 Formed in Ottawa in the early ’60s by a bunch of high school friends, the band was fronted by Bobby Gauthier on vocals and organ, guitarists Ron Chenier and Jim Bildoeau, Ted Saucier on bass, and drummer Brian Ferguson. They played the school parties and whatever other work they could find, while mimicking the British sounds popular on the airwaves at the time.They scraped enough money together to release a pair of songs they’d written called “Can’t Tell You” and “Gone Away,” which remained unreleased until appearing on a 1995 compilation album called OTTAWA ROCKS – THE SIR JOHN A. YEARS (1966 – 1968). They talked Don Nicholson, a roadie for fellow Ottawa group The Esquires into managing them, who soon got them a deal with the independent Fantastic Records in Montreal. They recorded a single called “Heart” b/w “Baby” in the spring of ’66 which got enough local area airplay to warrant some touring that year. A few shows turned into a few more, and the guys ended up being on the road for the better part of the year. By the following spring, they’d earned enough money to open up their own bar called Club 400 in Cornwall, Ontario, giving them a steady gig, and also a chance to book other acts playing in the area. Chenier left and was replaced by Jack Ranger, who wrote “Tell Me Why” – the b-side to their next single in the spring of ’67 – a cover of The Ivy League’s “Somebody Told My Girl.” The song climbed the chart and made it to the top 40 that summer. While touring in support, Wayne McQuaid (ex of Eyes of Dawn) had to be brought in to fill in for a few months while Gauthier recovered from a strained voice. But by the fall of 1967, the band drifted apart as everyone went on to do other things. Chenier gained the most notoriety, forming Fist in the mid 70s and recording hits like “Thunder In Rock,” “Double Or Nothing” and “Hot Spikes.” Gauthier joined Eastern Passage – but then drifted out of music all together before the end of the decade, as did Ranger, Bilodeau, McQuaid, Saucier, and Ferguson.  SOMEBODY TOLD MY GIRL (1966) Somebody Told My Girl Tell Me Why |
