Chimo!
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Canadian ‘60s rock band, Chimo! (Inuit for “Hello”) was formed in 1968 by two former David Clayton-Thomas sidemen, piano prodigy Tony Collacott and guitarist Jack Mowbray. The band recorded an album for Revolver Records.
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[edit] David Clayton-Thomas sidemen
Lead guitar player Jack Mowbray and drummer Pat Little (a former member of Toronto blues-rock band, Luke & The Apostles) formed the core of the group after playing with future Blood, Sweat & Tears singer David Clayton-Thomas in his band, The David Clayton-Thomas Combine between February-May 1968. When Thomas was offered the position of lead singer in BS&T in June, Mowbray and Little decided to form a new group with another former Clayton-Thomas sideman, pianist Tony Collacott, who had worked with Mowbray in David Clayton-Thomas & The Bossmen during 1966.
[edit] Sign to Revolver Records
The trio joined forces with bass player Stuart McCann and keyboard player Ross Raby in the final line-up of The Georgian People (previously the Georgian Four) and quickly became a regular fixture on the Ontario bar circuit. By late summer, John Johnson had replaced McCann and Rick King came in for Pat Little who joined Transfusion, the house band at the Rock Pile in Toronto.
In late 1968 the band moved to Buffalo. Around this time, singer Breen LeBoeuf joined the line up, followed soon afterwards by new drummer, Andy Cree. At this point, the band’s manager, Martin Onrot, changed their name to Chimo! and signed a recording deal with Revolver Records. At the end of 1969, the group released its debut single, "Quicksilver Woman", a David Clayton Thomas song from the Bossmen days.
The band opened the second day of the famous Festival Express show, held at CNE Stadium on June 28, 1970 and also appeared at the Midsummer Night Rock Festival at Michigan State Fairground in Detroit on July 4 alongside Alice Cooper, The Rotary Connection and others.
Following the release of the band’s album in November 1970, Andy Cree left (later to do sessions for the likes of David Wiffen and spend several years with Anne Murray's band) and was replaced by former member Pat Little, who had spent the interim doing sessions for Van Morrison, Peter, Paul & Mary and playing with a reformed Luke & The Apostles. The new line up was responsible for one lone single, Little’s “In The Sea”.
[edit] After disbanding
However, the group’s career was flagging and in mid-1971 Raby dropped out followed shortly afterwards by Collacott. At this point, Little also departed to join Heaven and Earth for two singles before forming Flag, while LeBoeuf joined a reformed Motherlode.
[edit] Recordings
- 45 Quicksilver Woman c/w Day After Day (Revolver 006) 1969
- 45 Silken Silver Melody c/w Lonely Girl (Revolver 009) 1970
- 45 In The Sea c/w Cross Country Man (Revolver 1070) 1971
- LP Chimo! (Revolver 503) 1970
[edit] Sources
- "1,500 rock groups in search of smash records", Toronto Telegram, September 17 1970, page 33
- Bill Munson’s sleeve for Chimo! CD on Pacemaker
- Interview with Breen LeBoeuf, 2004
