Mike McKenna

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Mike McKenna is a professional Canadian rock / blues guitarist and legendary for his electric slide guitar playing. He is currently the title performer of the Mike McKenna Band.

[edit] History

Guitarist Mike McKenna (born on April 15, 1946 in Toronto, Canada) began playing professionally in the early 1960s in Yorkville where he formed the group Luke & The Apostles. McKenna was one of the first Toronto rock guitar players to play a Gibson Les Paul hollow body through 200 watt Marshall Plexi stacks while most rock musicians were still playing solid bodies (for example Stratocasters and Telecasters). Luke and the Apostles were asked to open for Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead for a week long stint at Toronto's O'Keefe Centre in the early - mid 60's. Jerry Garcia apparently liked the sound of McKenna's Les Paul so much he bought it (reportedly it's the black Les Paul Garcia once posed with when he was being photgraphed for Rolling Stone magazine). An invitation to visit New York to open with the Dead followed and the Apostles recorded a single for Elektra Records (produced by The Doors' Paul Rothchild). Unfortunately inconclusive contract negotiations and conflicting priorities saw the band returning to Canada and eventually disbanding. (Paul Rothchild reportedly said the Luke and The Apostles material was the "greatest album he never made"). Back in Canada and a couple of years later, a newspaper ad put Mike in touch with Joe Mendelson, leading to the formation of the McKenna Mendelson Mainline (later known simply as Mainline), releasing the album McKenna Mendelson Blues (recorded in Canada) and the landmark album Stink (recorded in the UK). "Stink" garnered considerable success in England and throughout Europe and the band returned to Canada to critical and popular acclaim. Known largely as a premiere slide guitar player, McKenna has been with a number of notable groups throughout the years since then, including tenure with Downchild Blues Band(one of actor / comedian Dan Aykroyd's favourite bands), Diamondback, and The Guess Who (replacing Domenic Troiano on guitar). In the 90's he formed Slidewinder with saxophone player Ronnie Jacobs and recorded a self-titled CD in 1997.

When Toronto's internationally known El Mocambo Tavern closed its doors for the last time on November 4th, 2001, McKenna and the original Mainline members (sans Joe Mendelson) reformed to perform and entered Toronto's rock history as the last band to grace the El Mo's famous upstairs stage.

Mike is currently rehearsing and recording with the orignal members of Diamondback. There are plans to release the Diamondback album originally recorded in 1974 (but never released) as a re-mastered CD in the summer / fall of 2008. Mike also continues to play regularly headlining The Mike McKenna Band, and appearing as "the special guest artist" with many local bands in the central / southern Ontario club circuit. He is also working on original material for a new CD.

Official Mike McKenna website

discography

SINGLES •
with LUKE & THE APOSTLES
1967 Been Burnt c/w Don’t Know Why (Bounty 45105)
1967 Been Burnt c/w Don’t Know Why (Elektra 45105)
1970 You Make Me High c/w Not Far Off (TN 101)
1970 You Make Me High c/w You Make Me High (TN 102)

as MCKENNA MENDELSON MAINLINE
You Better Watch Out/ She's Alright (Liberty/United Artists - UK)
1969 Don't Give Me No Goose For Christmas/Beltmaker (Liberty/United Artists - UK)

as MAINLINE
1971 Get Down To/Pedalictus Rag (GRT)

ALBUMS •
as MCKENNA MENDELSON MAINLINE
1969 Stink (Liberty/United Artists)
1969 McKenna Mendelson Mainline Blues (Paragon/Allied)
1996 McKenna Mendelson Mainline Blues [CD re-issue] (Pacemaker)

as MAINLINE
1971 Canada Our Home & Native Land (GRT)
1972 The Mainline Bump 'n' Grind Revue
1973 No Substitute
1994 Stink (Capitol-EMI / re-issue)
2002 Last Show @ The Elmo (Bullseye)

as MIKE McKENNA
1996 Mike McKenna and Slidewinder (Pacemaker Records)
2007 Mike Mckenna Band "Live Bootleg"- Indie

with /DIAMONDBACK
Original cd (recorded 1974) for upcoming release (Pacemaker Records)

with DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND
1987 It's Been So Long (Stony Plain)

with VARIOUS ARTISTS (COMPILATIONS)
1998 North Of Watford Volume 3: 24 RARE POP &
SOUL CLASSICS 1966 - 1992 (KRL) - track - "She's Alright"
197-? Steps ... From Anywhere (LIBERTY) - track - "Better Watch Out"