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Lighthouse (band)
(Read all about Lighthouse after the video)
Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in Toronto. Their sound included horns, string instruments, and vibraphone; their music reflected elements of rock music, jazz, classical music, and swing. They won Juno Awards for Best Canadian Group of the Year in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Band history
Lighthouse was formed in 1968 in Toronto by vocalist/drummer Skip Prokop (formerly of the Paupers) and keyboardist Paul Hoffert. The two met on a flight from New York City
to Toronto, and discussed forming a band structured around a rock
rhythm section, jazz horn section, and classical string section. Prokop
had admired Ralph Cole's playing when they shared the bill at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit,
so he invited him to Toronto to be the band's guitarist. Prokop and
Hoffert assembled the rest of the group from friends, studio session
musicians, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra members, and proceeded to make a demo recording.
On the advice of Richie Havens, Prokop and Hoffert took the demo to MGM Records
in New York, who signed the band. Two days later they had a manager,
Vinnie Fusco, from Albert Grossman's office, who overturned the MGM
contract and made a deal with RCA Victor.
Lighthouse made its performing debut on May 14, 1969, at the Rock Pile in Toronto, introduced by Duke Ellington with the words, "I'm beginning to see the Light...house".[1] The band originally consisted of 13 members:
One of the first Lighthouse concerts was at Carnegie Hall, and in its first year the band also played at Fillmore East, Fillmore West, Toronto, Boston, the Atlantic City Pop Festival, and the Monterey and Newport Jazz Festivals. A free concert at Toronto City Hall in the summer of 1969 drew a reported crowd of 25,000.[2] Their first album, Lighthouse, was released in 1969 by RCA from RCA's Toronto Eastern Sound Studio.
Their next album, Suite Feeling, was also recorded in 1969 at
Toronto Eastern Sound Studio. It featured two cover songs: The Band's
"Chest Fever" and The Beatles' hit "A Day In The Life". Their third and
final album for RCA was also the last one for original lead singer Pinky
Dauvin. The album Peacing It All Together was recorded in RCA’s
Music Centre of the World Hollywood Studios. The songs "Feel So Good",
"If There Ever Was a Time", and "The Chant" were minor hits in Canada
during the band's time with RCA.
The band appeared at the Strawberry Fields Festival in August 1970, followed by the Isle of Wight Festival
where they performed two nights among groups that included The Doors,
Joni Mitchell, Chicago, Miles Davis, and The Who. One of the band's more
challenging moments was turning down an opportunity the summer before
to perform at Woodstock.
Lighthouse moved to the record label Evolution/GRT and Toronto’s
Thunder Sound Studios. There were some lineup changes; the band then
consisted of thirteen musicians, including seven original members. The
most notable change was a new lead singer in Bob McBride. In the summer of 1970, Lighthouse represented Canada and Ontario at Expo '70 in Japan where they were popular.
In 1971, Lighthouse released One Fine Morning and Thoughts of Movin' On on Evolution/GRT. The title track from One Fine Morning was a hit in Canada, peaking at #2 on Canada's Singles Chart.[3] The song was also an international and American hit, peaking at #24 in 1971 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[4]
with both albums 'going gold' in Canada. It was preceded on the
Canadian charts by "Hats Off to the Stranger" (#9 in Canada). That year
the band performed at the anniversary celebration concert in the city of
Hamilton.[5]
In between recording albums and touring 300 days a year, the band was
involved in innovative projects, including the first performances by a
rock band with symphony orchestras, a collaboration with the Royal
Winnipeg Ballet company, Ballet High, which toured across Canada,[6] and a CBC production of Prometheus Bound with actress Irene Worth.
During this period of recording from 1970 to 1971 with Evolution/GRT,
RCA Records released a double album best-of in 1971 consisting of
selections from the first three records recorded with RCA entitled One Fine Light.
Lighthouse Live! was recorded live at Carnegie Hall in February 1972 and released on Evolution/GRT. This was the first time a Canadian album qualified for platinum status. The band came back later that year with another gold album, Sunny Days,
on Evoution/GRT. The title song became the band's next Canadian hit
single and second Hot 100 single, peaking at #34 on 9 December 1972.
Hoffert, tired of life on the road, left the band in 1973 but continued
as the band's executive producer. Bob McBride for some reason failed to
appear at the Record Plant in New York for the recording of "Can You
Feel It" which was released on the Polydor Label. Prokop and Cole wanted
to scrap the sessions but producer Jimmy Ienner insisted they continue.
He decided that whoever wrote the song, would sing it.[7]
With the exception of "No More Searching", written and sung by new sax
player Dale Hillary, Prokop and Cole sang all the vocals and harmonies
on the album. The result was one of the band's biggest single releases,
"Pretty Lady", which was a top-10 Canadian hit and was their final Hot
100 hit in the US, reaching #53.
