J.B. And The Playboys
Jackal
Jacks, Susan
Jacks, Terry
Jackson Hawke
Jackson, Jay
Jackson, Luke
Jackson, Shawne
Jacksoul
Jacobs, Dale
Jade
Jades, The
Jaguars, Les
Jakalope
Jale
James And The Bondsmen
James, John & Francois
James Band, Paul
James, Colin
James, Diane
James, Freddie
James, Jamie
James, John
James, Paul
Jamieson-Roberts Device
Janz, Chris
Janz, Paul
Jarvis Street Revue
JATO
Jay And The Jamies, Kelly
Jeacocke, Sheree
Jean, François
Jellyfishbabies
Jellyroll
Jenson Interceptor
Jepsen, Carly Rae
Jericho
Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra
Jet Bl☆ck Stare
Jet Set Satellite
Jets Overheard
Jetsam
Jett Black
Jitters, The
Joe College And The Rulers
Johansen, Glen
Johnny And The Canadians
Johnny And The G-Rays
Johnny Burt Society, The
Johns, Rita
Johnson, Debbie
Johnson, Molly
Johnstones, The
Joint Effect, A
Joli, France
Jolly Tambourine Man
Jon and Lee and the Checkmates
Jones Group, Mike
Jones, Jeff
Jones, John
Jones, Lynn
Jonsson, Sigi
Jordan, Keven
Jordan, Marc
Jordan, Sass
Jordana, Michaele
Joshua
Jr. Gone Wild
Jude The Obscure
Juliette
Junior Achiever
Junkhouse
Jury, The
JUST·IF·I
Justin Tyme
Just Us, The
J.B. AND THE PLAYBOYS
Allan Nicholls (vocals) / Bill Hill (lead guitar) / Doug West (drums) / Andy “Yugo” Kaye [aka Andurash Kajachanei] (guitar) / Lou Atkins [aka Louis Yachnin] (bass) / Pete Carson (bass; replaced Atkins 1966) / J.P. Lauzon (guitar; replaced Kaye 1966)
This Montréal-based act established a firm reputation in the early 1960’s in the local club scene playing Beatles cover tunes before The Beatles broke in North America because Nicholls’ aunt lived in England and sent him all the latest releases. Through a local independent label they released a version of “All My Loving” along with an original tune, “Cheryl”, in 1964 to minor success in Montreal. By 1965 they had been signed to RCA Victor International Canada Records and released the single “Tears of Woe”. A string of successful singles followed on the charts through the spring of 1965 after which the band headed into RCA Studios to record the remaining tracks for their self-titled debut LP which was released in the summer of 1965. During that same summer they starred in the US Movies Inc. production of Maxwell Sendel’s ‘Playgirl Killer’ film. With a May 1966 switch in name to The Jaybees (as they were being confused with Gary Lewis And The Playboys) and a move to Toronto, they continued with a string of successful singles including “I’m A Loner” peaking at No.25 in August 1966, and “I Think of Her” which hit No.49 later that year. Kaye and Atkins would leave the band following this release and were replaced by Pete Carson and J.P.Lauzon who would immediately appear on their next single for Columbia Records “Who Do You Think You Are”. Later that year The Jaybees would appear in a second film called “Waiting For Caroline” starring Alexandra Stewart. After another brief name change they returned to RCA as Peter And The Pipers with the addition of Tim Forsythe. But they found themselves without a hit in the form of ‘Rockin’ to Mars’. By 1968 the music world had changed styles again and the remaining members (Hill, Nicholls and Lauzon) rebuilt itself under the moniker Carnival Connection releasing one unsuccessful single “Poster Man” (only hitting No.67 in December 1968); Nicholls moved to New York to work on Broadway (‘Hair’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’) before returning to Montréal to join a short-reformation of Mashmakhan. In 1975 he packed up for Hollywood where he had parts in such movies as ‘Nashville’, ‘Buffalo Bill’, and ‘Slapshot’. He later worked in movie production with Robert Altman and eventually moved into video production including directing Leonard Cohen’s “I’m A Hotel” and working with Lorne Michaels on the TV show ‘Saturday Night Live’. Nicholls currently lives in the United Arab Emirates; Yachnin jumped ship and became a member of Tommy Graham And The Big Town Boys and eventually Lighthouse, but left in 1972 to become a drag racing auto mechanic; Kaye joined Freedom North and later The Classics in Toronto in the 1980’s; Hill went on to be in Freedom North with Andy Kaye and now owns a recording studio in Montréal; West left music to work in the computer business in Mississauga, Ontario; Lauzon joined the band Life and later, with Forsythe, was in Our Generation before carrying on with a modest solo career; Doug West would play with Ocean and was the drummer on their million selling single “Put Your Hand In The Hand”. with notes from Shawn Nagy. [also CARNIVAL CONNECTION, MASHMAKHAN, ALLAN NICHOLLS]
Singles
1964 Cheryl/All My Loving (DJ Enterprises) DJ-1002
1965 Tears of Woe/Chances (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3342
1965 I’m Not Satisfied/One Love, Your Love (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3344
1965 My Delight/Don’t Ask Me To Be True (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3345
1965 Love, Happiness And Sweet You/Summer Love (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3355
1965 Poor Anne/My Love (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3376
as THE JAYBEES
1966 I’m A Loner/Do You Think I’m In Love (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3398
1966 Our Love/Footsteps In The Snow (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3404
1966 I Think Of Her/Unbelievable (RCA/Victor) 47-9001
1967 Who Do You Think You Are/Bad Sign (Columbia) C4-2750
as PETER & THE PIPERS
1967 Rockin’ To Mars/Girl On The Hit Parade (RCA Victor International Canada) 57-3430
with CARNIVAL CONNECTION
1968 Poster Man/Alfred Appleby (Capitol) 2244
Albums
1965 J.B. & The Playboys (RCA Victor Canada International) PCS-1086
2005 Anthology (Superoldies)
JACKAL
Charlie Shannon (vocals) / Chris Kellesis (keyboards) / James “Jack” Kellesis (bass) / Dave Bernard (lead guitar) / Steve Hayward (rhythm guitar) / Lois Mutton (drums)
Toronto-Greek progressive psych act Jackal recorded one album for Art Snider’s Periwinkle label in 1973. Snider’s Sound Canada studio was a recording factory and cranked out one-off records monthly, if not weekly, utilizing a multitude of studio and session players. It is impossible to tell from the album’s credits who was a band member and who was a session player though bootlegged copies on CD have cited the Kellesis brothers, Bernard and Shannon as key members. Charlie Shannon and wife Carol Shannon formed a country act with Sebastian Agnello in 1976 called Tequila Sunrise. Charlie Shannon died in a car accident in 1986. with notes from Sebastian Agnello.
Albums
1973 Awake (Periwinkle) PER-7309
JACKS, Susan
Born: August 19, 1948 as Susan Pesklevits in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan;
Died: April 25, 2022 in Surrey, British Columbia.
Susan Pesklevits started singing in a school choir and her first professional appearance was at age 14 for a legion dance in Haney, British Columbia for a whopping $1. During her regular performances on CBC-TV’s ‘Music Hop’, she would meet her future husband, Terry Jacks whose band, The Chessman, was appearing on the same program. Following a short stint in Tom Northcott’s folk trio Eternal Triangle, Pesklevits was asked to sing in Hope, British Columbia. Needing a guitar player to accompany her, she was unable to locate one who was free for that night but remembered meeting Terry Jacks. Knowing that The Chessman had broken up she called Jacks and he agreed to accompany her, after which they began playing several small clubs as a duo. They would eventually add a guitar player, Craig McCaw, and began trying out group names (Powerline and Winkin’ Blinkin’ and Nob). With the addition of a tabla player, Satwant Singh, they settled on the name The Poppy Family. Initially, their repertoire was mostly cover tunes and, as Terry Jacks began writing more, they would add these original compositions to the stage show. Pesklevits and Jacks would marry soon after. Two singles slid by unnoticed (“Beyond the Clouds” and “What Can the Matter Be”), but it gave the act the opportunity to travel outside the Vancouver city limits. In 1969 the band would hit gold with “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?” which had been recorded on a shoe-string budget. The single would become a No.1 in Canada and No.2 on Billboard in the USA. Eventually worldwide sales would total over 2 1/2 million copies. The song won four JUNOs in 1969 for ‘Best Produced Single’ (Terry Jacks), ‘Best Produced MOR Album’, ‘Best Group Performance’ and ‘Outstanding Sales’. Terry Jack’s dislike for playing live led him to let McCaw and Singh go from the Poppy Family fold in 1970. Two more hits followed in “That’s Where I Went Wrong” and “Where Evil Grows” which saw Jacks under great pressure to put a touring version of the Poppy Family together. Several iterations of a ‘new’ Poppy Family emerged but the intensity of the band’s stardom and the stress of producing and having to perform live led Terry Jacks to make some new managerial decisions for the act. He decided that groups were becoming passé and it was time for the duo to drop the ‘Poppy Family’ name. His plan had been to revitalize their image — as solo recording acts — thereby yielding twice the impact than a single group. To that end, Susan recorded a self-titled solo album (aka ‘I Thought Of You Again’) in 1973 which was produced by Terry Jacks on Goldfish Records for Poppy Family Productions Ltd. Singles released from this album were the JUNO-nominated track “I Thought Of You Again” (written by Terry Jacks) as well as “I Want You To Love Me”. Alas, the career decisions and other aspects of the duo’s life together drove them farther apart as a couple and in 1973 Susan decided to leave their marriage and the act. Susan began touring solo and dubbed one congregation of backing musicians Cheese. She had great success with such singles as “All the Tea in China”, “Anna Marie” and “Tall Dark Stranger”, all of which produced a JUNO Award nomination for her. She would have a litany of record label and managerial problems highlighted by her feud with Casino Records president Ray Pettinger who had withheld her 1975 recorded album ‘Dreams’. Pettinger had been Terry Jacks’ business partner with Goldfish Records and when Pettinger bought out Terry Jack’s share of the company he used Susan’s money to do so and changed the label name to Casino. Susan Jacks would sue Pettinger over the cash dispute (and the album was a casualty of that lawsuit). Although Susan eventually won the case, her career was put on hold for many years. In 1980 she recorded ‘Ghosts’ for CBS Records and was reunited with her first husband Terry Jacks as producer. Not long after she hooked up with Bruce Allen Management who brought in Prism’s Tom Lavin to produce the ‘Forever’ album in 1982. She moved to Nashville in 1983 after signing a recording contract with a Nashville record label with second husband, CFL player Ted Dushinski, and her son. With the 1984 release of ‘Tall Dark Stranger’ she won ‘Best New Female Country Artist’ in Oklahoma. Jacks was also nominated for a JUNO Award that year. When the Nashville label folded a couple of years later, she began to hone her writing skills and wrote for a publishing company for 5 years. Since then, she’s managed a publishing company and was Vice President of Operations for a computer consulting company. Susan Jacks was Executive Vice President and co-owner of a successful telecommunications company in Nashville. In the 2000s she relocated to Vancouver and revived her music career; Susan Jacks died April 25, 2022 from kidney disease. with notes from Andre Skrastin, Susan Jacks, Sabrina Whyte, Bob Nelson, Norman MacPherson, and Jan Hindriks. [also see ETERNAL TRIANGLE, POPPY FAMILY].
Singles
1973 You Don’t Know What Love Is/Another Year, Another Day (Goldfish/Casino/London) L-182
1973 I Thought of You Again/Ocean (Goldfish/Casino) GF-102
1974 I Want You To Love Me/I Thought of You Again (Goldfish/Casino) GF-104
1974 Build a Tower/I Thought of You Again (Goldfish/Casino) GF-109
1975 You’re a Part of Me/I’d Rather Know You (Goldfish/Casino) GF-113
1975 Love Has No Pride (Goldfish/Casino) C7-102
1975 Anna Marie/Into The Night (Goldfish/Casino) C7-105
1975 Dream/[same] (Goldfish/Casino) C7-108
1976 I’d Rather Know You/You’re A Part Of Me (Mercury – US) 73649
1976 Nothing Good Comes Easy/Never Let Him Go (Mercury – US) 73752
1976 Memories Are Made of You/Honeyluv (Polydor) 2065-312
1977 Daytime Hustler/Mr. Vincent’s Dancing Class (Polydor) 2065-369
1979 All The Tea In China/Ocean (Columbia/CBS) C4-4241
1980 Twice As Strong/Beyond The Clouds (Columbia/CBS) C4-4253
1980 Fool Such As I/It’s For Real (Columbia/CBS) C4-4263
1980 Evergreen/Two Roses (Columbia/CBS) C4-4267
1982 Forever/Out of My Mind (Columbia/CBS) C4-4304
1982 Drown In The Flood/It’s For Real (Columbia/CBS) C4-4316
1982 It Takes Two/Somebody New (Columbia/CBS) C4-4318
1984 Tall Dark Stranger/Run To Her (Compleat) CP-123X
1984 Another Woman’s Man/I Miss You (Compleat) CP-134X
1988 Tell Me About It
Albums
1973 Susan Jacks (aka ‘I Thought Of You Again’) (Goldfish) GFLP-1002
1975 Dreams (Casino) CA-1005
1980 Ghosts (CBS) JC-36417
1982 Forever (Columbia) NPCC-80067
1984 Tall Dark Stranger
Compilation Tracks
1972 “Good Friends” on ‘Maple Music – Volume 1’ (Maple Music) MMJ-1
1973 “I Thought of You Again” on ‘Canadian Mint’ (K-Tel) TC-215
1974 “I Want You To Love Me” on ‘Dynamite’ (K-Tel) TC-219
1976 “Anna Marie” on ‘Block Buster’ (K-Tel) TC-229
1980 “All The Tea In China” on ‘Hit Line’ (K-Tel) TC-266
JACKS, Terry
Born: Terrence Ross Jacks on March 29, 1944 in Winnipeg, Manitoba
The oldest of five sons, Jacks was pressured by his family to be an architect. However, the allure to music was too strong. His first real professional exposure in music was as singer and guitarist for The Chessmen who had a modicum of success in the Vancouver region with two singles on London Records and two singles on Mercury 1964 thru 1966. Three of these tunes charted in the Top-10 on CFUN. During one of The Chessmen’s many appearances on CBC-TV’s Music Hop, Jacks would meet his future wife, Saskatoon native Susan Pesklevits. Susan and Terry started performing together when, quite a while after that meeting, Susan was asked to sing in Hope, B.C. and needed a guitar player to accompany her. She was unable to locate one who was free for that night but she remembered meeting Terry and had heard that his group had broken up. She called Jacks and he agreed to accompany her, after which they began playing several small clubs as a duo. They would eventually add a guitar player, Craig McCaw, and began trying out group names (Powerline and Winkin’ Blinkin’ and Nob). With the addition of a tabla player, Satwant Singh, they settled on the name The Poppy Family. Initially, their repertoire was mostly cover tunes and, as Terry Jacks began writing more, they would add these original compositions to the stage show. The duo soon married. Two singles slid by unnoticed (“Beyond the Clouds” and “What Can The Matter Be”), but it gave the act the opportunity to travel outside the Vancouver city limits. In 1969 the band would hit gold with “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?” which had been recorded on a shoe-string budget. The single would become a No.1 in Canada and No.2 on Billboard in the USA. Eventually worldwide sales would total over 2 1/2 million copies. The song won four JUNOs in 1969 for ‘Best Produced Single’ (Terry Jacks), ‘Best Produced MOR Album’, ‘Best Group Performance’ and ‘Outstanding Sales’. Terry Jack’s dislike for playing live led him to let McCaw and Singh go from the Poppy Family fold in 1970. Two more hits followed in “That’s Where I Went Wrong” and “Where Evil Grows” which saw Jacks under great pressure to put a touring version of the Poppy Family together. While working with Valdy on a studio project in Vancouver, Jacks came across the guitar work of Norman MacPherson who he brought on board to replace not only McCaw as a live guitarist, but to help in the studio on the ‘Poppy Seeds’ album. MacPherson left the live roster on good terms in the fall of 1971. Terry Jacks would then call Bob Nelson to replace MacPherson on guitarist. At first, it was Terry Jacks, Susan Jacks, Bob Nelson & Satwant Singh. They played quite a few gigs across Canada and in the United States. But Nelson eventually left the group and the Poppies returned to studio life. Later, in 1973 Nelson teamed up again with Terry & Susan Jacks. Nelson was asked to recruit Ron Johnson (who played piano on “Where Evil Grows”), bassist Doug Edwards, and The Fifth Dimension drummer Jim Chivers. They rehearsed quite a bit, but only played a few gigs together in that incarnation – notably, Disney World on the 4th of July. The intensity of the band’s stardom and the stress of producing and having to perform live led Terry Jacks to make some new managerial decisions for the act. He decided that groups were becoming passe and it was time for the duo to drop the “Poppy Family” name. His plan had been to revitalize their image — as solo recording acts — thereby yielding twice the impact than a single group. To that end, Susan recorded a self-titled solo album (aka ‘I Thought of You Again’) in 1973 which was produced by Terry Jacks on Goldfish Records for Poppy Family Productions Ltd. Singles released from this album were the JUNO-nominated track “I Thought Of You Again” (written by Terry Jacks) as well as “I Want You To Love Me”. Alas, the career decisions and other aspects of the duo’s life together drove them farther apart as a couple and in 1973 Susan decided to leave their marriage and the act. Terry Jacks had minor hits with “I’m Gonna Capture You” and “Concrete Sea” but it would be several years before he’d have the biggest hit of his career: Jacques Brel’s “Seasons In the Sun” in late 1973 which sold 11.5 million copies worldwide and stayed on the charts for 17 weeks in Canada and 15 in the US. The recording won Jacks another 4 JUNO Awards. The song had been a work in progress during Jacks’ production for a new Beach Boys album (the band even got bed tracks recorded on a rough version of the song). Jacks had also tried to sell the tune to Larry Evoy as a vehicle for Edward Bear. Evoy was, in turn, trying to get Jacks to record one of his songs – “Last Song”. In the end, both artists would record the songs they were trying to dispatch and had monster hits respectively. ‘Seasons In the Sun’ featured former Poppy Family touring member Bob Nelson on bass and guitar. Jacks met Jacques Brel in 1973 and Brel suggested Jacks record another song of his, “If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)”, which Jacks did but, obviously, without the global impact of “Seasons In the Sun”. Jacks continued writing and producing over the years and released albums sporadically. He fronted a new band called The Hood who charted with their only single “‘Cause We’re In Love” in 1974. Jacks would work with Bob Buckley (Straight Lines/Body Electric) on his album ‘Pulse’ in 1983 which featured the hit Voice of America”. He released his final studio album, ‘Just Like That’, in 1987 and then retired citing his lack of desire to go through the grind of touring. He stayed in the public eye by becoming a staunch Environmentalist and has often made headlines as head of Environmental Watch who is dedicated to fighting pollution. Jacks would produce such diverse Canadian acts as Chilliwack and DOA’s 1990 Restless Records album ‘Murder’ which featured the remake of Jacks’ “Where Evil Grows”. DOA convinced Jacks to appear in a cameo for the video of the song. with notes from Andre Skrastin, Susan Jacks, Maggi Jacks, Sabrina Whyte, Bob Nelson, Norman MacPherson, Jan Hindriks. [also see THE CHESSMEN, THE POPPY FAMILY]
Singles
1970 I’m Gonna Capture You/A Good Lost Thing (London) M-17381
1972 Someone Must Have Jumped/[same] (London) M-17427
1972 Concrete Sea/She Even Took the Cat (London) L-181
1973 I’m Gonna Love You Too/Something Good Was Over Before It Ever Got To Start (London) L-188
1973 Seasons In The Sun/Put The Bone In (Goldfish) GF-101
1974 If You Go Away/Me And You (Goldfish) GF-108
1974 Rock And Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)/Love Game (Goldfish)
GS-111
1975 Christina/The Feelings That We Lost (Goldfish/Quality) 2135X
1975 Holly/Until You’re Down (Goldfish/Quality) GO-1
1975 Y’Don’t Fight The Sea/Me And You (Goldfish/Quality) GO-3
1976 In My Father’s Footsteps/Until You’re Down (Goldfish/Quality) GO-6
1976 Ghost In Your Mind/Free From The City (Goldfish/Quality) GO-7
1976 You Keep Me Up/Ghost In Your Mind (Goldfish/Quality) GO-9
1977 Hey Country Girl/You Keep Me Up (Goldfish/Quality) GO-12
1983 You Fooled Me/Cynthia (A & M) AM-611
1984 Voice Of America/The Whale of Juan Perez Sound (A & M) AM-626
1985 Tough Guys Don’t Dance/ (A & M) AM-681
with THE HOOD
1974 ‘Cause We’re In Love/Swing It (Goldfish) GF-103
Albums
1974 Seasons In The Sun (Goldfish) GFLP-1001
1976 Y’Don’t Fight The Sea (Goldfish) GOLP-1
1982 Into The Past (A & M) SP-69881
1983 Pulse (A & M) SP-6096
1987 Just Like That (Attic/A & M) LAT-1229
Compilation Tracks
1972 “Where Evil Grows” on ‘Maple Music Vol.1’ (MMJ) MMJ-1
1974 “Seasons In The Sun” on ‘Canadian Mint’ (K-Tel) TC-215
1974 “If You Go Away” on ‘Dynamite’ (K-Tel) TC-219
1974 “If You Go Away” on ‘Hot Hits’ (Jukebox Int’l) 74001
1974 “Rock And Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life) on ‘Sound Spectacular’ (K-Tel) TC-222
1974 “Seasons In The Sun” on ’20 Top Hits’ (Jukebox Int’l) 74002
1975 “Rock And Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)” on ‘Canada Gold – 22 Karat Hits’ (K-Tel) TC-225
1985 “There’s No Blood In Bone” on ‘The History of Vancouver Rock and Roll Volume 2’ (Neptoon) VRCA-002
1991 “Seasons In The Sun” on ‘Made In Canada – Volume 4: More Great Stuff’ (BMG) 06192-17247
1996 “Seasons In the Sun” on ‘Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music’ (MCA) JUNO-25
JACKSON HAWKE
Tim Ryan (lead vocals) / Bob Yeomans (drums) / Gene Falbo (bass) / Chris Castle (drums; replaced Yeomans) / Bob “The Crow” Clarke (drums; replaced Castle) / Garry Holt (guitar) / Bucky Berger (drums; replaced Clarke)
The core of Jackson Hawke, Ryan and Yeomans, began working together musically in 1963 with The Amen. Even with the help of connected music industry powerhouse Bernie Finkelstein (The Paupers, Kensington Market), the band got nowhere and split up in mid-1965. Ryan became a steel worker but was jolted out of domestic life after producer Andre Perry (John Lennon) heard some demos by Ryan and Yeomans suggested the duo record an album. As the project was being created with producer Fraser Mohawk, Yeomans abandoned the album and the results were released as a Ryan solo project. Later in 1973, the two re-teamed in Toronto as the band Hero. Little became of the act and Ryan left to once again pursue his solo career. He represented Canada at the ‘Tokyo for the World Popular Song Festival’ with his tune “Sweet December”. Soon Ryan packed up his solo career and emerged once more with Yeomans and Gene Falbo (ex-Aaron Space) as a new version of Hero. They managed to attract the attention of CBS Records of Canada in 1976 and added Texas drummer Chris Castle who didn’t stay with the act very long. They changed their name to Jackson Hawke, after Ryan and Yeoman’s maternal grandfathers – Joe Jackson and Andy Hawke – and released their first single “You Can’t Dance” from the debut album, ‘Forever’, on CBS Records. It became a double A-sided hit when radio decided to give the flipside, Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic”, heavy rotation. The album featured session drummer Larrie Londin but with the need to tour and capitalize on a JUNO Award nomination in 1976, they brought Bob “The Crow” Clarke (ex-The Amen) onboard as new drummer. In 1977 the band released their second, self-titled, album with a change to the line-up of Bucky Burger (drums) and Gary Holt (guitar). The band would have some posthumous success when England Dan & John Ford Coley covered their “You Can’t Dance” and made it a hit in the US in 1978; Tim Ryan died in June 2016 following complications from open heart surgery. with notes from Tim Ryan.
