The Collectors was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band active in the 1960s.

History

The Collectors debuted in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, in 1961 as a house band (the C-FUN Classics) for CFUN radio, and renamed itself The Collectors in 1966. The band featured Howie Vickers (Howard Vickberg) on lead vocals, Bill Henderson on lead guitar, recorder, keyboards, and lead vocals (these last mostly on Grass and Wild Strawberries),

Claire Lawrence Claire Lawrence (born 1939) is a Canadian musician who was a founding member of the Canadian band The Collectors, and remained with the group when it transitioned to Chilliwack in 1970. He performed on keyboards, flute, saxophone, and piano. ...

on tenor saxophone, harmonica, keyboards, flute, organ, recorder, and vocals, Glenn Miller on bass and vocals, and Ross Turney on drums and percussion. The Collectors' biggest hit was their first single, 'Looking at a Baby', released in March 1967 on the Valiant label in the U.S. and on New Syndrome in Canada. It reached #4 on Toronto's CHUM-AM on April 24, 1967. Valiant was then acquired by

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

. In 1967 the group released its first album. ''The Collectors'', on the

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc. was a short-lived American entertainment company active from 1967 until 1969. History Seven Arts Productions acquired Jack L. Warner's controlling interest in Warner Bros. Pictures for $32 million in November 19 ...

label and appeared on sessions for the US group

The Electric Prunes The Electric Prunes are an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. Much of the band's music was, as music historian Richie Unterberger described it, possessed of "an eerie and sometimes anguished ambiance." T ...

' album ''

Mass in F Minor ''Mass in F Minor'' is the third studio album by American rock band The Electric Prunes, released in 1968. It consists of a musical setting of the mass sung in Latin and Greek and arranged in the psychedelic style of the band, and was written ...

''. In the fall of 1968 they released ''Grass and Wild Strawberries.'' The lyrics of this album were written by Canadian poet and playwright

George Ryga George Ryga (27 July 1932 – 18 November 1987) was a Canadian playwright, actor and novelist. His writings explored the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada, among other themes. His most famous work is ''The Ecstasy of Rita Joe''. E ...

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe ''The Ecstasy of Rita Joe'' is a drama by George Ryga. The play, in two acts, premiered at the Vancouver Playhouse, November 23, 1967. It was directed by George Bloomfield. The play has an important place in the history of modern Canadian theat ...

") complemented by the music of The Collectors. Between 1968 and 1969 the group composed soundtracks to three Canadian films: "Don't Let The Angels Fall," (1968) "Canada The Land," (1969) and "The Land" (1969). The Collectors also appeared on the CBC national television program ''Let's Go''. Howie Vickers left the group in 1969, and the remaining members of the band reconstituted themselves as

Chilliwack Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdoor ...

, with Bill Henderson taking over lead vocals. or

Discography

* 1967 ''Looking At A Baby'' (Vickberg-Henderson) A-side; ''Old Man'' (Vickberg-Lawrence-Henderson) B-side; 45 RPM single * 1968 '' The Collectors'' * 1969 ''

Grass and Wild Strawberries ''Grass and Wild Strawberries'', released in 1969, is an album by the Canadian rock band The Collectors. The songs were written as part of prominent Canadian playwright George Ryga's stage play ''Grass and Wild Strawberries''. The distinctly l ...

'' * 1970 ''I Must Have Been Blind'' A-side; ''The Beginning'' B-side; 45 RPM single release (never compiled on an album)

Singles

References

External links

Archive website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Collectors, The Musical groups established in 1961 Musical groups disestablished in 1969 Musical groups from Vancouver Canadian psychedelic rock music groups 1961 establishments in British Columbia 1969 disestablishments in British Columbia