Zephyr Band

Zephyr

Zephyr

 

Band: Zephyr
Circa: Mid 1970’s
Home: Chatham

Members:
Paul Bondy – bass and vocals
Greg Bondy – keyboard
Mike Spacil – guitar
Dan O’niel –  drums

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Satin Highlight 1975

Band: The Satin Highlight
Year: 1975
Home: Chatham

Notes: The Satin Highlight, played their first gig new year’s eve 1969, and their last gig new year’s eve 1979.

Members
left Michael Houle – guitar/vocols
front Murray Mallet – drums
rear Miller MacEwan – bass
right Waide Holland – organ/vocalist

The Satin Highlight were fortunate to have enjoyed popularity as a dance-band, covering southwestern Ontario for 10 years.  At their peak, they were booked every Friday and Saturday night for 2 years ahead.   What seemingly made their popularity was playing pop-rock cover songs (mostly played in lounge acts of the period) at dances.  Weekend dances at that time were as popular as going to movie shows. Generally, local dance-bands of the era either play Country or Big-band music.

Friends Band in Chatham

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Band: Friends
Year: 1975
Formed: 1974
Style:  Rock
Formed: Feb. 1974
Disbanded: 1977
Home: Chatham-Kent Ontario

A few cover selections: Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Marvin G, and the Love Unlimited Orchestra.

House band for Wheels Red Barrell part of 1975, all of 1976, and part of 77.

Members:
Bob Wilson – Bass
Tom Starks – Organist
Al Trudell – Lead guitar
Randy Coyle – Drums

 Friends is a very talented group who specialize in soft rock music and now perform full time as a night club act. The age of the members is 21-23.
  The guys were all in a band together before with two additional members along side them. The band plays to a full house and a dancing crowd and seem to be getting that respected reputation that they deserve.

  Bob Wilson (Bass player) went on to play with Troiano (1979) and later with Kim Mitchell (1984) .  For a 2010 update, Bob now performs back home in ‘Bluetonium’ with other top notch local players.
Raymond Violot was often called in to sub or add his talents to live performances.
  All members of the band have went on to several different groups over the coming years.

Watch Bob in the K. Mitchell video below.

If video does not appear, watch it here.

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Ray Francis The Good Old Days 1975

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Artist: Ray Francis
Release: The Good Old Days
Format: LP Album
Year: 1975
Home: Chatham Ontario Canada
Label: Condor
Number: A-977-1450
Genre: Country Music

    The record includes four original songs by Ray Francis. Rays son Mike (Pepe) Francis is a noted producer on this record and plays guitar on it. Mike is one of Canada’s most accomplished studio musicians.

Discography:
Ray Francis and the Whippoorwills – 1963 – Country Jamboree
The Whippoorwills – 1964 – The Whippoorwills
Ray Francis – 1973 – The Country Way
Ray Francis – 1973 – An Olde Tyme Christmas
Ray Francis – 1974 – Two Sides of Country
Ray Francis – 1975 – The Good Old Days

Cover Photo: Marjon Studios

Tracks
01. Little bit of Heaven (Ray Francis)
02. Movin’ on (Merle Haggard)
03. Never gone to stay (Larry Douglas)
04. Good Old Days (Ray Francis)
05. Hell hath no fury (Shirl Milette)
06. Out of my mind (Ray Francis)
07. Here’s your roses Mary Ann (R. Schiafe/D. Hogan)
08. Only too glad (Ray Francis)
09. Cryin’ every night (Shirl Milette)
10. Before the next teardrop falls (V. Keith/B. Peters)

Producer: Bob Spooner and Mike Francis.

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Quadrant band 1975

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Band: Quadrant
Year: 1975
Style: Rock
Home: Chatham Ontario

Members
Steve Fowler – Guitar
Mark Tremblay – Keyboards
Bob Wilson – Bass
Rick Chrysler – Drums

  Quadrant was probably the most popular local band at this time and all that without any vocals. The band was a cast of brilliant musicians in an era where prog rock was coming to be championed.
 The cool story about this band is that they were being scoped out by the same management company as RUSH, who were on the verge of international success, but before anyone knew that Rush would ever achieve it. This music style was still new and the buzz around Quadrant was huge. The only problem with signing the band would be the fact that there is no vocalist. This creates a marketing block for the record labels who don’t know how to sell this creative music.

It is also worth noting that some of the bands original material sounds similar to what Rush would put out on their next record. It is true that Rush could have easily had Quadrant’s demo (passed to them by management) and took some thoughts from it.  It is best to leave that tidbit as a mystery, but the fact is Quadrant was an innovative and talented band from here. S. Beaulieu

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Sylvia Tyson – Woman’s World (1975)

Sylvia

Cover

Artist: Sylvia Tyson
Release: Woman’s World (Capitol-EMI)
Date: 1975
Sylvia is from Chatham

   Tyson recorded two LPs for Capitol Records in the mid-1970s, Woman’s World & Cold Wind from the North.

   Sylvia Fricker, 19 September 1940, Chatham, Ontario, Canada. “I didn’t feel particularly bitter,” says Sylvia Tyson, looking back on the break-up of her marriage and musical partnership with Ian Tyson. “I wanted to get on with my own life and make sure that people knew what I did.” Produced by Ian, Sylvia’s debut solo album, Woman’s World, was regarded as a feminist album, but she comments, “It may have been a feminist album for its day, but it’s very tame in terms of what’s coming out now. The title song talks about having babies and keeping house.”

   Based in Toronto, Sylvia Tyson has continued to make her mark, often as a television host. In 1985, she was featured on the Canadian equivalent of Band Aid/Live Aid, singing the track “Tears Are Not Enough” by Northern Lights. With the help of Tom Russell she revived her musical career with You Were On My Mind. She chronicles small-town Canadian life in such songs as “The Night The Chinese…

Notes

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