Singles
1976 You Can’t Dance/Into The Mystic (CBS)C4-4131
1976 She’s The One/[same] (CBS) C4-4150
1976 Into The Mystic/Fortune (Epic/CBS – UK) 5034
1977 Set Me Free/Done Done (CBS) C4-4165
Albums
1976 Forever (CBS) PES-90375
1977 Jackson Hawke (CBS) PES-90417
Compilation Tracks
1977 “Set Me Free” on ‘Star Power’ (K-Tel) TC-245
1978 “Set Me Free” on ‘Mellow Gold’ (Columbia Special Products) CSPS-2-1329
JACKSON, Jay
Born: May 27, 1942
Died: September 15, 2020
Jay Jackson was from a musical family. His first brush with success was as a member of The Pharaohs. When a spot opened up for him in the group Jay Smith and The Majestics with his sister, the group changed their name to Shawne and Jay Jackson and the Majestics. They released several albums and singles on the ARC Records labels and their version of Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music”, on the compilation ‘CTV’s After Four’ while “Respect” was found on the Yorkville ‘Evolution’ compilation. The group split up in 1969. That year Jay Jackson joined a funk/soul act called Heads of Our Time who released one album and the single “With a Little Help From My Friends.” The rhythm section of the Majestics carried on in late years as The Original Replay Band featuring three vocalists: Jay Jackson, Sharon Smith, and Doug Dixon (of The Ardels); Jay Jackson passed away September 15,2020. [also see MAJESTICS]
Singles
1965 Darling Don’t You Go/Anytime (Red Leaf) TTM-614
with JAY JACKSON & THE HEADS OF OUR TIME
1969 With a Little Help From My Friends/Listen Here (Mr. G Records – US) G-822
Albums
with THE HEADS OF OUR TIME
1969 Heads of Our Time (Goodgroove) GS-7001
JACKSON, Luke
British singer-songwriter cut his teeth in English acts Vodka Rubber Legs and Giggle With Children before launching a solo career. He began recording his debut album in 1997. Having tracked the tunes he moved to Toronto, Ontario that year and completed the ‘Split’ CD which was released in 1998. His sophomore album, ‘Momentum’, was recorded at Umbrella Sound with Joao Carvalho and Greg O’Shea in 1999/2000. The album was released in 2002. In the spring of 2006, a seven-year email correspondence culminated in the meeting of Luke Jackson and Magnus Börjeson. Jackson had long been a devoted fan of two of the Swedish musician’s former bands – Beagle and Favorita – and the two songwriters finally met in Paris where Magnus was mid-tour playing in The Cardigans. By the end of the weekend they were like old friends and Jackson had accepted an invitation to Sweden for the upcoming Midsummer long weekend holiday. After Jackson returned from Sweden, he formulated a plan to return there one day to record following an invitation to do so “anytime”. The recording of Jackson’s third album would begin in Sweden with producer Christoffer Lundquist (Cardigans, Roxette) in January 2007 and took two return visits that concluded in November 2007. Backing musicians on the analog recordings included bassist Magnus Borjeson (Beagle, Favorita), drummer Jens Jansson (Brainpool, A Camp) and legendary British string arranger Robert Kirby (Nick Drake, Elvis Costello, John Cale, Elton John, etc.). The finished CD and vinyl LP, ‘…And Then Some’, was released featuring the spin-off 7” single “Come Tomorrow” in November 2008. Jackson has become a regular performer at the annual Toronto edition of the International Pop Overthrow Festival. On November 28, 2010 Jackson produced, promoted and played at the ‘Nick Drake Tribute Night’ at Trinity St. Paul’s United Church in Toronto. Other performers included David Celia, Brent Jackson, Emm Gryner, Stephen Fearing, Kevin Fox, Kevin Kane, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Royal Wood and Kurt Swinghammer among others. Proceeds from the concert went to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Jackson’s own record label imprint, Popsicle Recordings, started life as a webshop where he would sell CDs by obscure Scandinavian bands and became a proper label in 2007 when he released the “long lost” 1995 debut album by Swedish band Favorita which had never been released. Jackson engineered and produced recordings by acts such as Echo Hermits, David Celia, Matt Masotti, Robert Atyeo and Aengus Finnan. with notes from Luke Jackson.
Singles
2009 Come Tomorrow/A Little Voice [7” + DVD]
2021 The Air You Breathe
Albums
1998 Split
2002 Momentum
2008 …And Then Some (Popsicle/Urban Myth)
with VODKA RUBBER LEGS
1991 One Take Valentine [cassette] (independent)
with GIGGLE WITH CHILDREN
1993 Giggle With Children [cassette] (independent)
1994 Giggle With Children 2 (independent)
Compilation Tracks
2002 “I Remain” on ‘International Pop Overthrow Vol. 5’ (Not Lame) NL-77
JACKSON, Shawne
Toronto’s Shawne Jackson started singing very young in church choirs and with various ad hoc vocal groups. At age 15 she landed work on CBC-TV’s “Music Hop”. She would join well known Toronto vocal act The Silhouettes before hooking up with Rhythm ‘n’ Blues/Soul act Jay Smith And The Majestics. With the departure of Smith, the group brought in Jackson’s brother Jay to become Shawne And Jay Jackson And The Majestics. The Majestics recorded several albums for the ARC Records label between 1966 and 1968 and the group finally disbanded in 1969. Jackson would move on to another vocal act, The Stone Soul Children, before moving to the United States to attend modeling school where she worked as a secretary to make ends meet. After signing with Playboy Records in 1974, she had a Top-10 hit in Canada with “Just as Bad as You” which was produced by Domenic Troiano (her future husband). A Domenic Troiano full-length album on RCA and several less successful singles followed in 1976. Jackson would also be nominated for a JUNO Award. In 1977 Jackson returned to school to continue her passion for clothing design which she had grown fond of while in the US. Though she removed herself from the spotlight of stage performing she returned to music in the 1980’s singing for television shows and commercials and even released another single on the El Mocambo Records label. She was also an in-demand session vocalist for many Canadian acts alongside Colina Phillips and Sharon Lee Williams. She would record a song from the musical ‘Yuppies’ called “Images” with Sharon Lee Williams in 1985. Jackson landed a role as a waitress in the Canadian TV show ‘Night Heat’ with husband Domenic Troiano supplying the theme song. [also see THE MAJESTICS]
Singles
1974 Just As Bad As You/He Maybe Your Man (Playboy/Quality) GT-223
1975 Get Out of the Kitchen/Don’t Wait For Tomorrow (RCA) PB-10428
1976 Don’t Wait For Tomorrow/T’eloigner de mon Cœur (RCA) PB-50171
1980 Can’t Stop Thinking About You/Come Back Boy (El Mocambo) ESMO-504
1983 Loveline (6:18)/Loveline (short version) (MCA)
with SHAWNE JACKSON & SHARON LEE WILLIAMS
1985 Images (single mix)/Images (disco Mix) (RCA) 10012
Albums
1976 Shawne Jackson (RCA) APL1-1320
Compilation Tracks
1973 “Just As Bad As You” on ‘Canadian Mint’ (K-Tel) TC-215
1981 “Come Back Boy” on ‘Hit Toons For Hip Teens!’ (El Mocambo) ELMO-760
JACKSOUL
Haydain Neale (vocals) / Justin Abedin (guitar) / Adrian Eccleston (guitar) / Brent Setterington (keyboards) / Adam Leo’s (saxuality) / Dave Murray (bass) / Roger Travassos (drums)
Originally from London, Ontario, Jacksoul’s sensuous brand of urban pop led one American A & R rep at a U.S. major label to declare that the office employees loved the album, but couldn’t sign the band because the music was “too intellectual.” Well before the release of ‘ABsolute’, Jacksoul had created an industry buzz around its irresistible hiphop/funk/soul sound via an independently produced cassette and relentless live shows across southern Ontario. Jacksoul landed a distribution deal with Vik./BMG Music Canada in mid-1996 and released ‘ABsolute’ in 1997 featuring the lead-off single “Eastbound”. The band released a well-received follow-up, ‘Sleepless’, in April 2000, buoyed by heavy video play for the lead-off single, the Level 42-flavoured “Can’t Stop”. The song became the number one most spun Canadian track at radio for four weeks in 2000. This led to a JUNO Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year 2001. With the release of ‘Resurrected’ in 2004, Neale won a Canadian Urban Music Award (UMAC) for ‘Songwriter of the Year’. The single “Still Believe in Love” was the number one most spun Canadian track and the number one track on all radio formats simultaneously in 2004. The album’s “Shady Day” also won a SOCAN Award for ‘R&B Song of the Year’ in 2005. 2006 saw the release of the fourth Jacksoul album, ‘mySOUL’, garnering a JUNO Award for ‘R&B/Soul Recording of the Year’ in 2007. Following rehabilitation for a car accident in August 2007, Haydain Neale fought a long battle with lung cancer. He passed away November 22, 2009. With notes from Roma.
Singles
1994 Unconditional Love/Yesterday//I Got Your Soul/City Scape [12″] (Jinxx/Hi-Bias) JX-006
1996 Eastbound [5 mixes] (Ariola/BMG) KCDP-51379
1997 Unconditional [3 mixes] (Ariola/BMG) KCDP-51433
2000 I Know What You Want [3 mixes] (Vik./BMG) KCDP-51849
2000 Can’t Stop (Radio Edit)/Can’t Stop (Original Album Version)/Sleepless (Vik./BMG) 74321-70477-2
2004 Still Believe In Love/Think You Should Know/Saved [3″ HMV exclusive] (Vik./BMG) DPRO-52173
2009 Lonesome Highway (Sony)
Albums
1993 jackSOUL [4-song 12″ EP] (BLT) BLT-660304
1994 Twilight [cassette] (Jacksoul) JS-001
1995 AB solute (Represent) RR-0403
1997 AB solute [re-issue] (Ariola/BMG) 74321-38621-2
2000 Sleepless (Vik./BMG) 74321-68993-2
2004 Resurrected (Vik./BMG) 82876-57996-2
2006 mySOUL (Sony/BMG) 82876-82720-2
2009 SOULmate (Sony) 88697-62151-2-5
2014 Exclusive Collection [4-song 10″ EP] (Sony) 88875-02542-1
JACOBS, Dale
Jazz and pop keyboardist and engineer extraordinaire. Jacobs died of lung cancer on September 10, 2000 in California. with notes from Robin Watters.
Singles
1978 Cobra/Hanglider (Epic/Columbia) E-4192
1978 On The Wings of a Song/Taiwan On (Epic/Columbia) E4-4211
Albums
1978 Cobra (Epic/Columbia) PEC-80008
1979 Tropical Show (Epic/Columbia) PEC-80016
1981 Coastal Zone (New Music) NMR-4031
with THE DALE JACOBS GROUP
1976 Live At Puccini’s (Singwell) SW-0003
Compilation Tracks
1979 “Cobra” and “On the Wings of a Song” on ‘Northern Stars’ [2LP] (CBS) 2-CDN-12
JADE
Peter Reiker (vocals; 1982-83; 1987) / Roxy Lyons (vocals; replaced Reiker) / ‘Sweet’ Marie Black (vocals; replaced Lyons) / Pat Belrose (guitar) / John Belrose (drums) / Ben Michaels (drums; replaced Belrose 1984) / Lenny Richardson (bass) / Terry Rudd (bass; replaced Michaels) / Dave Samson (drums; replaced Richardson) / Brian Hamilton (bass; replaced Rudd) / Lisa Zbitnew (guitar)
Guitarist Pat Belrose and manager brother John Belrose conceived Jade in 1982 in their hometown of Ottawa. Pat and John recruited vocalist Roxy Lyons, along with Lenny Richardson, and they decided to move to Winnipeg to hone their chops on the burgeoning hard rock scene there. After tightening up the line-up they returned to Ottawa and released their debut album ‘Teasing Eyes’ on the independent Zaphia Records label in 1984. The record found its way to Europe and received plenty of positive attention in magazines like ‘Kerrrang’. Holland label Road Runner took interest and signed the band to a multi-album deal. No sooner had the ink dried on the contract when Roxy Lyons and the band’s drummer moved to Windsor with a religious cult. Pat Belrose decided to dig around the Toronto metal scene and came up with vocalist Sweet Marie Black and drummer ‘Big Beat’ Samson from collapsing metal act Aggressor. The band headed into Quest Studios in Oshawa with producer Robert Connolly (Exciter, Lee Aaron, Santers) in July 1985 and returned with their debut Road Runner/Attic release ‘If You’re Man Enough’. The album was nominally successful in Europe and the act was able to tour there. Sweet Marie was then replaced by Jade’s first male vocalist Peter Rieker in 1987. Bassist Brian Hamilton also took over from Terry Rudd. Road Runner soon dropped the band as the label wanted a female vocalist. Instead, the band became heavier and found acceptance on the burgeoning Quebéc metal scene along with bands like Voivod. The group released a final EP in 1987 on the Last Music label; Zbitnew would go on to become president of BMG Canada and is currently co-owner of the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. with notes from Peter Rieker.
Albums
1984 Teasing Eyes (Zaphia) 1001
1985 If You’re Man Enough (Road Runner/Attic) RRR-217
1987 Jade (Last Music)
JADES, The
Billy Ledster (vocals, bass) / Rene Hamelin (guitar) / John Ranger (keyboards) / Don Carpentier (drums) / Claude Roy / Ray Roy / Ray Boucher / Big Joe Brazil
From North Bay, Ontario. Originally known in the early ‘60s as Kenny & The Be Bops before becoming The Flaming Stars and eventually settling on the name The Jades. The made a name for themselves touring Ontario and Québec but found themselves doing regular stints at Montréal’s Esquire Show Bar. They also played with such acts as The Isley Brothers, Sam & Dave, Bill Dogget, Don Gardener & Dee Dee Ford, Bo Diddley, Frogman Henry, King Curtis, and The Miller Sisters among others. They released one single on the Capri label in 1964 before signing with Jean Beaulne (Les Baronets) to release a French cover version of Jose Feliciano’s “Light My Fire” ala The Doors entitled “Moi Je T’aime Bien Comme Ça” in 1968. After little success otherwise, the members merged with some local St-Jean, Québec musicians and changed their name to Illustration. With notes from Ivan Amirault and John Ranger. [also see ILLUSTRATION, KENNY & THE BE- BOPS].
Singles
1964 Chicken Fried Rice/ From The Very First Time (Capri) C-952
1968 Moi Je T’aime Bien Comme Ça/Je N’ai Que Toi (Première) PR-902
JAGUARS, Les
Jean-Guy “Arthur” Cossette (lead guitar) / Gilles Morissette (guitar) / Reynald Morissette (drums) / Doris Thibault (bass) / André Parenteau (bass; 1982) / Pierre Ringuet (drums; 1982) / Michel Murphy (guitar; 1982) / Olivier Martin (bass; 1996) / Michel Dufour (drums; 1996) / Guylaine Maroist (guitar; 1996)
Les Jaguars were a Jonquière, Québec guitar instrumental band formed in 1962. They were signed to Tournesol Records in 1963 and releases a series of hit singles and albums, making them a successfully popular band around Québec. Their 1963 song “Dead Sea” did so well that Quality Records in English Canada licensed the single and released it on their REO subsidiary label in 1965. The band split up in 1966; Cossette would go on to a successful career playing guitar for Les Cavemen, Les Sinners, and La Révolution Française as well as a solo career under the name Arthur.He briefly assembled a new version of Les Jaguars in 1973 for an album of remakes under the name Les Nouveaux Jaguars and for a one-off single entitled “Pluie D’ete” under the name Arthur Et Les Jaguars. Cossette would launch the band again in 1982 with a new line-up and released a brand new album called, simply, “Jaguars” that year. Once again, in 1996, Cossette formed yet another version of the band for a CD called ‘Appalaches’. [also see JEAN-GUY COSSETTE]
Singles
1963 Mer Morte = Dead Sea/Supersonic Twist (Tournesol) TL-17
1965 Jaguar Shake/Solitude (Tournesol) TL-29
1965 Melle Yeye/Prends Garde (TourneSol) TL-39
1965 Dead Sea/Supersonic (Reo) 8842X
1966 Dors Mon Amour/Honky Tonk (Tournesol) TL-46
1966 L’horloge/Hanky-Panky (Tournesol) TL-83
1970 Mer Morte/Supersonic Twist//Jaguar Shake//Solitude (Maxi 4/Trans-Canada) M-429
1974 Mer Morte/Solitude (Les Disques Millionnaires) MG-100136
1978 Mer Morte/Solitude [re-issue] (Les Disques Millionnaires) MG-100136
as ARTHUR ET LES JAGUARS
1974 Pluie D’ete/Tourne En Rond (Pacha) PAC-4414
Albums
1964 Les Jaguars (Tournesol) TL-6002
1965 Pour La Danse (Tournesol) TL-6006
1965 Les Jaguars, Vol-2 (Tournesol) STL-402
1974 21 Disques D’Or (Les Archives Du Disque Québécois) AQ-21022
1982 Jaguars (Pro-Culture) PPC-4004
1996 Appalaches (Disques Francbec/Mérite) 22-7704
2001 25 Enregistrements Originaux (Disques Mérite) 22-955
as LES NOUVEAUX JAGUARS
1973 Pour La Danse (Passe-Temps) PSTS-50
as ARTHUR ET LES JAGUARS
2010 Le Top 30 (Disques Mérite/Unidisc) 22-8503
Compilation Tracks
1997 “Mer Morte” on ‘Les Danses Folles’ (PolyTel) 740-115-2
JAKALOPE
Katie “B” Biever (vocals; 2003-207) / Chrystal Leigh (vocals, keyboards, piano; 2007-present) / Dave “Rave” Ogilvie (keyboards, guitar, vocals) / Phil Caivano / Matt Warhurst / Sean Stubbs / Anthony Valcic / Don Harrison / Don Binns / Don Short
Formed as Vancouver studio project by Dave “Rave” Ogilvie (Skinny Puppy, 54.40) who needed a vocalist for his solo material. He recruited Katie Biever as vocalist, Anthony Valcic (Download) and members of the band Sons of Freedom (who had previously backed up Lee Aaron in the project 2preciious) among others in the fluid, rotating line-up. The debut album was ‘It Dreams’ in 2004 which spawned two radio tracks in “Pretty Life” and “Feel It”. The record featured contributions by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and members of Sloan, Monster Magnet, and Malhavoc. The album art received a 2005 JUNO Award for ‘Best CD/DVD Artwork Design’. The follow-up album was 2006’s ‘Born 4’ and was co-produced by Trent Reznor. The album featured the advance single “Upside Down (and I Fall)”. In 2007 Biever left for a solo career and was replaced by Chrystal Leigh from the band The Perfect Strangers. Though the group would venture out, sporadically, to perform live over the next few years, it took them several years to write new material, find a new label (Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records) and finish another album. In 2010 they finally emerged with ‘Things That Go Jump In the Night’ featuring the single “Witness”. Jakalope perform the title theme for Seasons 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the TV show ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’.
