Five Man Electrical Band
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | The Staccatos (1963–1968) |
| Founded | 1969 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Headquarters | Ottawa , Canada |
| Products | Rock music, albums, singles |
| Website | www |
The Five Man Electrical Band—initially known as The Staccatos from 1963 until 1968—is a rock group originating from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They secured multiple hits within Canada, including top 10 singles such as "Half Past Midnight" (1967, under The Staccatos), "Absolutely Right" (1971), and "I'm a Stranger Here" (1972). Globally, their most recognized track remains the 1971 single "Signs".
Early achievements as The Staccatos (1963–1968)
Established in Ottawa in 1963, The Staccatos originally featured vocalist Dean Hagopian, guitarist Vern Craig, bassist Brian Rading, and singer/drummer Rick Bell. After Hagopian left, Les Emmerson joined as both vocalist and guitarist, emerging as the chief songwriter while sharing lead vocal duties with Bell.
Their first singles appeared in 1965, penned by Craig and Emmerson. Upon signing with Capitol Records Canada, the release "Small Town Girl" climbed into the Canadian top 20. The 1966 debut album Initially combined these early successes with fresh compositions.
In 1966, Mike Bell was added as a second drummer and vocalist. The group’s biggest Canadian hit at that time was "Half Past Midnight," which peaked at number eight. By this period, Emmerson had taken over most songwriting responsibilities. In 1968, they issued A Wild Pair, a split album featuring one side by The Staccatos and the other by The Guess Who?.
Later singles under Capitol and Tower Records had diminished impact domestically and did not chart in the United States. To revitalize their sound, keyboardist Ted Gerow joined late in 1968 while Vern Craig exited shortly thereafter.
During sessions for their sophomore album, producer Nick Venet recommended a name change due to The Staccatos’ outdated image. Bassist Rading suggested "Five Man Electrical Band," inspired by a song written by Emmerson. This new identity was adopted, with a self-titled album released in early 1969.
Transformation into Five Man Electrical Band (1969–1975)
Their single "It Never Rains On Maple Lane" saw moderate success in Canada; its B-side "Private Train" reached number 37 on the charts. This album blended fresh material with earlier recordings from their Staccatos era and performed comparably well in Canada. After follow-up singles failed to chart, the band ended their contract with Capitol in 1969 and relocated back to Ottawa from Los Angeles.
Subsequently, they resumed work in Los Angeles through collaborations with Dallas Smith’s Renaissance Productions and Canopy—a company co-owned by songwriter Jimmy Webb. Although demos were recorded during this period, no immediate releases emerged. By November 1969, Canopy secured a deal with MGM Records; MGM placed the track "Moonshine (Friend Of Mine)" in the film The Moonshine War featuring Alan Alda.
MGM issued the 1970 album Good-byes and Butterflies, which sparked minor controversy due to marijuana imagery on its cover art; it was withdrawn and reissued with alternate artwork. The single "Hello Melinda, Goodbye," backed by "Signs," failed commercially, leading MGM to drop the group and prompting their return to Ottawa.
Dallas Smith then established connections with Clive Fox and Lionel, LLC—a model railroading equipment manufacturer—and helped launch Lionel Records. In February 1971, MGM transferred rights to Lionel Entertainment Corporation, which re-released Good-byes and Butterflies and promoted "Signs" as the lead single in May of that year.
"Signs" rapidly gained popularity, reaching number four in Canada, number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and holding the top spot in Australia for nearly two months. It sold over one million copies and received a gold certification from the RIAA in August 1971.
Following hits included "Absolutely Right" (number three in Canada, number 26 in the U.S.), "Money Back Guarantee" (number 17 Canada, number 72 U.S.), and "Werewolf" (number 28 Canada, number 64 U.S.), all written by Emmerson. The band maintained consistent touring outside their home country.
January 1972 saw the release of Coming Of Age, their third album under Five Man Electrical Band. That year also marked Emmerson’s solo debut as he shifted focus toward studio projects rather than live performances.
During sessions for their 1973 album Sweet Paradise, Mike Bell (Michael Belanger) departed; bassist Brian Rading exited near completion as well. Joe LaManno (bass) and John Raines (drums) joined to finalize the record, which featured tracks like "I'm A Stranger Here", achieving their highest Canadian chart position at number two but only reaching number 76 in the United States.
Emmerson, Gerow, and Rick Belanger continued with new personnel through 1974–75 but released singles that met limited success beyond Canada. Rick Belanger left in 1974 leaving Emmerson and Gerow as the sole consistent members of what was ironically called a “Five Man” band.
After modest results from the 1975 single "Johnny Get A Gun," which peaked at number 69 in Canada, Emmerson and Gerow decided to dissolve Five Man Electrical Band.
Reunions
During the mid-1970s, Les Emmerson embarked on a solo path and established the Emmerson Electrical Band alongside Brian Rading. Concurrently, he worked with The Cooper Brothers.
