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Band: Jef Kearns Four
Year: 2005
Genre: Jazz Covers
Home: Chatham
Members:
Jef Kearns – Wood wind
Andy Tattersall – Guitar
Bob Hiltz – Bass
Scott Meriano – Drums
Sarah Hiltz – Vocals
Notes: The band can be found playing the Metro Lounge (Chatham) every Thursday. The band includes highly skilled individual players who have come together to perform Jazz music.
Visit Jef online here.
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Band: Self Cynic
Release: Self Cynic
Year: 2008
Home: Chatham-Kent (Tilbury)
Resides: Montreal
Formed: 2006
Chatham Connection: Mainman Matt Antaya is from Chatham-Kent.
Notes: Ask founding member Matt Antaya about his alt-rock band Self Cynic and his answer may surprise you. Songwriter and lead singer, Antaya, conceived his project as perhaps the opposite of a band. Self Cynic is an evolving experiment whose rotating lineup aims to demonstrate that a collection of songs will communicate their character despite varying musicians and arrangements.
Matt began writing music at age 12, then went on to University (Waterloo) and spent allot of time working in studios, eventually making his way to Montreal.
Tracks:
01. Goodbye
02. The Next Room
03. Misbehave
04. In My Head
05. Mona Lisa
06. Stone Throw
07. All Around
08. Never Change
09. Try It Again
10. Evil Freedom
11. Already Gone
12. Left Behind 04:19
Visit them online here or here.
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Band: The History of Revolution
Genre: Rock
Home: Chatham Ontario
Members:
Matt Sullivan – Vocals/guitars
Myles Homeniuk – Bass
Matt Raitt – Drums
The band has been busy writing music. They released a bunch of tracks online including Careless, Deify, A witness to misery, The center of a star, The rain, & Another bloody sacrifice.
Notes: The History of Revolution seeks to provide a sound unlike any other local band from the area. Stemming from a range of musical influences, the sound is reminiscent of Pink Floyd meets moderate rock for an easy groove, and a hard lesson in the school of Rock.
Matt S’s previous band was ‘White Lights Over London’.
Visit them online here and here.
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Artist: Brooke Nicholls
Release: Brooke Nicholls
Year: 2010
Genre: Pop, Piano
Home: Chatham-Kent
Resides: Toronto
Brooke is a Singer/ Song Writer and Performer from Chatham Ontario.She xxploded onto the scene with a televised, international performance at York University’s 3,500 seat stadium, a national tour with one of Canada’s most successful recording groups, “Blue Rodeo“, and shared the stage with “Q” from Grammy winning recording artists “112”. This is only an introduction to her superb talent and drive.
Songs
01 Pull Me Closer
02 Baby Come Close
03 You ‘ N I
04 Midnight Flowers
05 Follow Me
06 If Wishing Was Forever Ft. Jhevon Paris
07 Tonight
Visit Brook online at http://www.brookenichollsmusic.com
Buy or preview the CD online at www.cdbaby.com/cd/brookenicholls
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Band: Colours
Album: Love Heals: The Complete Recordings
Year: 2008
Genre: Rock
Home: California
Label: Now Sounds
Chatham-Kent Connection: Jack Dalton (Guitarist/song writer) was raised in Erieau, moved around the U.S.A. and now resides in Detroit.
The Dalton family is well known in Erieau, as Mr. Dalton was known for years as Detroit’s Irish Tenor. The whole family are very musical and have entertained there neighbours with playing, singing and dancing. Jack was a member of the Dalton Boys, with his brothers Wally & Dan. The trio was booked to open Randy Sparks’ new club, Ledbetter’s, in October of 1963.
Brother Dan Dalton also had a great time in the music scene as a member of the Back Porch Majority, playing banjo and 12-string guitar.
Discography
1968 – Self Titled
1969 – Atmosphere
2008 – Love Heals: The Complete Recordings
Colours launched onto the scene in 1968 with a stunningly glorious psychedelic masterpiece of L.A studio wizardry. A super group before the name was coined, Colours was the brainchild of Gary Montgomery & Jack Dalton, two hard-working, former Motown songwriters who also penned songs for The Turtles, Nino & April and The Moon. This magical mystery tour-de-force of psychedelic Beatlesque pop also features the talents of Derek & The Dominos bassist Carl Radle.
This first-ever CD issue of their long-out-of-print albums (Colours and Atmosphere) is supplemented by long-lost 67 Dalton & Montgomery recordings cut just months before they formed Colours. 1969’s Atmosphere features former Beach Boy David Marks around the same time he was a member of The Moon another band with many connections to Colours.
