I Want
I, Braineater
I Mother Earth
I.C.E.
I.C.U.
Ian & Sylvia
Idle Eyes
Idols, The
Idyl Tea
illScarlett
Illustration
Images in Vogue
Imaginary Heaven
Impairs, Les
Impôt-Cible, Les
In & Out
Inbreds, The
Incinerators, The
Independents
Index, Les
Indian Power
Indio
Infamous Basturds
Infamous Scientists
Inferno 5 Plus 1
Infidels
Infinite Regression
Inflation Kills, The
Influence
Ingénues, Les
Inner Anger
Inner City
Inner City Mission
Innes, Bruce
Innes, Dixie Lee
Innocent, The
Innocent 3
Insex
Instructions
Intersystems
Intimes, Les
Intouchables, Les
Intrigantes, Les
Invisible Inc.
Invitations, The
Inward Eye
Iolis
Irish Descendants, The
Irish Rovers, The
Ironhorse
Irwin, Curly
Ishan People
Itch
Items, Les
Items, The
It’s All Meat
It’s Patrick!
It’s Us Inc.
I WANT
Brian Hiltz (lead vocals, guitar, piano) / Chris Williams / Paul Williams
Originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, I Want was the fusion of two other Maritimes bands – The Realists and The Kharmic Wolves. The band moved to Toronto in 1986 and soon released their self-titled debut.
Albums
1986 I Want [cassette]
I, BRAINEATER
Jim Cummins (vocals, guitar) / Bob Dog (guitar) / Andy Graffiti (drums)
The master mind of Vancouver’s Jim Cummins who originally released material as the Braineaters — a punk incarnation – beginning with 1979’s ‘Braineaters’ EP which featured guest appearances by Buck Cherry (Modernettes) and “Art Bormann” (aka Art Bergmann) of K-Tels/Young Canadians fame. He later changed the name to I, Braineater and did experimental electronic material. [also see BRAINEATERS]
Singles
1986 Modern Man/Love Me Tender (independent)
Albums
1983 I, Here. Where You! (independent)
1985 Artist Poet Thief (More) 1980
Compilation Tracks
1979 “Braineater”, “Fun Time”, “Last Date” on ‘Vancouver Nuggets’ [cassette]
1980 “Western Girl” on ‘Karmadillo’ (Fir Street Studios)
1989 “Modern Man” on ‘Terminal City Ricochet’ (Fringe/Alternative Tentacles/Virus) VIRUS-75
1991 “Edge” on ‘Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988’ (Zulu) ZULU-5-2
I MOTHER EARTH
Jagori “Jag” Tanna (guitar) / Christian Tanna (drums) / Edwin [aka Edwin Ghazal] (lead vocals) / Franz Masini (bass) / Bruce Gordon (bass; replaced Franz; 1993) / Brian Byrne (vocals; replaced Edwin; 1997)
Brothers Jag and Christian Tanna started out jamming in their basement on guitar and drums respectively, and started having visions of putting a band together. Around 1990 they started seriously jamming with singer Edwin and bassist Franz and did their first gig in 1991, opening for two thrash bands. At one of their earliest gigs they connected with agents from Bob Luhtala Management who eventually became their management company. A & R reps from Canadian and US record label offices soon started coming out to I, Mother Earth shows. After only 13 gigs in hometown Toronto, they signed with Capitol Records and recruited producer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth) to produce their first album, ‘Dig’. Meanwhile, Masini had been fired during the recording sessions and his parts performed by Jag Tanna. When they returned from the Los Angeles recording session they recruited Bruce Gordon (Rocktopus). Released in 1993, it received instant rave reviews and the band hit the road for nearly two years. The band took an extended hiatus in 1995 to write the next album, ‘Scenery and Fish’, released in 1996 and produced by Paul Northfield at Morin Heights Studios in Quebéc. The single “One More Astronaut” cracked the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart Top20. Three subsequent singles followed: “Another Sunday”, “Used to Be Alright” and “Raspberry”. IME was nominated for a ‘Group of the Year’, and ‘Best Rock Album’ JUNO Award. The album sold platinum and pushed their previous release, ‘Dig’, to platinum status as well. With a string of videos for the album’s singles, they were awarded ‘Favourite Group’ at the 1996 MuchMusic Video Awards. MuchMusic also bestowed their multimedia award to the band for their web site and the enhanced CD component of ‘Scenery and Fish’. The band also parted ways with its lead singer, Edwin, who followed up the success of his work on Alex Lifeson’s (Rush) side project ‘Victor’ with his first solo album, ‘Another Spin Around The Sun’, in 1999. Edwin’s replacement in IME was a young Newfoundlander named Brian Byrne who was studying medicine before deciding to move to Toronto to take a shot at becoming a full-time musician. Byrne joined in late 1997 after IME had waded through a mountain of audition tapes. Byrne made his live debut with the act during Our Lady Peace’s 1998 Summersault Tour. The new lineup signed with Mercury/Universal and released their next Tanna/Northfield produced album ‘Blue Green Orange’ in July, 1999. Tanna and Northfield shared the 2000 JUNO Award for ‘Best Recording Engineer’, and the album was nominated for ‘Best Album Design’. I, Mother Earth finished touring in 2001 and returned to tis own Toronto recording studio to begin the next record. But Byrne had ruptured his vocal cords during the tour and required surgery while Christian Tanna broke his arm and had to take time away from drumming to recuperate. Following the band reconvening it was decided that the initial recordings would need to be scrapped. In the midst of this downtime I, Mother Earth issued a public statement distancing itself from an EMI collection of B-sides recorded years before entitled ‘Earth, Sky, and Everything in Between’. The band finally began work on their proper follow up to ‘Blue Green Orange’ and released an advance single, “Juicy”, that was featured in the Vin Diesel film vehicle ‘XxX’. The band finally delivered the new album, ‘The Quicksilver Meat Dream’, to Universal but they were less than impressed with the results and requested a remix and more radio friendly material. The band acquiesced, but just barely, and Universal ran with the single “Like the Sun” which gained radio play but did nothing to help advance sales of the whole album. Internal battles between the band and the label resulted in Universal’s withdrawal of promotion and marketing and the band was left pushing the next single, “No Coma’, on their own. Universal dropped IME at the end of 2003. IME played a final, four hour, show in Barrie, Ontario in November 2003 before calling it quits. Byrne went solo and has released two albums; Gordon joined the Blue Man Group; Jag Tanna founded the studio and record label called UpperLeftSide music, as well as the production company called Segment X Productions; Christian Tanna became a concert promoter and co-owner of Peterborough nightclub The Venue. In February 2012, I Mother Earth announced it would be reuniting with original lead singer Edwin who had been in short-lived Supergroup Crash Karma for two years but had become a free agent after that band’s Jeff Burrows returned to a reunited Tea Party. [also see EDWIN, BRIAN BYRNE]
Singles
1993 Levitate (EMI) DPRO-79776
1993 Not Quite Sonic (EMI) CDPRO-824
1993 Rain Will Fall (EMI) CDPRO-75626
1994 So Gently We Go (EMI)
1996 Scenery and Fish (EMI) DPRO-11236
1997 One More Astronaut (EMI) DPRO-11237
1997 Used to Be Alright (EMI) CDPRO-1424
1997 Another Sunday (EMI)
1999 All Awake (Mercury/Universal)
1999 When Did You Get Back From Mars? (Mercury/Universal)
2000 Summertime In The Void (Mercury/Universal) 961529
2002 Juicy (Universal)
2003 Like the Sun (Universal)
2003 No Coma (Universal)
Albums
1993 I Mother Earth [6-song EP] (IME) IME-1
1993 Dig (EMI) 98912
1997 Scenery And Fish (EMI) 32919
1999 Blue Green Orange (Mercury/Universal) 546246
2001 Earth, Sky And Everything In Between (EMI)
2003 The Quicksilver Meat Dream (Universal) 64547
I.C.E.
Alias for musician/songwriter Stephen F. White.
Albums
1991 Before The Dreaming Real [4-song cassette EP] (I.C.E.) ICE-001
Compilation Tracks
1991 “Strange Attractor” on ‘Modern Music 1991’ (CFNY-FM/Molson) CDNT-CD-506
1992 “Strange Attractor” on ‘Indie-Can 1992’ [2CD] (Intrepid) CD-5
I.C.U.
Blane Touesnard (lead vocals) / Aaron Sampson (rhythm guitar, vocals) / Jeff Nearing (electric guitars) / Mike Fougere (bass) / David “Lee” Waugh (keyboards) / Darryl Gaines (drums)
Halifax, Nova Scotia’s I.C.U. had a brief moment in the sun when they managed to attract the attention of Sue Medley’s manager, Marion Donnelly, who wrangled them a deal with A & M Records for their Celtic/Country/Rock hybrid. The result was a low budget album produced by Canadian guitar legend Robbie Steininger at Solar Audio in Halifax called ‘Stand On Your Own’ in 1992. A small promotional tour through Quebéc and Ontario was expensive on the heels of their first video for the single “A Different Place” and the band returned to Halifax, broke and disheartened. It would go from bad to worse when they were simultaneously dropped by their management company and A & M Records with no option for a follow-up album. Harem Scarem/Killer Dwarfs manager Andre Bourgeois picked up the ball and attempted to get the band back on their feet by sending them on a tour around Eastern Canada promoting the CD. The band continued to write songs and record but with no financial backing from a record label was not willing to make the required investment to record another CD. The band kept at it until November 1995. Touesnard now works for Air Canada in Halifax and is now in Clam Chowder; Fougere went on to be the bassist in Sonic Brew and is now in Clam Chowder as well with Sampson and Touesnard. They have yet to record/release any original material; Nearing has been working in the newspaper and magazine publishing business since 1994. With notes from Jeff Nearing.
