The Arrows (Canadian band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Dean McTaggart |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Arrows were a Canadian new wave group active during the 1980s, separate and unrelated to the British band also named Arrows.
Biography
Established in 1981 by lead vocalist and sole constant member Dean McTaggart, The Arrows debuted with the single "Treat Her Right" backed with "Come On Up" that same year. The following year, they released a four-track mini-album titled Misunderstood, recorded at Grant Avenue Studios and produced by Daniel Lanois.
In 1984, The Arrows secured a deal with A&M Records. Teaming up with producer and McTaggart’s frequent songwriting collaborator David Tyson, their first full-length album, Stand Back, gained nationwide recognition in Canada and included the top 40 single "Meet Me in the Middle". The album’s commercial success earned them the opportunity to support Chris de Burgh during his UK tour.
Their sophomore album, The Lines Are Open, arrived in October 1985 and featured well-received Canadian singles such as "Heart of the City", "Talk Talk", and "Chains". Despite this success, mounting pressure from management to deliver a major hit contributed to tensions within the band, which ultimately dissolved following a nationwide tour in 1986.
A greatest hits compilation, Talk Talk: The Best of The Arrows, was issued in 1995 through a German import label, compiling most tracks from their first two albums. Subsequently, both Stand Back and The Lines Are Open were re-released on CD in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
After the band’s breakup, McTaggart pursued a successful songwriting path, creating hits like "Heaven Help My Heart" for Wynonna Judd, co-writing "Unsung Hero" for Terri Clark, and crafting numerous charting songs for Amanda Marshall, including "Birmingham" and the Canadian Adult Contemporary number one "Dark Horse", which was also covered by Mila Mason.
1981 line-up
This ensemble recorded the debut single "Treat Her Right" b/w "Come On Up" in 1981:
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Drums and Percussion – Michael Sloski
- Keyboards – Gabor Szepesi
- Bass – Hendrik Rilk
- Guitars – Rusty McCarthy
1982 line-up
This group performed on the 1982 four-song mini-album Misunderstood:
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Drums and Percussion – Michael Sloski
- Keyboards – Rob Gusevs
- Bass – Hendrik Rilk
- Guitars – Rusty McCarthy
- Saxophone – Earl Seymour
1984 line-up
Personnel involved in recording the 1984 album Stand Back:
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Guitars – Doug Macaskill
- Keyboards – Rob Gusevs
- Saxophone – Earl Seymour
- Session musicians included:
- Bass – Peter Bleakney, Howard Ayee
- Drums – Michael Sloski, Gary Craig
- Percussion – Matt Zimbel
- Keyboards, Vocals – David Tyson
- Backing Vocals – Al Van Wart, Eddie Schwartz
1985 line-up
This configuration recorded the 1985 release The Lines Are Open:
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Keyboards – Rob Gusevs
- Saxophone – Earl Seymour
- Guitars – Doug Macaskill
- Bass – Glenn Olive
- Drums – Bobby Economou
- Additional session musicians featured:
- Alto Saxophone – Vernon Dorge
- Backing Vocals – Charity Brown, David Blamires, John Rutledge, Sharon Lee Williams, David Tyson
- Percussion – Memo Acevedo
- Trumpet – Rick Waychesko, Steve McDade
Studio albums
- Stand Back (1984), released under A&M Records
- The Lines Are Open (1985), issued by Avion Records
Compilation albums
- Talk Talk: The Best of The Arrows (1995), distributed by Long Island Records
EPs
- Misunderstood (1982), launched via Spontaneous Records
Singles
- "Treat Her Right" (1981), El Mocambo Records
- "Come On Up" (1981), El Mocambo Records
- "Lovelight" (1982), Spontaneous Records
- "If It's Love" (1982), Spontaneous Records
- "Meet Me in the Middle" (1984), A&M Records – reached #30 in Canada
- "Say It Isn't True" (1984), A&M Records
- "Never Be Another One" (1984), A&M Records
- "Girl in 313" (1984), A&M Records
- "Talk Talk" (1985), A&M Records – peaked at #47 in Canada
- "Easy Street" (1985), A&M Records
- "I Owe You" (1985), A&M Records
- "Heart of the City" (1986), A&M Records – attained #57 in Canada
- "Tell It To My Heart" (1986), A&M Records
- "Chains" (1986), A&M Records – reached #93 in Canada
- "Wild One" (1986), A&M Records