In 1986, the Five Man Electrical Band regrouped with all founding members for a charity event benefiting the Children's Wish Foundation, held at the Ottawa Civic Centre. Although this reunion was planned as a single occurrence, it evolved into an annual series of performances predominantly across Canada. The band's lineup saw several adjustments: Rick Belanger departed in 1997 and was succeeded by Steve Hollingworth in 1998; Wes Reed became part of the group in 2001; Ross McRae (also known as Brian Sim) took on guitar duties; Brian Rading retired in 2004 and was replaced by Rick Smithers; Mike Belanger exited in 2013. By that time, only Emmerson and Ted Gerow remained from the original ensemble.
Emmerson maintained ownership of their recordings, authorizing numerous greatest hits collections. Their signature track "Signs" gained renewed attention through Tesla's 1990 cover and Fatboy Slim's 2005 sampling. In 2014, the band issued "Signs 4 Change," a modern rendition focused on climate change themes, produced by Eddie Kramer and featuring guest appearances including Lawrence Gowan from Styx.
Brian Rading, bassist and co-founder, passed away from cancer at age 69 in June 2016. Les Emmerson died due to complications related to COVID-19 at age 77 in December 2021. Following Emmerson’s passing, the band carried on with Mike Crepin handling vocals and guitar. After Ted Gerow retired in 2022 and Allen Wilmore joined on keyboards, no original members remain active.
Members
- Les Emmerson – Vocals, Guitar (1969–1975, 1986–2021)
- Brian Rading – Bass, Backing Vocals (1969–1973, 1986–2004)
- Rick 'Bell' Belanger – Drums, Percussion, Vocals (1969–1974, 1986–1997)
- Mike 'Bell' Belanger – Drums, Vocals (1969–1973, 1986–2013)
- Ted Gerow – Keyboards, Backing Vocals (1969–1975, 1986–2022)
- Vern Craig – Guitar, Vocals (special guest at 1986 reunion)
- Steve Hollingworth – Drums, Percussion, Vocals (1998–present)
- Wes Reed – Percussion (2001–present)
- Ross McRae – Guitar (2002–2007)
- Rick Smithers – Bass (2004–present)
- Brian Sim – Guitar (2007–present)
- Mike Crepin – Guitar, Vocals (2021–present)
- Allen Wilmore – Keyboards (2022–present)
as The Staccatos
- 1966 – Initially
- 1968 – A Wild Pair (split album featuring one side by The Guess Who and the other by The Staccatos)
as Five Man Electrical Band
- 1969 – Five Man Electrical Band (contains tracks initially released as singles by The Staccatos in 1967/68)
- 1970 – Good-byes and Butterflies (#52 Canada, #148 US Billboard)
- 1972 – Coming of Age (#49 Canada, #199 US Billboard)
- 1973 – Sweet Paradise (#66 Canada)
Compilation albums
- 1975 – The Power of the Five Man Electrical Band: Their Greatest Hits!
- 1995 – Absolutely Right: The Best of Five Man Electrical Band
- 2008 – Half Past Midnight: The Staccatos and Beyond (CD reissue of the 1969 Capitol LP plus singles by The Staccatos)
- 2009 – The Staccatos / Five Man Electrical Band: First Sparks (The Anthology 1965–1969) (two-CD collection including key singles and previously unreleased material)
as The Staccatos
| Year | Track | Canada | U.S. Hot 100 |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "It Isn't Easy" | - | Non-album single | |
| "Small Town Girl" | 20 | - | Initially | |
| "Move to California" | 26 | - | ||
| 1966 | "It's a Long Way Home" | 22 | - | |
| "C'mon Everybody" | 20 | - | Non-album singles | |
| "Let's Run Away" | 35 | - | ||
| 1967 | "Half Past Midnight" | 8 | - | Five Man Electrical Band |
| "Catch the Love Parade" | 28 | - | Non-album singles | |
| "She Fancies Herself a Lady" | - | |||
| 1968 | "Walker Street" | "65" | " - " | |
| "Didn't Know the Time" | "59" | " - " | "Five Man Electrical Band" |
as Five Man Electrical Band
| Year | Track | Canada | AUS | U.S. Hot 100 |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "It Never Rains On Maple Lane" | "67" | " - " | " - " | Five Man Electrical Band |
| "Private Train" | "37" | " - " | " - " | ||
| "Lovin' Look" | "" | " - " | " - " | Non-album singles | |
| "Sunrise to Sunset" | "56" | " - " | " - " | ||
| "Riverboat" | "" | " - " | " - " | ||
| 1970 | "Moonshine (Friend of Mine)" | "56" | " - " | " - " | Good-byes and Butterflies |
| "Hello Melinda, Goodbye" | "55" | " - " | " - " | ||
| 1971 | "Signs" | "4" | "5" | "3" | Coming of Age |
| "Absolutely Right" | "3" | "59" | "26" | ||
| 1972 | "Julianna" | "17" | " - " | ||
| "The Devil and Miss Lucy (Country Girl)" | "65" | " - " | " - " | ||
| "Money Back Guarantee" | "17" | " - " | "72" | Sweet Paradise | |
| "I'm a Stranger Here" | "2" | " - " | "76" | ||
| "Baby Wanna Boogie" | "77" | " - " | " - " | ||
| "Werewolf" | "28" | " - " | "64" | Non-album singles | |
| "Johnny Get a Gun" | "69" | " - " | " - " |