Singles
2004 Pretty Life Remix (Extended Trance Version)/Pretty Life Remix (The Respirator Mix)/Feel It (House Mix) (Orange/Universal)
2004 Feel It (Remixes) [3 remixes] (Orange/Universal)
2004 Go Away (Orange/Universal)
2006 Upside Down (And I Fall) (Orange/Universal)
2006 Digging Deep (Orange/Universal)
2010 Witness (604/Universal)
Albums
2004 It Dreams (Orange/Universal) ORANG-0006CD
2006 Born4 (Orange/Universal) ORNG-0018CD
2010 Things That Go Jump In The Night (604/Universal) 2539601482
Compilation Tracks
2005 “Badream” on ‘D-Side 26’ (D-Side – France) DSICD-0026
2005 “Feel It” on ‘New Rock Anthems’ (UMC) 0249829777
2005 “Pretty Life” on ‘Dose Mixed’ (Solo Mobile/Dose/Universal Special Markets) DOSEMIXED-05
2005 “Degrassi Theme” and “Feel It” on ‘Songs From Degrassi: The Next Generation’ (Orange) ORNG-0013CD
2006 “Upside Down” on ‘Singles Club – March 2006 – Vol. 2’ (Universal) UMCF-056352
2006 “Code 4 Love” on ‘HMV Choice Cuts’ (HMV) UMCF-05643-2
2006 “Upside Down” on ‘Bon Cop Bad Cop’ (Diffusion YFB) DY2-2177
2006 “Pretty Life” on ‘Warehouse One – 12 Canadian Bands’ (Universal) 0249841142
2008 “Degrassi Theme Song” on ‘Music From Degrassi The Next Generation’ (Bulletproof) BPF-1042
2010 “Frostbite Kisses” on ‘A 604 Records Christmas’ (604/Universal) 2539601882
2011 “Witness (Sin City Mix By HiJacker)” on ‘Cry For Death: Volume One – Industrial/Electro Edition’ [DigiFile] (DigiVirus)
JALE
Jennifer Stein (guitar) / Alyson MacLeod (drums) / Laura Pierce (bass) / Eve Hartling (guitar, vocals) / Mike Belitzky (drums; replaced MacLeod)
Halifax’s JALE (an acronym for the members first initials of their first names), was formed in 1992 and was signed to Sub-Pop Records in 1993 hot on the heels of the Maritimes grunge revolution (which included Sloan, Eric’s Trip and Hardship Post). JALE emerged in 1994 with their debut girl-pop album ‘Dream Cake’ revealing a group barely capable of playing their instruments. The album did sell 40,000 copies in markets such as Europe and North America. As the band learned to play and write better, they released the EP ‘Closed’ (1995) on Murderecords. MacLeod left soon after and was replaced by Mike Belitzky (Jellyfishbabies, Maker’s Mark, Cheticamp) who helped nail down the coffin of ‘the all-girl’ label they’d been painted with. JALE followed up with ‘So Wound’ (1996) which was co-produced by Brad Wood (Veruca Salt, Liz Phair), and received major accolades in all the right magazines including Billboard. It was even nominated for an East Coast Music Award. And yet, it still did not sell due to SubPop’s failure to properly promote the record effecting both sales and crowd turnouts during the band’s tour. Upon their return they discovered that Hartling was pregnant and took a sufficient break to rethink their next strategy. In the end, Hartling quit the band. In March of 1997 SubPop dropped the band. JALE played a farewell ‘Get Out of Jale Free Tour’ in 1997 and Stein, Pierce and Belitzky, along with new guitarist Michael Begine (The Rome Plows), have re-emerged as The Vees – releasing an eponymous debut on Murderecords/Universal.
Singles
1992 Aunt Betty (Cinnamon Toast) CT-002
1993 Sort of Gray (Derivative) CT-007
1993 Gold Leather With Heel Detail/Steppin’ Out (Genius) GENIJR-015
1994 Promise/3 Days (SubPop) SP-126
1994 Cut (SubPop) SP-235
1994 Not Happy (SubPop)
1994 Nebulous (SubPop)
1994 14 08 93 (SubPop) SP-331
1995 Double Edge (Murderecords)
1995 Jesus Loves Me (Murderecords)
1995 Long Way Home (Murderecords)
1996 Ali (SubPop)
1996 All Ready/Hey Hey (SubPop) SP-346
1997 True What You Say/From A Sill (Sealed Fate) SFR-002
Albums
1994 Dreamcake (SubPop) SP-256
1995 Closed (Murderecords) MUR-018
1996 So Wound (SubPop) SP-350
2017 Brave New Waves Session [LP] (Artoffact) AOF-316
Compilation Tracks
1993 “Lung” on ‘Never Mind the Molluscs’ (SubPop)
1994 “Brother” and “Twisted” on ‘Trim Crusts If Desired’ (Cinnamon Toast)
1994 “Steppin’ Out” on ‘Volume 11’ (independent – UK)
1996 “Traditional” on ‘Pet-Kout-Koy-ek: Songs For A River’ (independent)
JAMES AND THE BONDSMEN
Dennis Ferby (bass, vocals) / Judy Singh (vocals) / John (trombone) / Larry (saxophone) / Jack (trumpet) / Bob (guitar) / Tom (drums) / Bruce (organ)
From Edmonton, Alberta. They released three singles on Capitol Records including “Look What You’re Doin'” which reached No.76 on the RPM Singles Chart on April 18, 1966. The third single, “Soup Time,” reached No.97 on the RPM Singles Chart on June 27, 1966
Singles
1966 Look What You’re Doin’/Mister Soul (Capitol) 72335
1966 Soup Time/Have You Ever Had The Blues (Capitol) 72366
with SCOTT CAMERON WITH JAMES AND THE BONDSMEN
1966 Get Smart/El Toredo (Capitol) 72334
JAMES, JOHN & FRANÇOIS
François Guy / Jay Boivin / Jean-Guy Durocher
A post-Les Sinners project created by François Guy and managed by Terry Flood. They released several singles on Aquarius that barely scratched the charts; Boivin would release a few solo singles but mostly worked on soundtrack production wth Germain Gauthier including the side project Sea Cruise; Guy would carry on with a very successful solo career including work on a group project called Circociel with Durocher; François Guy died May 12, 2023 in Labelle, Québec after an unfortunate fall. [also see JAY BOIVIN, FRANCOIS GUY]
Singles
1971 Caroline/Va, va, cours, cours (Aquarius) AQ-2002
1971 Run, Run/Carolina Guy (Aquarius) AQ-5011
1971 Six O’Clock In The Morning/I Do Believe In Music (Aquarius) AQ-5016
JAMES BAND, Paul
Paul James (lead vocals, guitars) / Gary Gray (piano, organ, vocals) / Brian Kipping (bass, vocals) / Adrian Vecchiola (drums)
Formed in Toronto in the the early ’80s. Paul James had done time anonymously during the ’70s in CBS recording act Lick’n Stick, but made the incarnation featuring his namesake a hotly sought-after blues act in Canada. The band released an endless string of singles and one album from 1980 through 1986 on their own Lick’n Stick label before getting picked up by Other People’s Music for their sophomore effort. In 1989 they released ‘Rockin’ The Blues’ on Stony Plain. [also see LICK ’N’ STICK]
Singles
1980 Lazy Crazy Blues/Trespasser//She Don’t Care/Got What You Want (Lick’n Stick) C-311
1982 Suzette/Maryann (Lick’n Stick) C-350
1985 Six Pack (Lick’n Stick) C-580
1986 Good Old Rock ‘N’ Roll/Joint Out Back (Lick’n Stick) C-595
1986 Route 66/Run Run Rudolph (Lick’n Stick) C-626
1989 Anna Banana/Jailhouse Rock (Stony Plain) SP-1069
Albums
1984 Almost Crazy (Lick’n’ Stick) CSPS-2340
1987 Paul James Band (Other People’s Music) OPMPJ-1
1989 Rockin’ The Blues (Stony Plain) SPL-1135
1998 Lazy Crazy Blues (Lick’n’ Stick) PJ-001
2003 La Vie En Bleu (Lick’n’ Stick) PJ-002
2007 Lost In the Blues (Mar Sol Music) PJ-004
as PAUL JAMES
1993 Acoustic Blues (Stony Plain) 15520
JAMES, Colin
Born: Colin James Munn on August 17, 1964 in Regina, Saskatchewan
Exposure to rock and roll in his early years was limited for blues guitarist Colin James, living as he did with parents that favoured bluegrass and folk music. At age 14 he was playing guitar and penny-whistle in a hippie Irish/bluegrass band called Sod Hut and the Buffalo Chips while pursuing his love of the blues with veterans like Yank Rachell. A foray into punk was brief and James’s love of blues-edged rock took over. His stepfather, a native Canadian, got him a job teaching guitar on Northern Saskatchewan reserves, and introduced him to the work of Stevie Ray Vaughan. By the time he quit school in grade 10, James knew that what he wanted was to make music full time. While teaching guitar to native children, James played sporadically on the western bar scene, and he applied three years in a row for a $1000 Saskatchewan grant to form a blues band, but it never happened. By 1980 he’d settled in Vancouver and had hooked up with some local musicians in various bands. One such band in 1984 got a gig opening for Stevie Ray in Regina, and Vaughan was so impressed that he took James on the road with him to open several dates in the US. In 1986 he hooked up with k.d. lang manager Larry Wanagas and that meeting resulted in the release of a 12″ single with a James original (Five Long Years) on the A-side and a Morgan Davis tune (Why’d You Lie?) on the flipside. Entitled Hook Line & Single and released on the Bumstead Records label, Five Long Years caught on immediately at commercial and college radio. James put a band together – John Ferreira (sax), Rick Hopkins (keyboards), Darrell Mayes (drums), and Mark Weston (bass) – and hit the road, doing over 300 gigs that year alone. Virgin Records in the US called in 1987 and his eponymous first album was released in 1988. Produced by Bob Rock, Tom Dowd and Danny Kortchmar, it was awhile in the making but got immediate favourable response from fans and critics alike. Back on the road James did dates in the US with Keith Richards, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Steve Winwood, and Little Feat, establishing himself as one of the premier new guitarists of the time, and a blues force to be noticed. For the second album, James went to Tennessee to finish up with ZZ Top producer Joe Hardy the bed tracks recorded in Vancouver. Released in 1990 and featuring Bonnie Raitt on one song, Sudden Stop went gold and then platinum immediately in Canada, and James’s band – now featuring Dennis Marcenko on bass – toured Canada relentlessly, adding dates in the US with ZZ Top, among others. James was firmly entrenched as a blue guitarist/songwriter to reckon with, receiving JUNO and West Coast Music Awards nominations and awards. It was three years before the next release, but the public openly and enthusiastically received James’s big band effort, 1993’s Colin James and the Little Big Band. A selection of late-forties and early-fifties jump-blues tunes, the album was produced by Chis Kimsey (Rolling Stones) and features the horn section from the legendary Roomful Of Blues, keyboard player Reese Wynans, organist Chuck Leavel, and James’s sax player Ferreira. Although a departure from James’s signature pop-blues material, the album was nonetheless a Canadian hit eventually selling 200,000 copies, and select dates across the country with the album’s lineup showed audiences James’s versatility and virtuosity. A label change in 1994 saw his next album, ‘Bad Habits’, being released on Warner Music, and a return to his blues-rock roots. Touring across the country once again showcased his blues guitar talents and a more soulful style of singing. In 1997 James teamed up with long-time pal Colin Linden for a pared-down return to Delta blues classics. Select dates helped the album become a critical smash and earned the pair a 1998 JUNO Award for ‘Best Blues Recording’. James released two more solo albums for Warner – ‘Fuse’ (2000) and ‘Traveler’ (2004) – and two Little Big Band releases before switching to Maple Music for his last few releases. with notes from Colin James.
Singles
1987 Five Long Years (independent)
1988 Voodoo Thing/Lone Wolf (Virgin) VS-1444
1988 Five Long Years/Three Sheets To the Wind (Virgin) VS-1455
1989 Why’d You Lie/Down In the Bottom (Virgin) VS-1468
1989 Chicks ‘N Cars (and the Third World War)/Bad Girl (Virgin) VS-1492
1989 Dream Of Satin/Bad Girl (Virgin) VS-1509
1990 Just Came Back/Cross My Heart (Virgin) VUSCD-24
1990 Keep On Loving Me Baby (Virgin)
1990 If You Lean On Me/Back In My Arms Again (Virgin) VUSCD-33
1990 Give It Up/Cross My Heart (Virgin)
1990 T Stands For Trouble (Virgin)
1992 Love Thang (Virgin)
1993 Cadillac Baby (Virgin) DPRO-14119
1993 Breakin’ Up The House (Virgin)
1994 Surely (I Love You) (Virgin)
1995 Freedom (Warner Music)
1995 Saviour (Warner Music)
Albums
1988 Colin James (Virgin) VL-3044
1990 Sudden Stop (Virgin) VL-3107
1995 Bad Habits (Warner) W2-10614
1995 Then Again: The Best of Colin James (Virgin) V2-40179
1997 National Steel [w/Colin Linden] (Warner) W2-19634
2000 Fuse (Warner) W2-84633
2003 Traveler (Warner)
2005 Limelight (Maple Music) MRCD-6449
2009 Rooftops And Satellites (Maple Music) MRCD-6521
2011 Take It From The Top: The Best of Colin James (EMI) 703722
2012 Fifteen (EMI) 70373
2015 Hearts On Fire (Universal) 254715466
2016 Blue Highways (True North) TND-630
2018 Miles To Go (Stony Plain/True North) TND-701
2021 Open Road (Stony Plain) SPCD-1434
with COLIN JAMES & THE LITTLE BIG BAND
1993 Colin James & The Little Big Band – Volume I (Virgin) 39190
1998 Colin James & The Little Big Band – Volume II (Warner) CD-23010
2006 Colin James & The Little Big Band – Volume III (Warner) MRCD-6460
2007 Colin James & The Little Big Band Christmas (Warner) MRCD-6476
Compilation Tracks
1996 “Just Came Back” on ‘Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music’ (MCA) JUNO-25
JAMES, Dianne
Born: November 2, 1945 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Dianne James moved to Edmonton, Alberta where she began singing in various groups including headlining at Edmonton’s Mayfair Club with The Shamrocks. She was soon discovered by manager Don Eckess and was whisked off to Winnipeg to record her first single “Rhythm In My Feet” which was released on Apex in 1964. This was followed by appearances on the local CBC-TV show “Teen Tempo.” who made a deal for her to sign with Arc Records. Her first single was “The Time Has Come” b/w “Don’t Go” in January 1965 – both songs being self-penned by James.An appearance followed on Toronto TV show ‘Music Hop’ in late January. In February James (and her backing band Brian Ennis and The Keymen) was added to a multi-artist cross-Canada tour called “Shower of Stars” with J. Frank Wilson, The Larks, and other budding stars. She was featured on the cover of RPM Magazine in March which was followed by her next single – a remake of “My Guy” – in April. She was the entertainment at the Honda booth during the Teen Fair at the July 1965 Calgary Stampede. Her third single, “Better To Have Loved and Lost” came in the Fall of 1965, and by the end of the year James was awarded 3rd place as”Top Female Vocalist” in the 1965 RPM Music Awards. James would leave Arc in 1966 and by June was signed to Pace Records out of Edmonton.
Singles
1964 Rhythm In My Feet/[split w/ALLEN LEE & THE PEPPERMINTS] (Apex) 76884
1965 Time Has Come/Don’t Go (Arc) A-1081
1965 My Guy/All Alone (Arc) A-1092
1965 Better To Have Loved And Lost/Handsomest of Them All (Arc) A-1102
JAMES, Freddie
Born: 1965 in Chicago, Illinois
World class disco singer, and son of Geraldine Hunt, from Montréal who had many hit singles in the late ’70’s. He could be seen around Quebéc in Freddie James And Fusion 3 with his sister until 1991. Most recently James has worked with the Montréal Gospel Choir.
Singles
1979 Dance Little Boy Blue/Hollywood [12”] (Warner Bros.) PRO-A2-833
1979 Get Up and Boogie/Get Up and Boogie (Edit) [12”] (Warner Bros.) WB-8857
1979 Get Up and Boogie/(instrumental) (Warner Bros.) WBS-8858
1979 Crazy Disco Music [12”] (Warner Bros.) PRO-A-844
1979 Hollywood/Crazy Disco Music (Warner Bros.) WBS-49106
1979 Freddy James Medley/Hollywood [12”] (Unidisc) UNI-05
1979 Everybody Get Up and Boogie/Everybody Get Up and Boogie (Remix) [12”] (Unidisc) UNI-118
1980 007 Medley/[split w/Vivien Vee] (Unidisc) UNI-1030
1981 Everybody Do Your Thing/Music Takes Me Higher (Ariola)
1981 Dance to the Beat/Music Takes Me Higher (Ariola)
1982 Don’t Turn Your Back On Love/We Are In Love (Polydor) 2202
1982 Hot Thing/Hot Thing (instrumental) (Polydor)
1983 Not Ready/[same] (Le Fete ELF-Pa)
1987 Memories Never Quit/Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow (Thunderbird) TBR-1023
1993 I Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Monogram) MOV-9001
1993 Come Into the Jungle (Monogram) MOV-10001
Albums
1979 Get Up and Boogie (Undisc) ULP-007
1981 Freddie James (Black Sun/Uniwave) WLP-1028
2017 Sweetness [re-issue of ‘Freddie James’] (Unidisc) SPLK-7259
JAMES, Jamie
Born: August 4, 1953 in Toronto, Ontario
Guitarist Jamie James was born in Toronto but at the age of two moved to Woodstock, Ontario. While attending D.M. Sutherland Senior Public School he was given his first electric guitar for Christmas in 1966 from his mother. During this period he met three other guitar players who he befriended and influenced his playing style – Dougie Burton, Paul Howly and Paul Wright. James recalled seeing a band practice down the street in a basement with the name Kingbees written on the bass drum. Years later he would use the name for his first successful commercial band. When James became good enough he played with a couple of local bands, but only ever played one show at a local high school. In the summer of 1969 he move to London, Ontario and met some musicians to form the band Underlug who performed professionally. In 1971, James made the leap across the ocean to London, England for a few of years and did session work at Olympic, Advision and AIR Studios. In 1973 he moved back to London, Ontario and formed a band called Jamie James And The Shame Band. Later that year he performed with a band in Detroit called Skip Van Winkle And The Night Rockers. Bob Seger used to drop by and sit in with the band during their performances. But, after James was fired from that band in 1974, he returned to Canada and reformed Jamie James And The Shame Band who managed to land the opening slot on April Wine’s tour that year. With money saved from his gigs, James moved to Los Angeles in 1975. He stayed with guitarist friend Paul Warren (Night Rockers, Rod Stewart). At the time Warren was playing with a new version of Rare Earth which allowed James to connect with many other great musicians. James soon played with a Top Forty band called Fire And Ice for about a year before meeting Nick St. Nicholas from Steppenwolf. Nicholas was reforming the band with Goldy McJohn (but minus John Kay) and asked James to play guitar. James played with Steppenwolf for about a year and played all over the US, Canada and Europe. But what James craved was to change direction and be in his own band again. He formed The Kingbees in 1977 with next door neighbour Rex Roberts (drums) and Michael Rummans (bass). With the death of disco and the onslaught of post-punk, they cut off their long hair, took fashion tips from the book of Buddy Holly and it caught on like wildfire in Los Angeles. By 1980 they had been signed to a record deal with RSO Records. Their first album was released in March of that year and the band a substantial radio hit with the single “My Mistake”. That led to lots of touring, a guest spot in a movie called the ‘Idol Maker’ and an appearance on American Bandstand. Their second LP, called ‘The Big Rock’, came out exactly a year later in March of 1981. But, that same week, the record label folded and the band was left without tour or financial support. James decided to lie low for the next few years, but throughout the 1980’s would periodically do Kingbees shows. He released a 12″ single called “Just Like That” in 1982. A 5 song EP called ‘The Big One’ was released in 1984. In 1988 he put together a band called The Rufnex featuring Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats. That same year he began hanging out with actor/guitarist Harry Dean Stanton and by 1990 they had put a band together with Slim Jim Phanton (drums), Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter (pedal steel), and Tony Sales (bass). After a few months of that James and Stanton started another group called the Harry Dean Stanton Orchestra with various members over a nine year period. Occasionally sitting in with the group would be Chaka Khan, John Densmore of the Doors, and Joni Mitchell. In that time James also managed to realease two solo CDs, ‘Cruel World’ (1994) and ‘Crossroads’ on Oglio Records in 2000. Since then James has been playing with Dennis Quaid in a band called DQ And The Sharks. He is currently working on a new solo CD called ‘Bittersweet’ to be released soon. with notes from Jamie James.
Singles
1982 Just Like That/If I Want To [12″] (Last Minute) LMP1-007
with THE KINGBEES
1980 My Mistake/Once Is Not Enough (RSO/Polygram) RS-1032
1980 Follow Your Heart/Shake-Bop (RSO/Polygram) RS-1050
1981 She Can’t Make Up Her Mind/Stick It Out! (RSO/Polygram) RS-1062
Albums
1984 The Big One (Vanity/Quality) EPSV-20
1993 Cruel World (School Kids’) SKR-1510
2000 Crossroads (Oglio) OGL-89116-2
with THE KINGBEES
1980 The Kingbees (RSO/Polygram) RS-1-3075
1981 The Big Rock (RSO/Polygram) RS-1-3097
2004 The Kingbees Volume 1 & 2 (Oglio) 790058159927
JAMES, John
John James first found notoriety as part of the Toronto, Ontario theatrical band Sylum in the early 1980s as their saxophonist and back-up vocalist. Following the band’s demise in 1986, James decided to pursue a solo career as a soul/R & B vocalist. James was signed to Attic Records in 1988 and the waters were tested with the debut single “She Bought Love”. Radio and dance club response was good and so a full-length album followed in 1989 entitled ‘Big Fat Soul’ featuring equal production work by Peter Cardinalli (Boomers) and Curtis Anthony Nolan with vocal assistance by Sharon & Vivienne Williams as well as Wayne St. John. The album would spawn three more singles in “I Wanna Know”, “(Still) The Beat Goes On” and “Trust Me”. Attic repeated the process with James by releasing two advance singles in 1992 with “Supernatural” and “Jack Boogie”. 1993 saw the release of the full-length ‘Mothers of Hope’ album which was co-produced by John James and Peter Cardinali who pulled out all the stops by bringing in Canada’s top session players including vocals by former Dr. Music members Dianne Brooks, Kenny Marco, Steve Kennedy and Wayne St. John plus performances by Cardinali, Bernie LaBarge, Doug Riley, Earl Seymour (The Arrows) and Lou Pomanti among others.
Singles
1988 She Bought Love [5 mixes 12″] (Attic) ATT-2001
1989 I Wanna Know [3 mixes 12″] (Attic) ATT-2003
1989 (Still) The Beat Goes On [5 mixes 12″] (Attic) ATT-2011
1989 Trust Me [4 mixes 12″] (Attic) ATT-2012
1992 Supernatural [5 remixes 12″] (Attic) ATTP-9112
1992 Jack Boogies [4 remixes 12″] (Attic) ATTP-9211
1994 Mothers of Hope [4 remixes 12″] (Attoc – GER) ATT-7208
Albums
1989 Big Fat Soul (Attic) LAT-1269
1993 Mothers of Hope (Attic) ACD-1364
Compilation Tracks
1993 “Supernatural” on ‘New Stuff Two’ (MMS) NSCD-002
1993 “Supernatural” on ‘Caught In the Attic’ [3CDs] (Attic) ATTIC-XX
JAMES, Paul [see PAUL JAMES BAND]
JAMIESON-ROBERTS DEVICE
Bill Merritt (bass) / Andy Pastor (drums) / John Lidgey (keyboards) / Greg Leskiw (lead vocals) / Stu Adams (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Singles
1967 Devil With A Blue Dress On/I Don’t Want To Discuss It (Franklin) QC-577
Compilation Tracks
2008 “Devil With A Blue Dress On” and “I Don’t Want To Discuss It” (Super Oldies) SOCD-6
JANZ, Chris
Son of singer/songwriter Paul Janz.