Singles
1992 A Different Place (A & M/Polygram)
1992 Yeah Yeah No No (A & M/Polygram)
Albums
1992 Stand On Your Own (A & M/Polygram) 314540021
Compilation Tracks
1993 “Yeah Yeah No No (Full Mix)” on ‘Unsigned, Sealed & Delivered – Volume 5: The Sonic Explosion’ (Bullseye) BLP-CD-4007
IAN & SYLVIA
Ian [Tyson] (born: September 25, 1933) & Sylvia [Tyson] (nee Fricker; born: September 19, 1940) was Canada’s first folk act to command a large international following from their humble beginnings in the 1950’s. After a hospital stay from his career in professional rodeos, Ian had time to learn guitar. He became a regular performer at the Heidelberg Cafe in Vancouver, British Columbia starting in 1956. He would later move on as guitarist for Jerry Fyander And The Seasonal Stripes before relocating to Toronto in 1959 and hooking up with actor/singer Don Francks, and later, future wife Sylvia Fricker. Sylvia had grown up in Chatham, Ontario and eventually headed to Toronto to pursue her life ambition as a folk singer. By late 1959 Ian & Sylvia had teamed up as musical collaborators/performers and played at the Mariposa Folk Festival for the first time in 1961. From there they would go on to folk clubs in New York where they met Albert Grossman (Bob Dylan’s manager) who would send them through the Catskills Circuit, Chicago and Detroit. He eventually became their manager and landed them a record deal with US based Vanguard Records. Their debut album from 1962, ‘Ian & Sylvia’, did nothing if not make them a fixture of the early 60’s folk boom. The duo continued its remarkable rise in popularity and was inspired by the success of Dylan. Ian managed to write what would become one of the most famous of all folk songs, “Four Strong Winds”, after hearing Dylan do “Blowin’ In the Wind” in 1964. They were married the same year and continued working the college circuit. Though not hits for the duo, both “Four Strong Winds” and Sylvia’s first composition ever, “You Were On My Mind”, were successes for Bobby Bare (1964), The We Five (1965), and Crispin St. Peter (1966) respectively. The duo returned to Canada in 1964 and they had a son, Clay. Later, Sylvia would develop some throat problems leaving Ian to perform solo to make ends meet. ‘Play One More’, from early 1966, seemed like a cookie cutter collection of songs to fill the need for the public to consume more folk. That same year they released a second, ‘So Much For Dreaming’, which was a turn towards the pop mainstream with a few folk tunes thrown in. Moving to MGM Records in 1967 they put out ‘The Lovin’ Sound’ before being informed by Vanguard that they owed that label one more album. Contractually obligated, Ian & Sylvia delivered 1969’s ‘Full Circle’ to Vanguard before resuming their new relationship with MGM for the ‘Nashville’ album. By then their folk approach had almost completely been buried and a distinct country style had taken its place. As a means to explore this and other musical genres, the duo formed a free-form country-jazz instrumental experiment called The Great Speckled Bird which featured some of the hottest session players in the business – David Wilcox (guitar); Ben Keith (steel guitar), Jeff Gutcheon (piano), Jim Colegrove (bass) and N.D. Smart (drums). The public reaction was scornful but high profile live events like the Atlanta Pop Festival and Festival Express 1970 received better response and so they were inspired to release an album. ‘The Great Speckled Bird’ was produced by Todd Rundgren and released on Ampex. Immediately, the public showed their dislike with their pocket books and the band had to come off tour due to lack of album sales and eventually the album’s unavailability due to Ampex folding. Ian would soon be asked to host CTV-TV’s ‘Nashville North’ television show which would frequently feature appearances by Sylvia over the course of five years. Sylvia took on the position of hosting CBC Radio’s ‘Touch The Earth’ and in 1973 was signed to a solo record deal with Capitol. Ian would be signed to A & M as a solo artist and eventually Stony Plain and pursued the on-again off-again Great Speckled Bird project. The duo played their final public performance in 1975 and The Great Speckled Bird disbanded a year later. The duo eventually were divorced and have maintained a friendship ever since. Ian & Syliva reunited for a CBC-TV special and live performance at Kingswood Music Theatre in 1986. Both artists have continued their solo careers performing country music; Ian Tyson passed away at the age of 89 on December 29, 2022 with notes from James M. Castro. [also see GREAT SPECKLED BIRD, IAN TYSON, SYLVIA TYSON]
Singles
1963 Four Strong Winds/C.C. Rider (Vanguard) A-7031
1964 You Were On My Mind/Some Day Soon (Vanguard) A-7040
1967 Lovin’ Sound/Pilgrimage to Paradise (MGM) K-13686
1968 Give It to the World (MGM) K-14082
1971 Creators of Rain/Summer Wages (Columbia) 4-45430
1971 More Often Than Not/Some Kind of Fool (Columbia) 4-45475
1972 You Were On My Mind (Columbia) C4-3074
Albums
1962 Ian & Sylvia (Vanguard) VRS-9109
1963 Folk Songs (Vanguard) VSD-2113
1964 Four Strong Winds (Vanguard) VRS-9133
1965 Northern Journey (Vanguard) VSD-79154
1965 Early Mornin’ Rain (Vanguard) VSD-79175
1966 Play One More (Vanguard) VSD-79215
1966 So Much For Dreaming (Vanguard) VSD-79241
1967 Nashville (Vanguard) VSD-79248
1967 Full Circle (MGM) SE-4558
1968 The Best of Ian & Sylvia (Vanguard) VSD-79269
1968 The Lovin’ Sound (MGM) SE-4388
1969 Ian & Sylvia’s Greatest Hits – Volume 1 (Vanguard) T-5/6
1970 Ian & Sylvia’s Greatest Hits – Volume 2 (Vanguard) T-23/4
1971 Ian & Sylvia (Columbia) KC-30736
1972 You Were On My Mind (Columbia) KC-30337
1973 The Best of Ian & Sylvia (MGM)
1985 Greatest Hits (Vanguard) VMS-73114
1994 Long Long Time (Vanguard) 79478
1996 Live At Newport (Vanguard) VGRC-77020
1996 The Beginning of the End (Bear Family)
1998 The Best of the Vanguard Years (Vanguard) 79516
1999 Movin’ On: 1967-1968 (Universal)
2007 Vanguard Visionaries (Vanguard) 73143
Compilation Tracks
1996 “Four Strong Winds” on ‘Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music’ (MCA) JUNO-25
IDLE EYES
Tad Campbell (lead vocals, guitars) / Donna McConville (lead vocals, keys) / James Chadwick (drums) / Steve [?] (bass) / Phil Robertson (drums; replaced Chadwick; later Welsh) / Don Biggar (bass; replaced Steve) / Dudley Welsh (drums; replaced Robertson) / Mike Poulter (bass; replaced Biggar) / Kevin O’Brien (bass, saxophone, vocals; replaced Poulter) / Bill Miekle (saxophone) / Kevin Cook (bass; replaced Poulter) / Miles Fox Hill (bass; replaced Cook) / Glenn R. Smith (guitars) / John Webster (keyboards) / Scotty Hall (guitars; replaced Smith 1986) / Bruce MacKenzie (keyboards; replaced Webster 1986)
In 1980, a 25 year-old Tad Campbell was crewing on a sailboat for two weeks up the Australian east coast from Sydney to Mackay where he stopped in at an employment center and found an advertisement that said “Guitarist wanted at holiday resort”. He arrived on Daydream Island (Whitsunday group) off the coast of north eastern Australia by ferry from Airlie Beach at 5 PM and he was playing with the “Daydream Islanders” by 7PM that night! Campbell had been doing a solo act back in his home base in Vancouver with a few original tunes up his sleeve. The others chimed in and the genesis of Idle Eyes was born. About a month into their stint at the resort, they convinced a young chambermaid to sing for them and she soon became the feature vocalist. Soon they would dump the resort and hitch-hike to Townsville and land another gig performing for the rich tourists on the 14th floor of a restaurant overlooking the bay. The band was getting free rent and $150 (Aus.) each per week. It was here that the first rough 4-track recordings of “All Day” and “Sandra (Doesn’t Live Here Anymore)” plus a number of other tunes were recorded. After six months in Australia Campbell returned to Canada and lead vocalist, McConville, followed a couple of months later. The duo had a great musical collaboration because they both were admirers of each other’s original songs. The first ‘true’ Idle Eyes gig was at a nightclub called Hanks in Richmond B.C. The duo was accompanied by drummer James Chadwick and a bassist from Chicago (only known as Steve) who were set to go on the road for a month, but Chadwick couldn’t leave his girlfriend and the tour was cancelled the day before departure. The bassist returned to Chicago so the first Idle Eyes line-up actually one gig with that lineup. Other members would drift in and around Idle Eyes including: Terry Alton, Larry Pardeau, and Kevin Swayne. McConville and Campbell would eventually settle in with drummer Phil Robertson and bassist Don Biggar through an ad in a Vancouver newspaper. They showed up, and they were given cassettes of the duo’s sets and left for a week. Robertson and Biggar had learned every song by the time Campbell and Donna had returned from their vacation. Idle Eyes immediately went out on the road. Their first gig was in Merrit, British Columbia and the line-up lasted on the road for approximately 6 months. More member changes came in the way of a newly arrived Kiwi drummer, Dudley Welsh, and bassist Mike Poulter. Poulter didn’t last long and was replaced by a friend of Dudleys, Kevin O’Brien, who was another New Zealand expatriate who also doubled on saxophone, sang and wrote original music. Bill Miekle was also added on full-time saxophone as they we toured the Top-40 clubs playing 50% original music, Aussie cover tunes and a few popular songs as a pseudo Ska/Reggae band. McConville, Welsh and O’Brien were all having visa problems and eventually had to leave the country for awhile. After two years of touring B.C. and Alberta in a small van and being together nearly 24 hours a day, McConville and Campbell decided to take a much deserved break as musical partners and as a couple. Campbell sold his van and used the money for a last-ditch recording effort. Campbell took the recording to Payolas manager Cliff Jones. He phoned a few days later and called Campbell into his office where they mapped out a plan to first get a band together and then record another demo. Campbell called on former drummer Phil Robertson and they spent months practicing before they were able to convince others to come aboard. They would end up jumping through a lot of hoops — including a full production audition for mega-manager Bruce Allen and his crew. Warner/Elektra/Atlantic signed Idle Eyes while Campbell and Robertson scrambled to put a functioning band together. Finally, a week or so before they were to record their debut album, Robertson recruited bassist Miles Fox Hill and guitarist Glen Smith. Along with Red Rider keyboardist John Webster, Idle Eyes recorded their self-titled debut with producer Declan O’Doherty. The first single, “Tokyo Rose”, was released and the band went on tour with their first gig opening for Toto at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver for 3000, mostly music industry, people. Their second show was the following night, solo, for 500 screaming kids in Vernon, British Columbia before following up the third night with Toto once again at the Saddledome in Calgary – this time before 5000 people. Idle Eyes would do 13 sold out dates with Tears For Fears including 4 nights at Massey Hall in Toronto; dates with Bryan Adams (including the Montréal Forum) and a handful of dates with Red Rider in the Prairies. “Tokyo Rose” would become No.1 hit and the follow-up single, “All Day”, went Top-10 which led to Idle Eyes winning a JUNO Award as ‘Most Promising Band’ (1985). They had the honour of performing in concert for Lady Diana and Prince Charles at the opening ceremonies of Expo ’86. They blew off the doors that year at the West Coast Music Awards by taking home four awards: ‘Group of the Year’ (major label), ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’ (“Tokyo Rose”), and ‘Songwriter of the Year’ (Tad Campbell). To cap that off were two ProCan Awards for ‘Most Airplay Canadian Radio’. For 1986’s follow-up album, ‘Love’s Imperfection’, the band was given access to big producer (Michael Beinhorn), a big budget ($130,000), and the big studio (Little Mountain Sound) which produced a big stiff; The decline of the album can be attributed to WEA’s decision to release the album immediately prior to the Christmas rush in 1986 — after sitting on it for 6 months — and releasing no accompanying videos. Meanwhile the studio wizardry of keyboardist John Webster was taken to form with the addition of live keyboardist MacKenzie and replacement guitarist Hall. The band toured the US opening for the Human League and two singles in the 12″ and 7″ format, “Sandra” and “Love’s Imperfection”, were released simultaneously to try and bring swift attention to the band. The band’s big tour highlight was playing The Ritz in New York City for four nights with all the big record executives from Warner Bros/Elektra US. So impressed were the executives that two weeks later they pulled the plug on the Idle Eyes tour sending the band back to bars in Kenora, Ontario. Despite 70,000 in sales, they left the label $400,000 in debt. A bright spot was that “Sandra” was nominated as ‘Song of the Year’ and Idle Eyes won ‘Group of the Year’ again at the West Coast Music Awards. Idle Eyes axed their manager and recorded an independent CD, ‘Standing At The Edge’ that did quite well because of its three videos and the radio hit “Blue Train” – breaking even with a mere 10,000 records in sales. Sporadic touring for several years led to the release of six songs along with their hits in 1994 on the CD called ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’. Campbell moved to Rossland, British Columbia for 5 years and released two disks with the group Leghold Trap. He eventually moved back to Vancouver and started a Latin pop group called Millions Of Brazilians who released a CD in 1997. 1999 saw Campbell team up with Dan Peltier under the name Big Daddio and he is currently working on a project called the Karma Cops (Middle East pop). There are also plans in the works for follow-up CDs from Millions of Brazilians and Leghold Trap. After Donna McConville returned to Australia she became a backing vocalist for John Farnham; John Webster would return to his band Red Rider, and is a renowned session musician; Campbell was convicted of a sex offence in 2021, and sentenced to 8 months house arrest, plus 80 hours community service upon release. with notes from Mark Olexson.
