Motherlode (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 in London, Ontario, Canada |
| Headquarters | London, Ontario , Canada |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Motherlode was a Canadian pop rock ensemble established in 1969 in London, Ontario. The band gained notable commercial acclaim with their hit single, "When I Die," which climbed to the top position in Canada and reached number 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1969. Interestingly, the group did not feature a dedicated bass guitarist; instead, William Smith performed bass parts on his keyboard, although session bass players were employed during studio sessions.
Although two additional singles by Motherlode charted within the Canadian top 100, the band remained primarily recognized as a one-hit wonder.
Formation and early period
The origins of the band date back to 1964 at the Blue Note club, where Steve Kennedy performed with The Silhouettes and collaborated with vocalist Dianne Brooks. William "Smitty" Smith connected with Kennedy at this venue, leading to plans for assembling a backing band for Brooks.
In 1966, they created The Soul Searchers (officially Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and The Soul Searchers), which included Eric "Mouse" Johnson on drums and vocals, Kennedy handling saxophones and backing vocals, Terry Logan on guitar and vocals, and Smith on Hammond B3 organ and vocals. Their inaugural performance took place at Toronto’s Memory Lane.
Following Kennedy’s departure from The Soul Searchers—succeeded by saxophonist Glen McDonnell—both he and Smith joined Grant Smith & The Power, a group previously linked to David Clayton Thomas. Kennedy became part of the band in April 1968; Smith joined in September. They participated in the recording of the debut album Keep On Running, released late in 1968, alongside Wayne Stone (drums) and Kenny Marco (guitar). However, dissatisfaction grew due to an emphasis on cover songs and limited commercial traction.
Creation of Motherlode
In 1969, Smith, Kennedy, and others formed Motherlode and relocated to London, Ontario, where they initially faced challenges. Their first appearance at the Image Club resulted in Mort Ross signing them to Revolver Records that same year. Approximately 25 tracks were recorded during studio sessions.
Their debut single, "When I Die", produced by Doug Riley and Terry Brown, initially received minimal radio attention in Canada. Nevertheless, a reciprocal agreement with Buddah Records in the United States propelled it to success, reaching number 18 on U.S. charts and topping Canadian charts at number one, with over half a million copies sold.
Dianne Brooks contributed both the track "Memories of a Broken Promise" and background vocals on Motherlode’s When I Die album. Additionally, Motherlode provided instrumental support on Brooks’ album Another Kind Of Soul. Session bassist Carol Kaye played bass and some acoustic guitar parts; Dave Young contributed bass on one track.
Motherlode appeared at the "Freak Out" festival near Orangeville alongside prominent acts such as Lighthouse and The Guess Who.
Disbandment and lineup changes
The original ensemble dissolved in December 1969; their second album, Tapped Out, recorded earlier, was released posthumously exclusively in the U.S. Former members Steve Kennedy, Ken Marco, and Wayne Stone joined Dr. Music based in Toronto. The album featured "Black Cat," which was later sampled by Gang Starr.
- Second iteration
Revolver Records retained ownership of the Motherlode name and reassembled the band with William Smith plus three new African American musicians: Doug Richardson (saxophone), Anthony Shinault (guitar), and Philip Wilson (drums). Mort Ross produced fresh recordings; their single "Dear Old Daddy Bill" reached number 20 on Canada’s MAPL chart.
Their subsequent single "I'm So Glad You're You (And Not Me)" backed with "Whipoorwill," produced by Mort Ross, was distributed via Revolver and Buddah labels in 1970. It entered the Top 50 MAPL Canadian chart at position 50, peaking at number 33 before falling off. However, it failed to achieve commercial success in the U.S.
This lineup remained active for roughly seven months.
- Third and fourth versions
Revolver’s president Mort Ross recruited Gord Waszek from Leigh Ashford to compose material for a third incarnation of Motherlode. They recorded "All That's Necessary," featuring Breen LeBoeuf (vocals), Mike Levine (bass), Waszek himself, along with other members from Leigh Ashford. The B-side was "My Chant," a retitled track originally from Tapped Out.
