Thundermug - Orbit (Canada 1973)

Formed in London, Ontario, their origins began in 1970 when high school friends guitarist/singer Joe de Angelis and Bill Durst on keyboards/guitars began jamming together in the garage, quickly recruiting bass player James Corbet and Ed Pranskus on drums. They began playing the local scene as Pink Orange, doing mostly Beatles/Stones/Led Zeppelin covers, all the while 'getting it together'. They soon graduated to the Toronto bar circuit where they developed a loyal cult-like following. After changing their name, they were noticed by manager Wyn Anderson one night while playing, who secured them a deal with Greg Hambleton's local Axe Records.

With Hambleton and Terry Brown (most noteable for his production work later with Rush and Klaatu) behind the controls, they went into Toronto Sound Studios in the spring of '72. Their debut THUNDERMUG STRIKES was released that summer with their cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" as the first single. But when radio stations began playing "Africa" off the lp as well, direction changed. They left the confines of headlining with The Srawbs across central Canada to their own smaller venues across the country. Soon after management released it as a single, "Africa" cracked the national top 30, with the energized-blues flip side "Jane J James" becoming a programmer's favourite as well. Their infectious groove had critics hailing them as the next potential supergroup. "Page 125" was issued as the third single in the middle of a North American tour, shortly before the album reached gold.

They were back in the studio the next year, gathering notes from the material written on the road. Recorded at Manta Sound with Hambleton again serving as producer. The band combined a mix of groove and heavy hitting rhythms in a style again before it's time. Released in the summer of 1973, ORBIT again had the critics taking notice. The title track was released as the first single, again cracking the Top 40. The 'white dude funk' of "Garden Green" made it one of the year's sleepers - as did "Boy You've Got Alot To Learn", hitting big on Ontario college campuses. Another cross-Canada tour ensued - with the lead-off "Big City" instantly becoming a crowd favourite. The album's strong overall appeal to FM station managers, including the acoustically upbeat "Molly O" laced with its psychadelic chanting, the horns & strings in "We'll Never Forget" and the satirical "Mickey Mouse Club" made it two straight gold records. Meanwhile Epic picked up US distribution rights, releasing their own version of THUNDERMUG STRIKES, actually a combination of the first 2 Canadian lps. (BUY IT!!!) (Thundermug previously...)

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Thundermug - Strikes (Canada 1972)

Formed in London, Ontario, originally as Pink Orange, but eventually changed their name and picked up manager Wyn Anderson. Anderson rallied their cause and was able to secure the band a record deal with Greg Hambleton's Axe Records in 1972.

Their debut album, Thundermug Strikes, was produced by Greg Hambleton (with engineering by a young Terry Brown) and included the 1972 hit "Africa" reaching the Canadian Top40. 1973's Orbit album featured the title track as a single reaching Top50 that year. It too was produced by Greg Hambleton.

With the band's touring schedule keeping them extremely busy they managed several non-album singles before returning to the studio with producer Greg Hambleton to complete 1974's Ta-Daa!!.

The group split up shortly after their last charting single, 1975's "Clap Your Hands And Stomp Your Feet", made the Top50 in Canada.

Though Wyn Anderson and the band had parted company years before a reunion around the end of the 1980's was instigated by Anderson and it was this seed that sparked the desire in the band members for a full-fledged reunion.

Several years later Anderson put his own money on the line and paid for some recording sessions, as well as everything else necessary for Thundermug to return with a reunited band in 1995 -- Durst and Corbett -- for a new album ('Who's Running My World') which featured the title track as its first single and video. Successful exposure on radio and television helped the band regain a foothold in the Canadian club scene and the CD went on to have three Top-40 hits at rock radio.

The band returned to the studio for the follow-up CD 'Bang The Love Drum' in 1997 on the Raven Records label. The band toured as a trio for at least two shows a week with Bill Durst, James Corbett and returning original member Ed Pranskus.

The band officially disbanded again in 2001. They were nominated into the London Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

Manager Wyn Anderson died in September 1999 after a long illness; Corbett has joined Cheryl Lescom’s band; Bill Durst has had a successful solo career and is currently working on another solo CD. He still regularly performs in and around London, Ontario and environs. (via The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia)

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Emerald City - Waiting for the Dawn (Canada 1976)

Mid-1970s Canadian hard rock bands aren't exactly a novel concept. So, on the surface there wouldn't appear to be much to distinguish Emerald City from a slew competitors. The fact that today the band (singer/guitarist Matthew Enright, bassist George Gardos and drummer Patrick Saraceno), is hopelessly obscure would seem to reinforce the contention these guys didn't have much to offer. Wrong, wrong, wrong !!!

Released by the small Canadian Hippopotamus Records, the trio's 1976's debut "Waiting for the Dawn" was recorded in Quebec with Joey Perno and Enright producing. With Enright credited with penning all ten selections, tracks such as the instrumental 'Guiding', 'Hold Of My Soul' and the pseudo-funky 'Rythmn Highway' (sic) offered up an intriguing blend of surprisingly commercial moves and Hendrix-styled guitar. At the risk of scaring some of you off, mid-'70s Frank Marino and Robin Trower come to mind, though it isn't an exact comparison. While Marino and Trower worshipped at the Hendrix alter, these guys kept a respective distance. Among the few complaints, the female backing chorus was occasionally disconcerting ('Hold of My Soul'). One if the biggest surprised I've discovered the last year and an album that regularly visits our turntable. (via Badcat Records) (BUY IT!)

