If you see Kay!! Get it?? I didn't. Somebody had to tell me. April Wine is special to me. My Junior year, I took this girl to prom. "Just Between You and Me" was the theme song for the prom. After the Prom, I bought "Nature of the Beast". Great album. I married that girl last December. Pretty damn cool.
I went on a little You Tube adventure earlier where I wound up watching a BUNCH of April Wine videos! WOWSERS!!! I remember this band and most of the songs sounded familiar, must have heard them on the radio, but for some reason I didn't get into April Wine or really explore them at the time. Again, so many bands and albums and so little ...
Tonight I was really digging April Wine! Maybe a bit basic but a very classic late 70's early 80's rock sound and they did it very well! I definitely want to check out some more.
Fortunately I have three of their albums on vinyl I apparently picked up during my thrift shop vinyl madness phase - First Glance, Harder ... Faster, and The Nature of the Beast
Flower's brackground info--
Again, I'm lifting the opening from Wikipedia ~
April Wine
Albums:
1971 April Wine
1972 On Record
1973 Electric Jewels
1975 Stand Back
1976 The Whole World's Goin' Crazy
1977 Forever for Now
1978 First Glance
1979 Harder ... Faster
1981 The Nature of the Beast
1982 Power Play
1984 Animal Grace
1985 Walking Through Fire
1993 Attitude
1994 Frigate
2001 Back to the Mansion
2006 Roughly Speaking
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. According to the band, they chose the name 'April Wine' simply because members thought the two words sounded good together. The band went on to release more than twenty albums and forge a live performance reputation that still sees them drawing devoted crowds across Canada and around the world more than forty years after taking their first steps into the hard rock spotlight.
The early years
April Wine began in late 1969 in Waverley, Nova Scotia (a suburb of Halifax). The original members were brothers David Henman on guitar and Ritchie Henman on drums. Their cousin Jim Henman joined in on bass, and Myles Goodwyn completed the sound on lead vocals and guitar. In early 1970 the band relocated to Montreal. Shortly after arriving in their new home the band was signed by Aquarius Records. They recorded and released their debut self-titled album April Wine in 1971. The album spawned their first single, "Fast Train", which received fairly steady airplay on radio stations across Canada and established Myles Goodwyn as the band's main songwriter. The single's success gave the band's label confidence and work began on a second album, but not before a change in the line-up (the first of many over the course of the band's career). Jim Henman left the band in the fall of 1971, and was replaced by Jim Clench.
Mainstream success begins
Under the guidance of producer Ralph Murphy, April Wine recorded their second album, titled On Record. The first single from the album was to be a cover version of the song "You Could Have Been a Lady", originally by the band Hot Chocolate. The song would prove to be a tremendous success. It would hit number 1 on radio stations all across Canada, as well as cracking the Billboard Top 30 chart in the United States where it would stay for eleven weeks. Following quick on its heels, April Wine released their second single from On Record, titled "Bad Side of the Moon". This song, originally by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, would also find success on Canadian radio stations and was a minor hit in the U.S. as well. Both tracks remain staples on Classic rock radio stations in Canada to this day. On Record was certified Gold in Canada and the band and Murphy hit the studio to cash in on the promotional momentum generated by their second release.
During recording of the band's third album, yet another line-up change would take place. Before the album's completion, brothers David and Ritchie Henman left April Wine leaving Myles Goodwyn as the only remaining original member. Goodwyn and Clench decided to carry on and began auditions for replacements for the Henmans. Eventually drummer Jerry Mercer (formerly of the Canadian band Mashmakhan) and guitarist Gary Moffet would be chosen. The addition of the two new members unified April Wine as a tight, powerful touring band. Together they finished recording the band's third album, entitled Electric Jewels. The album was met with instant favour from the band's ever growing fan base. It contained songs such as "Weeping Widow", "Just Like That" and "Lady Run, Lady Hide" which would stay in April Wine's concert set lists for many years. The tour (called the Electric Adventure, to support the new album) was a huge success and featured a massive lighting and pyrotechnic show that dazzled fans from coast to coast.
And LG's--
Another of my childhood favorites April Wine, formed in 1969 by Myles Goodwyn and the 3 Henman brothers in Halifax. Realizing that they needed a bigger stage they moved to Montreal and recorded their self-titled debut in 1972 which started their career. Within a couple of years the three Henman brothers left and were replaced by Jim Clench, Gary Moffet and Jerry Mercer.
My brother gave me a copy of "Live" the 3rd album after Electric Jewels for Christmas in 1974, and I wore that sucker out. It was my first live recording ever of my own, and I fell in love with every song, and the sound quality was very good, it would stand up even now if it were ever released on CD.
Hep's not going to like this part, but I went looking for a copy on e-bay a few years ago, and no luck at all, except for a vinyl album some collector had in Germany,,,and he wanted $50.00, and that didn't include shipping etc., so I passed on it. Anyway a few weeks later using some of my "Black Ops" sources I located a copy of the cassette version that some nice soul had converted and uploaded in FLAC, took a while but I finally got a copy. The quality is just a little below the vinyl record, but it still sounds great to me.
Anyway I like these guys, but only have about 6 of their albums, kind of hit or miss with me, either I like the album a lot or just pass on them.
Just Like That, from Electric Jewels.
Here's the front cover, the back the writing is so small you can't read it.
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