Singles
2006 Found Myself In You (independent)
2006 Fly (independent)
Albums
2006 Fly (Pacific) PM-14152
JANZ, Paul
Born: 1951 in Three Hills, Alberta
Born into the family of a Mennonite Minister, Paul Janz’s family moved from Three Hills, Alberta, to Switzerland when Janz was four. He started singing gospel music in the church choir and by age ten was writing arrangements for a gospel quartet and performing in front of huge crowds. Because of the fairly conservative nature of his family, listening to popular music was frowned upon, so Janz had to resort to listening to Radio Luxembourg – when he could get it to come in – and the Elvis 45s his brother would smuggle into the house. At age 13 he discovered the trumpet and began performing on the street with the local Salvation Army. After graduating from high school he attended the prestigious Conservatory of Music in Basel, where he studied opera, practiced five hours a day, and was soon in the studio arranging and conducting with members of the Basel Symphony. The brothers Janz dabbled in church choirs and opera while secretly cultivating a love of pop music. Danny and Paul would team up early on to record as a duo simply named “Danny And Paul” (and again as Danny Paul Wayne). But they were torn between their classical upbringing and pop music and put together a Christian-oriented English language sextet of strong vocalists in Europe and called it Deliverance. Deliverance relocated to Munich, Germany in the early 1970’s after winning a songwriting contest in a German music magazine. The band would stay together for 10 years, release 4 albums and play shows to crowds of up to 10,000 people with the likes of The Scorpions. Their biggest hit was “Leaving L.A.” released in Europe in 1979. The single went to No. 56 in the Billboard Hot 100. By 1980 they had signed a deal with Global Records who licenced their material out to no less than 4 record labels worldwide — Atlantic, Epic, Attic and Metronome. With legal troubles from a copyright suit concerning the band’s name, the act became known as ‘Janz’. They would record one single that went No.1 but their attorney advised that the deal for a full album was not in their best interest. Paul Janz felt the glass ceiling of the European music industry trapping him and quit Deliverance several thousand Deutschmarks in debt, and returned to Vancouver in 1980 to become a jingle writer and a member of Prism briefly. At first, Janz had trouble leaving his European past behind and quickly became frustrated with the way his songwriting was going; he was on the verge of calling it quits when he got work as a commercial jingles singer (he’s the voice of “Way to go – Chevy!”) and enrolled at Simon Fraser University to study philosophy. That same year he had sent some demo tapes to various labels around the country and, in the middle of his jingles work and going to university, an obscure label came forward and offered him recording time. If he could come up with a few more songs, they might consider recording an album. Cramming studio time into an already full schedule, Janz sang and played every instrument himself, but it was worth his effort – the demo album caught the ears of most of the major labels, and eventually he got concrete offers from both CBS and A & M. He’d already signed with A & M, though, by the time the CBS offer came through. The first album, ‘High Strung’ (1985), received strong critical praise and produced the hit single “I Go to Pieces”; he also received a JUNO Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist. Towards the end of 1985 Michael Godin, vice-president of A & M, left his job at the label and took over Janz’ management. With the cost of touring so high, Janz decided not to go on the road and ‘High Strung’ failed to sell as well as the reviewers predicted. So, Godin put Janz in his home studio in North Vancouver, BC, for a year and a half, and after taking the basic tracks and his touring band into Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver in 1987 (where Bon Jovi was recording ‘Slippery When Wet’) and emerged with his second album, ‘Electricity’. Although initial reaction to ‘Electricity’ was disappointing and it was almost on the verge of disappearing, the label decided to release “Believe in Me” as a final single. The song took on a life of its own and ended up winning PROCAN and CMPA awards, and renewed interest in the album. Because of the success of the song, A & M US sat up and took notice, and made a strong commitment to support the next album. Recorded in Los Angeles and Vancouver with producer Bill Drescher (the Bangles, Rick Springfield), ‘Romantic Renegade’ was released in 1990 and rode high on the radio play of “Every Little Tear”. Janz was finally able to tour nationally with an opening slot for Melissa Etheridge. Still, the album hardly lived up to the sales grosses of A & M’s other Canadian male artist Bryan Adams. They cut him loose and Janz spent the next two years looking for a musical home. Enter Attic Records’ Brian Allen who inked a deal with Janz for exclusive worldwide rights to an undisclosed amount of albums starting with 1992’s ‘Trust’. Not to be one-upped, A & M rallied back with a Janz ‘best of’ called ‘Presence’ which helped put the biggest spotlight on Janz’ career yet. ‘Trust’ was recorded in Janz’ home studio in Mission, BC and the material was inspired by Janz’ fact finding mission to Brazil with MuchMusic on the famine crisis in that country. The album spawned two hit singles in “Wind Me Up” and “Amazon Rain” which still get major airplay on Adult Contemporary stations in Canada. with notes from Bob Press and Don Palmer. [also see DELIVERANCE]
Singles
1984 Don’t Cry Tonight/Waiting (A & M) AM-668
1985 Go To Pieces/Waiting (A & M) AM-676
1985 High Strung/Solid Ground (A & M) AM-687
1985 Solid Ground/Close My Eyes (A & M – GER) 390-044-7
1985 Close My Eyes/Suggestions of Love (A & M) AM-693
1987 One Night (Is All It Takes) [7″ & 12″] (A & M – US) AM-2946
1987 Believe In Me/Close My Eyes (A & M) AM-738
1987 Gotta Take Your Love/You And Me [12″] (A & M – US) 075021515611
1988 I Won’t Cry/One Last Lie (A & M) AM-750
1988 Send Me A Miracle/[same] (A & M) AM-755
1990 Every Little Tear/Darling Drive (A & M) CD-17989
1990 Rocket To My Heart/One Lovin’ Touch [cassette] (A & M) 70301-0806-4
1990 Stand/Saddle Up [cassette] (A & M) 70301-0809-4
1990 Hold Me Tender (A & M)
1993 Wind Me Up/Workin’ For My Baby/Get Arrested (Attic) ATT-72025
1993 Take Me Back/On The Docks [CD] (Attic) ATT-72075
1993 Amazon Rain/Take Me (Back To the Docks) (Attic – AUSTRALIA) D-11436
1993 Take Me Back (On the Docks) (Radio Edit)/Take Me Back (On the Docks) (Album Version) (Attic – GER) ATT-7207-5P
1993 Call My Personal Angel
with DANNY & PAUL
1969 Go Down Moses/Die Gesetze Des Herrn (Janz Team – GER) DP-1432
with JANZ
1981 Mirrors (Global)
Albums
1985 High Strung (A & M) SP-9108
1987 Electricity (A & M) SP-5156
1989 Songwriter (Rondor Music) CD-PJ1
1990 Renegade Romantic (A & M) SP-5288
1992 Presence: A Collection Of Hit Singles (A & M) 70301-9179
1992 Trust (Attic) 7362136526
with DANNY & PAUL
1973 Sing das Lied (Janz Team – GER) 2010
1973 If I Ask (Image VII/Word) VII-7713
with DANNY, PAUL, WAYNE
1974 Salvation Song (Image VII/Word) VII-7716
Compilation Tracks
1993 “Call My Personal Angel” on ‘New Stuff Three’ (MMS) NSCD-003
1993 “Amazon Rain” on ‘Caught In the Attic’ [3CDs] (Attic) ATTIC-XX
1998 “Amazon Rain” on ‘Attic Records Limited Twenty5’ [4CDs} ATTIC-25
with DANNY & PAUL
1973 “Herrlichkeit” and “Entscheide Dich” on ‘Janz Team In Lied Und Wort’ (Janz Team) 1010
JARVIS STREET REVUE, The
Wayne Faulconer (guitar) / Tommy Horricks (vocals) / George Stevenson (bass) / Tom Cruickshank (drums)
The Jarvis Street Revue was formed in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1970. Horricks and Stevenson had been in recording act The Plague in 1967 together before Horricks joined Lexington Avenue. Faulconer had been in Satan & The D-Men around the same period. The Jarvis Street Revue was signed to Gaiety label for the single “Mr. Rock” but it failed to chart. After finding their way to Toronto they landed a major label deal with Columbia Records. Their debut album, ‘Mr. Oil Man’, was recorded at DMG Sound Studios in Thunder Bay and was released in 1970 and spawned the single “20 Years”. The song cracked the RPM Top100 singles chart with a peak position of No.85. Columbia was determined to break the band and two non-singles were released – “Tambourine” (1971) and “I Believe In Freedom” (1972). Neither song charted and the band was dropped by Columbia and soon split up thereafter; Wayne Faulconer went on to form the Wayne Faulconer Band who released a CD in 1995; The band reunited in 1999 and went through several line-up changes before evolving into The Rock ‘N’ Roll Revue. Pacemaker Records re-issued the ‘Mr. Oil Man’ album on CD in 2000 which featured a number of bonus tracks.
Singles
1970 Mr. Rock/Uncle Benny (Gaiety) G-343
1970 20 Years/Heidi-Ho (Let Her Go) (Columbia) C4-2969
1971 Tambourine/Intermission (Columbia) C4-3008
1971 I Believe in Freedom/Magic Man (Columbia) C4-3064
Albums
1970 Mr. Oil Man (Columbia) ES-90020
2000 Mr. Oil Man [re-issue with bonus tracks] (Pacemaker) PACE-033
2015 Singles (and More) (Lion – US) LP-151
JATO
Jerry Woolsey (vocals) / Barrie Nighswander (guitar) / Duane Smith (bass, guitar, keyboards) / Dennis Meneely (keyboards) / Bill Hobson (drums) / Paul “Brink” Di Cola (percussion) / Dale Ladouceur (Chapman stick, vocals) / Al Brant (vocals; 1990)
Long-time veterans JATO from Stettler, Alberta, featured Woolsey, Nighswander, Meneely and Hobson as Tacoy Ryde starting in 1966. The band added Smith and Di Cola in 1968. As time progressed they made the transition through every musical trend. They moved to Edmonton in 1973. In the spring of 1980 the band recorded their first single at Homestead Recorders with manager Larry Wanagas (k.d. Lang, Big Sugar, The Trews). The single, “Is There a Reason” b/w “Don’t Let Me Be Alone” was released and received airplay regionally. These were the days of six-nighters back-to-back across the country, with a solid fan base in several major cities. Tacoy Ryde was also becoming a full-fledged reggae band. They were now being booked to open for major reggae acts such as Jamaica’s Third World Band and England’s Steel Pulse. By 1982, the time was ripe to record an album. The band headed to Pinewood Studio in Vancouver with producer Claire Lawrence (Chilliwack, Hometown Band). The album consisted of original reggae material but upon completion, the band was unable to secure a record deal so the album was shelved and to this day remains unreleased. In late 1983, under pressure to change their name and move in a more pop direction Tacoy Ryde became JATO (which the band jokingly claim means ‘Jet-Assisted-Take-Off’) and signed with an upstart label from Vancouver, Parallel One, run by Gordon Sinclair and Scott Andrews. Their debut album was recorded by Bob Rock and produced by Declan O’Doherty at Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver. The singles “She’s Got” reached No. 74 on the national charts and “Lake Of Fire” reached No. 90. The album achieved minimal attention and with the demise of Parallel One Records not long after the band was put on hold in 1988. In 1990, without lead singer Woolsey, the band returned to their original name of Tacoy Ryde. The band forged ahead without a lead singer until meeting up with Al Brant while performing a tribute on Jimi Hendrix’s 50th birthday. Shortly after this, drummer Bill Hobson’s future wife, Dale Ladouceur, joined the band on Chapman Stick. By 1995 the band was a regular fixture on the Edmonton club scene. Tacoy Ryde soon began recording their debut independent CD. ‘Here’s The Picture’ was released in 2003 and songs like “Where’s Doug” and “Ojo Grises” ranked in the top 15 most played songs on CKUA Radio. with notes from Ken Ames and Dawn Woolsey. [also see TACOY RIDE]
Singles
1987 She’s Got/Coming Home (Parallel One) POR-0145-JA
1988 Lake of Fire/Dance For You (Parallel One) POR-0345-JA
1988 Standing Alone/Breaking Down (Parallel One) POR-0445-JA
Albums
1987 JATO (Parallel One) POR-0133-JA
JAY AND THE JAMIES, Kelly
Kelly Jay (piano) / Brian Kirkwood (bass) / Peter De Remigis (drums) / Rob McEachern (guitar) / John Till (guitar) / Chuck Daniels (bass) / Bruce Staubitz (bass)
Hamilton, Ontario group that toured around Southern Ontario in the early 1960s. Released one single on the Barry label called “Two Faced Woman”; Kelly Jay would go on to found Crowbar. He died June 21, 2019.; John Till would form The Full Tilt Boogie Band who became Janis Joplin’s backing band. with notes from Peter De Remigis.
Singles
1961 Two Faced Woman/Let Love Walk Right In (Barry) B-3070X
JEACOCKE, Sheree
Born: Sheree Cerqua in 1958 in Toronto, Ontario
Jeacocke spent the late ’70’s and early ’80’s fronting the band Sheree and playing in the touring version of Crack of Dawn before becoming a hot session vocalist. Her album credits included work with B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Melissa Manchester, Kim Mitchell, Glass Tiger, Eye Eye, Rita MacNeil and Gordon Lightfoot. As a session singer for artists and advertising jingles (Molson, 7-UP, Covergirl), Jeacocke often found herself imitating other vocal styles and rarely using her own. She finally got the chance in 1986 on her first solo album, ‘Feel It’, which garnered her ‘Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year’ JUNO Award nomination. The government organization, FACTOR, gave her $35,000 to produce and market the album on her own in attempt to get major label interest. BMG would pick her up and had her change her name to merely ‘Sheree’ for her major label debut. The album features songs co-written with Gerald O’Brien, Lou Pomanti, and Joel Feeney. Her second solo album for BMG was 1993’s ‘Miss My Love’ which took three years to record in Toronto and LA and reflected a shift to gospel and R & B flavours co-written with Michael Omartian (Michael Bolton) and Elliott Wolff (Paula Abdul). Jeacocke is also a mother and is married to session drummer Kevan McKenzie.
Singles
1986 Feel It (FACTOR/CTL)
1993 Miss My Love (BMG)
1993 Serious (BMG)
1994 Everybody Needs A Love (BMG)
as SHEREE
1989 Before We Fall (BMG) PB-51054
1989 Woman’s Work/Heartache (BMG) KD-10030
1990 Forever You Forever Me (BMG)
1990 Bang On (BMG)
Albums
1986 Feel It (FACTOR/CTL)
1993 Miss My Love (Arista/BMG) 14327
as SHEREE
1989 Sheree (BMG) KCD1-0662
JEAN, François
Born: August 30, 1960
Died: November 16, 2020
From Montréal, Québec. Started as a drummer for singer Lara alongside multi-instrumentalist Patrick Bourgeois before they were both hired by Montreal humorists Rock Et Belles Oreilles in the mid-1980s The two would leave that group in 1987 to co-found their own group Les B.B. (aka Les Beaux Blonds) from 1989 to 1994. Following the band’s split, he embarked on a short-lived solo career and did session work for artists like Marie Carmen. Les B.B. would reunite in 2004; François Jean passed away November 16, 2020. [also see LES B.B.]
Singles
with LARA
1986 Don’t Bother/I’ll Change (LongLegs) UR-4545
Albums
1996 Moi (Tox/Select) TOXCD-3020
with ROCK ET BELLES OREILLES
1986 The Disque (Audiogram) AD-10001
1987 The Spectacle (Audiogram) AD-10020
with MARIE CARMEN
1998 …l’Autre (Phénix/Prospectart) PHECD-7117
JELLYFISHBABIES
Scott Kendall (vocals) / Peter Arsenault (guitar) / Dave Schellenberg (bass) / Colleen Britton (drums) / Mike Belitsky (drums; replaced Britton)
Halifax four-piece Jellyfishbabies were the house band at the Flamingo Club. The band released an independent, self-titled, album in 1986 and three days after its release the album went to No.1 on radio station CKDU-FM. The station also included them on the ‘Out of the Fog’ compilation of live recordings from the Flamingo Club in 1987. With sights set on bigger things the Jellyfishbabies decided to make the move to Toronto in 1987 and lost drummer Colleen Britton in the transition. Belitsky (ex-Lone Stars) was the new replacement and did double duty in the band JALE.
Singles
1989 Here She Comes Now – Homage//Famous Blue Raincoat (Snazz) SNAZZ-02
Albums
1986 Jellyfishbabies (Plot) PLOT-001
1990 The Unkind Truth About Rome (Pathetic Romantic/Lone Wolf) LWR-010
1991 When The World Began [4-song cassette EP] (Pathetic Romantic)
1992 The Swan And The City [DigiFile] (Jellyfishbabies)
Compilation Tracks
1987 cut on ‘Out Of The Fog’ (CKDU)
1991 “Call It Democracy” on ‘Kick At the Darkness: Songs of Bruce Cockburn’ (Intrepid) N21S-0008
1991 “Girl In the Window” on ‘Indie-Can ‘91’ (Intrepid) CD-4
JELLYROLL
Singles
1977 Roller Coaster/I Thought I Had the Blues (Force One) FO-1004
JENSON INTERCEPTOR
Charlotte Wiebe (lead vocals, keyboards) / Doug Jenson (lead vocals, guitar) / Kennedy Jenson (keyboards, vocals, woodwinds) / Albert Blaine (bass) / John Fynn (drums) / Ed Johnson (keyboards, vocals; 1979/1983)
Edmonton musical siblings Doug and Kennedy Jenson dabbled in music all through high school along with Doug’s future wife Charlotte Wiebe. Doug and Charlotte’s band Dickens was formed in Coaldale, Alberta, in Wiebe’s mother’s basement in 1976. It wasn’t long before they picked up Ed Johnson and John Fynn respectively and changed the name of the band to Jenson Interceptor (after the European car). Blaine was added on bass and Doug’s sister, Kennedy, stepped in to replace Ed Johnson one month before the band headed out on the road to tackle Alberta’s B-level bar circuit. With steady shows live and appearances on TV they soon came to the attention of House of Lords label owner Ross McKenzie. Through several recording studios (including Sundown Recorders), session musicians (Whitey Glan augmenting drum tracks) and three producers (Jack Richardson, Gerry Dere and Wes Dakus) their self-titled album was released in 1980. Radio played the first single, “Crazy Monkey”, and the flipside, “Tiny Thing” to enthusiastic response. This led to additional TV promotion and a 1981 tour of larger venues in and around Edmonton and other parts of Alberta. The second single, “Heavenly Angels”, brought them more shows outside the province and with the third single, “Fine Man”, pushed the band’s independent release to 30,000 units sold. They notoriety allowed them to hitch a ride on a national tour with Holly Woods And Toronto. Despite the commercial success of the album, House of Lords were verging on bankruptcy. Not wanting to be engulfed in the financial fallout, Jenson Interceptor changed their name to The Cosmetics and proceeded to return to the B-circuit playing Top-40 cover material. Following the collapse of House Of Lords Records, the band was able to reclaim their identity as Jenson Interceptor at which time Ed Johnson returned to replace Kennedy Jenson while Darrel Mayes replaced Fynn. They returned to the studio to complete the second album that had been delayed during the hiatus. RCA Records stepped up to the plate and leased the new album, entitled ‘Cosmetics’ in 1983 from which the single “Pull Me” was released. Alas, the album’s failure to spark at radio put their five-album record deal in jeopardy. The band soon dissolved after interest waned. In 1988 Doug Jenson and Weibe appeared on Gary Lee And Showdown’s ‘New Frontiers In Country Music’ album as backup vocalists. Many years later they appeared on the Holly Woods And Toronto Canadian tour in 2003. They are since divorced; Kennedy Jenson became one of Alberta’s top jazz artists utilizing Tommy Banks on two independent CDs and working in Alberta’s cable television industry. Doug Jenson currently leads Doug Jenson & The Feel Kings who have two albums available; Doug Jenson died from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) on August 6, 2014. with additional notes from Dale R. Basnett.
Singles
1979 Crazy Monkey/Tiny Thing (House of Lords) HOL-2002
1980 Heavenly Angels/Blue Boy (House of Lords) HOL-2003
1981 Fine Man/Cats In the Window (House of Lords) HOL-2006
1981 Do You Want Your Love To Be/ (House of Lords)
1983 Pull Me/Overture (RCA) PB-50736
1983 In Between/Telephone Love Affair (RCA) PB-50752
1989 Your Brother/[same] (DMT) 89-007
Albums
1980 Jenson Interceptor (House of Lords) HLR-10002
1983 Pull Me [4 song EP]
1983 Cosmetics (RCA) KKL1-0505
1989 Charlotte (DMT) 89-011
JEPSEN, Carly Rae
Born: November 21, 1985 in Mission, British Columbia
After performing in many musicals at the Canadian College of Performing Arts, Jepsen competed in the fifth season of the TV show ‘Canadian Idol’ and came in third in 2007. In 2008 she released her debut album ‘Tug of War.’ It wasn’t until her 2012 sophomore album ‘Kiss’ that she struck gold with the global hit “Call Me Maybe” which reached No. 1 on the charts in eighteen countries.
