Crowbar was a Canadian rock band based in Hamilton, Ontario, best known for their 1971 hit "Oh, What a Feeling".Graham Rockingham
"Branding Hamilton as a music city"
''Hamilton Spectator'', November 9, 2016.

History

From 1969 to 1970, most of the members of the group had been a backup band for Ronnie Hawkins under the name "And Many Others". However, in early 1970, he fired them; as he later told a friend, "Those boys could fuck up a

crowbar A crowbar, also called a wrecking bar, pry bar or prybar, pinch-bar, or occasionally a prise bar or prisebar, colloquially, in Britain and Australia sometimes called a jemmy or jimmy (also called jemmy bar), gooseneck, or pig foot, is a tool ...

in fifteen seconds." They recorded their first album in 1970, called ''Official Music'', as " King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar". King Biscuit Boy left the band later in 1970 but continued to appear off and on as a guest performer. In 1971, the band recorded a performance at Massey Hall, in Toronto, which was released as a double album, ''Larger than Life (and Live'r Than You've Ever Been)''. The concert, billed as "An Evening of Love with

Daffodil Records Daffodil Records is a record label that was founded by American jazz singer Blossom Dearie in 1973. In addition to being one of the first independent labels founded by a woman, she was the label's only artist. References See also * List of rec ...

", was co-produced by concert promoter Martin Onrot and Toronto radio station CHUM-FM. Numerous guests appeared with Crowbar at Massey Hall, including members of

Lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

, Dr. Music, and Everyday People. King Biscuit Boy also returned to perform with his former bandmates. The recording and release of the album are significant as being the first time a Canadian band had recorded and released a "live in concert" album. It was also the first time that a live concert was broadcast simultaneous on CHUM-FM. Also in 1971, the band performed a concert in the Lord Beaverbrook Grand Ballroom in New Brunswick and entertained at the anniversary celebrations in Hamilton, Ontario. Due largely to Margaret Trudeau's enthusiasm for the band, Crowbar was featured as the opening act of Pierre Trudeau's 1972 re-election campaign rallies, including a notable stop at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. This association enhanced the band's reputation in Canada and garnered international interest from agencies such as A&M Records and figures such as Clive Davis. Despite this momentum, their second album did not capture the energy of their first and the band faltered. Crowbar disbanded in 1975 but was revived in 1977, without Jozef Chirowski, who had joined Alice Cooper's band. The band performed intermittently during the 1980s. More recently, Crowbar played shows around Hamilton, Ontario, including a performance at their induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.

Members

The band consisted of numerous players in various combinations over its lifetime, including: * King Biscuit Boy (Richard Newell) – vocals, harmonica, guitars *Roly Greenway – bass, vocals, percussion, guitars *Kelly Jay (Blake Fordham) (December 1, 1941 – June 21, 2019) – piano, vocals, harmonica, bass. Jay was the subject of an episode of '' Hoarding: Buried Alive'', originally aired on April 10, 2013. *John Rutter – vocals (1970) *Ed Charron – guitar (1973–1974) * Richard Bell – keyboards (1970) *Jozef Chirowski – organ, vocals, piano, flute, vibes, percussion *Larry Atamanuik – drums (1970) *Tim Nantais – bass *Sonnie Bernardi – drums, vocals *Paul Nicholls – guitars *Rheal Lanthier – guitars, vocals *John Gibbard – guitars, vocals *Sonny Del-Rio – saxophone *Ray Harrison – piano, Hammond B3 organ *John Dickie – vocals (2000) *Russell Foreman – guitars *Tim Thompson – drums (1978) *Rick Waites (aka Rock Watts) – bass *Terry Branagh – guitars

Discography

Albums

''Official Music'' (as King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar) (1970, Daffodil; 1996, Stony Plain) ;Track listing # "Highway 61" – 2:47 # "Don't Go No Further" – 3:38 # "Unseen Eye" – 2:54 # "I'm Just A Lonely Guy" – 2:29 # "Key To The Highway" – 3:15 # "Corrina, Corrina" – 4:18 # "Biscuit's Boogie" – 9:26 # "Hoy Hoy Hoy" – 5:20 # "Badly Bent" – 2:05 # "Cookin' Little Baby" – 2:25 # "Shout Bama Lama" – 2:25 Personnel * King Biscuit Boy – vocals,

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, acoustic (1) and

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(4) guitars * John "Greyhound" Gibbard – electric and slide guitars * Rheal "Ray" Lanthier – electric guitars * Kelly J. – piano, percussion * Roly Greenway –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* Larry Atamanuik –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

* John R. – percussion ''Bad Manors'' (1970, Daffodil SBA-16004) ;Track listing # "Frenchman's Filler #1" – 1:13 # "Too True Mama" – 2:52 # "Let The Four Winds Blow" – 2:20 # "

