Harlequin (band)
| Harlequin | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Winnipeg, MB, Canada |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active |
1975–1986 2004–present |
| Labels | Epic |
| Website | http://www.harlequintheband.com |
| Members |
George Belanger Derrick Gottfried AJ Chabidon Nik Rivers |
| Past members |
John Hannah John White Denton Young Glen Willows David Budzak Ralph James Gary Golden Darren Moore |
Harlequin is a Canadian rock band that formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1975 and lasted until the mid-1980s. The band is best known for their hit singles "I Did It For Love," "Thinking of You," "Superstitious Feeling," and "Innocence."[1]
In 2004, the band reformed briefly as Harlequin II, and in 2007 the band resurfaced under their original name and released a live album, On/Q Live, in 2009.
History
In 1975, Winnipeg bassist Ralph James formed Harlequin upon recruiting vocalist George Belanger, guitarist Glen Willows, keyboardist Gary Golden, and drummer David Budzak.[2] The band began recording demos and travelling to Toronto to perform in the local bars and clubs. It was in one of these small bars in Toronto that Harlequin were discovered by representatives of Jack Douglas, the producer of Aerosmith, John Lennon, and Patti Smith, after they tried to see another band in a larger bar downstairs, but could not gain admittance due to a sell-out crowd.[3]
Douglas helped get Harlequin signed to CBS/Epic Records records in 1979, and later that year that band released their first LP, Victim of a Song, which went Gold, and received heavy radio play, particularly in Western Canada. The band's second release, Love Crimes (1980) wielded two hits, "Thinking Of You," and "Innocence," Harlequin's biggest hit to date. Harlequin's third album One False Move (1982) wielded two more hits, "Superstitious Feeling," and "I Did It For Love." The first three albums together locked Harlequin in as a staple on Canadian rock radio, and they released a compilation album, Radio Romances in 1984.[3]
For their self-titled fourth studio album, Harlequin replaced Douglas with The Fixx bassist Alfie Agius as their producer. Harlequin (1985), produced only one single, "Take this Heart."[3] In 1986, Harlequin released their Greatest Hits album, and disbanded shortly thereafter. By the time the band stopped touring in 1986, Willows had been replaced by John Hannah, Golden had been replaced by John White, and Budzak had been replaced by Denton Young.[2]
In 2004, some members of the band reformed temporarily under the name of Harlequin II, and in 2006, the band was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Western Canadian Music Awards.[4]
In 2007 Belanger reformed Harlequin with an entirely different lineup of musicians, including guitarist Derrick Gottfried, bassist Nik Rivers, keyboardist Darren Moore, and drummer AJ Chabidon. This lineup released Waking the Jester (2007), which contained two singles, "Shine On," and "Rise." The band resumed touring and in 2009 released Harlequin's first live album, Live On/Q.[3]
The band continues to tour mostly within Canada, performing frequently around the country.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Track listing |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Victim of a Song | 1 Sweet Things In Life 2 Survive 3 What's Your Name 4 Victim Of A Song 5 You Are The Light 6 Who Knows (What A Love Can Do) 7 Shame Shame 8 Turn Around 9 Barely Alive |
| 1980 | Love Crimes | 1 Innocence 2 Love on the Rocks 3 Thinking of You 4 It's All Over Now 5 Heaven (Dial 999) 6 Sayin' Goodbye to the Boys 7 Wait for the Night 8 Crime of Passion 9 Can't Hold Back |
| 1982 | One False Move | 1 I Did It For Love 2 Hard Road 3 Shame If you Leave Me 4 Say Goodnight 5 Ready to Love Again 6 Fine Line 7 Heart Gone Cold 8 Heavy Talk 9 Superstitious Feeling 10 It's A Woman You Need |
| 1985 | Harlequin | |
| 2007 | Waking the Jester |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Radio Romances |
| 1986 | Harlequin's Greatest Hits |
Live albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Live On/Q |
Singles
| Year | Song Title |
|---|---|
| 1979 | "Survive" |
| 1980 | "Sweet Things in Life" |
| 1980 | "Innocence" |
| 1981 | "Thinking of You" |
| 1982 | "Superstitious Feeling" |
| 1982 | "I Did It For Love" |
| 1984 | "Take This Heart" |
| 1986 | "It's No Mystery" |
| 2007 | "Shine On" |
| 2007 | "Rise" |
References
- ↑ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0001538
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p18117
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 http://www.harlequintheband.com/history.html
- ↑ List of Artistic Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, 2006; www.westerncanadianmusicawards.ca.
- ↑ http://www.harlequintheband.com/tour.html