Singles
1985 Tokyo Rose/Uniform (WEA) 25-90947
1985 All Day/I’ll Wait (WEA) 25-89937
1986 Sandra/Our Adventure (WEA) 25-85827
1986 Love’s Imperfection (Edit)/Lonely House (WEA) 25-84237
1986 In Your Room/Wind It Up (WEA) 25-84917
1987 Burning/Arms of Love (WEA) 25-83277
1989 Blue Train/I Want Action (Black Rose) BR-002
Albums
1985 Idle Eyes (WEA) 90292
1986 Love’s Imperfection (WEA) 90542
1988 Standing At The Edge (Black Rose) BR-001
as TAD CAMPBELL & IDLE EYES
1993 Land of the Midnight Sun – The Best of (Black Rose) BR-007
Compilation Tracks
1987 “Tokyo Rose” on ‘Canadian Gold’ (Quality) QRSP-1061
as TAD CAMPBELL & IDLE EYES
1991 “Blue Train” on ‘Indie-Can ‘91’ (Intrepid) CD-4
IDOLS, The
Jay Semko (bass, vocals) / Merl Bryck (lead vocals) / Don Schmid (drums) / Neil Morgan (guitar, synth, vocals) / Robin Billinton (guitar)
Short-lived indie band from Saskatchewan formed in 1979 who released one 7″ single called ‘Rejean.” The Idols would split up in 1983; Neil Morgan got married and became a touring musician with the band Dear Friends. Morgan and fellow musicians Dan Genge and Guy Boechler died in a highway traffic accident in Brooks, Alberta on January 8, 1984; Semko, Bryck, and Schmid would go on to form The Northern Pikes in 1984. [also see NORTHERN PIKES, JAY SEMKO]
Singles
1980 Rejean/I’ve Been Inside (Eagle Creek) [no cat.#]
IDYL TEA
Hank “Henry” Engel (bass, vocals) / Everett LaRoi (guitar, vocals) / Craig Metcalfe (drums, percussion) / Ian Martin (guitar; 1990-1994)
Idyl Tea is an Edmonton based trio that formed in 1984, out of the ashes of R&B/Mod cover-band Route 66. For the first two years, Idyl Tea confined their performing to the college/university bars of Western Canada. In the autumn of 1986, they released a cassette single, “Awfully Nice Eyes”, to college radio, and it quickly charted across the country (reaching No.1 in Peterborough). In 1987 they released a 5-song vinyl EP entitled ‘How I See This Table’. The highlights were the re-recorded version of their underground hit “Awfully Nice Eyes” and the Engel/LaRoi composition “Seems No Matter”. The record charted well, and the band began touring Eastern Canada, including one tour, in 1988 with Chalk Circle. In 1990, three years and three nation-wide tours later, Idyl Tea added guitarist Ian Martin, and released their self titled, full-length, independent debut CD. On the strength of the indie release, Attic Records picked them up in early 1991 and re-released it. The launch was accompanied by a Phil Kates directed video for “Oh Brother”. Idyl Tea performed “unplugged” on MuchMusic, embarked on several Attic financed tours including one with The Leslie Spit Treeo and a show in Winnipeg with newly formed opening act The Watchmen. A second single, “Tryin’ to Get Back”, was issued shortly before being let go by the label in 1992. In spite of this, the CD charted as far away as Russia, Scotland and Wales. Idyl Tea continued on as an independent and in 1994 and released a 5-song maxi-single, with accompanying video, entitled “Funny Feelin'”. The video entered medium rotation on MuchMusic. The disc was intended to be a precursor to a 2nd full-length album. But midway through the recording, the band decided to take a hiatus. Both Engel and LaRoi both released solo albums. LaRou was also involved in a side project called Manraygun; Metcalfe freelances as a drummer/percussionist, and Martin’s combo, Evelyn Tremble, is the must-see band on the Edmonton scene. Engel, LaRoi and Metcalfe finally delivered their follow-up album ‘Song That’s Not Finished Yet/The Unthology’ in 2011 and have played several reunion shows to date. with notes from Hank Engel.
Singles
1986 Awfully Nice Eyes [cassette only] (Rockin’ Rod)
1990 Oh Brother (Attic)
1994 Funny Feelin’ (T-Tone)
Albums
1987 How I See This Table [5-song EP] (Rockin’ Rod) RR-03
1990 Idyl Tea (T-Tone)
1991 Idyl Tea [re-issue] (Attic) ATT-1282
1994 Funny Feelin’ [5-song 12″] (T-Tone)
2011 Song That’s Not Finished Yet/The Unthology [2CD] (Spicy Tomato) 7803919
2012 How I See This Table [8-song DigiFile re-issue] (Idyl Tea)
illScarlett
Alex Norman (vocals, rhythm guitar) / Daniel Krolikowski (bass) / Swav Pior [aka Swavek Piorkowski] (drums) / Will Marr (lead guitar) / Pat Kennedy (DJ) / John Doherty (bass, replaced Krolikowski) / Justin Zoltek (bass; replaced Doherty)
illScarlett was formed in Clarkson, Ontario in 2001 when Pior and Norman attended Iona Catholic Secondary and played in various bands together. With the addition of Krolikowski on bass they jokingly named themselves Ill Scarlett Drive after a neighbourhood street called Will Scarlett Drive. Soon they brought disc jockey Pat Kennedy into the LINE-UP. Their first show was a Canadian Music Week showcase at the Horseshoe Tavern where they also added guitarist John Doherty (son of Denny Doherty). Doherty would soon replace Krolikowski on bass and new guitarist Will Marr was added. In 2003 they recorded the ‘Five Song Demo’. The feedback was positive and so they recorded their debut album ‘iLLP’ in 2004. Unable to grab the attention of media or labels in Canada, the band decided to try a publicity stunt in hopes of getting on the 2004 Vans Warped Tour. Knowing that the tour would arrive in Barrie, Ontario at Park Place, the band drove to where the organizers would be setting up the stages and drove into the restricted area where they stayed over night – sleeping in their vehicle. In the morning, with fences erected around them and security in place, they asked to see the organizer with hopes of performing on one of the small stages. They were escorted from the sight. Prepared for such a rejection, they set up outside the venue’s front gates and performed for attendees who were lining up. As it happens, a tour manager for the band Sublime heard their first three songs and invited them in to meet the tour organizer Kevin Lyman. Lyman had the band play at his private BBQ party that night and offered illScarlett dates on the 2005 Vans Warped Tour. Later in 2004 they recorded a new EP on their own Infect the Masses imprint entitled ‘Clearly Another Fine Mess’. They were finally signed by Sony-BMG that year and cranked out an eight song transitional EP entitled ‘EPdemic’ on their own label. illScarlett managed a performance at the inaugural kick off of the Virgin Music Festival that year. The group was sent to Los Angeles to record with producer Mathew Wilder (No Doubt). The result was 2007’s ‘All Day With It’ which featured the singles “Who’s Got It?”, “Paradise Burning”, and “Life of a Soldier”. They would tour North America, Europe and Japan on the success of the release. “Who’s Got It” was chosen as the official anthem for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. illScarlett was nominated for ‘Best Video’, ‘Best Rock Video’, ‘Best Post-Production’, ‘Best Director’ (“Nothing Special”), and the ‘People’s Choice: Favourite Canadian Group’ at the 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards; the band would also get a nod at the 2008 JUNO Awards for ‘New Group of the Year’. The band released their second album for Sony-BMG in 2009 entitled ‘1UP!’
Singles
2007 Who’s Got It?
2007 Paradise Burning
2007 Life of a Soldier
2007 Nothing Special
Albums
2003 Five Song Demo {EP] (Infect The Masses)
2004 iLLP (Infect The Masses)
2005 Clearly in Another Fine Mess [EP] (Infect The Masses)
2006 EPdemic [8-song EP] (Infect The Masses/Sony-BMG) 847244
2007 All Day With It (Sony-BMG) 708701
2009 1UP! (Sony-BMG) 868385
2011 20 Tracks 5 Bucks That’s ill (illScarlett) 8-45121-03819-4
2012 2012 EP [5-song EP] (Fontana North) ILL-005
2014 illScarlett (UMC) 0889054631
2015 illScarlett (illScarlett)
ILLUSTRATION
Bill Ledster (lead vocals) / Garry Beattie (guitar) / Richard Terry (bass) / John Ranger (keys) / Claude Roy (drums) / Roger Homefield (trombone) / Norman Burgess (sax) / Donald Sanders (saxophone) / Glenn Higgins (sax) / Leo Harinen (trumpet) / Benoit Perreault (trumpet) / Billy Shields (trumpet)
Formed in St-Jean, Quebéc in 1969. The band’s first single on Janus Records was “The Road” which failed to chart. However, their second single – from their self-titled debut – called “Upon the Earth” charted in early April 1970 on the RPM CanCon Chart with a peak position of No.13 and in May on the Top 100 Singles chart with a peak position of No.67. By June 1970 the flipside, “Our Love’s A Chain”, also charted reaching Top10 on the CanCon chart.
Singles
1969 The Road/Box of Glass (Janus) JS-1
1970 Upon The Earth/Our Love’s A Chain (Janus/GRT) J-108
Albums
1969 Illustration (Janus) JLS-3010
Compilation Tracks
1971 “Le doux Renard,” “Le grand Marc,” “l’ame de feu,” “La Course Endiablee,” and “Les yeux brulants” on ‘Après Ski: Original Musique de La Bande Originale du Film’ (Trans-Canada) TSF-1434
IMAGES IN VOGUE
Dale Martindale (vocals) / Gary Smith (bass, guitar, synthesizers) / Don Gordon (guitar, synthesizers) / Joe Vizvary (synthesizers, piano) / Glen Nelson (synthesizers, vocals) / Kevin Crompton (electronic & acoustic percussion) / Ed Shaw (guitar; replaced Gordon 1984) / Derrick Gyles (percusion; replaced Crompton 1986) / Tim Welch (guitar; replaced Nelson 1986)
After playing for a year and a half with several aborted synth incarnations, Smith and Gordon assembled Images In Vogue in Vancouver in April 1981 with the addition of Martindale, Vizvary, Nelson and Crompton. They would gain local attention on the Vancouver club circuit establishing themselves with their own synth-pop version of the very popular “Euro-Sound”. While being managed by future MuchMusic VJ Kim Clarke Champniss, they released a limited edition 500 copy 3 song EP in 1981 which was followed up by the campus radio friendly 5 song 12″ EP ‘Educated Man’ in 1982 which received extensive play on campus radio and in dance clubs across Canada, the US, and Britain helping them, in turn, land opening slots for the likes of Bryan Adams, Depeche Mode, Roxy Music and Duran Duran among others. After touring and generating interest hot on the heels of the New Romantic synth invasion spawned by such acts as Duran Duran, Images In Vogue were signed to WEA Records. They would generated two more 5 song EPs – 1983’s ‘Images In Vogue’ (featuring “Lust For Love”) and 1984’s ‘Rituals’ which introduced new member Ed Shaw and featured early mixes of “Call It Love” and “Save It”. Having worked with legendary Spooky Tooth keyboardist Gary Wright on ‘Rituals’ (he produced and engineered the early mix of “Rescue Me”), the band brought him in for their full-length 1985 debut ‘In the House’. The album did well on FM radio across Canada and produced a sizeable hit in the remixed version of “Call It Love” which received national airplay on 200 radio stations across the country. The band toured the album throughout 1985 which won them a JUNO Award for ‘Single of the Year’ (“Call It Love”) and ‘Group of the Year’ from CFNY-FM’s CASBY Awards. The tour would, unfortunately, see upheavals in the band’s record label, personnel and management teams. Crompton left shortly after this, citing the band as being too commercial for his own tastes and would go on to form Skinny Puppy. He was replaced by Derrick Gyles. Ed Shaw and Glen Nelson were replaced by Sylum guitarist Tim Welch. Following an amicable split with WEA Records and a relocation to Toronto, the reconstituted band re-recorded the song ‘In The House’ for Quality Records which was accompanied by a 12″ remix and video gaining them a strong foothold in Canadian dance clubs. ‘Group of the Year’ and ‘Single of the Year’ Awards through CFNY-FM’s CASBY ceremonies in 1986 gave the band some leverage and IIV signed with Ray Danniels’ SRO Management which invariably led to a deal with Rush’s label, Anthem. Martindale became host of the Ontario version of CBC-TV’s ‘Switchback’ while the band prepared their next recording. Recording began in December 1986 and would continue through the first 2/3rds of 1987 with production being handled by Kerry Crawford and Jon Goldsmith. The album was originally going to be called ‘Evolution’ but then the members of the band, not really feeling like the Images In Vogue of previous incarnations started toying with the idea of renaming themselves The Spell. Anthem released the album in 1988 without ‘Images in Vogue’ written on the cover and the ambiguity of the words ‘The Spell’ led many to believe a change was in sight. However, an Australian act already owned the name and IIV remained as they were. The first single and video ‘So Careful’ received medium MuchMusic rotation but the band, which had moved away from their heavier synth leanings, was in disarray. They finally split up in 1989. Dale Martindale would go on to front many acts in the 1990’s and his most recent project has been 69 Duster; Joe Vizvary would go on to produce other bands around Vancouver including 4th Floor; Ed Shaw would work with Strange Advance; Tim Welch would go on to work with National Velvet and most recently, Damhnait Doyle. with notes from Gary Smith, Derrick Gyles, and Tim Welch.