The 16-page colour booklet also includes rare, unpublished photos and comprehensive liner notes that feature the participation of original band members. Now Sounds, the new imprint from Cherry Red, was established by Steve Stanley, producer of over 50 Rev – Ola titles.
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Notes: Colours also had members from Derek & The Dominos and The Beach Boys in the band. Signed to Dot on the basis of their sitar-and-bagpipe-hued novelty 45, Brother Lou’s Love Colony. Cooked up, at times, under the all too discernable influence of the Fab Four, Colours is unashamedly Pepper-esque in its use of lavish arrangements recorded in no-expense- spared fashion with the 36-piece LA Philharmonic. By contrast, Atmosphere is a darker, less generic and more subdued recording. Love Heals also includes Dalton & Montgomery’s White Whale 45 and three previously unreleased demos which pre-date Colours’ mid-1967 formation. (Source)
Bonus Tracks:
Bonus Tracks (Dalton & Montgomery)
Tomorrow’s Women
All At Once
Right Or Wrong
She Just Wanted Kisses
She’ll Be The One
Buy the CD online here or here.
Visit Jack Dalton online here.
Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Band: Colours
Album: Atmosphere
Year: 1969
Genre: 69 PSYCHEDELIC ROCK
Label: Dot Records
Record No.: DLP-25935
Chatham-Kent Connection: Jack Dalton was raised in Erieau. Jack Dalton started playing music with his four brothers, The Dalton Brothers, when he was six years old. They performed the “banquet circuit” with their father, Walter Dalton (aka Michigan’s Irish Tenor), who also had his own radio show. “The Colours” were a West-Coast Psychedelic Pop act that came together in 1967 at the request of songwriters, “Jack Dalton” and “Gary Montgomery”, two hard-working, former Motown Records songwriters who also penned songs for “The Turtles”, “Nino & April” and “The Moon”. Jack now resides in Detroit.
Band
Jack Dalton – Guitar
Gary Montgomery – Vocals, Piano
Rob Edwards – Lead Guitar
Carl Radle – Bass
Chuck Blackwell – Drums
ALBUM TRACKS
All songsby Jack Dalton & Gary Montgomery
1. Angie
2. God Please Take My Life
3. When Will You Be Coming Home ?
4. I Tried To Make You Love Me Last Night
5. Grey Day
6. Smilin’ In Tronto
7. Hyannis Port Soul (Lost You To The Wind)
8. Run Away From Here
9. It’s Time To Tell You
10. Announcement
11. I’ll Be Your Friend
12. You’re High
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Band: The Colours
Release: The Colours
Year: 1968
Chatham-Kent Connection: Jack Dalton was raised in Erieau. Jack Dalton started playing music with his four brothers, The Dalton Brothers, when he was six years old. They performed the “banquet circuit” with their father, Walter Dalton (aka Michigan’s Irish Tenor), who also had his own radio show. “The Colours” were a West-Coast Psychedelic Pop act that came together in 1967 at the request of songwriters, “Jack Dalton” and “Gary Montgomery”, two hard-working, former Motown Records songwriters who also penned songs for “The Turtles”, “Nino & April” and “The Moon”.
Jack’s Background: When Jack was 17 years old, he and two of his brothers, Wally and Dan, formed a folk group called The Dalton Boys, which became successful performing at concerts and playing nightclubs such as Philadelphia’s Latin Quarter, New Orleans’ Playboy Club, and New York’s Bitter End. They were the first group to record ”San Francisco Bay Blues” on Decca Records. The Dalton Boys soon appeared on several national TV shows such as ABC’s Hootenanny, The Mike Douglas Show, and Mike Wallace’s PM East.??
After The Dalton Boys retired, Jack collaborated with a new writing partner, Gary Montgomery, and they signed with Motown Records, recording original songs, continuing with the name The Dalton Boys. Jack and Gary moved to the West Coast and became staff writers for White Whale Records, Robbins Fiest and Miller, and wrote for The Turtles, The Outsiders, Spiral Starecase, and April and Nino.
Jack and Gary then formed a rock group, Colours, and had radio airplay with a single called “Love Heals” b/w Bad Day at Blackrock Baby on Dot Records. After the group disbanded, Jack returned to Detroit and started a jingle company with Jeff Parsons. The Road Company quickly became the largest jingle company in Detroit, with Jack writing, arranging, playing, and singing on most of the commercials.
In 1980 Jack returned to his ”first love,” performing. He joined Doug Jacobs’ Red Garter Band and played 250 one-nighters annually. Jack continues to make his living in Detroit, singing and playing guitar ?and banjo in Detroit-based bands as well as being booked by Detroit agents as a solo performance act.
