The Regents (Canadian Group)
The Regents were a Canadian group formed in 1959. They started out as a club band and then reformed as a recording band. They had a Top 20 hit with "Me and You". Background The formation of the group came about as a result of Steve Kennedy talking to Peter Groschel in the late 1950s. Kennedy was working for Bache and Co., where part of his job involved answering phone calls from Peter Groschel who worked in the stock brokerage business. Groshel would call Kennedy at Bache and Co. when there were international buy-and-sell orders. During the course of talking to each other over a period of time, and discovering Kennedy played saxophone, a band was formed, and Kennedy came in. The line up consisted of Brian Massey on bass, Tommy Goodings on guitar, Kennedy on saxophone and Groschel on drums. Sometime later singer Kay Taylor came in to front the band. At some stage, they were invited by a man called Al Steiner for their group, now called The Regents to be the house band for the Blue ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Quality Records
Quality Records was a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels. They also released recordings by Canadian artists. The company operated between 1950 and 1985 with offices in Toronto. The company also ran from 1990 to 1998 as "Quality Special Products" with Offices both in Canada and the United States. History In the 1950s and 1960s it was commonplace for American labels without Canadian branches to lease their recordings out to Canadian-based labels that would release the songs on their behalf north of the border. Quality was one of the largest and most visible of these companies; aside from the Quality brand itself, several other sister labels such as Reo were employed for this purpose. US labels distributed via Quality included Essex Records, Chess Records and Sun Records. As a result, it was through Quality that Canadian audiences first heard the music of Bill Haley and His Comets, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, J ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald Cornett Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022) was an American singer-songwriter, long based in Canada, whose career spanned more than half a century. His career began in Arkansas, United States, where he was born and raised. He found success in Ontario, Canada, and lived there for most of his life. He was highly influential in the establishment and evolution of rock music in Canada. Also known as "Rompin' Ronnie", "Mr. Dynamo" or "The Hawk", he was one of the key players in the 1960s rock scene in Toronto. He performed all across North America and recorded more than 25 albums. His hit songs include covers of Chuck Berry's "Thirty Days" (retitled "Forty Days") and Young Jessie's "Mary Lou", a song about a gold digger. Other well-known recordings are a cover of Bo Diddley's " Who Do You Love?" (without the question mark), "Hey! Bo Diddley", and " Susie Q", which was written by his cousin, rockabilly artist Dale Hawkins. Hawkins was a talent scout and mentor of th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Tapestry (musical Group)
Tapestry was an early 1970s Canadian musical group fronted by singers Jack Winters, Heather Woodburn and Judy Harmon aka Judi Jensen. They released several singles and had a hit with "The Music Doesn't Seem to Be Going Anywhere". Some of their other singles also charted. Background In 1972, the group was made up of Jack Winters (group leader) from Montreal, Heather Woodburn of Montreal and Judi Jensen from Toronto. During the 1960s, Jensen was a singer in the Canadian band, The Regents. At some stage they were joined by Barry Albert from the band Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ... who was dissatisfied with the way things were progressing. Career The group's first single was released in October 1971. It was "Love Me Brother" bw "Coming Into Los Angeles", releas ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of "Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After changing their name to The Guess Who, they found their greatest success in the late 60s and early 70s, under the leadership of singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, with hit songs including "American Woman", "These Eyes", " No Time" and many others. During their most successful period, The Guess Who released eleven studio albums, all of which reached the charts in Canada and the United States. They may be best known for their 1970 album ''American Woman'', which reached no. 1 in Canada and no. 9 in the United States, while five other albums reached the top ten in Canada. The Guess Who charted fourteen Top 40 singles in the United States and more than thirty in Canada. The Guess Who officially broke up in 1975, t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Red Bird Records
Red Bird Records was a record label founded by American pop music songwriters Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and George Goldner in 1964. Though often thought of as a "girl-group" label, female-led acts made up only 40% of the artist roster on Red Bird and its associated labels (including Blue Cat Records, Tiger and Daisy). However, female-led acts also accounted for more than 90% of the label's charting records. The label's first release was "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups, which quickly reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, a feat matched later that year by the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack". Eleven of the first 30 singles released by Red Bird reached the Top Forty. History After closing Spark Records (in 1955) and working for Atlantic (1955–1961) then United Artists (1961–1963) and starting Red Bird, Leiber and Stoller brought in George Goldner, a veteran record promoter and former owner of Gee Records, Gone Records and Rama Records. They used the skill ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Dianne Brooks
Gwendolyn Dianne Brooks (January 3, 1939 – April 29, 2005), was a soul, r&b and jazz singer from New Jersey. With the Three Playmates, Brooks recorded several songs in 1957. She moved to Toronto shortly thereafter. Her part in Canadian soul music history began when the group Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and the Soul Searchers was formed. As a solo singer, she recorded two albums and several singles of her own. Her biggest solo hit was " Walkin' on My Mind" in 1969. She was also a prolific session singer. As a vocalist, she provided backing vocals on albums by a multitude of artists that include Anne Murray, Gino Vannelli and Richie Havens. She was also a song-writer. Background Brooks was born in New Jersey and grew up there singing gospel music. Things started for her at three years of age when she was singing in her New Jersey church. Taking note of Dianne's talent, her mother eventually sent her to New York City to study voice. Brooks was a teenager when she joined the group, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Doug Riley
