One Fine Morning -Lighthouse

It's T.G.I.F and for some a long weekend, hope yours is going well. As many of you may know during my broadcasting career, I spent alot of time programming AOR FM Facilities along the East Coast as well as some in upstate NY and the Western States. Canadian Rock was an important part of the mix, groups like April Wine, Chilliwack, The Guess Who, BTO, Neil Young plus hundreds more. One important influencing band in the early years was Lighthouse.

Lighthouse was formed in 1968 in Toronto, Canada by composer Paul Hoffert and drummer Skip Prokop . Originally consisted of 13 members including a horn and string section which when melded with the rock sound created something completely new. The 13 original band members included: Skip Prokop - drums and vocals, Paul Hoffert -keyboards and vibe, Ralph Cole - guitar and vocals Grant Fullerton - bass and vocals, Pinky Dauvin - percussion and vocals, Ian Guenther - violin, Don Dinovo - violin and viola, Don Whitton - cello, Leslie Schneider - cello, Freddy Stone - trumpet and flugel, Arnie Chycoski - trumpet and flugel, Howard Shore - alto sax, and Russ Little - trombone.




Their self-titled album LIGHTHOUSE was released in 1969 by RCA but obtained small commercial success. Their sophomore release SUITE FEELINGS was also released in late 69 fairing much the same as their first.. This album was unique in that it covered the Beatles hit “ A Day In The Life.” By early 1970 the writing was on the wall with RCA, when Lighthouse cut their last album with RCA starred a new lead singer Mike Lipskin, . The album: "Peacing it all Together" was not recorded in Toronto as the previous two, but the band traveled to the Big Apple to record their final album with RCA in their New York studios.

Having no recording contract and a small recording catalog, they seemed to be at an impasse, but after switching to the record label GRT and returning to Canada to record at Toronto’s Thunder Sound Studios, their fortunes seemed to change. With the label change came a change within the band with only five of the original members still remaining, enter new lead singer in Bob McBride.


Lighthouse went on to create ONE FINE MORNING in 1970 and THOUGHTS OF MOVING ON in 1971. The title track from ONE FINE MORNING was an International and American hit. Other notable songs on this album include “ Hats Off Stranger” and “ Love Of A Woman.” Their Next album THOUGHTS OF MOVING ON with the hits “Take It Slow”, “I Just Want To Be Your Friend”, “Rocking Chair” and “Insane.”

After a short hiatus the band came back with the album SUNNY DAYS from GRT. This again obtained the gold standard and was dubbed the summer of ‘72 album.

Their next album came out of New York’s Thunder Sound Studio titled CAN YOU FEEL IT? in 1973. This up beat album included tracks such as “Pretty Lady” and “Set The Stage” .Without McBride handling lead vocals on this album (he had left Lighthouse in 72) Lighthouses popularity began to wane. The band now a fragment of its former self with no lead singer and without many of the cornerstone musicians Prokop leaving also during this time and the band fell into disarray. Lighthouse still under contract with GRT was never completed. GRT fearing the end of Lighthouse released THE BEST OF LIGHTHOUSE to capitalize on the past success of this great band.


After the band disbanded many of the prominent players went on with their musical careers and some went in different directions. Howard Shore continued composing and ended up as musical director for Saturday Night Live. Larry E Smith after his Lighthouse career moved to Israel and started a software company. Donald Whitton left Lighthouse to audition for the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Skip Prokop went on to a lengthy radio career with CBC. Bob McBride suffered from drug abuse and serious illness, he died in 1998

Denon records in 1989 bought the rights to the GRT recordings and released Best of LIGHTHOUSE-SUNNY DAYS AGAIN as well as LIGHTHOUSE LIVE REMASTERED.

During this period of recording from 1970-1971 with GRT, RCA piggybacked the success of Lighthouse and released a best of album of the first three records recorded with RCA called ONE FINE LIGHT.

Live, the first platinum selling record for a Canadian band ever, this album was recorded live in front of a sold out crowd at Carnegie Hall.

In total Lighthouse released 13 records. Nine of their albums reached gold and three reached the platinum standard.

As Always

Peace

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It's Time to Cook - Meatloaf

On our sister Blog ClassicVideoJukebox, we had a request for Meatloaf, and that got me thinking about, the larger then life gentleman. Meatloaf is not something I'm good at making. But when it comes to the artist "Meatloaf" I'll out cook you on that one.