Singles
1982 Pre-Release [3-song 7” EP] (IIV) 001
1983 Lust For Love/Lust For Love (Orchestral Version) (WEA) 25-97617
1984 Just Like You/For Germans Who Dance (WEA) 25-96127
1984 Rescue Me/Calling My Name (WEA) 25-92277
1985 Call It Love/The Swim (WEA) 25-91547
1985 Call It Love (Extended Mix)/The Swim [12″] (WEA) 25-91280
1985 Save It/Evol Ti llaC (WEA) 25-89907
1986 In the House (Extended Dance Mix)//In the House (Single Version)/Holiday [12″] (Quality) QDC-311
1986 In the House/Save It (Extended Mix) [12″] (Liberation – Australia) LMD-480
1988 So Careful/I Saw the Man (Anthem/Capitol) ANS-076
1988 So Careful (Extended Mix//…the other/So Careful (dub) [12″] (Anthem/Capitol)
AN12-001
1988 Strangers/Daddy (Anthem/Capitol) ANS-077
Albums
1982 Educated Man [5 song EP] (BH & H Holdings) BHH-001
1983 Images In Vogue [5 song EP] (WEA) 25-02671
1984 Rituals [5 song EP] (WEA) 25-15421
1985 In The House (WEA) 25-14081
1988 The Spell (Anthem/Capitol) ANR-1-1052
1994 Best of Collection (SPG) 482400
2004 Collection Version 2.0: Chronology (Carlos Monte) DI03042
2006 Collection Version 3.0 Evolution (Carlos Monte) DI06012
2010 Prototypes (independent)
2017 Incipience 1: Studio Tracks 1981-1982 [LP] (Artoffact) AOF-227
2018 Incipience Box 1981-1983 [4LP] (Artoffact) AOF-227BOX
2018 Incipience 2: Prerelease – Educated Man [LP] (Artoffact) AOF-228
2018 Incipience 4: Live at Luvafair October 6 1982 (Artoffact) AOF-230CD
Compilations
1984 “Lust For Love” on ‘Chartbreakers’ (K-Tel) TC-294
IMAGINARY HEAVEN
Ian Hepburn (harp, piano, keyboards) / Keri Steele (vocals, cello, french horn) / Nina Loretto (vocals, flute, whistle, percussion) / Troy Young (acoustic guitar, mandolin)
Keri Steele would go on to join Hush Hush.
Albums
1994 Distant Is My Weather (Magada Héritage International) MAGHCD-99
1996 Dressed In Gentle Days (Magada Héritage International) MAGHCD-98
1997 Christmas Comes In Darkness (Magada Héritage International) MAGCD-86
IMPAIRS, Les
Les Impairs was a Quebéc from the mid-60s Yé Yé scene. They recorded a French version of the Rolling Stones’ “Heart of Stone.”
Singles
1965 Sur ma moto/Cœur de Pierre (Blue Jean) BJ-2801
IMPÔT-CIBLE, Les
Daniel Pomerleau (vocals, bass) / Michael Pomerleau (organ) / Raymond Carignon [aka Norman Eddy] (lead guitar) / Real Cyr (drums)
A Montréal, Quebéc act who formed in the fall of 1965 as part of the mid-60s Yé Yé scene under the name Les Impossibles. Minutes before going on stage for a Battle of the Bands in the spring of 1966, they impulsively changed their name to Les Impôt-Cible (aka Tax Target). They frequently the Quebéc Yé Yé clubs and dance halls of the time and were approached by Plaza Records in the fall of 1966 for a record deal. They recorded their first single in December 1966 which was a French version of Tommy James & The Shondells’’ “Say I Am” b/w an original song by the group’s lead singer called “Mensonge”. For their follow up single in 1967, the band insisted on featuring two original compositions “Je suis un Playboy” b/w “Dans mes rêves”. An LP and English language single were rumoured but have never surfaced.
Singles
1966 Je l’ai trouvé/Mensonge (Plaza) PL-6304
1967 Je suis un Playboy/Dans mes rêves (Plaza) PL-6312
IN & OUT
Steve Gardiner (vocals) / Mike Seguin (drums)
From Ottawa, Ontario.
Albums
1992 In And Out (Hypnotic/A & M) 713561007-2
INBREDS, The
Mike O’Neill (vocals, bass) / Dave Ullrich (vocals, drums)
From Kingston, Ontario.
Singles
1993 Tell The Truth/He Never/[split w/THE SHERMANS] (PF) PF #009
1994 Amelia Earhart (Navigator) (Remix) (Tag – US) PRCD-6591
1995 You Will Know//Matterhorn/He Never (Tag – US) TAG-1
1995 Double Yolk [2-song 7″] (Sappy) SAP-015
1996 North Window/[split w/PLUMTREE] (PF) PF #023
1996 Any Sense of Time (Remix)/Any Sense of Time (Album Version)/Matterhorn (Live) (Tag – US) PRCD-6399
1997 Yelverton Hill/Cathy’s Clown (Summershine/Sub-Pop – US) SHINE-US20
1998 Moustache/Reason Why I’m Shy (Murderecords) MUR-029
Albums
1992 Darn Foul Dog [5-song cassette] (PF) PF #001
1992 Let’s Get Together [5-song cassette] (PF) PF #004
1993 Egrog [7-song cassette] (PF) PF #005
1993 Darn Foul Dog [compilation 8-song cassette] (PF) PF #008
1993 Hilario (PF) PF #012
1994 Kombinator (PF) PF #017
1996 It’s Sydney or the Bush (Murderecords) MURSD-030
1996 Any Sense of Time [EP] (Tag – US) CD5-95650
1998 Winning Hearts (Murderecords) MURD-034
2004 1997 – Live in Calgary (Zunior)
2004 B-sides (Zunior)
INCINERATORS, The
Jake Edwards (vocals)
One-off novelty act created by the radio staff at CITI-FM 92 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The single, “Disco’s In the Garbage”, was produced by George Raymond and features DJ “Brother” Jake Edwards on vocals.
Single
1979 Disco’s In the Garbage/Bad Day (Infinity) INF-50040
INDEPENDENTS
Jeff B (vocals, guitars, melodica, mandolin, bass, percussion) / Jeff C (vocals, electric guitar, accordion, organ) / Curtis K (vocals, piano, organ, bass, acoustic guitar) / Alec T (vocals, drums)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan outfit was formed in 1983 and had brief success in 1985 with their independent release ‘Save Yourself’ which charted on several Canadian campus radio stations and received wide distribution including New York. The record’s reception was played-up with the band’s first out-of-Province gigs in Edmonton before returning home to open for legendary bluesman John Cale. They played out the remainder of the year hop-scotching between Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Albums
1985 Save Yourself (Rockin’ Rod)
INDEX, Les
M. Desrosier
From Quebéc.
Singles
1966 Elle (Stop) ST-3501 l 1966 Presqu’fou (Stop) ST-3509
INDIAN POWER
Singles
1982 Ani-Houni (3:44)/[same] [7″] (Hippopotamus) HP-402
1982 Ani-Houni (5:35)/[same] [12″] (Hippopotamus) HLP-701
INDIO
INDIO was the nom de plume of Toronto singer/songwriter Gord Peterson. Peterson had a chance meeting with British guitarist David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel, Gowan). Peterson would eventually be introduced to Joni Mitchell’s manager/husband Larry Klein who helped Peterson secure a record deal with A & M Records based on the strength of his demos. A & M released Peterson’s debut under the pseudonym INDIO (a name of a town in Mexico just across the California border) entitled ‘Big Harvest’ in 1989. The record featured Mitchell, session singer Brenda Russell (Dr. Music), drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Peter Garbiel), Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson), Alex Acu’a (Weather Report) and Manny Elias (Tears For Fears). The album’s first single “Hard Sun” – featuring backing vocals by Joni Mitchell – was released in June 1989 and cracked the Canadian Top20 charts. The second single, “Save For the Memory” was released just before Christmas the same year to zero radio play. An INDIO follow-up was in the works in 1990 while Peterson juggled the production of a film soundtrack for release in April 1990, but the studio record was rejected outright by A & M. With pressure to perform and his general distaste in the machinery of the music business, Peterson walked away from his deal and music specifically. Rumour has it he is currently a teacher at a Canadian University. Peterson made a brief appearance in the news when he filed a lawsuit in July 2009 against Paramount Pictures, Sony Music, Starbucks and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder for alleged infringement of copyright from the use and alteration of Vedder’s remake of “Hard Sun” in the Sean Penn-directed movie ‘Into The Wild’ as well as its sale on the movie’s soundtrack through retailers like Starbucks. Peterson’s former label A & M (via parent company Universal whom he also sued) cleared use of the song, but they did it without Peterson’s permission. The lawsuit has yet to be settled.
Singles
1989 Hard Sun/Sand Through My Hands (A & M) AM-1431
1989 Save For The Memory/Ship On A Sea (A & M) AM-795
Albums
1989 Big Harvest (A & M) SP-5257
INFAMOUS BASTURDS
Chico (vocals) / Celso (guitar) / Billie (drums) / Randy Best (bass; 1980’s) / Dag (bass; 1990’s)
From Montréal, Quebéc. with notes from Martin Dagenais.
Singles
1988 Lifestyles Of The Rich And Infamous [6-song EP] (My Ass To Your Face)
INFAMOUS SCIENTISTS
From Victoria, British Columbia.
