Chalk Circle (Canadian band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1982 in Newcastle, Ontario, Canada |
| Founder | Chris Tait, Brad Hopkins, Tad Winklarz, Derrick Murphy |
| Headquarters | Newcastle, Ontario , Canada |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Chalk Circle was a Canadian alternative rock ensemble established in 1982 in Newcastle, Ontario. The founding members consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Tait, bassist Brad Hopkins, keyboardist Tad Winklarz, and drummer Derrick Murphy.
History
The group originally formed under the name The Casualties, featuring Hopkins and Tait alongside Terry Miller and Stani Veselinovic. They went through multiple name changes—including The Reactors and New Addition—before settling on Chalk Circle, a title inspired by Bertolt Brecht’s play The Caucasian Chalk Circle.
Following the release of their demo single "The World" (with "Black Pit" as the B-side) and a series of performances around Toronto, they earned the 1985 CASBY Award for Most Promising Non-Recording Group. After signing with Duke Street Records, their debut EP The Great Lake was issued in 1986, produced by Chris Wardman. This EP became Duke Street’s best-selling release at that time. It included popular tracks such as "April Fool" and "Me, Myself and I", which were accompanied by music videos aired on MuchMusic. This success led to a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Group in 1986.
Their 1987 album Mending Wall, named after the poem by Robert Frost, was recorded using digital technology and featured the Top 10 Canadian hit "This Mourning", a song reflecting on the nuclear political climate of the late 1980s. A subsequent re-release incorporated a cover of T-Rex’s "20th Century Boy", which also charted in Canada.
In 1989, Chalk Circle released their last studio album, As the Crow Flies, which produced singles like "Sons and Daughters" and "Together". The album included guest vocals from labelmate Jane Siberry on the track "Blue Heaven". Notably, engineer Michael Phillip Wojewoda received a Juno nomination for Best Recording Engineer in 1990 for his work on this project.
The band parted ways in 1990 due to creative disagreements. Following this, Chris Tait went on to create the indie band Big Faith with Fergus Marsh, Michael Sloski, and Ken Greer.
In 2006, Universal Music Group issued a greatest hits compilation for Chalk Circle as part of its 20th Century Masters collection. This release sparked a brief reunion during which the band rehearsed at Toronto’s Cherry Beach studios and performed a reunion concert at Lee’s Palace on June 17, 2006.
Further reunion appearances occurred between 2011 and 2015 in Toronto and Montreal, often with Jason Sniderman substituting on keyboards for Winklarz. Additionally, they took part in a breast cancer fundraising event on March 7, 2020. More recently, on July 29, 2023, Chalk Circle performed a reunion show in Chris Tait’s hometown to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Newcastle Community Hall.
Discography
| Year | Album details | RPM |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Great Lake Label: Duke Street Records |
40 |
| 1987 | Mending Wall Label: Duke Street Records |
24 |
| 1989 | As the Crow Flies Label: Duke Street Records |
78 |
| 2006 | The Best of Chalk Circle Label: Universal Music Group |
— |
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | |||
| 1985 | "The World" | — | non-album single |
| 1986 | "April Fool" | 21 | The Great Lake |
| "Me, Myself and I" | 92 | ||
| 1987 | "This Mourning" | 28 | Mending Wall |
| "20th Century Boy" | 44 | ||
| "N.I.M.B.Y." | — | ||
| 1989 | "Sons and Daughters" | — | As the Crow Flies |
| "Together" | — |