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Fable - Get the "L" Outta Here! (Canada 1974)

Hearing the onslaught of stoner metal bands struggling desperately to recreate the airy deep end of mid-’70s heavy music is amusing… almost as much as actually coming across the occasional bona fide prog metal outfits long forgotten over the ages. One of Canada’s original rhythm rock outfits that haven’t stood the test of time, Fable blended the questionable aesthetics of cape-laden Rush with Paranoid-era Black Sabbath’s eeriness and a moderately softer structural attack reminiscent of Budgie. The end result is the perfect Black Light metal begging for a big ol’ bong suck and an imaginary dragon ride to the land of vans painted with wizards, barbarians and Aztec goddesses. Surprisingly timeless despite an obviously specific historical specificity, Get The “L” Outta Here! provides the perfect document of a band with nothing affecting the excesses of ’70s rock’n’roll. Plenty of epic songs heavy on wah pedal and jam band aura makes for a fun retrospective party listen — and when compared to the accessibility of modern stoner rock — proves that minimal means often do produce the greater results. (via Exclaim) (BUY IT)

Visit fablerockband.com for info...

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Fable - Without Asking

Charlee (1972)

Dreams, Fantasies and Nightmares:

"A Montreal, Quebec-based hard rock band. They included Walter Rossi, who was previously with Influence and who later released several other solo albums after 1976 and played on Wilson Pickett's I Want You album in 1979. He is also rumoured to have played on Thee Muffins obscure garage album Pop Up!.

Their album, which got a U.S. release on Mind Dust four years after its initial Canadian exposure, is full of good pulsating hard rock numbers featuring lots of superb guitar work from the hands of Walter Rossi. The instrumental opening cut, Wizard, sets the tone and driving hard rockers like Lord Knows I've Won, the imaginative Just You And Me and Wheel Of Fortune. Let's Keep Silent is notable for lots of fuzz guitar work and A Way To Die is a slower song featuring lots of Rossi's fine guitar work. All bar one cut were penned by Rossi (four were co-written with Danny Ippersiel). An album well worth checking out.

RateYourMusic.com:

"Before forming this great band, Canadian guitar wizzard 'Walter Rossi' had cut his teeth in the late 60s with some pretty big names like, 'Wilson Picket', and 'The Buddy Miles Express'. He even turned down offers from 'Three Dog Night' and 'Janis Joplin'. Walter also had the pleasure of jamming with Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles on several occassions during their 'Band of Gypsies' days. Then back in Canada, Walter co-founded the progressive rock band 'Influence' in 1969. After being signed by ABC records, they went on tour opening for 'The Doors', and 'Steppenwolf'. In 1971 he formed 'Charlee'. This is heavy rock at it's very best! This lost, virtually unheard album from the early 7o's is absolutely amazing and essential to anyone interested in metal. It ranks up there with Montrose, Sad Wings of Destiny and early Trower. This one and only album by Charlee is a stone dead classic. I've only known one person who ever owned it but back then we all made tapes and cherished it as the great lost classic of rock that it still is. " (buy it)

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Charlee - Lord Knows I've Won

Warpig (1970)

Canadianbands.com:

"Warpig's formation came the same as so many other rural Ontario bands of the mid 60's. Guitarist/singer Rick Donmoyer toiled the late 60's in a number of groups, including The Turbines, The Kingbees (later The Wot) and Mass Destruction.But by late '66 Donmore found himself looking for a new project, and hooked up with fellow Mass Destruction alumni Terry Brett on bass, Dana Snitch (keyboards/guitars) and drummer Terry Hook, all Woodstock natives. Endless practices in the Hook basement led to Warpig a few months later. With a mix of influences rivalled by few in the area, the boys soon found themselves a steady on the Toronto independent scene for the better part of the next two years.

The band was seen by a label owner and were signed to FontHill Records in late 1968. They continued on the circuit, while writing original material and financing the recording of their first lp. With the production help of Robert Thomson, it finally saw the light of day in the spring of 1970. The album was full of raw power, with inspirational remnants from everything from the British Invasion to the surf sound, from Chet Atkins to Black Sabbath. Reminiscent of a less-structured Deep Purple album, tracks like the lead-off "Flaggit" and "Tough Nuts" gave you the unbridled passion of a young band doing it their way, while "Advance in A Minor" showed the band's tight structure and classical influences, in what could only be described as 'early eclectic post psychadelic'. A common theme throughout the lp was the band's pounding rhythms and straight forward guitar licks.

A 45 of "Rock Star" b/w "Flaggit" made the rounds of the radio stations, and along with their live show,the following grew. FontHill was bought out by London Records in '71, leaving the band in the lurches as to their status for several months. The band carried on throughout the circuit, when they discovered they were without a label. London reissued Warpig's debut a year later, repackaged and remastered.

The group carried on, writing material while on the road and slipping into the recording studio when they could book some time. But what was supposed to be the band's second lp got shelved when they couldn't find a distributor. Upset with management and the band's general direction, Snitch left the Warpig tent in '73, followed by the complete breakup of the band a short while later. Everyone went on to do outside projects and their own things, Donmoyer carried on in the business for a few more years, most notably with the Toronto-based Ash Mountain.

By the new millennium more than one bootlegged Warpig CD found its way to the black market. In 2004 the four original members got together to see what would happen, and have since focused their energies on reforming fulltime. An official remix of the band's only released album is said to be a future possibility, and may include new material, as well as outtakes and unreleased gems." (buy it)

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Warpig - Melody With Balls