Click video below to preview album.
If video does not appear, watch it here.
Visit Jack Dalton online here.
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Band: Lesser Known
Release: Bring an Open Mind
Year: 1994
Genre: Metal
Home: Tilbury Ontario
Format: CD Demo
Members:
Mike Davidson (Spaz) – Vocals
Cory Chauvin – Guitars
J.P. Caza – Guitar
Roger Beaudry – Bass
Paul Turgeon – Drums
Notes: Lesser Known was heading into the direction of Metal with strong hints of rap induced play. All bands could learn a thing or two about presentation from them. They were probably the best run indie band in Canada. Do It Yourself motto in full swing with great posters, band fanzines, website and studio blogs, posters, merch, media, great production, you name it. They had all that perfected 10 years before anyone else could spell check their own bio.
Back in the day, Spaz was a leading force with his emotional stage presence, sucking you in to the secret circle that was the Lesser Known Zone. He had mastered this with his previous band D.N.A. which also included some members from the current band.
Tracks:
01. Prestus Recordus
02. Weak Like You
03. Wa Zup
04. My Time
05. Come… In With The Dead
06. Sweat On Command
07. Freestyle Dis
08. Shattered Fantasy
09. Looking In My Brain
10. Getting Into It
11. Bring An Open Mind
Produced by Ron Skinner & Lesser Known
Click video below to hear samples from this demo.
If video does not appear, watch it here.
Group: The Back Porch Majority
Release: Meet the Back Porch Majority
Year: 1965
Format: LP
Genre: Folk
Record Label: Epic
Chatham-Kent Connection: Dan Dalton is from Erieau. He performed with his brothers in a group before this band. He later became a record producer and eventually ran his own production company (Dan Dalton Productions) His first crack at writing, pitching and performing in a commercial (It was for Mazda) won him a top industry award. S.Beaulieu
While attending the University of Hawaii, Dan Dalton became a professional musician as a member of a trio called the Dalton Boys, with his brothers Wally and Jack. The trio was booked to open Randy Sparks’ new club, Ledbetter’s, in October of 1963, and when his brothers were drafted and the act broke up, Dalton joined the Back Porch Majority, playing banjo and 12-string guitar. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Tracks:
1 Friends, 2 Silver Dollar, 3 Billy, Don’t Play the Banjo, 4 Long Time Ago, 5 Julianne, 6 Ladies Auxiliary Barn Dance Saturday Night, 7 Cotton Bale Levee, 8 Lewis and Clark County Fair, 9 The Far Side of the Hill, 10 Whistle, Maggie, 11 Hand-Me-Down Things, 12 Ol’ Dan Tucker
Performers:
Dan Dalton, Kin Vassy, Karen Brian, Michael Crowley, Lois Fletcher, Ellen Whalen, Michael Clough
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Duo: Zeus ‘N’ Apollo
Release: Sky Music (CD)
Year: 1997
Genre: Spoken Word
Home: Wallaceburg Ontario
Members:
Rick Neufeld
Jon-Erik Kroon
Liner Notes:
A long time ago….
In a studio far, far away, the musical talents of Rick Neufeld and the visual eye candy of Jon-Erik Kroon wove together… thus Zeus ‘N’ Apollo were born.
The catalyst for this album was to bring Visual Art and spoken words from an artist’s journal into a multi-talented musician’s studio, to experiment with the idea of concept music. The result of this recording proved to be “eye opening” in the sense that you, the listener, now becomes ‘THE ARTIST’ within your imagination.
Tracks:
Visual Revelation, What a Weird Trip, Sky Music, New World order, House of Species, Temple TV.
Credits:
Recorded on digital 8 track.
Engineered by: Rick Neufeld
Artwork by: Jon-Erik Kroon
Photo Credits: Cairenn Russelo
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Click pic to enlarge
Group: The Back Porch Majority
Release: The best of
Genre: Folk
Year: 2001
Chatham-Kent Connection: Dan Dalton is from Erieau.
Notes: The Back Porch Majority was one of several large folk music ensembles that were popular during the first half of the 1960’s. Along with the Serendipity Singers, they were considered rivals and imitators of the New Christy Minstrels, but they had a closer relationship to the latter group than any of their rivals, as they were founded by the same man, (Randy Sparks). The Back Porch Majority did better than Sparks could have hoped for, despite the fact that they entered the field of “big band” folk music somewhat late — they were chosen to entertain at the White House in 1965, and were signed by Columbia Records to the latter company’s Epic label, where they ultimately released five LPs, including a live album recorded at Sparks’ club, Ledbetters. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Songs:
Walk the Road, Friends, Long Time Ago, Cotton Bale Levee, Hand Me Down Things, Ladies Auxiliary Barn Dance (Dan Dalton), The Far Side of the Hill, Hey Nelly Nelly, Riverboat Days, The Banks of the Tennessee, Same Ol’ Huckleberry Film, Kentucky Lullaby, A Song of Hope, That’s the Way It’s Gonna Be, Black Tattered Rags, Let’s Get Together (Dino’s Song), The Road, Freedom Bird, The Bells, Honey and Wine, Brother John, Camp Street Hooligans, In the Ocean of Time, Slippery Sal and Dirty Dan, Second Hand Man (Dan Dalton), Once Again.