By December 1970, Motherlode reassembled under Mike Levine’s leadership with Wayne St. John (vocals), Kieran Overs (guitar), Wally Cameron (drums), and Newton Garwood (keyboards). Despite touring across Ontario and attracting significant interest from American audiences, they were unable to replicate their earlier success. The group secured Canadian representation through R.A.M. and Concept 376 agencies but disbanded following an unsuccessful record release.
- Fifth version
In March 1971, a fifth iteration of Motherlode emerged from members of Montreal’s Natural Gas: Dave Berman (saxophone), Brian Dewhurst (drums), Gerry Legault (bass/vocals), Joey Roberts aka Joey Miquelon (guitar), and Brian Wray (keyboards). This lineup did not produce recordings under the Motherlode name and ultimately joined Truck alongside Graham Lear.
Later years
In 1976, the original lineup of Motherlode reunited to record "Happy People." However, due to legal complications regarding the band name, the track was ultimately released as a solo effort by Kenny Marco. Later, in November 1989, the group performed live at Toronto's Bluenote club, billing themselves once again as Motherlode. The following year, they laid down eight new tracks that have yet to be made public. Additionally, in 1990, RPM Weekly reported that William Smith and Motherlode were scheduled to appear on CBC Television's Supathon '90.
Breen LeBoeuf relocated to Montreal in 1978 where he joined the band Offenbach and went on to produce three solo albums. He spent two years touring as bassist and backing vocalist for Celine Dion before becoming a member of Canadian rock group April Wine in 2007, taking over from Jim Clench.
Kennedy became part of the Canadian ensemble Lighthouse, making his debut with them during a reunion concert at Ontario Place in 1982.
William "Smitty" Smith pursued work as a session musician, contributing to Eric Mercury's album Funky Sounds Nurtured In The Fertile Soil, Mark Tanner's No Escape, and Rickie Lee Jones' Flying Cowboys. He also released a solo album titled Smitty, which included the song "Sweetie Pie," co-written with Mercury. Smith passed away in 1997 at age 53 due to a heart attack.
Newton Garwood exited the professional music scene by the mid-1970s and took on a management role at Toronto's Long & McQuade musical instrument retail chain. He died from cancer in 2005.
Personnel
- Original members
- Steve Kennedy – saxophone, harmonica, vocals
- Ken Marco – guitar, vocals
- William "Smitty" Smith – keyboards, vocals
- Wayne Stone – drums
Guest musicians
- Dianne Brooks – background vocals
- Carol Kaye – bass, acoustic guitar
- Dave Young – bass
- Paul "Mickey" Callum – congas
- Andy Cree – percussion
- Later members
- Doug Richardson – saxophone (succeeded Steve Kennedy in 1970)
- Anthony Shinault – Guitar (took over from Ken Marco in 1970)
- Philip Wilson – drums (replaced Wayne Stone in 1970)
- Wally Cameron – drums (followed Philip Wilson in 1971)
- Newton Garwood – keyboards (replaced William Smitty Smith in 1971)
- Gord Waszek – guitar (succeeded Anthony Shinault in 1971)
- Dave Berman – saxophone
- Brian Dewhurst – drums
- Breen LeBoeuf – Vocals
- Gerry Legault – Bass, Vocals
- Mike Levine – Bass
- Kieran Overs – guitar
- Joey Roberts (Miquelon) – Guitar
- Wayne St. John – Vocals
- Brian Wray – Keyboards
Timeline