Singles
2008 Sunshine On My Shoulders
2008 Tug of War (Radio Edit) (Fontana North)
2008 Bucket (Fontana North)
2011 Call Me Maybe (604/Universal)
2012 This Kiss (School Boy/Interscope – US)
2012 Almost Said It/Call Me Maybe (604/Interscope/Universal)
2013 Take A Picture (School Boy/Interscope)
2013 Tonight I’m Getting Over You [5 mixes] (School Boy/Interscope)
2013 Tonight I’m Getting Over You (Remix) [featuring NICKI MINAJ] (604/Universal)
2015 All That (The Knocks Remix) (604/Universal)
2015 I Really Like You (604/Universal)
2015 E·MO·TION (School Boy/Interscope – Europe)
2015 Warm Blood (School Boy/Interscope)
2015 Run Away With Me [6 mixes] (604/Universal)
2015 Making the Most of the Night (School Boy/Interscope)
2015 Your Type (604/Universal)
2015 Last Christmas (School Boy)
2016 Everywhere You Look (The ‘Fuller House’ Theme) (Water Tower)
2017 Cut To the Feeling (Kid Froopy Remix) (School Boy/Interscope)
2018 Party For One (Silent/School Boy/Interscope – Europe)
2019 Too Much (School Boy/Interscope –Europe)
2019 Now That I Found You/No Drug Like Me (School Boy/Interscope)
2019 Julien (School Boy/Interscope)
2019 The Sound (Live In Lapland, France) (School Boy – Europe)
2020 Let’s Be Friends (School Boy)
Album
2004 Dear You [3-song EP] (independent)
2008 Tug Of War (Fontana North) CJM-0002
2012 Curiosity [6-song EP] (604/Universal) 25396 02752
2012 Kiss (604/Universal) 25396 03922
2015 E·MO·TION (604/Universal) 25396 08202
2016 E·MO·TION: B-side (School Boy/Interscope/604) B0025384
2019 Dedicated (Fontana North/Universal) 2539611815
Collaboration Tracks
as OWL CITY AND CARLY RAE JEPSEN
2012 Good Time (Universal)
as DANNY L HARLE featuring CARLY RAE JEPSEN
2016 Super Natural (PC/Columbia) PC-009
as THE KNOCKS featuring CARLY RAE JEPSEN
2016 Love Me Like That (Original Version) (Warner Dance – Sweden)
as MIKE WILL MADE-IT, LIL YACHTY & CARLY RAE JEPSEN
2017 It Takes Two (Interscope/Universal)
as BC UNIDOS featuring CARLY RAE JEPSEN
2017 Trouble In the Streets (Original Version) (Sony)
as GRYFFIN AND CARLY RAE JEPSEN
2019 OMG (Darkroom/Geffen)
JERICHO
Frank de Felice (drums) / Denny Gerrard (bass, vocals) / Gord Fleming (organ, piano, vocals) / Fred Keeler (guitar, vocals)
Jericho was formed in 1970 by former Paupers bassist Denny Gerrard, Fred Keeler (formerly with David Clayton Thomas’s band The Shays) wrote this Toronto band’s only hit record — the Bearsville/Ampex released “Make It Better” which charted for 3 weeks in June 1971. The song peaked at No.26 on Canada’s CHUM Chart.
Singles
1971 Make It Better/Cheater Man (Bearsville/Ampex) X31003
Albums
1970 Jericho (Bearsville/Ampex) A10112
JERRY JERRY AND THE SONS OF RHYTHM ORCHESTRA
Jerry Jerry [aka Jerry Woods] (vocals) / Paul Soulodre (guitar) / Anthony Pavlic / Tex Wonderful / Sherri Lee Heschel / Duke Bronfman / Larry Shelast / Ed Dobeck
Formed in Edmonton, Alberta in 1982 as a vehicle for singer Jerry Woods where the band released its debut EP ‘Fighting Socialism’ and a full-length album ‘Road Gore: The Band That Drank Too Much’ before moving to Montréal, Quebéc in 1986 where they signed with Pipeline Records. Their debut album for Pipeline was 1987’s ‘Battle Hymn of the Apartment’ but the label soon went bankrupt and left the band adrift. Jerry Jerry And The Songs Of Rhythm Orchestra were then signed to Aquarius Records in 1990 and released their third album, ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’, was released in 1992. Aquarius also re-issued the band’s first two albums and allowed them to tour extensively through North America. Chart Magazine would rank ‘Battle Hymn of the Apartment’ as the No.74 on their Top100 top Canadian albums of all time. They released their final album ‘The Sound and the Jerry’ in 1997. Jerry Woods move back to Edmonton in 1999. Woods now plays with a punk rock cover band, first as Jerry Jerry And The Diefenbachers and then as The Remones, which includes original Jerry Jerry guitarist Paul Soulodre, as well as Kevin Forbes, Craig Shemely, and former SNFU bassist Dave Bacon.
Singles
1987 Runaway Lane (Pipeline)
1992 Jimmy Reeves (Aquarius)
Albums
1984 Fighting Socialism [EP]
1985 Road Gore: The Band That Drank Too Much (Og) OG-7
1987 Battle Hymn of the Apartment (Pipeline) PIPEDREAM-004
1992 Don’t Mind If I Do (Aquarius) Q2-1565
1997 The Sound and the Jerry
Compilation Tracks
1985 “(You’ve Lost That) Radical Look” and “Bad Idea” on ‘It Came From Canada, Volume 1 (Og) OG-8
1987 “Yap Yap” on ‘It Came From Canada, Volume 3’ (Og) OG-13
JET BL☆CK STARE
Dan Swinimer (drums) / Dave Muselman (guitar, vocals) / Jason Wilkinson (guitars, vocals) / Shane Hayes (bass) / Flip (guitar, vocals) / Rod Black (lead vocals) / Chris Meister (drums) / Dave Martone (guitars)
Hard rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia featuring Hayes (ex-Star Collector), Swinimer and Wilkinson (ex-Superbeing), Martone (ex-Synesthesia, Martone).
Singles
2008 Ready To Roll (Island) ISLR-16901-2
2009 In This Life (Island) ISLR-16958-2
Albums
2008 In This Life (Island) B001142402
JET SET SATELLITE
Trevor Tuminski (vocals, guitar) / Mike Keller (guitar) / Dave “Bulldog” Swiecicki (guitar, keyboards) / Josh Eskin (bass) / Jay Rink (bass) / Jeff Tetrault (drums) / Rich Reid (drums)
From Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Singles
2000 Baby Cool Your Jets (Nettwerk) P-39944
2000 Best Way To Die (Nick DiDia Mix)/Best Way To Die (Album Version – Original Edit) (Nettwerk) 6700-39925
Albums
2000 Blueprint (Nettwerk) 6700-30151
2005 Vegas (independent) 778505207926
2008 End of an Era (Storming the Base) 61297-11264
Compilation Tracks
2001 “The Goodbye Letter” on ‘Soul Survivors [O.S.T.]’ (Gold Circle) GC-50014
JETS OVERHEAD
Adam Kittredge (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitars, piano) / Jocelyn Greenwood (bass, piano) / Antonia Freybe (vocals, piano) / Piers Henwood (electric guitars, piano, wurlitzer, casio) / Lucas Renshaw (drums, shakers, tambourine, guiro, vocals) / Brendan Pye (drums)
From Victoria, British Columbia.
Singles
2007 Seems So Far (Radio Edit)/Seems So Far (Album Version) (Cargo)
Albums
2003 Jets Overhead [5-song EP] (Microgroove) MG-11702
2007 Bridges (Microgroove) MG-002CD
2007 Lost Melodies: A Collection Of Rarities, Demos & Remixes2009 No Nations (Microgroove) MG-00789
2011 Bystander [6-song digital EP] (Vapor)
2011 Remixes [6-song EP] (Vapor)
2012 Boredom And Joy (Microgroove) MG00795
Compilation Tracks
2005 “Get It Right” on ‘Help! A Day In the Life’ (War Child Canada/Sony BMG) 88697-00004
2007 “Mr. Soul” on ‘Borrowed Tunes II: A Tribute To Neil Young’ (Sirius Satellite Radio/Universal) 7697425492
JETSAM
Matthias Jansen
Jansen is the man known as Jetsam who was born and raised in a Françophone suburb of Montréal. He spent his childhood and adolescence surrounded by music: his father was an accomplished drummer, and his grandfather was an avid record collector who introduced Jetsam and his brother to a wide variety of music. With influences from the likes of The Animals, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens and Chris DeBurgh, Jetsam began to hone his English language songs. He picked the name Jetsam for himself out of the dictionary because he like the way it sounded, but with no French equivalent for the term, he asked his friend to define it. In July 1994, a lighting technician working on the set of a Quebéc television show passed along the demo tape of a then-unknown singer-songwriter to Aldo Nova, who was taping a performance that day in the television studio. What Nova heard on that tape impressed him enough to pass it along to Sony A & R executive Vito Luprano. Luprano liked what he heard – enough to phone Jetsam the next day, take him to lunch the day after, and ultimately, sign him to a deal with Sony Music. Armed with a name and a stack of songs written over the past five years, Jetsam moved to New York’s Upper West Side in September 1994 to write more material and jam with some of that city’s local talent. Returning in 1995, he settled down at Aldo Nova’s Asylum Studios in Montréal to record his album. The two of them put together a band of some of the best session players in Quebéc for the record, including Angelo Curcio, Jeff Smallwood, Tino Izzo, Sylvain Bolduc, Paul Brochu, Scott Price, Denis Chartrand, and Nova himself. The result was the 1997 Sony Music release ‘Drive’ featuring the first single “You Know Me” and an accompanying video.
Singles
1997 You Know Me (Sony)
Albums
1997 Drive (Columbia/Sony) CK-80243
JETT BLACK
Joe Atkins (vocals, guitar) / Gary Atkins (drums) / Mike Greger (bass; 1984) / John Ryman (keyboards) / Mark Alex Atkins (guitar, vocals) / Sandy (bass; 1986)
Formed by the Atkins brothers in 1983, Jett Black produced a 1984 cassette before heading into the studio for their now collectible ‘Night Flight’ LP. The 1985 album also featured Jeff Jones (Red Rider) on bass and Steel River’s John Dudgeon on additional vocal parts.
Albums
1984 Night Visions (Perceptions Music) PMC-1001
1985 Night Flight (D.B.M.) TBM-1002
JITTERS, The
Blair Packham (lead vocals, guitars) / Danny Levy (lead guitar, vocals) / Matthew Greenberg (bass, vocals) / Glenn Martin (drums; 3 tenures with band) / David Quinton (drums, vocals; 2 tenures with band) / Peter Nunn (keys; joined 1987) / Jimmy Scotland (drums; 1990)
The Jitters were formed in Toronto, Ontario 1981 by principal songwriters Packham, Levy and Greenberg. Drummer Martin joined them on their second gig. In 1982 they caught the attention of veteran producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Kiss) and though they went into the studio with him several times, nothing came of the sessions. The band would help Queen Street poet Robert Priest as his backing band on 1982’s ‘EP’ which was produced by Keith Elshaw. In 1984 director Scott Eldridge helped them garner some national attention with The Jitters’ independent video “Take Me As I Am” in 1984. Martin left the Jitters in 1985 to join David Wilcox. He was replaced by Mods/ Stiv Bators Band drummer David Quinton-Steinberg. At this point the band had been together for five years and though they were a popular bar band, gigging-to-make-a-living was becoming a bit of a slog. Still, the Jitters battled on and returned to the studio to try and spark interest in their songs. They recorded demos themselves at Jay Blair’s studio on Dufferin Street in Toronto. This would be the first time they recorded the track that would lead to bigger things: “Last of the Red Hot Fools”. It would be re-recorded a second time with co-producer John Whynot. In 1986 Martin returned to the group where they re-recorded “Last of the Red Hot Fools” for a third time at Comfort Sound in Toronto with guest keyboardist Vic D’Arsie. They entered the song in the annual Q107-FM Homegrown Contest tying for third place overall and winning a spot on the radio station’s compilation LP. By then Martin, again, resumed his work with David Wilcox. Though already in law school at the University of Western Ontario, Quinton-Steinberg rejoined the Jitters. At this time they had the opportunity to open for Huey Lewis and the News at the Canadian National Exhibition and the Kinks at Kingswood Music Theatre which won them many new fans and got the attention of the music industry. Capitol Records were now interested in the Jitters based on several demoed tunes and with additional time in the studio with session drummer Randy Cooke and producer Paul Gross (Lee Aaron, Saga, Everest), the net results became their eponymous debut album in mid 1987. “Last of the Red Hot Fools” would be released as the first single which became a bona fide hit for them nationally. With Martin back in as drummer for a third tour of duty, a tour of the UK opening for Heart saw the band garner very favourable attention overseas. It took another three years for the second album to be released, and this one saw Packham go south of the border to work with songwriter Jules Shear (Reckless Sleepers). Shear ended up producing the album ‘Louder Than Words’ which attracted very positive critical acclaim for the more mature songwriting and sparser sound of the material. By then Martin had been replaced by drummer Jimmy Scotland. Constant touring of Canadian clubs, however, finally took their toll on the 10 year-old band and finally, in 1991, they decided to call it quits. Packham became a member of Arlene Bishop’s band, produced her records and the two were eventually married. He has continued his own songwriting and performing career including two full length solo CDs on EMI Music Canada, and he continues to host annual events and seminars for the Songwriters Association of Canada. Packham has produced recordings for Andy Kim and Ron Sexsmith, Bob Reid, and former Take 3 member Stacey Kaniuk; Greenberg went to Los Angeles for several years, then formed a country-rock cover band called The Herd with former Brent Lee & The Outsiders member Naoise Sheridan that played the Toronto bar circuit regularly. Greenberg has also toured and done session work for the likes of Lori Yates, Jules Shear, George Fox, and Murray McLauchlan. He would also play under the alias Matt Chezz with Lost Vegas and as ‘Moon’ in The Brothers Grim; Glenn Martin joined country singer D.W. James’ band; Peter Nunn has become an in-demand session player and live touring keyboardist with the likes of Gowan, Alannah Myles, Honeymoon Suite, and The Kings among others; David Quinton-Steinberg is an entertainment lawyer in Toronto who was also a member of Strange Advance’s and Lost & Profounds’ touring bands before resurrecting his original punk The Mods; Packham, Levy, Greenberg and Quinton-Steinberg reformed the Jitters in 2009 for a number of reunion shows each year. with notes from Blair Packham, Matthew Greenberg and David Steinberg. [also see BLAIR PACKHAM]
Singles
1987 Last of the Red Hot Fools/Hard As Nails (Capitol-EMI) 73034
1987 Closer Every Day/Almost Convinced (Capitol-EMI) 73045
1988 That’s When I Needed You/There Goes Love (Capitol-EMI) 73053
1988 Go Ahead N’ Love Me/Take Me As I Am (Capitol-EMI) 73057
1990 The Bridge Is Burning (Capitol-EMI) CDPRO-508
1990 ‘Til the Fever Breaks/The Hard Way (Capitol-EMI) B-73118
1990 I Love Her Now/I Love Her Now [Live] (Capitol-EMI) CDPRO-525
Albums
1987 The Jitters (Capitol-EMI) CLT-48126
1990 Louder Than Words (Capitol-EMI) 94353
Compilation Tracks
1986 “Last of the Red Hot Fools” on ‘Q107 Homegrown – Volume 8’ (MCA) MCA-37277
2010 “Last of the Red Hot Fools (demo)” on ‘Into the 80s: Great Toronto Bands’ (Sugar Moon) SM10-001
JOE COLLEGE AND THE RULERS
Joseph Trainer (lead vocals)
Punk act from Toronto, Ontario.
Singles
1978 It Ain’t Alright (With Me)/Working Class Hero (Ruler) RR-0001
JOHANSEN, Glen
Oshawa, Ontario native Glen Johansen is a songwriter/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist who had played keyboards for Ronnie Hawkins before becoming primarily known for his production work with reggae acts Truths & Rights, Otis Gayle, Glen Ricketts, Carl Harvey, Carlene Davis, and Joe Isaacs, plus Martha & The Muffins, Nash The Slash, FM and Tom Treumuth’s studio project Fictions. While operating Integrated Sound in Toronto, Johansen would spend as much free time recording his own songs for possible release in the future. Having worked with Eddy Grant in the past, Johansen was invited to Barbados to record in Grant’s Blue Wave Studios which was smack dab in the middle of a 200 year-old sugar plantation. Johansen’s one and only studio album entitled ‘Walkin’ A Fine Line’ would be completed there. The album spawned the Canadian Contemporary hit “Here We Go Again” and the flip side of the single, Eddy Grant’s “Killer on the Rampage” became a sizable dance hit in Europe. On the album track, ‘War (We Don’t Want It)”, Johansen utilized 16 kids, aged 12-15, from the local Harrison College to record the backing vocals. The kids would later go on to work with Mick Jagger on his “Let’s Work” single during which time Johansen also recorded the demos for Jagger’s ‘Primitive Cool’ LP.
Singles
1987 Walkin’ a Fine Line/Walkin’ a Fine Line (Short Club Version) (Coach House/Trend) CH45-87021
1988 Here We Go Again/Killer on the Rampage (Coach House/Trend) CH45-88025
1988 You (You’re Everything I Need/You Can’t Go Back) CH45-88026
1988 Killer On The Rampage (Short Version)/Killer On the Rampage (Long Version) (Matra) 7MT-017
Albums
1988 Walkin’ a Fine Line (Coach House/Trend) CHLP-21188
JOHNNY AND THE CANADIANS
Johnny Stevens (vocals) / Chuck Grover (guitar) / Billy Hilton (drums) / Ken Gough (guitar) / Lou Crockett (bass)
Originally known as the Johnny Stevens Sextet, this London, Ontario group who played all the most prestigious dance club around Southern Ontario in the early 1960s. Their manager Saul Holiff got them signed to Columbia Records where they were sent to New York City to record with producer/engineer Lore Crane. The band had just performed with the Dave Clark Five and Crane decided that the songs needed a British Invasion spin. The tunes were released on a single in July 1965 entitled “Say Yeah” b/w “A Million Tears Ago”; Both Hilton and Dengler passed away in the 2000s. with notes from Lou Crockett and Lori Dengler.
Singles
1965 Say Yeah!/A Million Tears Ago (Columbia) 4-43353
JOHNNY AND THE G-RAYS [see JOHNNY MacLEOD]
JOHNNY BURT SOCIETY, The
Harvey Paterson (vocals) / Kathy Collier (vocals) / Les Leigh (vocals) / Lynne McNeil (vocals) / Stephanie Taylor ((vocals) / Vern Kennedy (vocals) / Bob Price / Bobby Edwards / Butch Watanabe / Ed Bickert (guitar) / Erich Traugott / Eugene Amaro / Guido Basso / Jerry Fuller / Moe Koffman / Peter Appleyard / Teddy Roderman / Johnny Burt (conductor, arranger)
[also see LES LEIGH, STEPHANIE TAYLORE, ED BICKERT, MOE KOFFMAN]
Albums
1972 Come Summer (Canadian Talent Library) 477-5160
2016 Come Summer re-issue (Super Oldies) SOCD-19
JOHNS, Rita
This Canadian Soul singer released several singles and one album in the early ’80s on Jingle Machine Records. “Six Days in November” was released at the end of 1979 and spilled over into early 1980 just scraping the lower part of the RPM Adult Contemporary Singles chart. The follow-up single, “A Little Bit Of Love”, fared slightly better with several weeks in the RPM Adult Contemporary Singles chart Top30 during the summer of 1980. Her co-writer was David Schindler. Both writers also penned songs for American artist Buba & Bear. Johns was a regular performer on television including appearances on The Bob McLean Show (October 20, 1977). She was nominated for ‘Most Promising Female Vocalist’ at the 1982 JUNO Awards. with notes from William C. Smith.
Singles
1979 One Woman Show (Jingle Machine) JM-2404-01
1979 Six Days In November (Jingle Machine) JM-2404-02
1980 Little Bit of Love (Jingle Machine) JM-2404-03
1983 (She’s In Love) With Her/Angela (Jingle Machine) JMR-8301
1983 Falling In Love From The Second Row (Jingle Machine)
1983 Haunted by Love (Extended North American Remix)/Haunted By Love (European Mix) [12″] (Somersault) XCSPS-2867
Albums
1981 One Woman Show (Jingle Machine) JM-81a-240401
JOHNSON, Debbie
Singer/songwriter and keyboardist Debbie Johnson got her musical start at the age of 10 with her musical heritage, The Johnson Family (featuring her mother, father, brothers and sister). She later moved on with sister Joanne and brothers Rick and Eddie to create the R & B act Sweet Ecstasy. As a solo artist she gained acclaim with her 1987 hit “Mama Said Why” which got her nominated for a JUNO Award as ‘Most Promising Female Vocalist’. The single was followed up with two years of intense work with producer/engineer Rich Dodson (Stampeders) on her debut album ‘Just Like Magic’ (1989). Following the album release, she toured with the Fashion Heartbeat Tour to promote the album and raised awareness for the Heart And Stroke Foundation. After getting signed as a dance artist to Aquarius in 1991, two hit singles in 1992 — “I’ll Respect You” and “Power To The People” — also received two more JUNO nominations in the dance and R & B categories.