Click on the video below to preview the music.
If video does not appear, watch it here.
View their discography online here.
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Band: Tomorrows Horizon
Year: 2010
Genre: Adult Contemporary, Alt Rock
Home: Chatham Ontario
Reside: Guelph
Members:
Nate Moore – Vocals/Guitar
Mabin Maroney – Guitar/Violin/Piano/Bass
Kevin Horak – Percussion
Music: Released 3 songs over the internet. Shine, Don’t leave tonight, and Hard to imagine a place like this.
Bio:
Tomorrows Horizon has a unique sound, consisting of a mix of soft Acoustic, Rock and Alternative. Rhythm Guitarist and vocalist Nate Moore is currently majoring in Human Kinetics, B.Sc. at the University of Guelph. At the age of 10, when the wooden board with elastics attached by nails wasn’t quite cutting it anymore, Nate was given his first guitar. His guitar and vocal style have been compared to The Spill Canvas and Dallas Green. Mabin Maroney is currently majoring in Music at the University of Western Ontario. Mabin has been obsessed with music since out of the womb. Since starting with piano at age 3, he has moved on to attain skills in saxophone, guitar, violin, and bass guitar. To list his many individual styles would exceed the limits of this page. Kevin Horak is currently working at becoming an Electrician at Fanshawe College. His love for music, especially from the 70’s and 80’s, has given him a unique sound. The Jembe has proved to provide a much nicer sound then the plastic bowls that preceded it. His Reggae style gives another dimension to Tomorrows Horizon distinctive sound.
Visit them online here.
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Place: Chatham Hotel
Location: Fifth Street, Chatham Ontario
Opened: January 13, 1934
The Chatham Hotel was built shortly after the Famous William Pitt Hotel.
The Turf Room opens January 7th 1964. The room was host to bands from home and afar for many, many years.
Photo: 1935 (From Union Gas Archives)
Photo can also be found in the Public Library in the following book:
Images of Canada Chatham, by Jim and Lisa Gilbert.
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click pic to enlarge it
Band: Gibraltor
Year: 1977
Home: Chatham Ontario
Former Band Name: Friends
Around late 1977, The band “Friends” would change their name to Gibraltor. The band played under the new name through late 1977-79.
The above picture is from an add in the paper for the band playing at the Chatham Hotel.
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Downtown King Street
Venue: Smoke House
Type: Live music on weekends.
City: Chatham Ontario
Location: 216 King Street West. (Downtown)
Phone: 519-352-8882
Musical acts that you will find at the Smoke House are:
Superfly, Tim Tyler Duo, Bluetonium, Bill Durst , Ray Whaling Duo, Chris Murphy, Sam Hurrie Duo, That Whaling Band, Tom Lockwood Band, Da Blooze Bros, Carole Allison Trio, Electric Soul, Chuck Fitzgerald, etc.
This venue closed in early 2011.
Visit the Smoke House website here.
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Click pic to enlarge
Band: Grant Smith and The Power
Year: 1965
Genre: Country-rock act
Home: Chatham/London based
Members:
Eddy Larsen (Ole) – Vocals, lead guitar
John Larsen – Bass
Freddy Larsen – Organ
Waide Holland – Keyboards
Grant Smith – Drums (London Ontario)
Note: They were a great rowdy party band that dressed up as hillbillies and kept the crowds hollering to their crazy on stage antics. They were a weekend band while the members worked day jobs. Waide was the young one finishing his last year of high school. The Larsen brothers decided to quit their day jobs and pursue music full time and change their band name a few times before settling as The Missing Links.
The Missing Links were together for 11 years and spent a good 4-5 years playing in Toronto without ever having to leave there. They were a hot band and were very well in demand.
Grant Smith was the drummer for ‘Zeke’ the first couple of years. Grant went on to form the popular Toronto rock-soul outfit “Grant Smith and the Power” that had a hit with a cover of Jackie Edwards’ “Keep On Running” (previously a big hit for The Spencer Davis Group). Grant Smith & The Power opened for The Hollies and Spanky & Our Gang at Toronto’s O’Keefe Centre on March 17, 1968. The following month, the band headed off for another US trip, supporting the likes of Janis Joplin, Traffic and Rare Earth.
