Music
Remembering Toronto (the band!)
In the process of doing research for another post yesterday, I stumbled upon some information about a band that I'd never heard of. Clueless as this may be, until last night I was unaware of the existence of Toronto (the band that is). Now, to be fair, I wasn't old enough to be listening to music when Toronto were at the height of their popularity -- but, nevertheless, for someone who has a thing for 80s nostalgia, this discovery came as a pleasant little surprise.
Formed in 1978 by singer Holly Woods and guitarist Bria Allen (the rest of the line-up changed over the years), Toronto actually produced a number of legitimate hits over their approximately five year career with Solid Gold Records. In fact, their first three albums went platinum. Their most popular single remains "Your Daddy Don't Know," which I recognized immediately upon playing last night despite not ever connecting it to the band in question. In fact the New Pornographers actually covered the song in 2003 for the movie Fubar: The Album.
But Toronto's most popular song (by a landslide) is one that's rarely associated with them. When writing tracks for the their 1982 album, Get It On Credit, Allen, Sheron Alton (the other guitarist in the band) and production assistant Jim Vallance wrote "What About Love?" But, when it came time for the record company to finalize the track list, it was somehow left off the album.
Big mistake.
Three years later the song was offered to Heart, and they proceeded to turn it into a mega-hit. Although it was later added as a bonus track on the re-issue of Get It On Credit, the song will, no doubt, be forever affiliated with Heart rather than Toronto. And that's quite a shame. Although I'm not much of a fan of sweeping 80s rock ballads, Toronto's version of the song is every bit the equal of the more popular Heart version.
Perhaps the origin of this song is more widely known than I think. But, my sense is that this isn't the case. So while I'm certainly no Alan Cross, I thought this little bit of Toronto music history was worth sharing.
Check out Toronto's "What About Love?" and "Your Daddy Don't Know" below.
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Old = me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_Ukiah6auA
Props to Toronto for hardwork and good music .
Toronto (the band) were probably raking in the music royalties from Heart (and others) when there were "music royalties" to rake in!!!
I'm surprised that there aren't many more Canadian Indy bands doing more covers (like New Pornographers)?
There are a lot great past songs produced in the Great White North (Coney Hatch, Headpins, Helix, Zappacosta, etc.) that would translate well in todays music climate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmER5Q9MN4k
They'd already scored several hits in (especially "Even the Score") when The "Get It On Credit" album was released -- a big, bit hit back in '82. You couldn't turn the radio on without hearing "You're Daddy Don't Know" or "Start Tellin' the Truth". And in those days, bands release a new album every 12 to 18 months, which Toronto did, scoring big hits again in '83 with "Girls Night Out" and "Ready to Make Up"
Holly Woods was an all-time great singer, who went on to a successful jazz/lounge singing career. She sang torch songs at the small cafe / club the father of a friend of mine owned, and I will never forget it. The club was called Cafe on the Park; it's now a Boom Breakfast diner.
Toronto were truly pioneers and have simply not got their due because of the bias against '80s rock, which admittedly doesn't hold up in some cases, but certainly does with Toronto. Include Darby Mills & The Headpins, Streetheart, Platinum Blonde, Goddo, April Wine, the Kings (Swtiching to Glide), Payolas, Harlequin, Eight Seconds (Kiss You When It's Dangrous) and yup, Coney Hatch among that lot. All deserved better and more acclaim.
For fun, check out your favourite old band in the Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia:
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/home.html
"Q107...if you think this is too loud, then you're gettin' too old!"
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Toronto was a great Canadian band.
People can call them whatever they want but
Toronto made some great songs and I still crank their
tunes up in my car when I'm driving around.
The sad part is that when Toronto's record label
Solid Gold Records, went into receivership in late 1984
the band broke up and signed their rights away so they
don't get any royalties for the hard work they did
in to 80's. As a matter of fact even though Holly Woods &
Scott Kreyer went on to make another lp called Toronto
& Holly Woods " Assault & Flattery " they were shot down by the distributor CBS records and had most of the lp's recalled
from store shelves, destroyed and had their cross Canada tour
canceled. Holly & Scott went on to make another album but
hit more bad times when the producer working with them at the time passed away. It was not till 2007 that those songs written back in 1985 came to light on Holly's new cd
entitled " Live It Up " which was released on the Cyclone Records label in 2007.
Rock on Holly & long live the memory and music of Toronto.
Bruce Hale.
Toronto.Canada.
bruce1965 @bell.net
Colleen and my own mother were best friends and instructors at the Robert Morgan Dance Studio. Colleen was the matron-of-honour and Sheron was the flower girl at my parents' wedding. I have photos to prove this.
If anyone here (especially K. Alton) has contact with Sheron and could pass on this message with my contact info, I would very much appreciate it.
Cavan Kelly
(cavan) (at) (jckelly) (dot) (com)
Colleen and my own mother were best friends and instructors at the Robert Morgan Dance Studio. Colleen was the matron-of-honour and Sheron was the flower girl at my parents' wedding. I have photos to prove this.
If anyone here (especially K. Alton) has contact with Sheron and could pass on this message with my contact info, I would very much appreciate it.
Cavan Kelly
(cavan) (at) (jckelly) (dot) (com)
If you still have contact with Sheron, can you please say hi for me. Tell her I'm the fan who mailed her all the sealed Toronto albums several years ago. I would love to talk to Sheron again. Please pass my phone number on to her.
FOUR ONE SIX - FOUR TWO ONE - FOUR SEVEN ONE THREE.
Bruce.
We play all the hits/favs and it is well worth seeing.
If you don't absolutely love it, coma and see me after the show...........