The band released Good Day also on Polydor, in 1974. As with
the previous album, the lead vocals were divided between Skip Prokop and
Ralph Cole, but Prokop switched to guitar full-time and the drummer was
Billy King. The album produced no hits, but did contain "Wide-Eyed
Lady", a song co-written by Bob McBride. At Thunder Sounds Recording
Studios, the band began work on a new album, and had recorded several
tracks when Prokop left the band. The album was never completed. Ralph
Cole took the band out for another couple of tours but in 1976
Lighthouse disbanded. Janus/GRT released Best of Lighthouse in late 1976 to capitalize on their past success.
Prokop, Hoffert, Cole, and McBride reunited along with many of the
Lighthouse alumnae in September 1982 for a weekend of four large
concerts at Ontario Place.[5] In 1989 Denon Records bought the rights to the Evolution/GRT recordings and released -Sunny Days Again:The Best of Lighthouse
(No U.S. Issue). The re-mix of the album was produced by Hoffert, Cole,
Prokop, and McBride. In 1992 the band reunited with a ten-member
line-up which included the founding members Prokop, Hoffert, and Cole
with McBride on vocals. McBride was dismissed several months later.[citation needed] He was replaced by Dan Clancy. Three years later Breaking Records released Song of the Ages. The single, "Remember the Times", was a top-thirty hit in Canada. In 1998 the original master tapes of The Best of Lighthouse-Sunny Days Again were digitally re-mastered and released on CD by True North Records who also re-released Song of the Ages in 1999.
Recent activity
After
Lighthouse disbanded in the '70s, many of the players continued with
their musical careers while some went in different directions.
Paul Hoffert has continued his career as a film composer, winning a Genie Award in 1978 for his score for the cult-hit movie Outrageous!;
headed up the Ontario Arts Council from 1994 to 1997; created and was
the Director of CulTech from 1992 to 2000, a Research Centre at York
University, and has written five books exploring the intersection of
culture and technology. In 2004 he received the Order of Canada.
Prokop and Cole formed other bands with some success before hitting
their stride in the advertising world and as record producers.
Saxophonist Howard Shore became the music director for Saturday Night Live
and began a career in film composition, emerging as one of Hollywood's
most sought after composers. Shore won three Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
Don DiNovo bought a church in Arthur, Ontario, and turned it into a
recording studio. Dick Armin continued his work as a creator of
electronic string instruments.
Russ Little has continued as a musician and composer. He can be heard
on numerous releases including his own albums, Snapshot, Footwork, and
On the Shoulders of Giants. He was voted Best Trombonist of 2007 by
Canada's National Jazz Awards. John Naslen became a recording engineer
(he engineered the 1994 Lighthouse "Song of the Ages" release). Grant
Fullerton continues to perform with his own band.
Louie Yacknin opted out of music altogether and bought a tire
installation company. Larry Smith moved to Israel and created a software
company for language translation. Bob McBride
became a top studio session singer and was heard on numerous
commercials but he suffered from drug abuse and serious illness, and
died February 20, 1998, of heart failure in Toronto. Arnie Chycoski, Don
DiNovo, Keith Jollimore, Alan Wilmot, Dale Hillary, Freddie Stone, are
all deceased.
Lighthouse has remained together since they reunited in 1992. Since that time they have recorded one new studio album, Song of the Ages,
in 1996. The rhythm section for the ten-member group features the
original founders, Prokop (drums), Hoffert (keyboards and vibraphone),
and Cole (guitar) with Don Paulton (keyboard), Doug Moore (bass), and
Dan Clancy (vocals). The horn section is made up of original member,
trombonist Russ Little, Simon Wallis (saxophones and flute), Chris
Howells (trumpet), and saxophonist Steve Kennedy who performed with the
band at Ontario Place in 1982. Lighthouse continues to perform and
create innovative works including a reunion concert with the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra that was broadcast nationally, a tour of Brazil with
an original multimedia stage show in collaboration with the Desrosiers
Dance Theatre, and a series of concerts in which sections of the band
performed in different locations across Toronto linked together by
broadband cable. In 1995 Lighthouse was inducted into the Q107 Canadian
Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Lighthouse songs have been used in films and covered by other artists
including Three Dog Night, Shobha, and Carlos Santana. Rap artist Akon
has sampled "I'd Be So Happy" and Japanese rock stars Theatre Brook
perform One Fine Morning in their stage show.
For Lighthouse's 40th anniversary, Ole/Universal Records released 40 Years of Sunny Days,
a retrospective of their biggest hits, featuring digitally remastered
tracks, and a DVD of new performances recorded at Q Music in 5.1
Surround Sound.
They continue to perform and tour extensively across Canada.
On July 19, 2013, it was announced that the band will be appearing on
the second annual Moody Blues Cruise in April, 2014 on the cruise ship
MSC Ship Divina.
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