Here is a little something from a 2009 interview with Drummer Grant Smith about Zeke and the Moonshiners/ The Missing Links by Lisa Mcdonald.
The band consisted of three brothers from Denmark. Their father was a professional musician but decided to move the family here to become beet farmers. But once the boys started playing in a band on weekends, they decided playing music was far more lucrative than being beet farmers. Their father went back to Denmark and the boys went on the road. We were called Zeke and the Moonshiners. They were really good musicians but after about a month or so, I convinced them to drop the comedy and change our name to The Missing Links. We covered material by Roy Orbison and Frank Highfield. We were a good rock and roll band made better by traveling to Todd’s Men’s Wear in Detroit and buying suits.
Did the band just tour Canada or did you cross borders?
It was just Ontario and Quebec then, but, (and George Olliver will disagree with this), we became the first white act recorded by Chess Records in Chicago. We got a van and began working for an agent. Agents had a circuit and if you worked with an agent, you worked all his clubs. There were shitty clubs, mediocre clubs and really nice clubs. I wanted to chase the money, so we had to travel a lot to play the really nice clubs. We’d travel from Northern Quebec to Thunder Bay and from Thunder Bay to Belleville and Belleville to Montreal and Montreal to Windsor. It was 1964 and we made more money in one week than my father did in an entire month. It was great!
Interview Source: http://fyimusic.ca/opinion/part-3-grant-smith-with-lisa-mcdonald
Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Click pic to enlarge
Band: Refugee
Year: Circa 1970-71
Home: Chatham
Members
Top Row
Charlie Dawson
Randy Coyle – Drums
Bottom Row
Raymond Violot – Vocals, flute
Don Martin – Bass
The guys were too young to play the club scene since they were school aged themselves. They did play allot of High School dances, and this was common in Chatham in the late 1960’s
Raymond Violot went to University but remained active in the music community as a music teacher, a member of the Musicians Union Board, the Chatham Concert Band, and several local talented bands. Raymond sings and plays several instruments, a few of which are the flute, Stand up Bass, harmonica, banjo and piano.
Randy would go on to play in several bands including the popular local group “Friends”.
Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Group: Jubilation
Release: Second Chance At Love
Year: 1998
Genre: Gospel, Christian Rock.
Home: Chatham-Kent (Dresden)
Members:
Judy Paling
Richard Arssenault
This CD includes four original songs and features Amber Ladd (Oshawa) on vocals. Paling’s three daughters can also be heard on the release.
Note: This is their second recording. The first CD was entitled “My Wings For His Glory“.
Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Gibraltor add in the paper
Band: Friends
Release: Single “Please Don’t Ask Me To Stay”.
Year: 1976
Style: Pop and soft rock
Formed: Feb. 1974
Home: Chatham-Kent Ontario
A few cover selections: Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Marvin G, and the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
Members:
John Glos –
George Wilson –
Tom Starks – Organist
Randy Coyle – Drums
Al Trudell – Lead guitar
Rick Janusas – Saxaphonist (Windsor)
Brent Hunter – Bass
Only two band members are from out of town.
Their original song “Please Don’t Ask Me To Stay”, was recorded at Polaris Studio in Windsor. Roughly 1,000 copies have been printed with about 500 sold shortly after releasing it. On the flip side of the record is Butterfat, a song written by Steve Khan of New York City.
Friends play six nights a week at bars, universities, and collages, and try to rehearse a few hours a day. With the recent addition of a brass section, they have started to add hints of jazz and blues into their set list.
Around late 1977, Friends would change their name to Gibraltor. The band played under the new name through late 1977-79.
If video above does not appear, watch it here.
The song in the video above was recorded around 1975 in Windsor. The band members on this recording are:
Randy Coyle – drums
Al Trudell – lead guitar, lead vocals
Tom Starks – keyboards
Wayne Perdue – bass
Rick Janasus – alto sax, vocals
George Wilson – Trumpet, vocals
Arrangement by A. Trudell, R. Coyle
Composition by Steve khan
Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
Additional Source: CDN Oct. 1976. Brian Christmas.
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Chris Newby – Lead Vocals
Jess Allin – Guitar/ Back up Vox
Brian Venne – Bass Guitar
Scott Gillett – Drums
New Society was a punk band started back in highschool in 1998. They all went their seperate ways after highschool. Later, Brian and Scott started “The Rucks” with Lee Fletcher.
Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Chatham Music Archive 