Singles
1981 Noise ‘N’ Rhythm [4-song] (Alandhiscar] EP 001
Albums
1982 Trouble [5-song 12″] (Alandhiscar] AL12-104
INFERNO 5 PLUS 1
John Bell (vocals) / Randy Larocque (guitar) / Dave Powers (keyboards, vocals) / Wayne Wallace (bass) / Lance Whitman (guitar) / Les Maki (drums; switched to bass) / Rick Panas (drums; replaced Maki)
From Sudbury, Ontario. The Inferno was a local club in Sudbury where the act was the house band. They became the Inferno 5 but when Larocque joined they decided not to change the name and, instead, added a +1 to their moniker. Their 1967 single, “I Can Take It”, was recorded at Sudbury’s CHNO by DJ John Loweth. He was soon their manager and created the Villa Records imprint to release the record having also been a sales rep in Northern Ontario for Toronto’s Arc Records. The recording was designated to be part of the soundtrack to a B & W movie called “Attack of the Brain Demon” produced by a teenaged budding filmmaker from Sudbury High School. which was screened at a local Sudbury Drive-In. Through Loweth’s radio contacts he was able to get other radio stations to play the single and chart it in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Kirkland Lake, Timmins, et al. With that as a leaping point he also booked the band to place these places to capitalize on momentum. Because of Loweth’s distribution connections he managed to get the single racked in department and record stores throughout the region which netted them 4,000 units in sales. Whitman soon left the band and they changed their name to East African Fair releasing another single entitled “Lovin Every Little Thing You Do Girl” (after Lance left). Following that the relocated to Toronto where they played frequently throughout Yorkville Village. CTV’s television show ‘After Four’ showed an interest in bringing East African Affair on as the house band for 1968 as a replacement for Robbie Lane and the Disciples after suggesting another name change – this time to York Lane. Meanwhile, they were booked for gigs throughout Southern Ontario and upper New York state, but the money they were making could not sustain them and after several members headed back to Sudbury, the band split up. Larocque relocated to Atlanta, Georgia as lead guitarist and arranger. with notes from Lance Whitman, John Loweth.
Singles
1967 I Can Take It/Fays Gig (Villa) V-7015
as EAST AFRICAN FAIR
1967 I Won’t Stare/Lovin’ Every Little Thing (Caravan) CX-103
INFIDELS
Molly Johnson (lead vocals) / Norman Orenstein (guitars) / Washington Savage (keys, vocals) / Jeff Jones (bass, vocals) / Owen Tennyson (drums, vocals)
Molly Johnson and Norman Orenstein had managed to release one album under the name Alta Moda in the late ’80’s which produced the hit “Julian”. After the band’s demise they continued writing with thoughts of other artists in mind. Several tunes seemed appropriate for Ital-Canadian teen sensation Candi so a demo tape was submitted to the artist’s record label IRS. Paul Orescan at the label was already a fan of Alta Moda and forwarded the songs to head office president Miles Copeland who was impressed enough to sign them to an 8 album deal. Orenstein produced their self-titled debut which was essentially just him and Johnson and a group of established musical friends including bass by Etric Lyons (Alta Moda) and Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar), drums by Randy Cooke (Lee Aaron), keyboards by Glen Morrow (Chris DeBurgh, Chester), The Armin Quartet, and vocalists Billy Newton-Davis, Cindy Matthews, and Taborah Johnson. The album and its two hit singles “100 Watt Bulb” and “Celebrate” met with critical acclaim and a national tour was set in motion with the formation of a live band including Washington Savage (Rational Youth) on keyboards, Owen Tennyson (Blue Peter, Rational Youth) on drums, and Jeff Jones (Red Rider, Ocean) on bass. They spent all of 1991 and 1992 on the road pushing the album and then took a hiatus as Molly Johnson established and chaired the annual Kumbaya Festival in Toronto. The touring band returned intermittently to the studio but Savage had left to join the Jeff Healey Band and Jones returned to his steady gigs with Gowan and The Carpet Frogs. When the album was finally finished in 1995, Copeland wanted the band to change its name due to the existence of a second Infidels band in the US. But Johnson and Orenstein refused sighting the large established following in the public’s eye they already had. Much infighting with the label occurred and IRS soon found itself in financial trouble. Johnson decided to pack in the rock and roll life continuing her charity work on Kumbaya and getting married several years ago. She returned in September 2000 with a self-titled album of jazzy pop. She has released several critically acclaimed solo albums since; Orenstein produces bands out of his own recording studio and frequently co-writes including work with Infidels’ Jeff Jones; Jones is still a member of The Carpet Frogs and Tom Cochrane & Red Rider and has two solo albums under his belt; Savage died in May 2007; Tennyson continues to do session work and performs live around Toronto. [also see ALTA MODA, MOLLY JOHNSON, JEFF JONES]
Singles
1991 100 Watt Bulb (IRS) IRS-67067
1991 Celebrate (Radio Version)/Celebrate (Album Version) (IRS) IRS-67080
1992 Without Love (IRS)
Albums
1991 Infidels (IRS) X2-13110
INFINITE REGRESSION
From Vancouver, British Columbia.
Singles
1989 Is That All? [6-song EP] (Chikara) CR-003
INFLATION KILLS, The
Adrian Murchison (bass) / David O’Connor (bass; replaced Murchison 2016) / Matt Fleming (guitar) / Nicholas Daleo (drums) / Phil Williams (guitar, vocals)
Featuring former Kitchens & Bathrooms members Murchison and Williams. [also see KITCHENS & BATHROOMS]
Albums
2005 The Inflation Kills (Tiktoktiktok) TIKTOK-002
2016 Grounds For Termination [cassette] (Cold Slither Tapes) CST-004
INFLUENCE
Andrew Keiler (vocals) / Walter Rossi (guitar) / Louis Campbell McKelvey (guitar) / Jack Geisinger (bass) / Bobo Island [aka Bob Parkin] (organ, piano) / David Wynne (drums) / Yum Yum [aka Frank LoRusso] (drums; replaced Wynne)
British born vocalist Keiller moved to South Africa in 1964 and together with Irish guitarist Campbell McKelvey played in the Johannesburg R & B band The Upsetters. Campbell McKelvey left that act in late 1965 to join The A-Cads. Keiller also left The Upsetters and recorded a solo album in late 1965 before moving to Montréal in late 1966 with Campbell McKelvey and fellow A-Cad member Hank Squires. In Canada, Squires migrated to The Haunted band camp while Campbell McKelvey briefly played with Les Sinners and Our Generation before reuniting with Keiller in a new act called The Influence. Czech-born bass player Geisinger was recruited from The Soul Mates and English-born drummer Dave Wynne was lured from The Haunted to round out the rhythm section. After leaving their previous band, Wilson Pickett’s The Soul Mates, Rossi and Island also came on board. They played around Montréal starting in the Spring of 1967, then went to Yorkville in Toronto and played a house gig at one of the more popular venues there until September that year. They recorded their self-titled album in New York in the Fall of 1967 with an eventual release in early 1968. Despite their popularity touring in Toronto, Montréal and New York the album failed to catch fire and the band split up. Rossi would go on to join Buddy Miles Express briefly before going to Luke And The Apostles (1970-71), Charlee (1972) and The Bombers (1978) and finally branching off into studio work (Nanette Workman) and a successful solo career; Wynne now lives in Singapore; Campbell McKelvey and Geisinger joined Mary Lou Gauthier in the band Milkwood who were signed to Polydor (their full-length album was never released) ; Geisinger later left Milkwood for Luke and The Apostles and then Moonquake, The Rockers and The Crescent Street Stompers; Bob Parkin committed suicide in 1970; Louis McKelvey died November 24, 2017; Walter Rossi died April 29, 2022. with notes from David Wynne and Nick Warburton. [also see WALTER ROSSI]
Albums
1968 Influence (Sparton) 630
INGÉNUES, Les
Ginet Boulet / Louise Boulet / Colette Hebert
Les Ingénues was a French Canadian vocal trio formed in 1963. By 1964 they recorded their first single “On Aimes Les Baronets” on Premiere Records and the group was invited to sing the song on the CHLT TV show ‘’Bonsoir Copains’ in Sherbrooke, Quebéc. With their 1965 single, “La Liberté”, under their belts they toured in the fall of that year with Les Baronets and Les Habits Jaunes. As their touring commitments and recordings multiplied through 1966, Hebert left the group which made Les Ingénues a vehicle for the two sisters Boulet. Following a tour with ‘Musicorama’ in 1967 and their final two singles on the Canusa label, the group disbands in 1968.
