Edward Bear

For the song by The Damned, see Edward the Bear. For the bear, see Winnie the Pooh.

Edward Bear was a Toronto-based Canadian pop-rock group, formed originally in 1966 by Larry Evoy and Craig Hemming. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1969 with a lineup of Evoy, Danny Marks and Paul Weldon. Marks left the band the following year and was succeeded by Roger Ellis. The band had several chart successes in the early 1970s before disbanding in 1974. Their name is derived from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, whose "proper" name is Edward Bear. Their top selling singles include "You, Me and Mexico", "Last Song", and "Close Your Eyes", all three of which were Top 5 hits in Canada and charted well in the United States.

Career

The band had its biggest hit in 1972, when "Last Song" charted at #1 in Canada and peaked at #3 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[1] It was awarded a gold disc in March 1973 for selling over one million copies by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1] By then, the band's original line up had split up. Evoy remained as the primary songwriter and creative force throughout the band's career, rebuilding the band twice, until it finally was disbanded in 1974.

They won a Juno Award in 1973 for outstanding group performance.

Evoy, who briefly embraced Scientology in 1973, went on to a solo career, but is currently retired from live performance and running a small recording studio. Marks has continued a successful career as a blues guitarist and radio host. Weldon performs with a jazz combo and teaches at Seneca College in Toronto. Bill Loop, bassist in the early 1970s, resides in Southwestern Ontario and plays locally with various session musicians. He also teaches guitar.

Discography

Albums

"You Me & Mexico" (U.S. #68, Canada #3[2]), "Fool", "Cinder", "Woodwinds", "Hideaway", "Mind Police", "Toe Jam", "Sinking Ship", "Every Day"

"Four Months Out To Africa", "Chris' Song", "You Can't Deny It", "Pickering Tower", "T-1 Blues", "Pirate King", "Long Forgotten Day", "Monday"

"Last Song" (U.S. #3, Canada #1 for two weeks;[3] Canada AC #1, U.S. AC #1 for two weeks), "Private School Girls", "Fly Across The Sea", "Edgware Station", "Cachet County", "Masquerade", "Back Home Again", "Best Friend", "Ease Me Down", "Black Pete"

"Close Your Eyes" (U.S. #37, Canada #3 for two weeks), "Some Sunny Day", "I Love Her (You Love Me)", "Nowhere Is Karen Around", "Does Your Mother Know", "Fool", "What You Done", "Walking On Back", "Haven't You Touched Him", "All The Lights Were Shining"

"You Me & Mexico", "Fly Across The Sea", "Masquerade", "Last Song", "Close Your Eyes", "Fool", "Same Old Feeling", "Freedom For The Stallion", "On & On", "God Bless Now", "I Had Dreams", "She Loves A Parade", "You & I", "Not Dreaming About You", "You Can't Deny It"

Singles

Year Song Canada rank USA rank Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart U.S. Adult Contemporary
1970 "You, Me and Mexico" 3 68 27 -
"You Can't Deny It" 16 - - -
1971 "Spirit Song" 86 - - -
1972 "Fly Across the Sea" 18 - - -
"Masquerade" 7 - 16 -
"Last Song" 1 3 1 1
1973 "Close Your Eyes" 3 37 4 -
"Walking on Back" 33 115 - -
"Coming Home Christmas" - - - -
1974 "Same Old Feeling" 36 - - -
"Freedom for the Stallion" 20 - - -

Band members

References

  1. 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 308. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  2. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  3. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-26.

External links

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