Singles
1987 Just Like Magic/Secret Confrontation (Marigold) MPL-733
1987 Mama Said Why/Mama Said Why (Remix) (Marigold) MPL-735
1988 Dance With Me/Just Imagination (Marigold) MPL-738
1988 Mega Love/Because of You (Marigold) MPL-745
1989 Best Friend/If You Want To (Marigold) MPL-746
1989 Magic Of Love/Magic Of Love (Marigold) MPL-749
1990 Love Of My Life/[same] (Marigold) MPL-753
1991 I’ll Respect You [5 remix 12″] (Aquarius/Capitol) Q1-16051
1992 Power To The People [5 remix 12″] (Aquarius/Capitol) Q1-16052
1992 Everlasting Love (Club Mix)/Everlasting Love (Forever Mix)//So Excited (Club Mix)/So Excited (Radio Mix) (Aquarius/Capitol) Q1-16055
with DEBBIE JOHNSON & RICH DODSON
1986 Lonely Lover/[same] (Marigold) MPL-731
with DEBBIE JOHNSON & DEMO CATES
1987 Secret Love [Stereo]/Secret Love [Mono] (Marigold) MPL-742
Albums
1988 Just Imagination [5 song EP] (Marigold) MPLS-1202
1989 Just Like Magic (Marigold) MPLS-1203
1991 So Excited (Aquarius/Capitol) AQ-562
JOHNSON, Molly
Born: Margaret Leslie Johnson
Molly Johnson’s career started in the mid-60s when she, and her brother Clark, were enlisted by legendary Toronto producer Ed Mirvish to appear in the musical ‘Porgy and Bess’ at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. This would lead to appearances in both ‘South Pacific’ and ‘Finian’s Rainbow’ among others. Johnson was soon enrolled the National Ballet School with dreams of becoming a choreographer. At the age of 17 she was the singer for disco band A Chocolate Affair. The group lasted just over a year. She began singing in jazz clubs including regular stints at Toronto’s Top O’ The Senator. The bassist in her band at the time was future Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson. In 1979 she won a place on the first annual Q107 Homegrown album with the song ‘Take Me’. She soon drifted away from jazz and formed synth rock act Alta Moda with songwriter Norman Orenstein. The band was signed to CBS Records and lasted for one album. Following this she frequently appeared live as backing vocalist with the gothic synth act Breeding Ground in Toronto. Johnson and Orenstein would carry on in a new capacity as The Infidels in the 1990s which also lasted for one album on I.R.S. During this period Johnson also spearheaded the annual Kumbaya Festival to benefit Canadian charities involved in the treatment and care of those with HIV and AIDS. From 1992 to 1995 Kumbaya was broadcast live by MuchMusic (usually from the Ontario Place Forum) and with an all-star cast of guests – including Kim Mitchell, The Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane, Tragically Hip and members of Rush among others – raised over $1 million for the AIDS/HIV charities. She would also sing backing vocals on Tom Cochrane’s international hit song “Life Is a Highway” and on the BKS album ‘Dreamcatcher’ in 1993. Johnson returned to jazz in an effort to re-connect as a solo artist and released her self-titled debut in 2000 on the Oasis/Songcorp label. Though the album was well received it was caught in the middle of Songcorp’s imminent bankruptcy which almost convinced Johnson to quit the business. Fortunately, she worked through the disappointment and released her sophomore CD ‘Another Day’ in 2003. In 2006 she released her third solo album ‘Messin’ Around’ and would go on to set attendance records at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival becoming the first Canadian female vocalist to sell out the main stage event. In 2007, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In November 2008, Johnson released ‘Lucky’, an album of standards. The album earned her a 2009 JUNO Award for ‘Vocal Jazz Album of the Year’. [also see ALTA MODA, INFIDELS]
Albums
2000 Molly Johnson (Oasis/Songcorp) 570016
2003 Another Day (EMI) 81287
2006 Messin’ Around (Universal) 517003
2008 Lucky (Universal)
2011 The Molly Johnson Songbook (Universal)
2014 Because of Billie (Universal)
2018 Meaning To Tell Ya (Belle)
2020 This Holiday Season
2021 It’s A Snow Globe World
Compilation Tracks
1979 “Take Me” on ‘Q107 Homegrown Album’ (InterGlobal/Epic) PEC-90547
2002 “My Oh My” on ‘Women & Song 6’ (Warner) WTVD-48036
as AARON DAVIS | MOLLY JOHNSON
2001 “Neon Blue” on ‘The Rebel Zone-Queen Street West’ (Sony) CK-80698
JOHNSTONES, The
Ryan Long (lead vocals; formerly drums) / Rene Gillezeau (guitars, trumpet, MC) / Jarek Hardy (vocals, guitars) / Brent Marks (bass) / Julian Warmé (keyboards, trombone) / Mike Murphy (drums)
The Johnstones are a ska punk band formed in Ajax, Ontario, in 2002. The band initially signed with the Union Label Group and released their debut album ‘What the Rosstek?!’. They promoted the album extensively with their energetic live shows and in 2006 moved over to Stomp Records in Montréal. That year they released their sophomore album ‘Word is Bond’ and toured throughout Canada and the US. Their single/video “Gone For a Long Time” became ‘buzz-worthy’ and eventually went into heavy rotation on MuchMusic for an 8 week run. The follow up video was “Sunny Days”. In 2008, they released the EP ‘Sex’ which was produced by Flashlight Brown alumni Fil Bucchino and Matt Hughes. Drummer Mike Murphy was added to the band in 2009, allowing Long to step out from behind the kit to become lead vocalist. That same year The Johnstones released album number three, ‘Cant be Trusted’ featuring the title track as the lead single followed by four others. The band decided to capture their high-energy live show for posterity and released the DVD ‘Get On Board’ in April 2010 alongside their next studio effort, the ‘Gimmie Your Love’ EP. The title track and the “Take Me To the Party” were both released as video singles. Ryan Long, Jarek Hardy and Gary Kraft do a weekly podcast of entitled ‘Ryan & Jarek TV’ featuring music, comedy and free-form improvisation. They are currently in their third season. Long and Hardy also have a side project called Tall Guy Short Guy; Gillezeau also did a solo rap project in 2008.
Singles
2006 Gone For a Long Time (Stomp)
2007 Sunny Days (Stomp)
2008 Tonight (Stomp)
2008 Last Chance (Stomp)
2009 Bank (Stomp)
2009 Can’t Be Trusted (Stomp)
2009 Right To Say (Stomp)
2009 P.U.B. (Stomp)
2009 GGGetcha (Stomp)
2010 Take Me to the Party (Stomp)
2010 Gimmie Your Love (Stomp)
2010 What’s Your Problem, Man? (Stomp)
Albums
2004 What the Rosstek?! [EP] (Union)
2006 Word is Bond (Stomp)
2008 Sex [EP] (Stomp)
2009 Can’t Be Trusted (Stomp)
2010 Gimmie Your Love [EP] (Stomp)
Compilation Tracks
2007 “Action” on ‘Ska Is Dead’ (Household Name – UK) HAUS-092
JOINT EFFECT, A
Formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick, A Joint Effect was a popular act in the city who performed one final live show that was recorded in 1974 and released on Little Records as ‘Final Effect’. It has since been re-issued on vinyl and CD by Void Records.
Albums
1974 Final Effect (Little) LR-101
JOLI, France
Born: January 26, 1963 in Dorion, Quebéc
France Joli began singing in her home in Dorion, Quebéc at age four. By 1974, at eleven years old, she began singing in talent shows and contests. Her first record, “Come to Me”, was released in 1979 at the age of sixteen. The record would spend 8 weeks with a peak position of No.15 on the Billboard singles chart. By this time she had gained enough popularity to appear regularly on American TV shows such as Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin, and The Midnight Special. She also did a stint with Peaches & Herb and Tuxedo Junction at the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas. In 1982, she opened for The Commodores at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. She continued to release sporadic singles and, in October 1998, put out a new album entitled ‘If You Love Me’. with notes from Michael Harkins.
Singles
7″ singles
1979 Come To Me/Let Go (Prelude/Unidisc)
1980 The Heart To Break The Heart/Feel Like Dancing (Prelude/Unidisc)
1980 This Time (I’m Giving All I’ve Got)/Tough Luck (TGO/Capitol-EMI) TGS-501
1982 Gonna Get Over You (Prelude/Unidisc)
1982 Your Good Lovin’ (Prelude/Unidisc)
1983 Girl In The 80s (Epic)
1983 Blue Eyed Technology (Epic/CBS) 34-04254
1984 Dumb Blonde (Epic)
1985 Does He Dance (Epic)
1996 Touch (Popular)
1997 Breakaway (Popular)
1997 Breakaway: Part 2 (Popular)
1998 Save Me (Monogram)
12″ singles
1979 Come To Me/Let Go (Prelude/Unidisc)
1980 The Heart To Break The Heart (Prelude/Unidisc)
1982 Gonna Get Over You (Prelude/Unidisc)
1982 Gonna Get Over You [Spanish Version] (Prelude/Unidisc)
1983 Girl In The 80s (Epic)
1983 Blue Eyed Technology (Epic)
1985 Does He Dance (Epic)
Albums
1979 France Joli (Prelude/Unidisc) PRL-12170
1980 Tonight (Prelude/Unidisc) PRL-12179
1982 France Joli Now (Prelude/Unidisc) PRL-14103
1983 Attitude (Epic) PFE-38829
1985 Witch of Love (Epic) FE-39934
1989 Greatest Hits (Unidisc) SPLK2-8011
1993 Come To Me (Unidisc) SPLK-7066
1993 Greatest Hits (Unidisc) SPLK-7245
1998 If You Love Me (Monogram) MNG-0001
Compilation Tracks
1980 “Come To Me” on ‘Expressions’ (K-Tel) NC-520
1998 “Come To Me” on ‘Studio 54 – Volume 2 [O.S.T.]’ (Tommy Boy)
199- “Gonna Get Over You” on ‘The Best Disco Album In The Universe: Volume 4’ (Essex)
199- “The Heart To Break The Heart” on ‘The Best Disco Album In The Universe: Volume 8’ (Essex)
199- “Feel Like Dancing” on ‘The Best Disco Album In The Universe: Volume 9’ (Essex)
199- “Come To Me” on ‘Disco Nights – Volume 2’ (Unidisc)
199- “Come To Me” on ‘Pure Disco: Volume 3’ (Polygram)
JOLLY TAMBOURINE MAN
Stewart Black (guitar, drums; vocals) / Richard Cubbins (keyboards) / Paul Peterson (guitar) / Dave Howard (drums) / Evan Taylor (bass, vocal) / Steve Rhodes (vocals, tambourine) / Ian Blurton (drums) / Caroline Savage (accordion)
Having completely worn out their welcome at various venues in Toronto, Blibber & The Rat Crushers called it a day. In early 1983 original Blibber members Black, Taylor and Peterson reformed for a ‘Battle of the Bands’ at a Scarborough high school and called themselves Jolly Tambourine Man. The highlight of the new act was Taylor’s old friend Steve Rhodes on vocals, tambourine and jumping around maniacally on stage. Cubbins was soon out of the band and their first show was to do an opening slot at the Beverly Tavern with the band GBH, but Dave Howard provoked a fight outside the club and the Toronto Police broke up the show. The band spent the entire summer of 1983 performing around the Queen Street circuit with Black as the sole drummer. They recorded an 8 song demo which spawned the fan favourites “Nazi Punks Go Bowling”, “Lisa Burger” and “Apple Strudel Man”. Personnel changes ensued – including the firing of Peterson and Taylor who would revive Blibber & The Ratcrushers which began a rivalry between the two bands. Caroline Savage from Fifth Column added accordion and future Change of Heart member Ian Blurton. The Jolly Tambourine Man opened their own ‘Strudel Pit’ Wednesday night showcases at the Upper Lip on Yonge Street where bands like Dave Howard Singers, The Viletones and Change of Heart would also appear. Following the successful sale of 350 cassettes, JTM recorded the 7” single ‘Double A-side’ featuring “Apple Strudel Man” and “Sweater in Sri Lanka”. A video was made by filmmaker Bill Davis and MuchMusic was playing it up to four times daily by the end of 1984. After receiving critical success but commercial failure due to distribution issues the band was set to showcase with other artists from their label Assembly Language Records when Blurton decided at the last minute to switch from drums to guitar in the middle of the show – an instrument he hadn’t played previously with JTM. The showcase bombed and major labels and publishers in attendance passed on the band. Friction between Blurton and Black resulted in one final, flame-out, gig at the Cameron House. Black would go on to replace the late Brat X in Gospel Shoppe before reconciling with Evan Taylor for a final version of Blibber & The Rat Crushers. with notes from Stewart Black.
Singles
1984 Apple Strudel Man/Sweater In Sri Lanka [aka Double B-side] (Assembly Language) 03
Albums
1983 Jolly Tambourine Man [8 song cassette]
JON AND LEE AND THE CHECKMATES
Lee Jackson [aka Michael Ferry] (lead vocals) / Michael Fonfara (piano, organ) / Dave McDevitt (bass) / Al Dorsey (guitar) / Paul Carrier (drums) / Larry Leishman (guitar; replaced Dorsey) / Peter Hodgson (bass; replaced McDevitt 1964) / Dave Brown (drums; replaced Carrier) / Wes Morris (drums; replaced Brown) / John “Jon” Finley (vocals) / Jeff Cutler (drums; replaced Cutler)
The Checkmates originally started in Toronto in 1962 as a six-piece of Jackson (vocals), Fonfara (organ), McDevitt (bass), Dorsey (guit), Carrier (drums) and a saxophone player named Hilmar. In 1963 Leishman replaced Dorsey and later that year Hodgson replaced McDevitt. By March 1964, Morris replaced Carrier (with a brief transition by Dave Brown) and John Finley was brought in by Leishman and Hodgson at which time the band became Jon And Lee And The Checkmates. Lastly, within 6 months, Morris was replaced by Cutler. They played mostly high schools and teen dances and moved up to larger venues such as Maple Leaf Gardens where they opened for the Rolling Stones twice in 1964-65 and for a crowd of 65,000 at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips’ Square. US gigs followed with regular appearances alongside the Young Rascals at New York City’s Phone Booth club and playing Shea Stadium with the likes of The Chiffons and The Temptations. It took until 1967 before they were able to score a hit with the song “Bring It Down Front” on Sparton Records. When the band eventually split Fonfara and Leishman were still performing in Toronto as The Checkmates and eventually brought in David-Clayton Thomas and became his backing band. Fonfara and Finley would later join American group Rhinoceros followed by Leishman and Hodgson who had a major hit with the instrumental “Apricot Brandy” in 1969. Fonfara has since become a renowned keyboardist with the likes of Lou Reed, The Lincolns, Foreigner, Electric Flag, Virgil Scott and others; Finley played in several soul acts before moving to LA as a songwriter – he penned the hot “I Will Serenade You” for Three Dog Night; Hodgson joined Rough Trade briefly; the other members all left the music business. with notes from John Finley.
Singles
as THE JON-LEE GROUP
1967 Bring It Down Front/Pork Chops (Sparton) P-1617
JONES GROUP, Mike
Mike Jones (vocals) / Bob Panetta (lead guitar) / Roger Rodier (bass) / Richard Dupuis (guitar) / Earl Kimble (drums) / George Legrady (keyboards) / Joey Campelone (bass; replaced Rodier) / Ricky Lasnier (lead guitar; replaced Panetta) / Bill Smith (rhythm guitar; replaced Dupuis)
Bob Panetta and Michel Lachance met St-Germain High School in Ville St-Laurent, Montréal and were initially in a band called The Forgotten. After auditioning for The Rabble’s manager Mel Younger, they recruited new members Kimble and Rodier and Lachance changed his name to Mike Jones as he was now employed as a studio engineer. They renamed the band The Mike Jones Group in late 1965. Legrady was the last to join in January 1966. They rehearsed in the basement of a suburban house in Beaconsfield in north Montréal. They played weekends mainly in French Canadian dance halls. They often played material by the Animals, Kinks and other mid-period British Invasion cover tunes. They were working up original material and traveled to New York to record some demos. By the end of 1966 they would attract the attention of Haunted manager and Jet Records owner Don Wayne Patterson. The “Each And Every Day”/”Funny Feeling” single was recorded in a Montréal studio where Lachance would later work. He became so busy he had to quit the group and thereby ending the band in mid-1968. Smith and Legrady would go on to join the final line-up of The Haunted. Legrady then joined another band called The Edge. with notes from Andre Gibeault, Bob Panetta, and George Legrady.
Singles
1967 Each And Every Day/Funny Feeling (JET) JET-4001
JONES, Jeff
Born: September 20, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois
Jeff Jones’ illustrious career has been focused mainly on playing bass and providing background vocals for such Canadian musical greats as Tom Cochrane & Red Rider, The Infidels (featuring Molly Johnson), and Lawrence Gowan. Jones’ career started at the tender age of 16 as a member of Ocean – best known for their multi-million selling single “Put Your Hand in the Hand”. Working his way through the ranks of the Canadian music star system he has been a primary player for the better part of 25 years. His experience has garnered him a JUNO Award, three platinum album awards and two gold records. Jones has spent the last few years songwriting while maintaining a very active touring schedule and performs approximately 150 times a year with the likes of Gowan, The Carpet Frogs, and Sass Jordan among others. In the past he has toured across North America opening for the likes of Jefferson Starship featuring Grace Slick, The Kinks and The J. Geils Band. After many years in the background, his desire to establish himself as a solo artist was finally realized with the CD ‘Positive’, his solo CD debut produced by Ken Greer (Red Rider, Big Faith) in 2001. His first solo tune, “In Through the Outdoor”, was featured originally on Bullseye’s hit compilation CD series Unsigned, Sealed & Delivered, Vol.5. The song, produced by fellow Red Rider colleague Ken Greer, was the first radio single from ‘Positive’. The follow-up single was, “I’ll Be There”, received extensive Canadian airplay on more than 40 stations nationally and gave Jones a Top30 hit. The third single and video, “Diamond Light”, was also a prime radio track. Following the album and showcase shows around Southern Ontario, Jones rejoined Tom Cochrane and Ken Greer in Red Rider for several tours and album releases. He would also record a new CD with The Carpet Frogs and, as part that band, backed up both Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings on tour and record. In 2007 Jones released a three song EP of new material entitled ‘Heir of Desperation’ which featured Saga vocalist Michael Sadler on the song ‘Money’. With notes from Jeff Jones.[also see CARPET FROGS, BURTON CUMMINGS, INFIDELS, OCEAN]
Singles
2001 I’ll Be There (Bullseye) BEP-009
2001 Silent Night (Bullseye) BEP-013
2002 Diamond Light (Bullseye) BLR-CD-0015
2018 Naked In The Church (Roar)
2020 Put Your Hand In the Hand (Roar)
Albums
2000 Sampler [3-song EP] (Bullseye) BEP-005
2001 Positive (Bullseye) BLR-CD-4053
2007 Heir of Desperation [3-song EP] BLR-CD-0125
Compilation Tracks
1993 “In Through the Outdoor” on ‘Unsigned, Sealed & Delivered, Volume 5: The Sonic Explosion’ (Bullseye) BLP-CD-4007
2001 “Silent Night” on ‘Takin’ Care of Christmas’ (Bullseye) BLP-CD-4019
JONES, John
Born: John Idris Beynon Jones on December 12, 195- in London, England
Jones was born in Hammersmith, London, England but went to schools in Kingston, Jamaica and Toronto, Canada. With Welsh ancestry and musical parents, he grew up surrounded by Welsh Hymns and Calypso music. Jones started playing the piano and composing at an early age, and later learned to play the bass and the 6 string guitar. During his school days in Toronto he performed at school dances and church drop-in centers in an assortment of groups formed with his school friends. Always interested in recording, he found his way into the studio with Terry Brown and Steve Vaughan at Toronto Sound Studios, hanging around on sessions for Crowbar, Klaatu and Thin Lizzy. In the mid-70s Jones joined the Canadian pop group Bond and his first live tour followed. He also did similar stints with the groups Canada and Saturn’s Window. CBS dropped Bond’s recording deal 1978, but John Jones was retained by CBS Songs where he recorded a demo called “Everyday and Everynight” with Klaatu’s Dee Long and Terry Draper. Producer Terry Brown heard the demo and had Jones signed to ATV Publishing. After backing Eddie Schwartz on his demo for “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” Schwartz was signed to ATV and Jones was dropped. He would then join Gary O’Connor’s solo band Kid Rainbow and classic rock act FUNN with Freddy Coutts, Jon Bojicic, and Klaatu’s Terry Draper and Dee Long on keyboards, guitar and vocals. In 1980, while working as a local cable TV director/producer for Classicom Cable TV in Richmond Hill, Jones, with Dee Long, designed and built ESP Studio in Buttonville, Ontario. The first album recorded in the studio was Klaatu’s final album ‘Magentalane’; other clients in the studio included Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, Ed Thacker, Jim Boyer, Jim Vallance, Glass Tiger, and other Capitol-EMI artists as well as an overdub facility for movie companies such as Lucasfilm and Nelvana. ESP Studios played a large part in pioneering the use of MIDI and the Fairlight CMI technology in Canada. During this period Jones started to cut his teeth on television and film scores. He composed the music for the film ‘Perfect Strangers’; the television movie/serial ‘Blue Murder’, as well as the score for one of the last films that Orson Welles acted in entitled ‘Never Trust An Honest Thief’. Meanwhile, as part of cost saving measures Rational Youth’s label, Capitol Records, gave Jones and Long the thumbs up to shop for other studios to mix the album. George Martin’s AIR Studios in London was their choice. Following the sessions they returning to Canada and decided to close ESP Studio, sell their assets and move to London permanently. The duo spent months pounding the pavement looking for work in London, but Jones and Long ended up back at AIR Studios, which was also the home of Manfred Mann producer John Burgess. Burgess and Martin were both impressed by the duo’s abilities in the newly emerging computer music field, and in 1985 they formed a partnership with Martin and Burgess which led to a new midi studio in the AIR facility. Long and Jones would work with the likes of Michael Kamen, Paul McCartney, Willie Deville, Terence Trent D’arby, Roy Wood, Tom Jones, Mark Antony, Mark Knopfler, Robert Gorl (DAF), John Illsley,The Rolling Stones, Paul Rodgers, Eric Clapton, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Outfield, and Duran Duran. In addition to studio work, Jones did occasional live performances playing piano and keyboards with George Martin conducting the London Symphony Orchestra during a performance of the Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine Suite’ at the Barbican. He also played piano with Duran Duran for Vanessa Redgrave’s ‘Jerusalem For Reconciliation’ concert at the Albert Hall during the first Gulf War and played organ with Queen and Liza Minnelli at Wembley Stadium for the ‘Freddie Mercury Tribute’. Jones could also be seen on the BBC 2 program ‘Science in Action’ explaining the secrets of “sampling” for school children. Throughout his time in London, Jones was writing songs with Canadian singer Karen Hendrix. After a failed attempt through Anxious Records with producer Dave Stewart, the duo did manage to sign with BMG Music UK. Although they wrote many songs for the alternative music scene no album every materialized and the duo split. As the ’80s drew to a close, Jones was busy programming, engineering and performing with Duran Duran on their ‘Liberty’ album with producer Chris Kimsey . During the ‘Liberty’ sessions, Duran Duran released their greatest hits album ‘Decade’. To accompany the album, Jones produced the single “Burning the Ground”. Jones then decided to set up a home studio with Duran Duran guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, and embarked on the production of Duran Duran’s ‘Wedding Album’ (1992) . During this period Jones also worked on a variety of other projects including ‘Songs For Drella’ – a tribute to Andy Warhol featuring John Cale and Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground. It was during the autumn of 1992 through the spring of 1993 that Jones returned to his passion for songwriting. He wrote over 100 songs as demos while working sporadically with Duran Duran and making club dance records with DJ Mark Dwyer. In the summer of 1993, after a brief stint in Iceland producing local band Ny Donsk, Jones went to Hollywood for a 10 day visit and hooked up with old friends Dalbello and producer Rick Nowels. He ended up staying and initially produced tracks for Nowels’ aborted solo album, before starting an album for EMI with ex-Glass Tiger vocalist Alan Frew. He rented a house in the Hollywood Hills and set up a studio in order to record the Frew album. By the spring they had written four songs together and completed the album ‘Hold On’ (1994). It was a critical success and reached No.1 on the Canadian charts with the Frew co-written song “So Blind”. The song won SOCAN awards for ‘Best Song’ and ‘Most Performed Song’ of 1995. Jones returned to the Duran Duran camp in the summer of 1994 to work on their ‘Thank You’ album which was recorded in a rented villa in Cap d’Antibes in the south of France. At the end of 1994 he joined Duran Duran on stage, playing piano and singing for their MTV ‘Unplugged’ sessions at Sony Studios in New York. While working on the Alan Frew album in LA in 1994, Mick Fleetwood was asked if he would play drums on Frew’s album. These sessions led to Jones and Fleetwood working on other projects together including 1995’s Fleetwood Mac album ‘Time’. Jones also played guitar, bass and keyboards on the album. Jones continued working with Fleetwood on a new album in 1996’s for artist Tallulah, and he started a project to recover the 1980’s ‘Lost Tapes of Mick Fleetwood’. Jones also produced and performed the score for the short film IPOLA, with drummer Steve Ferrone, about the preservation of Native American Languages. In 1996 Jones re-established his old friendship with the songwriter Dan Hill on Hill’s solo album ‘I’m Doing Fine’; the album received strong radio success with the title track and the Top20 hit “Wrapped Around Your Finger” which was written by Jones and Hill. During these sessions Dan Hill, Rick Hahn and Jones wrote, engineered and produced the song “Seduces Me” for Celine Dion’s album ‘Falling Into You’. The album won a Grammy award for ‘Album of the Year’ in 1997; Jones, along with the albums other producers, received the Grammy Award for ‘Album of the Year’ (Producer) and ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Pop Album of the Year’ (Engineer). In 1997 Jones worked with Rick Hahn once more on the debut Bluezeum album ‘Portrait of a Groove’ which featured the single “Can I Get That Funk”; Meanwhile, Jones composed and recorded the blues rock score for the Larry Lipton short festival film ‘The Luckiest Man Alive’ featuring John on “blues” guitar as well as the other instruments. Also during 1997 Jones finally completed his long overdue solo album which saw the light of day in September 1998 on Iron Music/BMG. He also recorded the musical score for the Neil Grieve film ‘Stuart Bliss’. With notes from John Jones. [also see BOND]
Singles
1998 State Of Mind (Iron Music/BMG)
Albums
1998 One Moment In Time (Iron Music/BMG)
2011 Black ‘n’ White [DigiFile]
JONES, Lynn
Born: Marilyn Jones
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Jones was surrounded by a musical family. Her father played the spoons, her Nanna played harmonica and Concertina, and her Aunt and Uncle both played guitar and fiddle with her brother and sister play guitars, and singing. He Uncle taught her chords to various songs. In 1964, Jones earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in Modern Languages & Literature, and had made arrangements to further her studies at the Sorbonne, in Paris when she took a singing job to provide some funds for travelling. Jones never made it to Sorbonne. She joined a Country band with a residency at a hotel in Hanmer, Ontario. They soon found themselves travelling across Ontario, parts of Québec, and into the United States gaining where Jones gained confidence and experience as a front-woman. She was signed to Capitol Records as a solo country singer in 1967 and released three singles that all managed to hit No.1 on the Canadian RPM MUsic charts starting with “The Bad With The Good” that year, followed by “Gonna Put Some Lovin’ On You” in 1968. Following the release of “Applesauce” in 1969, which charted at No.1 for two weeks in Canada, Jones received the RPM Award for ‘Most Promising Country Female Singer.’ Riding the wave of her new success, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1969. Jones toured with Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, and went on to appear across North America opening for Stonewall Jackson, Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins, Ferlin Husky, Faron Young, Bobby Bare, and Jeannie C. Riley among others. A new deal with MCA followed in 1971 where she released several singles before finding herself working with producer/arranger John Arpin for Arpeggio Records. Several singles and Jones’ debut album ‘Roses & Candy’ would be released on the label from 1971 onward. In 1974, Lynn Jones receive her first JUNO Award nomination for ‘Female Country Artist” of the Year’ on the back of her No.1 hit single “I Love Your Kind of Lovin.’ In 1975, Jones released “Pasadena’s On My Mind” and received her second JUNO Award nomination for ‘Country Female Artist.’ Her second solo album through United Artists in 1975 was a chance to bring a more jazz and adult contemporary side to her vocal range and was entitled ‘They Don’t Play Our Love Songs Anymore.’ So as to not mislead her Country audience, it was released under her real name Marilyn Jones. The album would feature a whos-who of session players including Prakash John (bass), Whitey Glan *drums), Moe Koffman (saxophone), Guido Basso (trumpet), Cathy Young (vocals), Shirley Eikhard (vocals), Colina Phillips (vocals), Laurel Ward (vocals), Laurie Hood (vocals), Brian Russell (guitar), and George Semkiw (engineering). She would receive JUNO Award nominations for the album in 1977. That year Jones decided to combine her passion for music and children by teaching music in Peel Region, part-time. She also continued to perform concerts and appear on TV Shows for the next six years. For many years, Jones appeared as a regular guest on the ‘Country Club’ with Gordie Tapp (CHCH 1972), ‘The Tommy Hunter Show’ (CBC), ‘Countrytime’ (CBC), ‘Carl Smith’ (CTV), ‘Jamboree’ (CHCH), and ‘The George Hamilton IV Show’ (1973 – 1977 on CHCH-TV). Her live performances also took her to Italy, Germany, Great Britain, and Greenland. She has also appeared in Canada at ‘Klondike Days’ and the Calgary Stampede in Alberta.