Singles
1964 Nous aimons les Baronets/Ne laisse pas la pluie tomber (Premiere) PR-801
1965 La Liberté/Sincèrement (Premiere) PR-814
1966 Il n’avait que 16 ans/Oui monsieur (Stop) ST-3511
1966 Oh oui j’taime/ Il n’avait que 16 ans (Stop) ST-3519
1967 La famil1e/Tu ne pourras plus retourner chez toi (A1) A1-805
1967 Tu est parti un soir d’été/L’amour c’est un jeu (A1) A1-815
1967 Tu me gardes en suspens/L’amour reste (Canusa) C-315
1967 Le petit renne au nez rouge/Nöel blanc [w/Norman Knight] (Canusa) C-339
1968 Sois prudent/Les framboises (Canusa) C-357
INNER ANGER
From Vancouver, British Columbia
Albums
1989 My Head Hurts (Chikara) CR-004
INNER CITY
Peter Bailey (vocals, drums) / Gord Steinke (bass, vocals) / Phil Kane (guitar, harmonica, vocals)
Albums
1982 Larger Than Life (XL Productions) XL-001
INNER CITY MISSION
Richard Gael / Pat Riccio II (guitar) / Terry Black (vocals) / Laurel Ward (vocals) / Brenda Gordon (vocals) / Colleen Peterson (vocals) / Wayne St. John (vocals) / Kid Carson
Studio project from Toronto, Ontario
Singles
1970 Get Back John/Got So Many Songs (Yorkville) YVS-45025
1970 White Witch/[same] (Yorkville) YVS-45026
1970 Love the Night Away/[same] (Yorkville) YVS-45027
1970 Love the Night Away/White Witch (Yorkville) YVS-45028
1970 Good Old Joe/Love the Night Away (Yorkville) YVS-45030
1971 Wild World/White Witch (Yorkville) YVS-45031
INNES, Bruce
Born: January 7, 1943 in Calgary, Alberta
Bruce Innes, a native of Calgary, Alberta, began performing professionally at age 11. At the start of his career, his father, a professional musician, chauffeured Bruce to and from jobs making sure the pre-teen was home safely by midnight. By the time he graduated from high school and decided to go south of the border he had years of valuable performing experience already under his belt. While a student at the University of Montana, Bruce formed the Big Sky Singers, a group voted “Best Vocal Group In the Nation” by national jazz magazine ‘Cavalier’. During his final year in college he was hand picked by blues legend Josh White to be Josh’s accompanist on guitar as Josh was in poor health. After White’s health improved, he returned to New York City after the tour, and Innes continued studies at the University of Montana. Following the completion of his formal education, he moved to Los Angeles where the Big Sky Singers released an album on Dot Records. The Big Sky Singers disbanded when David Stiles, the lead singer, died suddenly. Innes remained in Los Angeles where his songwriting ability landed him the opportunity to write for various artists including a show for L.A. Dodgers celebrity shortstop Maury Wills. Together Innes and Wills toured the world with their traveling show. When Innes finally returned to Calgary, he began performing in a small renowned coffee house called The Pig’s Eye at the same time as undiscovered performers like Joni Anderson (later to be Joni Mitchell) and David Wiffen. Using this as a performance base, he formed The North Country Singers in 1966 with Graham Bruce (bass) and Joseph Cavender (drums). Dixie Lee Stone was added after Innes saw her performing at the Pig’s Eye as well. The group began touring across Canada and into the US where they picked up second guitarist Bliss Mackie in Portland, Oregan. They finally settled in Los Angeles and changing their name to THE ORIGINAL CASTE. Back at Dot Records they recorded two singles including “I Can’t Make It Anymore” (1968) which was less than a blip on the music industry radar. However, after signing with TA Records, a label distributed by Bell Records (Columbia), in 1969, Innes met writers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who would produce The Original Caste’s first album. They struck pay dirt after releasing the duo’s “One Tin Soldier” that same year. The song made No. 6 on RPM Weekly chart and No. 34 on the Billboard Top-40 and went to No.1 on the CHUM Chart. They charted even higher with “Mr. Monday” which hit No. 4 on RPM Weekly’s chart and No. 3 on the CHUM Chart in Canada. The two singles combined, worldwide, sold over three million copies. Despite the failure of “Mr. Monday” to chart in the US, they landed opening slots for the likes of BB King and Glen Campbell south of the border and made numerous TV appearances. “One Tin Soldier” had a revival of sorts in 1972 when it was featured in the movie ‘Billy Jack’, however it was not the Original Caste on the soundtrack but rather American band Coven featuring singer Jinx Dawson. The singles made another round at radio and had significant sales after being re-issued. The husband and wife team of Dixie Lee and Bruce Innes would record together and as solo artists as a continued extension of their Original Caste recording contract through Bell. With a switch to Century II Records out of Canada, the new four-piece version of the group (now with Gary Carlson on bass and Tom Doran on drums) released the ‘Back Home’ album in 1974. The new version of Original Caste toured into the late 1970’s. During this period Bruce Innes also worked on John Denver’s ‘Rocky Mountain High’ album and contributed songs to Mickey Gilley and Ray Stevens among others. When the band made its final split in 1980 so did the Innes’; Dixie remarried and became a social worker; Bruce began jingle and film score work, remarried and moved to Washington. He currently lives in Idaho. In 2000 Bruce Innes produced country artist Brenn Hill utilizing the help of veteran country/folk singer Ian Tyson. With the release of ‘The Best of the Original Caste’ in Japan in 2005, another revival of the act returned with a line-up headed by Bruce Innes and Cheryl Morrel on vocals. In 2008 Innes, with new vocalist Jilla Web, a featured artist with Las Vegas show “Superstars Live In Concert,” re-recorded “One Tin Soldier” with the Nashville Children’s Choir. A new CD is planned. Innes and Web) can be seen in concert in theaters across the US performing their traveling show ‘One Tin Soldier Rides Again’; On October 15, 2014 Bruce Innes was run over at a gas station while pumping gas near his home in Idaho and sustained life-threatening injuries. Innes sued the driver of the other vehicle in a lawsuit in 2016 as his injuries affected his ability to sing and perform. Bruce Innes died September 28, 2023. with notes from Bruce Innes. [also see ORIGINAL CASTE]
Singles
as BRUCE INNES MUSIC Featuring DIXIE LEE INNES
1980 Canada Turn Around (The Referendum Song) (Canadian Association of Broadcasters)
Albums
1977 Music-torials (BIM)
1978 The Best of Music-torials (BIM)
2003 Live In Sun Valley, Idaho
2006 Nothin’ But The Blues
with BRUCE INNES and CHERYL MORREL
2004 Signatures – Volume 1
2005 Signatures – Volume 2
INNES, Dixie Lee
Born: Dixie Lee Stone on May 14, 1946 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Though born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan , Dixie Lee Stone relocated to Calgary with her family as a young child. While playing small coffee houses like The Pig’s Eye at the same time as undiscovered performers like Joni Anderson (later to be Joni Mitchell) and David Wiffen, she managed a recording deal with Calgary label Sotan Records (home of The Echo Tones – featuring future members of the Stampeders). She recorded one single entitled “Come To Me” b/w “That’s How Sad Things Go” in 1966. She was also a vocalist in The Corvairs who had a local TV show called ‘Guys & Dolls.’ She would soon meet future husband Bruce Innes and his North Country Singers (featuring Graham Bruce on bass and Joseph Cavender on drums) and asked to join the group. They immediately set out on a cross Canada tour, eventually going to the US where they picked up second guitarist Bliss Mackie in Portland, Oregon, before settling in Los Angeles and changing their name to THE ORIGINAL CASTE. Through Innes’s existing record deal with Dot Records they recorded two singles including “I Can’t Make It Anymore” (1968) which was less than a blip on the music industry radar. However, after signing with TA Records, a label distributed by Bell Records (Columbia), in 1969, Innes met writers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who would produce The Original Caste’s first album. They struck pay dirt after releasing the duo’s “One Tin Soldier” that same year. The song made No. 6 on RPM Weekly chart and No. 34 on the Billboard Top-40 and went to No.1 on the CHUM Chart. They charted even higher with “Mr. Monday” which hit No. 4 on RPM Weekly’s chart and No. 3 on the CHUM Chart in Canada. The two singles combined, worldwide, sold over three million copies. Despite the failure of “Mr. Monday” to chart in the US, they landed opening slots for the likes of BB King and Glen Campbell south of the border and made numerous TV appearances. “One Tin Soldier” had a revival of sorts in 1972 when it was featured in the movie ‘Billy Jack’, however it was not the Original Caste on the soundtrack but rather American band Coven featuring singer Jinx Dawson. The singles made another round at radio and had significant sales after being re-issued. The husband and wife team of Dixie Lee and Bruce Innes would record together and as solo artists as a continued extension of their Original Caste recording contract through Bell. Dixie released a solo album called ‘Dixie Lee Innes Of The Original Caste’ featuring some of the biggest US session men including Larry Carlton, James Burton and a very young Michael McDonald (who would go on to be in the Doobie Brothers). With a switch to Century II Records out of Canada, the new four-piece version of the group (now with Gary Carlson on bass and Tom Doran on drums) released the ‘Back Home’ album in 1974. The new version of Original Caste toured into the mid-1970’s. Dixie Lee took time to record another solo album in Montréal in 1977. ‘Chinook’ was released on the indie label PRP Records. When the band made its final split in 1980 so did the Innes’; Dixie remarried and became a social worker in Vancouver, British Columbia. with notes from Bruce Innes. [also see ORIGINAL CASTE]
Singles
1972 Black Paper Roses/The Dolphin (Bell) 45230X
1972 Nous Vivons Ensemble/[same] (Bell) 45,273
1975 Blue Water/[split w/AUDET DIT LAPOINTE] (Denali) SG-1006
1977 Watch Me Fly/Just A Little Love (PLP/Musimart) R-6302
1977 When I First Fell In Love/Spain (PLP/Musimart) R-6303
1977 Queen Of Colby, Kansas/Sea Of City Life (PLP/Musimart) 457705
as DIXIE LEE STONE
1966 Come To Me/That’s How Sad Things Go (Sotan) S-10005
with BRUCE INNES MUSIC Featuring DIXIE LEE INNES
1980 Canada Turn Around (The Referendum Song)/[same] (Canadian Association of Broadcasters) [no cat.#]
Albums
1972 …Of The Original Caste (Bell) 6074
1974 Chinook (PLP/Musimart) R-62941
Compilation Tracks
1973 “Sing, Children Sing” on ‘Sound Sampler Bell Sounds’ (Bell – JAPAN) BLPF-1
1974 “Blue Water” on ‘Scarlet And Gold’ (Denali) SGLP-1001
INNOCENT, The
Eric Waugh (guitar, vocals) / John MacRae (bass, vocals) / Bruce Waugh (drums)
Trio from Burlington, Ontario. with notes from James Taylor.
Singles
1980 Got It In The Bag/I’m Not Going Anywhere//Rough Work/Wanna Get Around (Silent W. Productions) SWP-801202
INNOCENT 3
Kelly Brock (vocals) / Dave Best (guitar) / Paul Stewart (bass) / Bruce Shipeley (drums)
Winners of a 1988 CFOX-FM battle of the bands contest in Vancouver. Innocent 3 won a distribution deal for one single on CBS Records. The A-side, “Out of Touch”, was produced by Brian McLeod (Headpins) and the B-side, “You’re Not There” was produced by Paul Hyde (Payola$). Kelly Brock would go on to have a substantial career in country music.
Singles
1988 Out of Touch/You’re Not There (CFOX/CBS) 7CDN-61
INSEX
Phil Addington (bass) / Paul Addington (keyboards) / Simon Addington (drums) / Carlin Shewman (vocals) / John Chapman (guitar)
From Vancouver, British Columbia; Phil and Paul Addington would go on to form Family Plot, and later, Swank.
Singles
1979 Inner Sanction/Fractured Vision (Dining Out) TUX-3
1982 Prime Time//Pay Or Die/Lock And Key (Mo-Da-Mu) MDM-4
Compilation Tracks
1991 “Off the Deep End” on ‘Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music – 1977-1988’ (Zulu) ZULU-5-2
INSTRUCTIONS
Owen Smith (voice; textures) / Martin Wall (keys; textures) / Peter Crolly (bass) / Regan Myers (keys) / Alan Webster (drums) / Dave Beatty (guitar)
Following his tenure with 1970’s act Vehicle, Owen Smith released a solo record under the name Maxwell Friday before forming Instructions. They were signed to Quality Records in Canada and their self-titled debut was produced by Skyline Records owner John Driscoll at Phase One Studios in Scarborough, Ontario. Special guest guitarist was Domenic Troiano. The band won a JUNO Award in 1981. The album would have a half-life on Radio Records in 1982 featuring the single “Don’t Say Love”. Smith would go on to work in the movie and television industry. with notes from Owen Smith.
Singles
1982 Don’t Say Love/[same] (Radio/Atlantic – US) RR-4070
1982 Wicked Heart/Don’t Say Love [12″] (Radio/Atlantic – US) RR-435
Albums
1980 Instructions (Quality) SV-2067
1982 Instructions (Radio/Atlantic – US) RR-19356
INTERSYSTEMS
John Mills-Cockell (vocals, moog) / Henry Moore / Blake Parker / Kenneth Winters / Michael Hayden / Dik Zander
Toronto experimental electronic music act featuring Mills-Cockell who would apply the same principles to his next act Syrinx.
Albums
1967 Number One (Allied) IS-1S
1967 Peachy (Allied) RECORD NO.2
1968 Free Psychedelic Poster Inside
INTIMES, Les
From Quebéc.
Singles
1966 Elle Me Rend Fou/ Ils Ont Seize Ans (Fantastic) FA-3678
Compilation Tracks
1965 “It’s Christmas”, “We Will Have Fun”, and “Let It Snow” on ‘Christmas in the Wind’ (Fantastic) FCC-1404
INTOUCHABLES, Les
Jacques Langlois (guitar) / Jean Paul Rajotte (rhythm guitar) / Gilles Boisvert (bass) / Normand Goulet (drums) / Claude Pichette (drums; replaced Goulet) / André Giroux (drums; replaced Pichette) / André Lemay (bass)
Drummondville, Quebéc’s Les Intouchables started life as Copains in 1964. By late summer 1964 the group went through three drummers and would also lose bassist Boisvert who was quickly replace by Andre Lemay. The released on single called “J’ai mon voyage” in 1965 and broke up the following summer.
