Zero One

Hailing from Toronto, Zero-One was formed by singer/guitarist Frank Zirone in 1979, along with guitarist Keith Ross, bassist Gary Lalonde (ex of Rose), Jim MacDonald on keyboards, and drummer Gord Paton.

They travelled up and down the local strip for a year or so while climbing the bar scene ladder, when they were noticed by Anthem Records exec, Ray Daniels. He signed them to a deal in 1980, and they came out of Sky Blue Sound Studio in Scarborough later that year with their self-titled debut album.

The lead-off “You’re On My Radio” was released as a single and hovered around the top 40 in several markets across Canada. With the keys and a dual guitar snappy rock packaged together with slick production, other noteable tracks included “Invisible Man,” “You’re The One,” “Oh No,” and “That’s Just Too Bad.”

They carried on touring Ontario-east on the bills with Max Webster, Saga, Toronto, and Loverboy. “We were an eastern Canada phenom,” Zirone laughed. “We got airplay out west but the band stopped at the Sault and toured out to Newfoundland.”

Their stock rose when they were featured on a pair of live FM radio simulcasts (both from The Gasworks) before 1980 was up, and by the following spring, a pair of videos – “No Pleasing You” and “Who Do You Think You Are,” but never made it to the airwaves, and the songs never made it to vinyl. “Those were demos for a second album that never happened,” Zirone explained.

The band was nominated for a Juno the next year for best new group, but eventually fell apart. Lalonde left to join Toronto, then Honeymoon Suite, and was replaced by new bassist Jim Elder. But as they continued touring throughout eastern Canada, spending some time in the studios between road trips, problems with management eventually led to the band’s demise by mid ’82. Zirone wanted to form a heavier act, and Hanover Fist was good for one record in ’83. A new version of the album appeared when the band morphed into Hanover a year later.

• With notes from Frank Zirone
  
  ZERO-ONE! (1980)
  You’re On My Radio
  Busy Boy
  Girls
  The Invisible Man
  You’re On Your Own
  Deep Freeze
  Oh No
  That’s Just Too Bad
  You’re The One
  Tell Me
  Secret World
  When She’s Around