Singles
1967 The Bad With The Good/Big Big Day Tomorrow (Capitol) 72477
1968 Gonna Put Some Lovin’ On You/I’ve Been Down That Road Before (Capitol) 72507
1969 Applesauce/I Want You To Tell Me (Capitol) 72546
1969 Wishing Tree/You Can Feel It (Capitol) 72569
1971 The Only Way To Cry/Pages of Time (MCA) MCA-2016
1971 Same Old Song/Total Destruction (MCA) MCA-2019
1972 Clap Your Hands/Moods of My Man (Arpeggio) ARPS-1001
1972 Roses and Candy/The Arrangement of Things (Arpeggio) ARPS-1011
1974 I Love Your Kind Of Lovin’/You Belong To Me (Arpeggio) ARPS-1024
1975 Pasadena’s On My Mind/Constant Disappointment (Arpeggio) ARPS-1028
as MARILYN JONES
1976 Small Town Talk/Where Is My Home (United Artists) UAXW-799Y
1977 They Don’t Play Our Love Songs Anymore/You Do Not Have To Say You Love Me (United Artists) UAXW-931Y
Albums
1972 Roses & Candy (Arpeggio) ARPS-10001
as MARILYN JONES
1976 They Don’t Play Our Love Songs Anymore (United Artists) UALA-610G
Compilation Tracks
1974 “Applesauce” on ‘Country Music Cavalcade’ (Marathon) CMC-101
as MARILYN JONES
1977 “There’s Always Goodbye,” “Everybody’s Talking About Love,” and “Heartbreaker” on ‘Pieces of Dreams’ (CBC) LM-451
JÖNSSON, Sigi
Bassist who fronted a band featuring his name with Geoff Barker (drums) and David White (guitar).
Compilation Tracks
1981 “Goodbye Girl” and “Trying To Find Her” on ‘Toronto Calling’ (El Mocambo) ELMO-759
JORANE
Born: Jorane Pelletier on October 12, 1975
Jorane is a French-Canadian singer and cellist who has crossed into the pop music genre while still maintaining her classical roots with film and television soundtrack work.
Albums
1999 Vent fou (Tacca) TACD-4513
2000 16mm (Tacca) TACD-4518
2002 Live (Tacca) TACD-4526
2003 Evapore [6-song EP] TACD-4529
2003 Jorane [aka “Soon…”] (Tacca/Decca – EUROPE) 067-838-2
2004 Je N’aime Que Toi (Un Film De Claude Fournier) (Tacca) TACD-4530
2004 The You and the Now (Aquarius) Q2-00617
2005 Jorane Live (Decca) B000808Y78
2005 Preface [4-songs/2-videos] (Six Degrees) PRCD-SD0015
2007 Canvas or Canvass (internet project)
2007 Vers à soi (Tacca) TACD-4551
2008 Dix [2CDs] (Tacca) TACD-4558
2011 Une sorcière comme les autres (Vega) VEGA2-3971
2012 L’Instant aimé (Avalanche/DEP) AVA2-0003
2014 mélopée (La Meute) LMCD-022
JORDAN, Keven
North-African born Keven Jordan moved to Canada from Egypt at the age of 11. He and his father lived in Stratford, Ontario and as a teenager began an apprenticeship at the annual Stratford Festival. At age 20 he moved to Toronto and took small acting rolls in TV commercials while he taught himself how to play guitar. Jordan slogged it out around Toronto coffee houses and clubs as a singer-songwriter before hitting pay dirt as the first Canadian act signed to the re-structured Sony Music in 1990. His debut album, ‘No Sign Of Rain’, boasted heavy assists from guitarists Danny McBride (Chris DeBurgh) and Martin Walsh (Supertramp), drummer Steve Kendry (Dalbello, Spoons), and guitarist Peter Cardinelli (Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Boomers). Through several heavily rotated singles/videos, including the title track Jordan won a 1991 JUNO Award for ‘Most Promising Male Vocalist’. Jordan’s second album was a little more difficult to create and differences in musical direction left Jordan disinterested in the musical result. He began working heavily with graphic artist Jamie Grant on the design of the album art and following the disappointing sales of his self-titled follow-up dropped out of the music business in the middle of 1994. He now focuses on his career as a graphic artist & photographer. Musically, he still writes songs and records jingles for the likes of Wrigley’s, Ford and Home Hardware. Jordan is currently the Creative Director for both Cairo Design Studios and Bellamy Internet.
Singles
1991 Just Another Day (Sony)
1991 No Sign Of Rain/She Lives [cassingle] (Columbia/Sony) 38T-3156
1991 True Believers (Sony)
Albums
1991 No Sign Of Rain (Columbia/Sony) CK-80163
1993 Keven Jordan (Columbia/Sony) CK-80194
JORDAN, Marc
Born: Marc Wallace Jordan on March 6, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, United States.
Marc Jordan is a Brooklyn-born son of a Canadian singer who made a living on US radio programs. Growing up in Canada, Jordan first came to the public eye as a back-up musician for Bobby Vee. After three back-to-back albums for Warner that did nothing in the US but spawned the seminal Canadian hits “Marina Del Rey” and “Survival”, Jordan jumped ship and signed to Rio who released his live-from-the-El Mocambo LP ‘Marc Jordan – Live” in 1980. Jordan’s band consisted of Rick Gratton (drums), Michael Farquharson (bass), Peter Mueller (guitar), and Dave Morrow (keyboards) with Sharron-Lee Williams and Colina Philips on background vocals. Jordan moved to LA in the early ’80’s to become a session musician/songwriter for the likes of Juice Newton, Diana Ross, Chicago and The Manhattan Transfer. Jordan was signed as a solo artist to Atlantic Records for two years without releasing an album. Jordan and the label came to lager heads over producer of his album – Jordan wanted Paul Devilliers whom the label thought was too inexperienced. Devilliers went on to produce the monster selling ‘Welcome to the Real World’ by Mr. Mister. Jordan and Atlantic soon parted company and in an ironic twist, ended up being picked up by Mr. Mister manager George Ghiz who landed Jordan on the band’s RCA label and he finally got to work with Devillier on 1987’s album oriented ‘Talking Through Pictures’. 1990 saw Jordan in a serious peacenik mode with the conservation subtext of ‘C.O.W.’, an acronym for Conserve Our World. The album featured the previously released charity single “Burn Down the Amazon” with the heavy weight vocal additions of Timothy B. Schmidt, Jane Weidlin, Nicolette Larson, Olivia Newton-John, Bruce Hornsby, Boy Meets Girl, Rita Coolidge and Brenda Russell. At the same time Rod Stewart was putting the finishing touches on his ‘Vagabond Heart’ album when WEA UK pushed Stewart to add a ‘single’ to the record. The chairman of the label, Rob Dickens, remembered a 1984 demo by Marc Jordan and John Capek called “Rhythm of My Heart” and Stewart loved the rough, bagpipe-laced demo. Trevor Horn was brought in to produce the song and it was added at the last minute to the album. It became a million selling single that propelled the album to triple platinum but it almost didn’t happen because its subtle war references were deemed too offensive for BBC Radio during the Persian Gulf War. Fortunately, the war ended and the original tune was issued without the need for Jordan to rewrite it. By 1993 Jordan had tired of the Los Angeles scene and wanted to spend more time with wife Amy Sky. His 1993 jazz album for Warner Music was called ‘Reckless Valentine’. To cash in on Jordan’s resurgence in recent years they re-issued his back catalog on CD with a push to radio for Gold classics such as “Marina Del Rey” and “Survival”. Jordan continues to write prolifically and performs frequently as part of the Songwriters Association ‘Bluebird North’ traveling songwriting seminars. with notes from Simon Jensen.
Singles
1974 It’s A Fine Line/Willie’s Gone (Denali) SG-1001
1975 New York Kids/[same] (Columbia/CBS) C4-4080
1978 Survival/Lost Because You Can’t Be Found (Warner/WEA) WB-6904
1978 One Step Ahead Of The Blues/Survival (Warner/WEA) WB-8599
1978 Marina Del Rey (Edit)/Red Desert (Warner/WEA) WB-8659
1979 I’m A Camera/Tattooed Lady (Warner/WEA) WB-0141
1979 Release Yourself (Warner/WEA)
1979 Twilight (Warner/WEA)
1980 Generalities/From Nowhere To This Town (Warner/WEA) WB-0174
1980 New York New York/Potential And Air (Rio) RIO-708
1980 Secrets/From Nowhere to This Town (Rio) RIO-714
1981 You Found Out/Spanish Town (Arista) ASO-622
1987 Catch The Moon/Talking Through Pictures (RCA/BMG) PB-49569
1987 I Was Your Fool (Remix)/Inside The Glass Bead (RCA/BMG) PB-51001
1987 Shadow Dance [Theme From ‘Shadow Dancing’]/This Independence (RCA/BMG) PB-51038
1987 This Independence (Edit)/This Independence (LP Version) [7” & 12”] (RCA/BMG) RCA-5274
1987 Catch The Moon (Remix)/Talking Through Pictures (RCA/BMG) 5359-7-R
1987 Catch The Moon [12″] (RCA/BMG) 6795
1989 Burn Down The Amazon
1990 Edge Of The World
1993 Til The Last Teardrop Falls [with Exchange and Amy Sky] (Warner)
1993 Waiting For a Miracle (Warner)
1994 Back Street Boy (Warner)
2008 Every Time It Snows/Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [DigiFile]
Albums
1977 Marc Jordan (RCA) RCA-88503
1978 Mannequin (Warner Bros.) KBS-3143
1979 Blue Desert (Warner Bros.) QBS-3362
1980 Marc Jordan – Live [At The El Mocambo] (Rio) RIO-1000
1983 Hole In The Wall (Sound Design) 1342-8
1987 Talking Through Pictures (RCA) 5907-1-R
1990 C.O.W. [Conserve Our World] (BMG) 9640-1-R
1993 Reckless Valentine (Sin-Drome) SD-8899
1996 Cool Jam Black Earth (Cafe) MAGCD-71
1997 Live: Now & Then (PEG) PEG-CD-071
1999 This Is How Men Cry (Blue Note/EMI) 20419
2002 Living in Marina del Rey and Other Stories (EMI) E-239903
2005 Make Believe Ballroom (Blue Note/EMI) 98415
2010 Crucifix in Dreamland (EMI) 918003
Compilation Tracks
1994 “Borrowed Tune” on on ‘Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young’ (Sony) 80199
JORDAN, Sass
Born: December 23, 1962 in Birmingham, England.
Rock singer-songwriter, TV personality, actress and award-winning recording artist Sass Jordan, whose husky-toned voice was once described by People Magazine as “pained but indomitable,” was born in Birmingham, England in the early ‘60s to a French professor and an actress/ballet dancer. The family initially travelled the world, settling for a time in Pondicherry, India following a lengthy voyage on a Russian tramp steamer. Here, Jordan attended a Catholic girls’ school, studied the Tamil language and made her screen debut in the NFB documentary, ‘The India Trip’. In the late ‘60s, the family settled in Montréal, Québec. Jordan`s love of seminal American music and the rock music of the day, heard on local progressive rock radio station CHOM-FM, became the inspiration for her initial foray into the music world as a vocalist, bass player, and even flautist, in her first band Sweet Thunder, which at one point brought her to the attention of producer Phil Ramone, who offered her the opportunity to record in New York. Opting to remain in Montréal, she subsequently joined local group The Next as bass player/vocalist. That group evolved into “New Wave” quartet, The Pinups, which became popular on the club circuit in eastern Canada and the US with Jordan on vocals and bass. By the early ‘80s, and with the dissolution of The Pinups, Jordan had begun writing material and cutting demos for a solo career while making frequent forays into New York to scope out the music scene there. During this period, she became one of the first veejays in Canada as host and interviewer on local Montréal video show, ‘RadioVideo’ – a precursor to French-language video network MusiquePlus – and sang background vocals on a record being produced for the Teen Beats, managed by Simon Fuller (‘American Idol’, Spice Girls, et al), who was at that point splitting his time between the UK and Montréal. Jordan also worked in a similar capacity with popular Montréal group, The Box, with which she toured and appeared in a number of their videos. She also co-wrote the song “Rain” which was Michael Breen’s only hit. In the late ‘80s, Jordan signed with Montréal label Aquarius Records and her debut album, ‘Tell Somebody,’ which brought Jordan her first JUNO Award and platinum-certified album, was released in 1988. From the outset, her singing and performing talents were promoted by some of the biggest names in rock music: Gene Simmons of KISS, who was responsible for her first move into Los Angeles; various members of the bands Cheap Trick and Van Halen and the late chart-topping composer Michael Kamen, whose recommendation would later lead to an audition for a lead role in the film ‘Die Hard 3’ opposite Bruce Willis. Along the way, she also developed a friendship with late counter-culture guru, Dr. Timothy Leary. Into the ’90s and now based in Los Angeles, Jordan’s sophomore disc ‘Racine’ found her gravitating to the southwest and its musical influences. The album brought her the title of ‘Album Rock’s Top Female Artist’ for 1992 from Billboard magazine. During this period, there was also a duet with Joe Cocker (“Trust in Me”) on ‘The Bodyguard’ – the biggest selling soundtrack album of all time – and an acting role on the hit TV series ‘Sisters’ alongside Sela Ward. Her songs have also appeared in numerous TV shows including ‘Melrose Place’, ‘Party of Five’, ‘Baywatch’ and ‘Knight Rider’. Her third album ‘Rats’ reflected a particularly difficult time in her life and career, though at this point she was touring the world with artists like Aerosmith and Whitesnake with a few side trips to exotic locations like Bali and Indonesia. She made a management change and endured a financial crisis and a difficult drug-infested relationship. By the late ‘90s, newly married, she had moved from Los Angeles to a heritage stone farmhouse in southern Ontario and given birth to a daughter. She subsequently recorded two more albums, ‘Present’ (1997) and ‘Hot Gossip’ (2004), both of which reflected her renewed positive outlook. As an actress, she was featured in the Toronto and Winnipeg productions of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ before heading for New York to take on the lead role of Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway hit musical ‘Love Janis’. In 2003, the year she took on duties as a judge on the TV ratings blockbuster, ‘Canadian Idol’, Jordan shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and others as part of the history-making SARS relief concert in Toronto. In the late ‘90s and into the new millennium, Jordan also participated in a number of international tours with Voices of Classic Rock (Loverboy’s Mike Reno and Rainbow/Deep Purple’s Joe Lynn Turner, Deep Purple/Black Sabbath’s Glenn Hughes), of which she was the only female artist. Her 2006 album, ‘You Get What You Give,’ a celebration of the rough-hewn beauty of American roots music, was recorded in Nashville with blues-roots expert Colin Linden (Blackie & The Rodeo Kings) in the role of collaborator, musician and producer. Following the final airing of ‘Canadian Idol’ in the fall of 2008 after six seasons, Jordan issued her seventh studio album, ‘From Dusk ‘Til Dawn’ (2009), while continuing to tour selectively. She made frequent guest appearances on TV and radio and collaborated as a writer with a number of artists in a wide-range of musical genres including Grammy-nominated recording artist, composer and producer John Forté (The Fugees) and drummer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Slash, Billy Idol, Foreigner), who had played drums on her ‘Rats’ album. In 2011, the working relationship with Tichy evolved into the hard rock band S.U.N. (Something Unto Nothing) which also featured drummer Tommy Stewart (Godsmack, Everclear) and bass player Marty O`Brien (We Are the Fallen, Tommy Lee, Disturbed). The group began recording its debut album in 2011 and played its first major live show at the Viper Room in L.A. in March of 2012 as the first/song/video, “Nomad,” was released.
Singles
1988 Tell Somebody/No More (Aquarius) AQ-6040
1989 Double Trouble/Hi Time Tonight (Aquarius) AQ-6044
1989 Double Trouble/Tell Somebody [12″] (Aquarius) 16044
1989 Stranger Than Paradise/Tell Somebody (Aquarius) AQ-6048
1989 So Hard/Double Trouble (Aquarius) AQ-6049
1992 Make You A Believer/Where There’s A Will There’s A Way (Impact/Island – US)
1992 You Don’t Have To Remind Me/Make You A Believer [7″](Impact/Island – US) 54490
1992 Make You A Believer (Impact/Island – US) IPT5P-2193
1992 If You’re Gonna Love Me (Impact/Island – US) IPT5P-2287
1992 Pissin’ Down Again (Impact/Island – US) IPT5P-3023
1993 Who Do You Think You Are (Aquarius) DPRO-6060
1993 High Road Easy/Rescue Me/Big Blue Plantation/Funk #49 [CD-EP] EMI-8812312
1993 High Road Easy/Head (MCA – US) MCA-54799
1994 Son’s Gonna Rise (MCA – US) MCA5P-3078
1994 Ugly (MCA – US) MCA5P-3095
1997 Do What I Can (Aquarius)
1998 Desire (Aquarius)
2009 Why Did You (Kindling/Fontana/WEA – US)
with S.U.N.