Singles
1965 J’ai mon voyage/Sur la plage (Laniel) LA-3005
INTRIGANTES, Les
Diane Gallichand (lead guitar) / Carol Boutin (rhythm guitar) / Claire Gallichand (bass) / Ginette Douville (drums)
A rare French Canadian all-girl musical group. They spent their time touring around dance halls in Drummondville and Granby, Quebéc and other small towns. Several singles were released on various labels between 1966 and early 1967. They would get a show at Le Temps qui Bouge discotheque in Jardins des Étoiles à la Rhonde and appear in the CJMS Starovan Tour with Les Lutins, Karo and Patrick Zabé among many others. It would be their French cover version of The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” that would top the charts throughout the province in early 1968. Later in the year they would participate in Super Swing 68 at Les Palais des Sports in Granby, Quebéc with artists such as Les Hou-Lop, Les Sinners and Les Chancelliers. The band split up by year’s end. with notes from Serge Gingras and Johanne Lepage.
Singles
1965 Faut savoir/Sans toi (Jeunesse Franco) JF-4044
1966 Mets chinois/Le seuil du soleil (Citation) CN-9013
1967 La justice/Nouse voice (A1) A1-813
1967 Hello Goodbye/Je n’aimais pas marianne (Jupiter) JP-1118
1968 Goodbye Baby/Les enfants de la plage (Jupiter) JP-1141
INVISIBLE INC.
David Celia (guitar, vocals) / Mark Stewartson (guitar, vocals) / David Headon (bass) / Geoff Hen (drums)
Formed from the ashes of the band Roundhouse in 1998. The band recorded the album ‘Poor Folks Welcome’ at Taxi Stand Studio in Toronto, Ontario with engineer Rich Dubeau in 2000. Aside from playing around Southern Ontario, they managed on tour of the UK before breaking up in 2001. David Celia would go on to a successful solo career. [also see DAVID CELIA]
Albums
2000 Poor Folks Welcome
INVITATIONS, The
From Toronto, Ontario. This act was signed to the short-lived Daffodil Records imprint label Strawberry Records in 1971. They recorded a cover of The Guess Who’s “A Wednesday in Your Garden” which was produced by Dr. Music’s Doug Riley. It also had a US release on Big Tree Records.
Singles
1971 A Wednesday In Your Garden/ Frank’s Folly (Carogina’s Noise) (Strawberry/Daffodil) ELY-2001
INWARD EYE [see ATTICA RIOTS]
IOLIS
Craig Dix (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, organ) / Colin McKechnie (guitars) / Ian DeSouza (bass) / Leon Racine (keyboards) / David Inglis (drums)
Album
1980 Iolis (World) WRC1-1700
IRISH DESCENDANTS, The
Con O’Brien (vocals) / D’Arcy Broderick (fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki) / Larry Martin (bass, vocals) / Ronnie Power (guitar, tin whistle, banjo, bouzouki, vocals) / Eamonn O’Rourke (fiddle; replaced Broderick)
All the members, born of Irish émigrés, were workers in the Newfoundland fishing industry before forming the band in 1990 out of the remnants of two Newfie bands – The Descendants and Irish Coffee. In 1991, the Descendants recorded their first Celtic spirited album, ‘Misty Morning Shore’, on independent label Duckworth Records. It caught the attention of Warner Music and they signed the band following up with their major label debut ‘Look To the Sea’ in 1993. Along with the follow-up, ‘Gypsies and Lovers’, the Descendants were able to sell nearly 150,000 CDs. Both of these albums were rootsy and traditional in their acoustic approach. ‘Gypsies and Lovers’ earned the group a JUNO Award for ‘Best Roots or Traditional Album’. They were also named ‘Entertainer of the Year’ at the 1995 East Coast Music Awards. Their 1996 album, ‘Living on the Edge’, featured a shift in their sound causing an internal rift in the band and a parting of ways with D’Arcy Broderick. He departed just before a tour with Anne Murray and the band scrambled to find a replacement. A friend pointed them in the direction of an Irish fiddler living in New York – Eamonn O’Rourke. Their next album, which featured O’Rourke – was 1998’s ‘Rollin’ Home’. Over the next decade the band continued to evolve adding and losing nearly a dozen members, touring every year and releasing albums including the greatest hits package ‘So Far So Good’ and a Christmas album called ‘The Gift’. In 2004 the band released ‘Across the Water’ for the New York based Kells Label. The album immediately cruised to the top of the North American Irish Charts, and drew rave reviews from the Irish media. The 2008 CD, ‘Southern Shore’, was produced by Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea) and spawned another lengthy tour. With notes from Michael Greggs.
Singles
1993 Useta Love Her (Duckworth/Warner)
2005 Acadian Saturday Night [Enhanced w/video] (Kells)
Albums
1991 Misty Morning Shore (First City) FCPD-106
1993 Look To The Sea (WEA) CD-94017
1994 Gypsies And Lovers (WEA) CD-98237
1996 Living On The Edge (Duckworth/WEA) DD-302
1996 Moose Tracks [4-song EP] (Moosehead Breweries) MPI-0041D
1998 Rollin’ Home (WEA) CD-22717
1999 So Far So Good: The Best Of The Irish Descendants (WEA) 2-29128
2001 Blooming Bright Star (Sextant/Koch) SXT-CD-0001
2001 The Gift (Sextant/Koch) SXT-CD-0007
2001 Night at the Pub (Sextand/Avalon – UK) 20917
2004 Across The Water (Kells) CD-KM-7024
2004 We Are: Fan Favourites (Kells) CD-KM-7023
2007 Southern Shore (Fontana/Universal) 5516
2009 Encore – Best Of The Irish Descendants Volume 2 (All Ears Music/Fontana) FNCD-5552
2018 Is Your Rhubarb Up (Irish Descendants) 691046290540
IRISH ROVERS [aka THE ROVERS]
Jimmy Ferguson (vocals) / Wilcil McDowell (accordion) / George Millar (guitar) / Joe Millar (accordion, bass) / Will Millar (vocals, guitar, banjo) / John Reynolds (vocals, guitar, bass) / Bernie LaBarge (guitar; tour only) / Kevin McKeown (drums) / Wallace Hood (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist) / Sean O’Driscoll (banjo) / Ian Millar (bass) / Fred Graham (drums)
The members of the Irish Rovers were all emigrés from Northern Ireland who formed in Toronto in 1964. They started performing throughout Ontario before traveling to Calgary, Alberta where they became regulars at The Depression Coffee House, but it took them 4 more years before signing their first record deal with Decca. After the success of their first hit, the Shel Silverstein written, multi-million selling single “The Unicorn”, The Irish Rovers were named Canada’s, ‘Folk Group of the Year’ of 1968, by the predecessor of the JUNO’s. The following year, they received a Grammy nomination for ‘Folk Performance of the Year’. Starting in April 1971 as a replacement for the canceled ‘The Mike Neun Show’, CBC Vancouver producer Ken Gibson developed a show for the quintet called, simply, ‘The Irish Rovers’. They did comedy sketches, musical performances and played host to other musical heavyweights like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Irish music stars The Clancy Brothers. The show ran from 1971 through 1974. In later episodes, the CBC filmed the band on location in places such as Banff and Ireland. The series won a Canadian ACTRA award for ‘Best Variety Performance’. They also produced 16 one-hour TV specials in the mid-70’s. In 1977 they were signed to Attic Records who made a huge promotional and marketing push and released three albums of Irish Rovers material that year. With the dawn of the 1980’s they dropped the word ‘Irish’ from their name and began an exhaustive era of touring on the heels of chart topping and award winning back-to-back albums including ‘The Rovers’ (1980), ‘No More Bread And Butter’ (1981) and ‘It Was A Night Like This’ (1982) which were all produced by Jack Richardson (Guess Who). The Rovers called in musical favours from the likes of David Sinclair (Body Electric), Daryl Burgess, Peter Clarke, Kim Mitchell, Ian Thomas, Doug Riley, Steve Kennedy, Brian Leonard, Terry Frewer, Michael Creber, Craig Zurba (Agent), Doug Edwards, Bernie LaBarge, and Gary Koliger among others. In October 1980 they starred in their second television special called “Party With the Rovers”. It would see a long-term revival, under the same name, from 1984 to 1986. They also had a variety show called ‘The Rovers Comedy House’ for seven episodes starting in January 1981. The Ken Gibson produced show for CBC in Vancouveralso featured singer Jimmy Kennedy who joined the troupe each week. Their guests included other Irish performers and folk singers, such as Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, Bob Gibson, and Oscar Brand, as well as Bruno Gerussi, Jim Stafford, Andy Stewart, and Dennis Day. The seven episodes were repeated three months after the initial run because of the NABET strike in May 198l. Their 25th Anniversary collection featured the backing of The Chieftains and songs written by Randy Bachman, Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. In recognition for a quarter century of contributions to the International music world, they won the Performing Rights Organization’s (PROCAN) prestigious ‘Harold Moon Award’. By 1989 they had recorded 25 albums and had represented Canada at no less than five world Expos – Montréal (1967), Osaka, Japan (1970), Okinawa, Japan (1976), Vancouver (1986), and Brisbane, Australia (1988). The Irish Rovers continue to perform in theatres around the world with regular performances in Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia featuring with original members George Millar, and Wilcil McDowell to carry on the legacy; Will Millar left the group in 1994; Jimmy Ferguson’s final show with the Rovers was October 7, 1997. He passed away in his sleep on October 8, 1997 in Worchester, MA; In 2005 Joe Millar also retired from the band, while his son, Ian took up the family ranks; Big Sean O’Driscoll joined the act in 1995, John Reynolds has been playing with the band since the 1980s, and drummer, Fred Graham, has been touring with the lads since 2007. In 2010, The Irish Rovers celebrated their 45th anniversary. They marked this milestone with the release of the album ‘Gracehill Fair’. Another album followed in 2011 entitled ‘Home in Ireland’ which was tied to a TV/DVD special shot on location in Ireland in 2010. The Irish Rovers won the SOCAN-sponsored ‘Song of the Year’ honours for “Gracehill Fair” at the 2011 Vancouver Island Music Awards (VIMAs). George Millar and John Reynolds accepted the award on behalf of the band, which also won the Island Classic Award; Joe Millar passed away February 10, 2023. with notes from C. Williams, Wallace Hood, Jan Ferguson, Kathleen & Karen Robertson, Jennifer J. Fahrni.
