Fast Forward (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 in Vancouver, Canada |
| Headquarters | Vancouver , Canada |
Key people | Ian Lloyd, Bruce Fairbairn, Jim Vallance, Jimmy Lowell, Andrew Kirin, Patrick Mahassen |
| Products | Album: Living in Fiction |
Fast Forward was a Canadian musical group established in 1984 in Vancouver. The lineup included Ian Lloyd, previously the lead vocalist of Stories. The band produced a single album titled Living in Fiction.
History
Following the breakup of Stories in 1974, Ian Lloyd embarked on a solo path, issuing three albums from 1976 to 1980, such as Goosebumps and 3WC (Third Wave Civilization). Notably, 3WC contained Lloyd's rendition of "Straight from the Heart", released three years before Bryan Adams' own popular version. This album was co-produced by Bruce Fairbairn and featured contributions from Jim Vallance, Adams' frequent songwriting collaborator, who also played drums.
Several musicians involved in 3WC participated in the Fast Forward project launched in 1984. Initially planned as another solo album for Lloyd, it evolved into a band project at his suggestion. The recording sessions mainly included members of Bryan Adams' backing ensemble. Living in Fiction was co-produced by both Bruce Fairbairn and Ian Lloyd. Fairbairn additionally provided horn sections and background vocals alongside Jimmy Lowell (bass, synthesizers), Andrew Kirin (synthesizers), Patrick Mahassen (guitar, backing vocals), and Jim Vallance (credited as Rodney Higgs) on drums.
Jimmy Lowell had earlier been part of Spider, which featured Holly Knight and Anton Fig, releasing two albums in 1980 and 1981. Following Knight's departure to pursue a solo career, Lowell and other members formed Shanghai with keyboardist Beau Hill, producing one album in 1982 before disbanding. Guest appearances on Living in Fiction included guitarist Bob Rock and Beau Hill on keyboards and backing vocals; Hill also composed the album’s title track.
Fast Forward functioned mainly as a studio-based group. They produced one music video for "What's It Gonna Take" and performed live only once on Canadian radio. Due to modest commercial reception, the band disbanded shortly after their album launch.
Post-Fast Forward
After the dissolution of Fast Forward, Ian Lloyd resumed his solo endeavors. Bruce Fairbairn continued his career as a musician and record producer, notably overseeing Aerosmith's 1987 comeback album Permanent Vacation along with other significant projects. Fairbairn died unexpectedly at age 49 in 1999. Jim Vallance remained active as a songwriter and musician on various albums including those by Aerosmith, maintaining his collaborations with Bryan Adams.
Guitarist Patrick Mahassen co-authored a track for Loverboy and performed under the name Patrick Mason with Swiss hard rock groups Crown, Krokus, and China, serving as lead vocalist on the 1989 album Sign in the Sky. After ten years in the music industry, Mahassen shifted to a career in international communications, eventually becoming Switzerland resources director for Transparency International.
Andrew Kirin (born Andrew Krehel) gained recognition as a jazz accompanist and was part of the new wave ensemble The Jetsonz before passing away in 2007.