Crowbar (Canadian band)
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Hamilton , Canada |
| Products | Rock music, albums, singles |
Crowbar was a rock ensemble originating from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, primarily recognized for their 1971 chart-topping single "Oh, What a Feeling".
History
Between 1969 and 1970, the majority of the group members functioned as the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins under the name "And Many Others" before being released. Their debut album, Official Music, was recorded in 1970 and credited to "King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar". Although King Biscuit Boy departed later that year, he made occasional guest appearances.
In 1971, Crowbar captured a live session at Toronto’s Massey Hall, which was issued as a double album titled Larger than Life (and Live'r Than You've Ever Been). This event, co-produced by promoter Martin Onrot alongside radio station CHUM-FM, featured guest performances from members of Lighthouse, Dr. Music, and Everyday People, with King Biscuit Boy returning for select tracks. This release marked a milestone as the first live concert album by a Canadian band and was simultaneously aired on CHUM-FM.
That same year, Crowbar appeared at events including the Lord Beaverbrook Grand Ballroom in New Brunswick and celebrations commemorating Hamilton’s anniversary.
Thanks to Margaret Trudeau’s endorsement, Crowbar secured the opportunity to open for Pierre Trudeau’s 1972 re-election campaign rallies, notably at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. This exposure significantly enhanced their national recognition and attracted attention from A&M Records as well as Clive Davis. Nevertheless, their sophomore album did not achieve the commercial success of their debut, leading to the band's gradual decline.
The group ceased activities in 1975 but reunited in 1977 without Jozef Chirowski, who had joined Alice Cooper's band. Throughout the 1980s, Crowbar performed intermittently.
In more recent years, Crowbar has played shows in Hamilton, including an appearance during their 2011 induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Members
Throughout its existence, Crowbar included a wide array of musicians such as:
- King Biscuit Boy (Richard Newell) – vocals, harmonica, guitars
- Roly Greenway – bass guitar, vocals, percussion, guitars
- Kelly Jay (Blake Fordham) (1941–2019) – piano, vocals, harmonica, bass; notably featured on Rush's 1981 Moving Pictures album cover
- John Rutter – vocals (1970)
- Ed Charron – guitar (1973–1974)
- Richard Bell – keyboards (1970)
- Jozef Chirowski – organ, vocals, piano, flute, vibraphone, percussion
- Larry Atamanuik – drums (1970)
- Tim Nantais – bass guitar
- Sonnie Bernardi – drums and vocals
- Paul Nicholls – guitars
- Rheal Lanthier – guitars and vocals
- John Gibbard – guitars and vocals
- Sonny Del-Rio – saxophone
- Ray Harrison – piano and Hammond B3 organ
- John Dickie – vocals (2000)
- Russell Foreman – guitars
- Tim Thompson – drums (1978)
- Rick Waites (also known as Rock Watts) – bass guitar
- Terry Branagh – guitars
- Dwayne Pack – drums
- Paul Panchezak – drums (1984,1990)
Albums
Official Music (King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar) (1970, Daffodil; reissued 1996 by Stony Plain) (#40 Canada)
- Line-up
- King Biscuit Boy – vocals, harmonica, acoustic and slide guitars
- John "Greyhound" Gibbard – electric and slide guitars
- Rheal "Ray" Lanthier – electric guitars
- Kelly J. – piano and percussion
- Roly Greenway – bass guitar
- Larry Atamanuik – drums
- John R. – percussion
Bad Manors (1971, Daffodil SBA-16004) (#77 Canada)
- Line-up
- John "The Ghetto" Gibbard – lead and slide guitars, vocals
- Rheal Lanthier – lead guitar and vocals
- Jozef Chirowski – organ, vocals, piano
- Kelly Jay – piano and vocals
- Roly Greenway – bass guitar, vocals, percussion
- Sonnie Bernardi – drums and vocals
Larger than Life (and Live'r than You've Ever Been) (1971, Daffodil 2-SBA-16007), recorded live at Massey Hall (#13 Canada)
- Line-up
- John "Ghetto" Gibbard – electric guitar and vocals
- Rheal Lanthier – electric guitar and vocals
- Josef Chirowski – organ, vocals, piano, harmonica
- Kelly Jay – piano, vocals, harmonica, bass guitar
- Roland "Roly" Greenway – bass guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar
- Sonnie Bernardi – drums and vocals
Heavy Duty (1972, Daffodil SBA-16013) (#55 Canada)
- Line-up
- Rheal Lantier – lead and rhythm guitars with backing vocals
- John Gibbard – lead, rhythm and slide guitars with backing vocals
- Kelly Jay – piano along with lead and backing vocals
- Josef Chirowski – organ plus lead and backing vocals; also piano, flute and vibraphone
- Roly Greenway – bass guitar with lead and backing vocals; cowbell and tambourine
- Sonnie Bernardi – drums with backing vocals
KE32746 (1973, Epic KE-32746) (#37 Canada)
Crowbar Classics: Memories Are Made of This (1975, Daffodil SBA-16030)
Singles
- 1970 "Corrina, Corrina" (Daffodil) (credited as King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar), reached #29 in Canada
- 1970 "Uncle Pen" / "Roberta" (London 17385)
- 1971 "Oh What a Feeling" (Daffodil), peaked at #10 in Canada
- 1971 "Happy People" (Daffodil)
- 1972 "Too True Mama" (Daffodil), attained #60 in Canada
- 1972 "Dreams" (Daffodil)
- 1972 "Fly Away" (Daffodil), charted at #48 in Canada
- 1972 "Hey Baby" (Daffodil), reached #59 in Canada
- 1973 "Million Dollar Weekend" (Epic), climbed to #22 in Canada
- 1974 "All the Living Things" (Epic), peaked at #81 in Canada
- 1977 "Run, Run Rudolph" (Puck)