Tbe Beatles - first three Canadian releases

The first three Beatles albums released in Canada were unique titles and song combinations compared the the US releases. Beatlemania! With The Beatles, was the first Beatles record released in North America preceding the US VeeJay Introducing The Beatles by about six weeks. From the fourth album on, the Canadian releases were the same as the American.
Beatlemania! With The Beatles (Nov 63)
Twist And Shout (Feb 64)
Long Tall Sally (May 64,

Badger - White Lady

Anyone who had listened to and liked Badger's first album, the live, "Live One Badger", was likely very disappointed with their second album, "White Lady".
Badger had been founded by former Yes keyboardist, Tony Kaye. The first Badger album was a Yes-ish progressive rock album recorded live while opening for Yes at London's Rainbow Theatre. The album cover was done by artist Roger Dean who had done many of the Yes album covers.
After the first album, Tony Kaye started pretty much from scratch as the original Badger members had gone their separate ways. The new lineup included a new vocalist, Jackie Lomax. Jackie had been in a number of bands and had done one solo album for The Beatles' Apple Records. He was best known for his work with George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Jackie took over the musical direction of the new Badger album and rather than the progressive rock of the first album, White Lady is an R&B / Soul album in the style of Jackie's previous solo projects.
As a stand alone R&B album it has a few tracks that standout from an otherwise average LP. But as a follow-up to their previous album it must have been quite a shock for fans expecting more progressive rock. The band split shortly before the White Lady LP was released. Jackie Lomax continued with the band now called White Lady but soon went back to a solo career.

The Start - Hey You

The Start - Hey You (1980) The only album by this Toronto punk rock band. Recorded in 1980 in Hamilton Ontario Canada only a few blocks from where I'm sitting now. In an old house, at Grant Avenue Studios owned by Bob and Daniel Lanois. Of course Daniel Lanois went on to mega stardom producing the likes of Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, U2, Neil Young ....

Sky - Don't Hold back

In 1970 my sister won this record listening to a local radio station running a contest. She didn't like it and passed it on to me. I liked it right away and still like it. I had never heard of the band and never heard another thing about them or the band members until about a decade later when I bought "Get the Knack" by The Knack. I bought that album when it came out liking the single My Sharona and recognized the name of one of the band members.

Doug Feiger was the driving force behind Sky and also of The Knack. Sky is not a lot like a Knack album but you can see some similarities especially in the track "How's That Treatin' Your Mouth Babe"

"Don't go down on a burnin' ship, you can go down on me"

My original "Promotional Copy" is well worn but I found a new sealed copy recently on Ebay. I think this would be of interest to any fan of the Knack and anyone else who enjoys light Beatle-ish early 70's rock/pop music.

Sky released a second and final LP in 1971 called "Sailor's Delight"

Doug Fieger died earlier this year (2010) of cancer at the young age of 57.

Doug Fieger Official Home Page

Bongo Fury

Two of my favourite bands in the late 70's early 80's (and today for that matter) were two local Southern Ontario bands, Goddo and Moxy. I saw both several times live, had all their albums, and knew most of what there was two know about them. That is why I was so surprised when I came across this LP a few months ago on Ebay. I was doing a search for one or other of the two, when this Bongo Fury LP came up in the search results.

I read the item description and it said that it was made by members of the two bands. Billy Wade was the drummer for Moxy and Gino Scarpelli, the guitarist for Goddo. The vocals were attributed to Bongo Fury who it turns out is Billy Wade with the other members doing backing vocals.

The record was still factory sealed and cheap so it was an easy decision to buy it. What a great decision! The album rocks with a bunch of fun songs and it sounds like they were having a great time recording them.

I asked Gino Scarpelli about the LP via Facebook ...

Hi John,
Bongo Fury was me and Billy Wade recording for fun. We wrote those songs impromptu. I'm glad you like the album. Enjoy Peace,
Gino.

The rest of the band members were Buddy Caine (guitarist also from Moxy), Terry McKeown (guitar and bass) and Paul Lachapelle (bass)

The album was recorded at Paul Lachapelle's Quest Studio in Oshawa, Ontario and released on Pure Noise Records. The band also toured under the name Pure Noise before recording as Bongo Fury in 1979. The record contained the song "Young Legs" which was a cover of the Moxy song released two years earlier on their "Ridin' High" album.

Bill Wade had also played with Gino Scarpelli in the Canadian band "Brutus" (Ooh Mama Mama)under the alias Hally Hunter. Sadly, Billy died of Cancer in July of 2001

Vehicle

Hailing from Stoney Creek Ontario Canada, (the singer lived across the street from my grandmother's house) Vehicle sadly only released this one LP. I was under age the times I saw them play at the Collins Hotel in Dundas. The album is nothing unique but with it's hard edged Styx-ish sound it is certainly a lot of fun to listen to. My personal favourite track is the hard rockin' "Da-Nite Shuffle" written about the Da-Nite Tavern a couple blocks from my house (where I also drank regularly, under age and over, growing up in Stoney Creek). They also made the best HOT wings in town. Too bad it burned down a few years ago but it is immortalized in this great song.

Da-Nite Tavern burns (YouTube)

This LP is a real gem if you can find it!

Dan McCafferty

I have been a Nazereth fan since the early seventies and have 5 or 6 of their LPs including the classic Razamanaz, but never knew the vocalist, Dan McCafferty had done a solo record. I came accross this album while rummaging around the record shelves at one of my favourite places, Krazy Bob's Record Emporium in Langley BC.

McCafferty has one of those great razor-like rock voices and I figured I could not go wrong for the 10 bucks. The notes on the cover say it is a collection of Dan's favourite songs. It is an interesting mix of songs including stuff from Neil Young, the Stones and the Platters.

The album is likley not a "must have" to many but hard core Nazereth fans, but is probably worth a listen to most 70's rock enthusiasts.