Meat Loaf, is actually (Michael L. Aday) the L stands for Lee. He has had a storied and often traumatic career. Best known as a rock musician, he has also become a stage and screen actor. Appearing in over 50 movies or television shows sometimes as himself, or as characters resembling his stage persona.
His most notable roles include Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Robert "Bob" Paulson in Fight Club, credited as "Meat Loaf Aday".

Meatloaf came to prominence after the release of the Bat out of Hell album trilogy that he created consisting of Bat out of Hell, Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat out of Hell III: Despite setbacks (including multiple bankruptcies), Meat Loaf has had a successful music career, spawning some of the largest-selling albums, and breaking several records for chart duration. Bat out of Hell, the debut album which had been four years in the making, has sold over 43 million copies.

After more than 30 years, it still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually, and stayed on the charts for over 9 years.

Initial finding it difficulty to establish a steady career within his native United States; he has become an icon in Europe. In the UK he ranks 23rd for number of weeks overall spent on the charts. He ranks 96th on VH1's '100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock'.

In 2007 Meat Loaf granted filmmaker Bruce David Klein exclusive access for a backstage documentary, Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise, shot in February 2007 at the beginning of the singer's tour in support of Bat out of Hell III. The film was an official selection of the Montreal World Film Festival in 2007.



The History of Meatloaf (the singer not the food)


In Los Angeles, in 1967 he formed his first band, Meat Loaf Soul after returning from Dallas Texas. His early years prior to 67 were filled with fighting with his father and even running away on several occasions before going into hiding for 3 months in Texas.

During one of his early band performances Meatloaf hit a high note and completely fried the control panel and mixing boards, the response was so dramatic from the crowd following that performance, he immediately was offered numerous recording contracts, at which time he declined.

After numerous member changes in the band and also numerous name changes too. Meatloaf, decided to go in a different direction joining the cast of Hair in LA.



The publicity generated from Hair was amazing and Meat Loaf was invited to record with Motown. Motown suggested he do a duet with Stoney Murphy who was in the Detroit cast of Hair, to which he agreed. In 1968, the Motown production team was always in charge, and Meat Loaf and Stoney came in only to lay down their vocals. The album, titled Stoney & Meatloaf was released in September of 1968-69. A single released in advance of the album, What You See Is What You Get, reached number thirty six on the R&B charts and seventy-one on Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Because of the popularity of the single Meat Loaf and Stoney tour, opening up for Richie Havens, The Who, The Stooges, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and Rare Earth. Almost immediately after the long tour Meat Loaf left Motown. Motown in turn replaced his and Stoney's, with new vocals by Edwin Starr. The album has been re-released after Meat Loaf's success, with Stoney's vocals removed from all songs from the original Stoney and Meatloaf album.

"Who Is the Leader of the People?" was released with Meat Loaf's vocals intact, only Stoney was missing and the album failed.

Stoney, aka Shaun Murphy, went on to sing backup with many acts, including Bob Seger and Eric Clapton, and became a full time member of Little Feat in 1993. She continues to work with Little Feat and Seger.

Meatloaf meets Jim Steinman


After the tour, Meat Loaf rejoined the cast of Hair, this time on Broadway. After which he also auditioned for the Public Theater's production of More Than You Deserve. It was during the audition that Meat Loaf first met his future collaborator Jim Steinman.

Meat Loaf and friend/songwriter Jim Steinman started Bat out of Hell in 1972, but did not get serious about it until the end of 1974. It was at that time Meat Loaf decided to leave theatre, and concentrate exclusively on music. In 1974 the National Lampoon Show opened on Broadway, and they were looking for an understudy for John Belushi, a close friend of Meat Loaf since 1972.

It was at the Lampoon Show that Meat Loaf met Ellen Foley, the co-star who sang "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" with him on the album Bat out of Hell.

Meat Loaf and Steinman also spent time in 1974 seeking a record deal as the National Lampoon show came to a close. Big problem though, they were were rejected by each record company they approached, because their songs did not fit.

Enter musical genius Todd Rundgren, who decided to produce the album, as well as play lead guitar on it. But still had no takers on a recording contract, nearly 2 years had passed until Epic Records Cleveland International Records crossed their fingers and decided to take a chance.

On October 21, 1977, Bat out of Hell was released.


It now has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide, making it one of the biggest-sellers of all time. In the UK alone, its 2.1 million sales put it in 38th place. Despite peaking at #9 and spending only two weeks in the top ten in 1981, it has now clocked up 480 weeks on the UK album chart, a figure bettered by nobody. In Australia, it knocked the Bee Gees off the number #1 spot and went on to become the biggest-selling Australian album of all time. Bat out of Hell is also one of only two albums that has never exited the Top 200 in the UK charts

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As

Always Peace