Great Speckled Bird (band)
Great Speckled Bird | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Great Speckled Bird |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Country rock |
| Years active | 1969–1976 |
| Labels | Ampex, Columbia, A&M, Stony Plain |
| Past members | Ian Tyson Sylvia Tyson Amos Garrett Ken Kalmusky Bill Keith Ricky Marcus Buddy Cage N. D. Smart Jim Colegrove Jeff Gutcheon David Wilcox Ben Keith Peter Ecklund Billy Mundi Red Shea Gordon Fleming Jim Baker Pee Wee Charles Rolly Sally Jim Morgan Ed Wideman Kim Brandt Gord Neave |
Great Speckled Bird was a country rock group formed in 1969 by the Canadian musical duo Ian & Sylvia. Ian Tyson sang, played guitar and composed. Sylvia Tyson sang, composed and occasionally played piano. The other founding members were Amos Garrett on guitar and occasional vocals, Ben Keith on steel guitar, Ken Kalmusky on bass and Ricky Marcus on drums. They were named after the song, "The Great Speckled Bird", as recorded by Roy Acuff (1936).[1]
Career
[edit]The group was featured in the film Festival Express, a documentary about the music festival of the same name that took place in 1970. The shows were scheduled, and the performers traveled by train, across Canada. In the film, Great Speckled Bird performs "C.C. Rider", along with Delaney Bramlett and members of the Grateful Dead. A performance of the Dylan/Manuel song "Tears of Rage", without the aforementioned accompaniment, is included in the extra features of the DVD release.
In 1970, the group became the house band for the television show Nashville North, produced by the CTV network and filmed at the CFTO-TV studios in Toronto, which, after one season, became the Ian Tyson Show.[2][3] The show ran until 1975.
The group backed Ian & Sylvia until the duo parted ways in 1975. They also backed Ian Tyson as a solo artist, for his 1973 debut solo album and his live performances,[4][5] until 1976.[6]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album | Album Artist | CAN | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Great Speckled Bird | Great Speckled Bird | 54 | Ampex |
| 1972 | You Were on My Mind | Ian & Sylvia and The Great Speckled Bird | Columbia | |
| 1973 | Ol' Eon | Ian Tyson | 81 | A&M |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | CAN | |||
| 1970 | "Trucker's Cafe" | 9 | 94 | Great Speckled Bird | |
| 1972 | "You Were on My Mind" | 4 | You Were on My Mind | ||
| 1973 | "Love Can Bless the Soul of Anyone" | 46 | 61 | Ol' Eon | |
| 1974 | "Great Canadian Tour" | 13 | |||
Videography
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Johnny Cash Show | performed "Crazy Arms" and "Long Long Time to Get Old" |
| 1970 | Nashville North | produced by the CTV network |
| 1971–1975 | The Ian Tyson Show | produced by the CTV network |
| 2003 | Festival Express | filmed in 1970 |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "78 Record: Roy Acuff and His Crazy Tennesseeans - Great Speckle Bird (1936)".
- ^ J. Einarson, I. Tyson, S. Tyson. 2011.
- ^ The Cool Groove. The Ian Tyson Show. 2008. retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ^ Liner notes. Ol' Eon. Ian Tyson. 2004
- ^ "Ian's 1st Solo Album Marks Return To Country Roots", Billboard, November 23, 1974, p.66
- ^ The Cool Groove. Great Speckled Bird. 2008. retrieved 2011-09-14.
Bibliography
[edit]- J. Einarson, I. Tyson, S. Tyson. Four Strong Winds: Ian and Sylvia. 2011. McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7710-3038-3. retrieved 2011-09-13.
External links
[edit]- The Cool Groove – Great Speckled Bird, website of some former members of the band
- Great Speckled Bird discography at Discogs
- Great Speckled Bird at IMDb
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