Singles
1967 Orange & Green/Whiskey On A Sunday (Decca)
1968 The Unicorn/Black Velvet Band (Decca) 32254
1968 The Puppet Song (Whiskey On a Sunday)/The Orange and the Green (Decca) 32333
1968 The Biplane Ever More/Liverpool Lou (Decca) 32371
1968 Nancy Whiskey/Liverpool Lou (MCA – UK) MCA-1040
1969 Lily The Pink/Mrs. Crandall’s Boardinghouse (Decca) 32444
1969 Did She Mention My Name/Peter Knight (Decca) 32529
1970 Winkin’ Blinkin’ and Nod/Fifi O’Toole (Decca) 32575
1970 Rhymes and Reason/Penny Whistle Peddler (Decca) 32616
1970 Years May Come, Years May Go/Two Little Boys (MCA) 32723
1971 The Marvelous Toy/Marika’s Lullaby (Decca) 32775
1972 Morning Town Ride (Edited Version)/Step It Out Mary (Potato/MCA) PPT-3001
1972 The Unicorn/Whiskey On Sunday (MCA) 65010
1975 Feller From Fortune [4 song EP] (CBC Radio Canada) LM-214
1978 Special New Zealand Tour Edition [4 song EP] (Phonogram – Australia) 6238003
as THE ROVERS
1980 Wasn’t That A Party/Here’s To The Horses (Potato/Attic/Cleveland Int’l) AT-231
1980 Wasn’t That A Party/Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Epic – US) 19-51007
1980 Mexican Girl/Pheasant Plucker’s Son (Epic – US) 19-02148
1980 Mexican Girl/Movie Cowboys (Potato/Attic) AT-237
1982 Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy/Class of ’69 (Potato/Attic) AT-254
1982 No More Bread and Butter/Pain In My Past (Potato/Attic)
1982 Pain In My Past/Daddies (Epic – US) 14-02728
1982 People Who Read People Magazine/[same] (Epic – US) 14-02911
1982 Grandma Got Hit By A Reindeer/Merry Bloody Christmas (Potato/Attic) AT-275
1985 Everybody’s Making It/Bottle of Wine (Potato/Attic) AT-325
1989 All Sing Together/Paddy on the Turnpike (Potato/Attic) AT-385
1989 Other Side of the Evening/Finnegan’s Wake (Potato/Attic) AT-391
Albums
1967 First Of The Irish Rovers (Decca) DL-4835
1968 The Unicorn (Decca) DL-74951
1968 All Hung Up (Decca) DL-75037
1969 Tales To Warm Your Mind (Decca) DL-75081
1971 The Life Of The Rover (Decca/MCA) DL-75157
1971 The Unicorn [re-issue] (Decca/MCA)
1972 On the Shores of Americay (Decca/MCA) DL-75302
1972 Best of The Irish Rovers (Decca/MCA) DL-75386
1972 20 of Their Greatest Hits (K-Tel) NC-420
1972 Irish Rovers Live (Decca/MCA)
1974 Greatest Hits (Decca/MCA) 4066
1977 Live – The Irish Rovers (Potato/Attic) POT-3201
1977 Emigrate, Emigrate (Potato/Attic) LAT-1029
1977 Irish Rovers In Australia (Potato/Attic) LAT-1038
1979 Tall Ships And Salty Dogs (Potato/Attic) LAT-1086
1989 Hardstuff (Attic) LAT-1253
1989 Silver Anniversary (Attic) ACDM 1303
1992 When The Boys Come Rollin’ Home (Attic) ACDM-1381
1993 Years May Come, Years May Go (MCA)
1994 Celebrate! The First 30 Years (Rover) 30-2
1995 Celtic Connection-The Next 30 Years (Rover) IRD 001-2
1996 Gems (Rover) IRD 002
1997 Come Fill Up Your Glasses (Rover) 003
1999 Songs Of Christmas (Rover)
2000 Down By The Laganside (Rover) 006
2002 Collection (Varese) 066377
2002 Another Round (Rover) IR-CD
2003 The Boys of Belfast (Varese)
2003 Live in Concert (Rover)
2005 40 Years A-Rovin’ (Rover)
2007 Still Rovin’ (Rover)
2010 Still Rovin After All These Years (Varese)
2010 Gracehill Fair (Rover)
2011 Home In Ireland (Rover)
as THE ROVERS
1980 The Rovers (Potato/Attic/Cleveland Int’l) LAT-1095
1980 Wasn’t That A Party (Epic/Columbia – US) 37107
1981 No More Bread And Butter (Potato/Attic) LAT-1118
1982 It Was A Night Like This (Potato/Attic) LAT -1149
1985 Party With The Rovers (Potato/Attic) LAT-1205
Compilation Tracks
1972 “The Unicorn” on ’60 Flash-back Greats Of The ’60s’ (K-Tel) TC-207
as THE ROVERS
1982 “Wasn’t That A Party” on ‘Full Tilt’ (K-Tel) TC-269
1984 “Honky Tonk Christmas” on ‘Country Christmas List’ (Attic)
1993 “Wasn’t That A Party?” on ‘Caught In the Attic’ [3CDs] (Attic) ATTIC-XX
1997 “Wasn’t That A Party” on ‘Contact 3! The Third Period/Contact 3! La Troisème Période (Attic) ACD-1466
1998 “Wasn’t That A Party?” on ‘Attic Records Limited Twenty5’ [4CDs] (Attic) ATTIC-25
IRONHORSE
Randy Bachman (guitars) / John Pierce (bass) / Mike Baird (drums) / Chris Leighton (drums; replaced Baird) / Ron Foos (bass; replaced Pierce) / Tom Sparks (guitar, vocals) / Frank Ludwig (keyboards, vocals; replaced Sparks)
After leaving his own band, Bachman Turner Overdrive, following the 1977 album ‘Freeways’ and its resulting failure, Randy Bachman recorded a solo album for Polydor in 1978. Internal upheavals at the record label caused Bachman to beg out of his deal and he instead approached friends of his, the Scotti Brothers, who had just formed their own label. They were interested more in rock bands than solo performers and Bachman made one to order. He brought in guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tom Sparks from Washington State and added Chris Leighton on drums. They released two singles from their debut album, including “Sweet Lui Louise”, before the band saw the departure of Sparks and the addition of former Trooper keyboardist, vocalist Frank Ludwig. With the change in direction and failure of the 1980 follow-up album ‘Everything Is Grey’, the band parted ways with Scotti Brothers. Bachman would call on his old buddy from B.T.O. Fred Turner and the band carried on as Union. Bachman would have an on-again/off-again relationship with reformed versions of BTO and The Guess Who and in recent years has created his own record label while recording his own solo material; Ludwig would go on to form Body Electric with members of Straight Lines before spearheading years of session work many of Canada’s biggest names. with notes from Randy Bachman, T. Cole, Brian Zargo and Mark Logan. [also see RANDY BACHMAN, FRANK LUDWIG]
Singles
1979 Sweet Lui-Louise/Watch Me Fly (Scotti Bros.) SB-406
1979 He’s a Joker/Tumbleweed (Scotti Bros.) SB-407
1979 One and Only/She’s Got It (Scotti Bros.) SB-408
1980 What’s Your Hurry Darlin’?/Try a Little Harder (Scotti Bros.) SB-512
1980 Symphony/Railroad Love (Scotti Bros.) SB-302
1980 Everything Is Grey/I’m Hurtin’ Inside (Scotti Bros.) SB-303
Albums
1979 Ironhorse (Scotti Bros.) SB-7103
1980 Everything Is Grey (Scotti Bros.) SB-7108
IRWIN, Curly
Born: Erwin Ritz
From Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Singles
1964 Just To Tease Me/Lonely (Eagle) ER-101
Compilation Tracks
2009 “Just To Tease Me,” “Baby You’re For Me,” and “Moon Doll” on ‘The Best Of Eagle Records’ (Super Oldies) SOCD-8
as CURLY ERWIN
1974 “Rosa Roslie” on ‘European Party Pac 25 Original Songs By Famous Artists’ (K-Tel) NC-421
ISHAN PEOPLE
Johnny Osbourne (lead vocals) / Douglas Williams (guitar, vocals) / Michael Murray (guitar) / Herbert Peters (keyboards) / Larry Silvera (bass) / Bimbo (drums) / Tony Campbell (guitar)
Reggae meets New Wave act had its big break as The Ishan Band in the film and final concert commemorating the last days of Toronto’s The Edge nightclub with ‘The Last Pogo’ movie and soundtrack. Both of their albums were produced by David Clayton-Thomas; Tony Campbell died October 12, 2023. with notes from Nicholas Jennings.
Singles
1976 I Shall Be Released/Lies (GRT) 1230-124
1976 Come To The Music/Trenchtown (GRT) 1230-132
Albums
1976 Roots (GRT) 9230-1064
1977 Ishan People (GRT) 9230-1071
1980 Reggae Sun (Amo – Netherlands) 67482
Compilation Tracks
as ISHAN BAND
1979 “Egzebier” on ‘The Last Pogo’ (Bomb) 7029
ITCH
Andy Kerr (guitar) / Glenn D’Cruze (drums) / John Wright (drums) / Mark Critchley (vocals, guitar, keyboards) / Keith Rose (bass) / Mark Fiorito (guitar)
From Victoria, British Columbia.
Singles
1991 88 Bones [4-song 7″ EP] (Scratch) No.2
1996 My Jerusalem/You Savage Beast [7″] (Wrong) 17
2001 Euphoria 10th Anniversary Special [3-Song 3″ EP (Itch) ITCH-001
Albums
1992 Dyin’ To Be Jesus (Nettwerk Europe/Play It Again Sam) NET-039CD
1994 Pull The Wool (Nettwerk) W2-30095
ITEMS, Les
From Quebéc.
Singles
1967 Foxy Lady/J’aimerais tant te revoir (Télédisc/Trans-Canada/London) TD-63
ITEMS, The
Billy Hooligan [aka Mike Rolanty] / Spider [aka Steve Heckford] / Dick Hurtz [aka Wally Schlegle] / Ronny Wart [aka Ron Lewis] / Mick Richards [aka Alec McGinness]
Short-lived Toronto punk act who gained some attention when they recorded the song “Ontario Place Riot” following the famed Teenage Head concert debacle in the summer of 1980. The Items would go on to have a song called “36-37 Blues” on the 1981 Q107 ‘Homegrown Album – Volume 3’. The Items reunited in January 2010.
Compilation Tracks
1981“36-37” on ‘Q107 Homegrown Album – Volume 3’ (Basement/Attic) BASE-6007
IT’S ALL MEAT
Rick Aston (bass) / Jed MacKay (organ, piano) / Rick McKim (drums) / Wayne Roworth (guitar) / Norm White (guitar)
MacKay and McKim were initially a production team called The Finger who produced the band Underworld for Regency Records.
Singles
1969 Feel It/I Need Some Definitive Commitment, Baby (Columbia) C4-2910
1970 If Only/You Don’t Notice the Time You Waste (Columbia) C4-2930
Albums
1970 It’s All Meat (Columbia) ELS-374
Compilation Tracks
1980 “Feel It” on ‘Pebbles Volume 9’ (BFD – US) BFD-5026
IT’S PATRICK!
Alison McLean (drums) / Beverly Breckenridge (bass) / Dallas Good (guitar) / Michelle Breslin (guitar, vocals) / Steve P. Keeping (drums) / Daryl Smith (bass) / Rudy Rempel (guitar, vocals) / Tim Kowalski (bass)
Following the collapse of their group Phono-Comb, Breckenridge and Good would team up with Alison McLean (ex-MaDE) plus ex-Fifth Column member Michelle Breslin to create It’s Patrick! in 1996. As time passed, McLean left and was replaced by ex-Squirrel drummer Steve P. Keeping. They would recruit ex-MaDE bassist Kowalski briefly who was then replaced by Daryl Smith, as well as adding Rudy Rempel to fill in the guitar duties for the departed Breckenridge and Good; Breslin and Keeping would go on to form Moe Kellong, and sadoceanspacebear; Dallas Good would go on to form The Sadies with his brother Travis; Good died unexpectedly February 17, 2022.
Singles
1996 Open Mind/Can’t Talk (Alien Girl) [no cat.#]
Albums
1999 Monsters Of The Deep (Alien Girl) AGR-003
IT’S US INC.
From Edmonton, Alberta.
Compilation Tracks
1966 “Put Down” on ‘Direct…From The…Rainbow Ballroom’ (Pace) RS-101
ITSA SKITSA
Paul Scriven (vocals, guitar) / Iain Staines (bass, vocals) / Damian Seguin (vocals, guitar) / Doug Campbell (drums, keyboards, percussion)
From London, Ontario.
Albums
1987 Itsa Skitsa [6-song EP] (Itsa) ITSAREC-8001
Compilation Tracks
1986 “Warning” on ‘CHRW Compilation London Underground – 1’ (Signature Records and Tapes) ST-0027
© 1998 – 2024 Jaimie Vernon.
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