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" – 2:44 # " Train Keep Rollin'" – 2:49 # " Baby Let's Play House" – 3:02 # "Oh What A Feeling" – 4:18 # "Frenchman's Filler #2" – 0:32 # "Frenchman's Filler #3" – 0:35 # "Murder In The First Degree" – 5:10 # "In The Dancing Hold" – 3:48 # "Mountain Fire" – 3:56 # "Prince Of Peace" – 4:07 # "Frenchman's Filler #1" – 0:45 ;Personnel * John "The Ghetto" Gibbard – lead and

guitars, vocals * Rheal Lanthier – lead guitar, vocals * Jozef Chirowski –

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, vocals, piano * Kelly Jay – piano, vocals * Roly Greenway –

, vocals, percussion * Sonnie Bernardi –

, vocals, percussion ''Larger than Life (and Live'r than You've Ever Been)'' (1971, Daffodil 2-SBA-16007), recorded in concert at Massey Hall, Toronto ;Track listing # "Introduction" – 0:33 # "Prince Of Peace" – 3:37 # "Murder In The First Degree" – 3:36 # "Newspaper Song" – 2:36 # "Corinna Corinna" – 4:40 # "Fly Away" – 3:41 # "Tits Up On The Pavement" – 7:47 # "Mummy And Daddy" – 1:39 # "Ask Me No Questions" – 5:46 # "Over The Mountain" – 5:18 # "Cane On The Brazos" – 5:15 # "Rock Around The Clock / Shake, Rattle And Roll" – 2:05 # "In The Dancing Hold" – 3:45 # "Oh What A Feeling" – 8:50 ;Personnel * John "Ghetto" Gibbard – electric guitar, vocals * Rheal Lanthier – electric guitar, vocals * Josef Chirowski –

, vocals, piano,

* Kelly Jay – piano, vocals, harmonica,

* Roland "Roly" Greenway – bass, vocals,

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

* Sonnie Bernardi –

, vocals, percussion ''Heavy Duty'' (1972, Daffodil SBA-16013) ;Track listing ;Side one # "Trilby" – (Kelly Jay) – 2:41 # "Listen Sister (A Mutual Liberation Ballad)" – (Kelly Jay) – 2:07 # " Hey Baby" – ( Bruce Channel) – 2:55 # "Dreams" – (Josef Chirowski, John Gibbard) – 2:49 # "Where Were You" – (Kelly Jay) – 3:56 ;Side two #

"Dead Head Out Of St. John's" – (Kelly Jay) – 3:45 # "The Beaver And The Eagle" – (Kelly Jay) – 3:07 # "Cluckie's Escape" – (Roly Greenway) – 3:10 # "Snakes And Ladders" – (Kelly Jay) – 2:50 # "Lay One Down" – (Roly Greenway, LOVE) 4:28 ;Personnel * Rheal Lantier – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals * John Gibbard – lead, rhythm and

guitars, backing vocals * Kelly Jay – piano, lead and backing vocals * Josef Chirowski –

, lead and backing vocals, piano,

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

vibes Vibes may refer to: * Vibes (percussion) or vibraphone, a musical instrument * Vibes (company) a mobile marketing company * The aura or energy given off by someone Media * ''Vibes'' (film), a 1988 comedy * ''Vibes'' (video game), a 2010 video ...

* Roly Greenway –

, lead and backing vocals, cowbell, tambourine * Sonnie Bernardi –

, backing vocals, percussion ''KE32746'' (1973, Epic KE-32746) ;Track listing ;Side one # "Million Dollar Weekend" – 3:04 # "Something Happened Yesterday" – 4:20 # "Trumpet Rose" – 3:25 # "All The Living Things" – 3:11 # "Go For The Throat" – 4:42 ;Side two #

"Kilroy" – 2:23 # "Rocky Mountain Tragedy" – 5:52 # "The Killing Time Trilogy" – 7:06 ## "Killing Time ## "It Really Doesn't Matter ## "Hard On You ## "Killing Time – Reprise # "Nothing Lasts Forever" – 3:27 ''Crowbar Classics: Memories Are Made of This'' (1975, Daffodil SBA-16030)

Singles

*1970 "Corrina, Corrina" (Daffodil) (as King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar), #29 CAN *1970 "Uncle Pen" / "Roberta" (London 17385) *1971 "Oh What a Feeling" (Daffodil), #10 CAN *1971 "Happy People" (Daffodil) *1972 "Too True Mama" (Daffodil), #60 CAN *1972 "Dreams" (Daffodil) *1972 "Fly Away" (Daffodil), #48 CAN *1972 "Hey Baby" (Daffodil), #59 CAN *1973 "Million Dollar Weekend" (Epic), #22 CAN *1974 "All the Living Things" (Epic), #81 CAN *1977 "Run, Run Rudolph" (Puck)

References

External links

Entry at Canadian Pop Encyclopedia

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowbar Musical groups established in 1970 Musical groups disestablished in 1975 Canadian rock music groups Musical groups from Hamilton, Ontario 1970 establishments in Ontario 1975 disestablishments in Ontario