Douglas Brian Riley, CM (April 12, 1945 – August 27, 2007) was a Canadian musician, also known as Dr. Music. He spent two decades with the Famous People Players as its musical director, besides his participation on over 300 album projects in various genres. Riley died of a heart attack on August 27, 2007. Biography Riley was a graduate of the University of Toronto and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Doug Riley was born and raised in Toronto. At the age of two he was diagnosed with polio. When he was three, as a way to help cope with his physical disability and to provide him with a means of self-expression, he began to study piano. In his teens, he played with R&B band the Silhouettes. He attended the University of Toronto and, in 1965, graduated with a Bachelor of Music. He went on to do his postgraduate work on the music of the Iroquois. In 1969, Riley was the arranger and keyboardist on Ray Charles' album, ''Doing His Thing''. In a 2006 interview wit ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
The Silhouettes (Canadian Group)
Douglas Brian Riley, CM (April 12, 1945 – August 27, 2007) was a Canadian musician, also known as Dr. Music. He spent two decades with the Famous People Players as its musical director, besides his participation on over 300 album projects in various genres. Riley died of a heart attack on August 27, 2007. Biography Riley was a graduate of the University of Toronto and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Doug Riley was born and raised in Toronto. At the age of two he was diagnosed with polio. When he was three, as a way to help cope with his physical disability and to provide him with a means of self-expression, he began to study piano. In his teens, he played with R&B band the Silhouettes. He attended the University of Toronto and, in 1965, graduated with a Bachelor of Music. He went on to do his postgraduate work on the music of the Iroquois. In 1969, Riley was the arranger and keyboardist on Ray Charles' album, ''Doing His Thing''. In a 2006 interview wit ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Helm was known for his deeply soulful, country-accented voice, multi-instrumental ability, and creative drumming style, highlighted on many of the Band's recordings, such as "The Weight", " Up on Cripple Creek", and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". Helm also had a successful career as a film actor, appearing as Loretta Lynn's father in '' Coal Miner's Daughter'' (1980), as Chuck Yeager's friend and colleague Captain Jack Ridley in '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), as a Tennessee firearms expert in ''Shooter'' (2007), and as General John Bell Hood in '' In the Electric Mist'' (2009). In 1998, Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer which caused him to lose his singing voice. After treatment, his cancer eventually went into remission, and h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Robbie Robertson
Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson, OC (born July 5, 1943), is a Canadian musician. He is best known for his work as lead guitarist and songwriter for the Band, and for his career as a solo recording artist. With the deaths of Richard Manuel in 1986, Rick Danko in 1999, and Levon Helm in 2012, Robertson is one of only two living original members of the Band, with the other being Garth Hudson. Robertson's work with the Band was instrumental in creating the Americana music genre. Robertson has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as a member of the Band, and has been inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame, both with the Band and on his own. He is ranked 59th in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists. As a songwriter, Robertson is credited for writing "The Weight", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", " Up on Cripple Creek" with the Band, and had solo hits with " Broken Arrow" and "Somewhere Down the Crazy Rive ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
David Clayton Thomas
David Clayton-Thomas (born David Henry Thomsett, 13 September 1941) is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the American band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Clayton-Thomas has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and in 2007 his jazz/rock composition "Spinning Wheel" was enshrined in the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In 2010, Clayton-Thomas received his star on Canada's Walk of Fame. Clayton-Thomas began his music career in the early 1960s, working the clubs on Toronto's Yonge Street, where he discovered his love of singing and playing the blues. Before moving to New York City in 1967, Clayton-Thomas fronted a couple of local bands, first The Shays and then The Bossmen, one of the earliest rock bands with significant jazz influences. But the real success came only a few difficult years later when he joined Blood, Sweat & Tears. Early life Clayton-Thomas was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Steve Kennedy (musician)
Steve Kennedy is a Canadian based musician who co-wrote the hit song " When I Die" which was a hit for Motherlode in 1969. He is also notable for being a member of prominiant historical Canadian groups such as The Soul Searchers, Dr. Music, Lighthouse, and Grant Smith & The Power. He was also a member of Blood, Sweat And Tears. Background Kennedy and Diane Brooks had been part of The Silhouettes who were a well established r&b group on the Toronto music scene. This group had actually backed Eric Mercury on his single, "I Wondered Why" / "Softly", which was released on the Clip label, catalogue no. 1122 in 1966. That year Kennedy left the group to form the instrumental core of The Soul Searchers with William Smith, guitarist Terry Logan, and drummer Eric "Mouse" Johnson, backing Eric Mercury and Diane Brooks. After some time Kennedy left The Soul Searchers and was replaced by saxophonist Glen McDonnell. When The Soul Searchers finally broke up, William Smith followed Kennedy ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |