Dalla-Vee, Bob Deutscher, Herb Ego, Streetheart bio, Canadian Bands.com.
David Friend, “Streetheart lead singer Kenny Shields Dies,” Globe and Mail, Toronto, July 21, 2017.
Kenny Shields bio, Crazy 4 Streetheart blogspot, February 16, 2008
Darren Bernhardt, “He Was Magic”: Canadian Rock Legend Kenny Shields Dies,” CBC, July 21, 2017.
“Loverboy to Join Kenny Shields Tribute 8/29,” Broadway World.com, July 28, 2017.
Stephen Porschmann, “10 Reasons Why Steve Marriott’s Life Was a Greek Tragedy: 10 reasons why Talented Guitarist and Singer Steve Marriott’s Life in Rock Music, which Started out Promising, went to pot. And Why Few Know his Name Today,” Bedford Patch, Bedford, NH, October 26, 2013.

Regina’s Best Rock CJME 1300-AM Regina (SK) | January 16, 1981