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width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(12,–4) bar:Steve Kennedy from:start till:15/12/1969 color:sx bar:Steve Kennedy from:start till:15/12/1969 color:voc width:3 bar:Doug Richardson from:15/01/1970 till:15/06/1970 color:sx bar:Dave Berman from:15/03/1971 till:end color:sx bar:Breen LeBoeuf from:01/08/1970 till:01/12/1970 color:voc bar:Wayne St John from:01/12/1970 till:01/02/1971 color:voc bar:Ken Marco from:start till:15/12/1969 color:g bar:Ken Marco from:start till:15/12/1969 color:voc width:3 bar:Anthony Shinault from:15/01/1970 till:15/06/1970 color:g bar:Gord Waszek from:01/08/1970 till:01/12/1970 color:g bar:Kieran Owens from:01/12/1970 till:01/02/1971 color:g bar:Joey Roberts (Miquelon) from:15/03/1971 till:end color:g bar:William Smitty Smith from:start till:15/12/1969 color:key bar:William Smitty Smith from:start till:15/12/1969 color:voc width:3 bar:William Smitty Smith from:15/01/1970 till:15/06/1970 color:key bar:William Smitty Smith from:15/01/1970 till:15/06/1970 color:voc width:3 bar:Newton Garwood from:01/08/1970 till:01/02/1971 color:key bar:Brian Wray from:15/03/1971 till:end color:key bar:Mike Levine from:01/08/1970 till:01/02/1971 color:b bar:Gerry Legault from:15/03/1971 till:end color:b bar:Gerry Legault from:15/03/1971 till:end color:voc width:3 bar:Wayne Stone from:start till:15/12/1969 color:dr bar:Philip Wilson from:15/01/1970 till:15/06/1970 color:dr bar:Wally Cameron from:01/08/1970 till:01/02/1971 color:dr bar:Brian Dewhurst from:15/03/1971 till:end color:dr
</timeline>
Discography Canada
| Performer | Title | Label and Catalogue | Release Year | Chart Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherlode | "When I Die" / "Hard Life" | Revolver REVS 002 | 1969 | (#1 RPM CAN) (#5 CHUM CAN) |
| Motherlode | "Memories Of A Broken Promise" / "What Does It Take" | Revolver/Apex REVS 004 | 1969 | (#25 CAN CHUM) (#40 CAN RPM) |
| Motherlode | "Dear Old Daddy Bill" / "Living Life" | Revolver REVS 005 | 1970 | (#69 CAN) |
| Motherlode | "I'm So Glad You're You (And Not Me)" / "Whipoorwill" | Revolver REVS 008 | 1970 | |
| Motherlode | "All That's Necessary" / "Chant" | Revolver 75-1046 (REVS 011) |
1971 | |
| Kenny Marco | "Happy People" / "Happy People (Instrumental)" | Quality 2197X | 1976 | Issued under Kenny Marco's name due to legal constraints despite being a Motherlode track |
| Performer | Album Title | Label and Catalogue Number | Year Released | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherlode | When I Die | Revolver RLPS 501 | 1969 | |
| Motherlode | Tapped Out | Unidisc UBK-4198 | 2018 | CD reissue edition |
| Performer | Compilation Title(s) | Label and Catalogue Number | Year Issued | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherlode | When I Die/Tapped Out | Pacemaker Entertainment Limited PACE-007 | 1994 | Two albums combined on one CD reissue |
| Motherlode | The Best Of / When I Die | Unidisc AGEK-2246 | 2008 |
Discography USA
| Performer | Single Title | Label and Catalogue | Year | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherlode | "When I Die" / "Hard Life" | Buddah BDA 131 | 1969 | |
| Motherlode | "Memories Of A Broken Promise" / "What Does It Take" | Buddah BDA 144 | 1969 | |
| Motherlode | "I'm So Glad You're You And Not Me" / "Whippoorwill" | Buddah BDA 185 | 1970 | |
| Jim Weatherly / Motherlode | "The Need To Me" / "When I Die" | Collectables B 3535 Back To Back Hit Series |
||
| Motherlode | "When I Die" / "Hard Life" | Radio Active Gold RD-18 |
| Performer | Track Listing | Label and Catalogue Number | Release Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherlode | "A1. Dear Old Daddy Bill A2. Memories Of A Broken Promise B1. Oh! See The White Light B2. You Ain't Lookin' In The Right Place Baby" |
Buddah Records SP 11 | 1969 | Promotional release |
| Performer | Album Name | Label and Catalogue | Year | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherlode | When I Die | Buddah Records BDS 5046 | 1969 | Peaked at No. 93 on the Billboard 200 |
| Motherlode | Tapped Out | Buddah Records BDS 5108 | 1970 |