2012 Something Unto Nothing (Robo) RRSJ-2012
2014 Nomad [4-song EP] (Robo)
Albums
1988 Tell Somebody (Aquarius) AQR-552
1992 Racine (Aquarius) AQR-564
1994 Rats (Aquarius/EMI)
1997 Present (Aquarius) AQR-583
2001 Rough And Tough (EMI PLUS – EU) 576366-2
2004 Hot Gossip (Aquarius) AQR-594
2005 Best of Sass Jordan (Aquarius) AQR-609
2006 Get What You Give (Horizon) HRCD-8200
2009 From Dusk ‘Til Dawn (Kindling/Fontana/WEA – US) BG-16029
2017 Racine Revisited (Linus) 270321
2020 Rebel Moon (Stony Plain)
2022 Bitches Blues
2023 Live in New York Ninety-Four
Compilation Tracks
2006 “What You Gonna Do” on ‘Women & Songs 10: 10th Anniversary Edition’ (WEA) WTVD-63889
with JOE COCKER & SASS JORDAN
1992 “Trust In Me” on ‘The Bodyguard [Motion Picture Soundtrack]’ (Arista) ARCD-8699
with SASS JORDAN & CARLOS SANTANA
1995 “Spanish Castle Magic” on ‘In From the Storm: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix’ (RCA/ Victor) 09026-68233-1
JORDANA, Michaele
Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Michaele Jordana Berman first gained attention as a pop artist in 1976 with her solo exhibition of large super-realist paintings at Toronto’s Isaacs Gallery. Berman’s painterly approach and strong content quickly landed her paintings in the permanent collections of The National Gallery of Canada, Art Bank, and corporate collections such as First City Trust, and international private collections. The success of her paintings of whales opened the way for her to explore other art forms, including photography. The primal images she took in the Arctic were featured at The Isaacs Gallery in her exhibition “Carnivore”. She went on to write the ‘Manifesto of Performance Art’ with artist Wendy Knox Leet, while producing attention-getting multimedia performance works with composer Douglas Pringle (Syrinx). Michaele Berman the painter was soon transformed into Michaele Jordana the performance artist and singer. By 1978 her boundary pushing collaborations with Pringle in performance art extended to her being the vocalist for Toronto New Wave/Punk band The Poles. The release of the single “CN Tower” led the band to perform at venues such as The Crash ‘n’ Burn in Toronto, plus the legendary CBGB’s and Max Kansas City in New York City with acts like Devo, The Ramones, and Patti Smith. Following the demise of The Poles, Jordana was hailed as the ‘It Girl” by writer Peter Goddard in the Toronto Star. She would win the first CASBY Award from CFNY and a JUNO Award nomination for her debut album ‘Romance at the Roxy’. The album was produced at Nimbus 9 and produced the single “I’m Eighteen” (a cover of the classic Alice Cooper hit). After leaving the spotlight when her daughter was born, Michaele re-emerged a few years later with a series of television documentaries. In the film ‘Face to Face’, Jordana is shown forming a video crew with disabled teenagers who are on the threshold of integration. ‘Face to Face’ has been broadcast internationally, and won a silver medal at ‘The New York Film and Television Festival’. Jordana has worked extensively in the field of education in University and public school environments, developing innovative programs in visual arts, video and multimedia. Commissioned by Industry Canada for Canada’s SchoolNet, she pioneered online learning with AIERbrush – the Artists in Electronic Residence web site. She continues to do online digital artwork and design for corporate clients such as architects Reitch+Petch Architects and Taylor Exhibits. Jordana and Syrinx founder Doug Pringle’s daughter is TV and movie actress Ramona Pringle. with note from Michaele Berman. [also see THE POLES]
Singles
1980 I’m Eighteen/Hologram Man (Attic) AT-238
Albums
1980 Romance At the Roxy (Attic) LAT-1101
Compilation Tracks
1993 “CN Tower” on ‘Caught In the Attic’ [3CDs] ATTIC-XX
JOSHUA
Carl Burgess / Bill Broadhurst / Pat Gamble / Don Dunlop / Al Feth
Woodstock, Ontario’s Gospel rock quintet Joshua were signed to GRT Records in 1971 and had four charting singles over a two year period.
Singles
1971 Throw A Rope/Thoughts (GRT) 1230-09
1971 Bow Down (To The Dollar)/Peace Of Mind (GRT) 1230-15
1972 Poor Folks/Two Day Love Affair (GRT) 1230-23
1972 Come On Home/Thoughts (GRT) 1230-33
Albums
1972 Joshua (GRT) 9230-1013
JR. GONE WILD
Mike McDonald (guitar, vocals) / Mark Brostrom (bass) / Kim Upright (drums) / Graham Brown (guitar) / Cameron Noyes (bass) / Tom Wolfe / Adele Wolfe / Will Pontez / Paul Paetz / David Lawson (guitar) / Dave “Dove” Brown (bass) / Ed Dobek (drums) / Ian Cook (drums; replaced Dobek) / Chris Smith (pedal steel, guitar) / Bernice Pelletier (vocals) / Ford Pier (keyboards) / Terry Cox (guitar; replaced Lawson 1988) / Steve Loree (guitar) / Lance Loree (guitar) / Anne Loree (keyboards; 1995) / Larry Shelast (drums)
Jr. Gone Wild was formed in 1982 in Calgary, Alberta with Mike McDonald (Malibu Kens, Jerry Jerry & The Sons of Rhythm Orchestra), Tom and Adele Wolfe and Will Pontez. Following only a handful of shows around town, McDonald relocated to Edmonton and put a new version of Jr. Gone Wild together featuring David Lawson, Dave Brown and Ed Dobek. This line-up fell apart after the indie release ‘Less Art, More Pop!’ in 1988. McDonald did manage to squeeze out another album in 1989 from the band’s final sessions entitled ‘Folk You (The Guido Sessions)’. McDonald and Dave Brown carried on with a constantly rotating line-up. Their 1990 album on Stony Plain, ‘Too Dumb To Quit’, was produced by Chilliwack’s Bill Henderson. Two more albums followed with progressively declining sales and the group finally split up following their cross-Canada tour in 1995 when they received word that Stony Plain had dropped them. with notes from Mike McDonald.
Albums
1986 Less Art, More Pop! (BYC) BYC-013
1989 Folk You (The Guido Sessions) [cassette] (independent) NCC-1701
1990 Too Dumb to Quit (Stony Plain) SPCD-1160
1992 Pull the Goalie (Stony Plain) SPCD-1181
1994 Too Dumb To Quit [re-issue] (Taxim – GER) TX-2017-2TA
1995 Simple Little Wish (Stony Plain) SPCD-1201
2017 Brave New Waves Session [LP] (Artoffact) AOF-303
2021 Still Got The Jacket (weewerk/Stony Plain) 073
with THREE DEAD TROLLS IN A BAGGIE & JR. GONE WILD
1995 Live at the Hyperbole (independent)
Compilation Tracks
1992 “Tragedy In E” on ‘Someone’s Gonna Get Their Head to Believe in Something'(BYO) BYO-026
1993 “Where the Hell Are You” on ‘New Stuff Four’ (MMS) NSCD-004
1995 “I’m So Glad” on ‘Access III’ (Access) ACD-003
1998 “Poet’s Highway” on ‘Alt. Country’ (Simitar) 56232
JUDE THE OBSCURE
Chuck Leach (guitar) / Grant Freifeld (bass) / James Long (vocals) / Jason Rice (drums) / Jordan Passfield (guitar)
From Grimsby, Ontario. Formed in 1998, split up in 2004.
Albums
1999 A New Life Of Painful Sin [3-song EP] (Jude The Obscure)
2003 The Coldest Winter (Defiance – Germany) LVII
Compilation Tracks
2001 “Kaleidescope,” “Dance Beneath The Heart,” “Words On A Dirty Pane – Dissolution 1,” “Words On A Dirty Pane – Dissolution 2,” and “Angelica” on ‘A Perfect Place No.1’ (Punx Without Mohawx) PWM-019
JULIETTE
Born: Juliette Augustina Sysak on August 27, 1926 in St. Vital, Manitoba
Died: October 26, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia
Juliette – as she’d be known professionally – grew up in a Ukrainian suburb of Winnipeg developing her singing skills at community halls and talent shows. Following a move with her family to Vancouver when she was 10, Juliette – – began her singing career in 1940 as a featured singer with the Dal Richards Band at the Hotel Vancouver. By the age of 15 she fronted her own CBC radio show. Though she performed on the ‘Alan Young Radio Show’ with the Lucio Agostini Orchestra 1943-1944, she spent most of her formative years based in Vancouver performing on ‘Burns Chuckwagon’ with the Rhythm Pals and her own ‘Here’s Juliette.’ Juliette would record a single for Vancouver’s Aragon label with the Rhythm Pals in 1953 called “I Keep Telling Myself”. Soon after marrying singer Tony Cavazzi [the two remained married for 40 years until his death] the couple moved to Toronto in 1954, where Juliette teamed up with Gino Silvi on the CBC Radio program ‘Gino and Juliette’. She also made guest appearances on the show ‘Holiday Ranch’. Also in 1954 Juliette appeared on the recording of songwriter Dolores Claman’s musical comedy ‘Timber!’. She would also cut two 78 RPM records for RCA’s X imprint in 1954 including the song “I Can’t Smoke You Out of My Heart”. In 1955 Juliette was hired as a featured vocalist on big band leader Billy O’Connor’s ‘The Late Show’. However, her popularity soon began to eclipse O’Connor’s and the friction from this between the two stars through 1956 resulted in Juliette inheriting O’Connor’s Saturday night time slot. Her show was a CBC musical variety program ‘The Juliette Show’, beginning in 1956, where she was introduced each episode as “your pet, Juliette.” The show was broadcast immediately after the ‘Hockey Night In Canada’s’ Saturday night hockey games on the CBC and just before the National News which drew a considerable audience of hockey fans eventually making her show the third highest rated in Canadian TV. Juliette was accompanied by a male performer known affectionately as ‘escorts’ each season such as Bobby Gimby and George Murray in 1956-1957, Roy Roberts in 1957-1958, and Ken Steele in 1958-1959. She also called on two regular vocal groups as regular performers – The Four Romeos from 1959 to 1965 and The Four Mice from 1960 to 1964. The show was cancelled in 1966. It was in the mid-1960s that Juliette looked at becoming a proper recording artist and signed with RCA’s Camden label where she released three albums ‘Juliette’ (1968), ‘Juliette’s Christmas World’ (1968), and Juliette’s Country World’ (1969). She had been dogged by critics from her TV days as being ‘bland’ and this spilled over into her music career. The albums sold modestly and she decided to return to television where her audience was more familiar with her. Juliette hosted the CBC TV talk show ‘After Noon’ from 1969-1971 and then a half-hour CBC afternoon talk show called ‘Juliette and Friends’ from 1973-1975 featuring appearances by rotating sidekicks like Larry Solway, Bill Lawrence, and Doug Lennox. In 1975 she was appointed the Member of the Order of Canada. In 1995 Juliette was selected Queen of Saranac Lake, New York at their winter carnival. In 1999 she would still occassionally perform with band leader Dal Richards and was also inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame. Juliette was the subject of a ‘Life and Times’ biography on the CBC which aired September 8, 2002. She retired to Vancouver and only made occassional public appearances such as the 85th birthday of Dal Richards in 2004. She died peacefull at the age of 91 surrounded by family on October 26, 2017.
Singles
as JULIETTE
1954 I Can’t Smoke You Out of My Heart/I Don’t Believe It But Say It Again (X/RCA) X-34
1969 Christmas Is a Day of Miracles/Silent Night (RCA/Victor) SPC-45-81
as JULIETTE WITH THE RHYTHM PALS
1953 I Keep Telling Myself/Bought For a Song (Aragon) AR-253
Albums
1968 Juliette (Camden/RCA) CAS-2223
1968 Juliette’s Christmas World (Camden/RCA) CAS-2279
1969 Juliette’s Country World’ (Camden/RCA) CAS-2341
JUNIOR ACHIEVER
Gene Champagne (guitar, vocals) / David Fritz (guitar) / Steve Scott (bass) / Jeremy Knowles (drums)
From Hamilton, Ontario. Junior Achiever began in 2004 as an outlet for Gene Champagne following the collapse of his previous band The Killjoys. He moved away from the drum kit, picked up a guitar and began to write songs for himself. Fellow guitarist David Fritz pushed him to go public with the songs and the demos they made ended up being used on episodes of the television show ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’. With the addition of Scott and Knowles they became a proper band and toured Japan, the US and the UK. The finally landed a UK record deal with Engineer Records and released their lone album, ‘All The Little Letdowns in 2008;’ Chamgagne would return to the drums as a member of Teenage Head. He nearly lost his life due to COVID during the 2020 pandemic and had a long recovery; Knowles and Fritz would form the band Ramona;
Albums
2008 All The Little Letdowns (Engineer) IGN-115
JUNKHOUSE
Tom Wilson (lead vocals, acoustic guitar) / Dan Achen (guitar) / Ray Farrugia (drums) / Russ Wilson (bass) / Grant Marshall (bass; replaced R. Wilson 1996) / Colin Cripps (guitar, vocals, keyboards; 1996)
When the Florida Razors broke up in 1988, Tom Wilson felt completely ready to give up music altogether. A visit to his friends, and fellow Hamiltonians, Daniel Lanois and Malcolm Burn in New Orleans convinced him otherwise; while in the Big Easy the trio wrote together and worked with the Neville Brothers. The feedback he received from his time in the south propelled him to return to Ontario and try again. In 1989 Wilson founded Junkhouse with Dan Achen, Ray Farrugia and Russ Wilson (no relation) – with help from his friend and Crash Vegas member Colin Cripps. To help the band get established and hone their chops, Crash Vegas got Junkhouse to open a few gigs for them, and Cripps produced some of Junkhouse’s recording sessions. By 1992 Wilson was signed to a publishing deal with Sony Music, and in 1993 he released a cassette of music recorded over the past four years called “Here Lies Happiness” that the band sold at their gigs. They were signed to a recording deal with Sony Music in 1993 and while recording their first album, they got opening gigs with the Waltons and Soul Asylum. Their first album, ‘Strays’, released in September 1993, was produced by Malcolm Burn and eventually sold gold in Canada. The video for the first single off the album, “Out Of My Head”, was moved from medium to heavy rotation on MuchMusic within a week of being released. “Prayin’ For Rain” soon followed, making Junkhouse a MuchMusic and Rock Radio staple. The second album, also produced by Malcolm Burn, ‘Birthday Boy’, was released in September 1995 and featured a duet with Sarah McLachlan on the track “Burned Out Car”. After touring extensively to support the release, the band took a break to pursue individual projects. Meanwhile, Junkhouse’s cover version of Crowbar’s “Oh! What A Feeling” was included in the soundtrack to the Paul Gross TV show ‘Due South’. Wilson continued to stay active musically by playing with Blackie And The Rodeo Kings whose members included Stephen Fearing and Colin Linden. It was also during this time that Russ Wilson decided to leave for his own musical endeavors and Grant Marshall was brought into the fold. Colin Cripps also joined as a second guitarist after the implosion of his band Crash Vegas. The band members reconvened in the fall of 1996 at a converted church studio in Hamilton called Catherine North which was co-owned by Achen. They began writing again, in the studio and in Wilson’s living room, and the results of their efforts was released in early 1997 as ‘Fuzz’ which was effectively a Cripps/Wilson project. Junkhouse dissolved after this. Junkhouse would still perform occasionally including their appearance with Finger Eleven at the Tsunami Relief Benefit in Hamilton on February 2, 2005. They also did a 20th anniversary reunion show on November 7, 2009 at the Horseshoe Tavern. Tom Wilson has released two solo albums, ‘Planet Love’ (2001) and ‘Dog Days’ (2006), reunited with his first band The Florida Razors to promote their ‘best of’ called ‘Beat Music’ on Bullseye Records in 2001, continues recording & touring with with Stephen Fearing and Colin Linden in Blackie And The Rodeo Kings. He’s also released a new project called Lee Harvey Osmond with members of The Skydiggers featuring studio help from The Cowboy Junkies; Dan Achen maintained production work at his Catherine North Studio in Hamilton until his untimely death from a heart attack while playing hockey on March 15, 2010; Cripps married Kathleen Edwards in 2004 and produced her ‘Asking For Flowers’ album in 2007. He produced and played guitar on Blue Rodeo member Jim Cuddy’s ‘The Light That Guides You Home’ solo release in 2006 and worked on Bryan Adams’ ’11’ album in 2008. He has also done soundtracks ‘Wrestling With Shadows’, ‘The Life and Death of Owen Hart’, ‘Machine Gun’, and ‘Planet Storm’ and studio work with Sarah McLachlan, Justin Rutledge, Collin Herring and Dawn Langstroth. Recent activities include being touring guitarist for both Kathleen Edwards and The Jim Cuddy Band; Farrugia is a much in-demand drummer and drum teacher. With notes from Tom Wilson and Jason Avery. [also see BLACKIE & THE RODEO KINGS, FLORIDA RAZORS, TOM WILSON]
Singles
1993 Out Of My Head/Buffalo Skinner (Epic/Sony) 77419
1993 Out of My Head/Jesus Sings The Blues//Oh Linda [cassingle] (Epic/Sony) 34T-3204
1993 Jesus Sings The Blues/Out of My Head/Oh Linda (Epic/Sony) CDNK-863
1993 The Sky Is Falling/Sleep In The Trees [cassingle] (Epic/Sony) 34T-3209
1993 Gimme The Love (Epic/Sony)
1993 Big Brown Turtle (Epic/Songy)
1994 Praying For the Rain (Album Version)/Praying For the Rain (Rain Jam)//[same] [cassingle] (Epic/Sony) 34T-3215
1994 Praying For The Rain [special promo CD in cases of Labatt’s] (Sony Special Products) CDSP-4201
1995 Brown Shoe/Down In The Liver (Epic/Sony) CDNK-1108
1995 Be Someone/Birthday (Industrial Mix) (Epic/Sony) ESSK-020021
1995 Burned Out Car/Run & Run (Epic/Sony) 663029
1995 Pearly White (Epic/Sony) CDNK-1266
1995 Father Gone (Sony – Europe)
Albums
1991 Here Lives Happiness [cassette] (Everyman) EMP-727
1993 Strays (Epic/Sony) CEK-80184
1995 Birthday Boy (Epic/Sony) CEK-80228
1997 Fuzz (Columbia/Sony) CEK-80285
1997 It’s Name Was COCA There Was A Showcase [6-song EP] (Sony) CDNK-1272
2002 Rounders: The Best of Junkhouse (Sony) CK- 80804
Compilation Tracks
1994 “F*!#in’ Up” on ‘Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young’ (Sony) 80199
1994 “Out Of My Head” on ‘1994: There & Then’ (Sony) 751304
1998 “Oh! What A Feeling” on ‘Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack, Volume II’ (Unforscene) 40007
JURY, The
George Johns (rhythm guitar) / Bruce Walker (vocals) / Terry Kenny (lead guitar, vocals) / Roland Blaquire (bass) / Kenny Rae [aka Ken Hordichuck] (drums)
Winnipeg, Manitoba’s instrumental guitar act The Phantoms formed in 1964. They became The Jury after adding vocals in 1965 and recorded several singles for London Records but didn’t chart nationally until their single for Quality Records, “Please Forget Her”, spent time in September 1966 on the RPM Top100 singles chart.
Singles
1965 Until You Do/Not Guilty (London) M-17338
1965 I Tried To Tell Her/You’d Better Be On Your Way (London) M-17341
1965 Back In My World/It’s Been A Long Time (London) M-17345
1966 Please Forget Her/Who Dat? (Quality) 1828X
Compilation Tracks
2000 “Not Guilty” on ‘Early Canadian Rockers Vol. 6 & 7’ (Collector) CLCD-7752
2009 “I Tried To Tell Her,” “Until You Do,” “Not Guilty,” “It’s Been A Long Time,” “Please Forget Her,” “Who Dat?” and “Back In My World” on ‘Buried Treasures: Winnipeg Rock Gems 1958-1974’ (Super Oldies) SOCD-9
JUST·IF·I
Mike Reno (vocals) / Neal Schon (guitar) / Neil Shiklin (keyboards) / Russel Klyne (guitar) / Ken Sinnaeve (bass)
Short-lived supergroup featuring Reno (Moxy, Loverboy), Schon (Journey) and Sinnaeve (Streetheart, Loverboy). [also see LOVERBOY, STREETHEART]
Albums
1993 All One People (Spinner) SP0614-2
JUSTIN TYME
John Wittman / Jim Maxwell / Garnet Schneider / Don Gunter
Winnipeg’s Justin Tyme, led by songwriter Garnet Schneider, signed to Warner Brothers in 1969. They released one single that year “Nonsense Child” backed with “Miss Felicity Grey”. They followed that up with their only national hit “Child of Dawn”.
Singles
1969 Nonsense Child/Miss Felicity Grey (Warner Brothers) WB-5020 1970 Child of Dawn (Warner Brothers) WB-5022
Compilation Tracks
2009 “Miss Felicity Grey,” “Nonsense Child,” “Child Of Dawn,” “Julie’s Just A Friend,” “I Need Your Love,” and “Leaves Of Gold” on ‘Buried Treasures: Winnipeg Rock Gems 1958-1974’ (Super Oldies) SOCD-9
JUST US, The
Gary Muir (lead vocals; 1964) / Bill Ross (guitar) / Al Morrison (drums) / Ed Roth (keyboards) / Brian Hughes (bass) / Neil Merryweather [aka Neil Lilley] (vocals, guitar, bass) / Wayne Davis (bass) / Bob Ablack (drums) / Stan Endersby (guitar; replaced Ross) / Jimmy Livingston (lead vocals; replaced Muir 1965) / Coffi Hall [with The Tripp] / David Colin Burt [with The Tripp] / Richard Bell (keyboards) [with Livingston’s Journey]
Toronto, Ontario act formed in late 1964 with Muir, Merryweather, Ross , Roth and Ablack. With Wayne Davis coming over from C.J. Feeney and The Spellbinders in early 1965 the LINE-UP was complete. They signed to Quality Records soon after and released their single “I Don’t Love You” in the summer. By the fall, Jimmy Livingston (ex-The Mynah Birds) joined as new lead vocalist with Merryweather sharing vocals and shifting to guitar. Ross would then leave to join David Clayton-Thomas and The Bossmen in early 1966 so Davis brought in former Spellbinders band mate Stan Endersby to be the new guitarist. But by the middle of 1966, Davis also left and joined Bobby Kris and The Imperials. Merryweather filled his spot on bass. Just Us then changed their name to The Tripp after they became aware of an American recording act with the same name. The Tripp became regulars on the Yorkville and Yonge street stip music circuit for the remainder of 1966 and through early 1967. By the summer of 1967, Merryweather left to join Bruce Cockburn’s group The Flying Circus. The Tripp then became Livingston’s Journey. They split up by the spring of 1968; Neil Merryweather died March 28, 2021.
Singles
1965 I Don’t Love You/I Can Tell (Quality) 1738X
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