The Parachute Club

The Parachute Club
Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1982 in Toronto, Canada
Defunct	1989 (original), active 2005–2008, 2011–2014
Headquarters	Toronto, Canada
Products	Music albums and singles

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Parachute Club, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

The Parachute Club emerged as a Canadian musical group originating from Toronto in 1982. Between 1983 and 1987, they achieved three Canadian Top 40 singles, notably including "Rise Up", "At the Feet of the Moon," and "Love Is Fire," which featured guest vocals by John Oates. The band was a pioneer among mainstream Canadian pop artists in blending world music elements—particularly Caribbean genres such as reggae and soca—into their distinctive sound.

Often referred to as "The Chutes," the group dissolved following their tour supporting their third album, concluding with a final performance in the summer of 1988. A reassembled version, including four original members, performed live between 2005 and 2008, with another reunion spanning from 2011 to 2014.

Formation and early years (1982–1983)

The initial roster consisted of Lorraine Segato (vocals, guitar), Lauri Conger (keyboards, vocals), Billy Bryans (drums), Margo Davidson (saxophone, vocals), Julie Masi (percussion, vocals), Steve Webster (bass), and Dave Gray (guitar). At that time, Davidson was one of the few professional female saxophonists active. Segato, Conger, and Bryans had previously worked together in Mama Quilla II, a Toronto-based ensemble recognized for its fusion of musical innovation and social activism—qualities that carried over into The Parachute Club. Bryans also held a notable role as percussionist and producer associated with the Downchild Blues Band.

Segato and Bryans began working together in 1979. By 1982, both were involved with the Toronto group V during Mama Quilla II's break. In late summer of that year, Bryans received an invitation to perform at Toronto’s first-ever Festival of Festivals. As other V members were unavailable, he enlisted Segato and brought in Conger, Davidson, Gray, and Webster to establish a new band for the event. Following favorable audience response, they obtained management representation and secured a recording deal with Current Records. The addition of Jule Masi completed The Parachute Club’s lineup as Mama Quilla II officially disbanded.

Early success (1983–1984)

Produced by Daniel Lanois, who had engineered Mama Quilla II’s 1982 EP, The Parachute Club’s self-titled debut album was released in 1983. The band rapidly composed material for this project with lyrical assistance from poet and artist Lynne Fernie, who contributed as an honorary collaborator on all their albums despite not being an official member.

The lead single "Rise Up" earned the Canadian Juno Award for Single of the Year in 1984, while the band also received the Juno for Most Promising Group of The Year.

In 1983, bassist and co-writer Steve Webster departed to join Billy Idol. Russ Boswell served as his temporary replacement during tours before moving on to join Corey Hart’s band. Midway through 1984, Keir Brownstone—formerly with Bob Segarini—became the permanent bassist.

Their sophomore album, At the Feet of the Moon, released in October 1984 and produced by Michael Beinhorn, included the title track which became their second Canadian Top 40 hit.

Continued achievements (1985–1987)

In 1985, The Parachute Club earned the Juno Award for Group of the Year along with a CASBY award. That same year, they issued Moving Thru The Moonlight, a remix album.

Their third studio release, Small Victories (1986), featured their third Top 40 single, "Love is Fire," a collaboration with John Oates of Hall & Oates, who not only performed but also produced that track and several others on the album. The remainder of the album was co-produced by the band and Mike Jones. The following year, "Love Is Fire" was honored with the Juno Award for Video of the Year. After completing their tour, Julie Masi departed and was succeeded on stage by vocalist Rebecca Jenkins.

In 1987, the group contributed four compositions to both Canadian and American editions of the anime series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. That year also saw Lauri Conger leave the band, with Aaron Davis from jazz-fusion ensemble Manteca stepping in as a session keyboardist.

Decline and disbandment (1988–1989)

By 1988, The Parachute Club had become a five-member lineup consisting of Segato, Bryans, Gray, Davidson, and Brownstone. They recorded one last non-album single titled "Big Big World," produced by Bryans and featuring guest appearances from Aaron Davis on keyboards as well as vocalists Rebecca Jenkins, Holly Cole, and Micah Davis. Their final live shows occurred in July 1988 at Toronto's Ontario Place Forum, where Lauri Conger substituted for an ill Davis.

The original Parachute Club officially dissolved in early 1989. While members such as Lorraine Segato and Billy Bryans continued their careers in music professionally, others like Margo Davidson and Lauri Conger largely exited the industry. Davidson passed away in 2008 at age 50; she had shifted her focus to creative writing and community activism centered on homelessness, serving as director of St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society and working as an outreach coordinator at Eva's Phoenix.

In 2005, critic Greg Quill observed in the Toronto Star that no musical group encapsulated Toronto’s social transformations during the 1980s more effectively than Parachute Club, whose soca-inspired dance tunes communicated themes of sexual politics and optimism amidst detached political discourse.

Commercial use dispute (1998)

In 1998, Parachute Club’s track "Rise Up" was licensed by EMI Music Canada to McCain Foods Limited for use in a commercial promoting self-rising pizza dough. The band members publicly objected to this licensing arrangement, asserting that the advertisement undermined the song’s original message and harmed their reputations. A settlement followed that restored control of their music rights from EMI back to the band.

Reunion and resurgence (2005–2008, 2011–2014)

The Parachute Club regrouped in 2005 to resume live performances, sharing a reunion event billing with Martha and the Muffins and headlining Toronto's City Roots Festival. This revival included original members Segato, Bryans, and Gray alongside Brownstone from later lineups. New vocalists Mystic Walsh and Miranda Walsh—daughters of Eric Walsh from Toronto reggae band Messenjah—joined along with Ashley Wey on keyboards. By 2008, these members were succeeded by Chendy Leon Jr., Glenda del Monte, and Rebecca Campbell.

In 2006, The Parachute Club was inducted into the Canadian Indies Hall of Fame. Founding member Margo Davidson died in 2008 at age 50. Although the band continued performing through that year without releasing new recordings, they ceased activity after August 2008.

Their song "Rise Up" earned the SOCAN Classic Award in 2000. Lorraine Segato performed it at Jack Layton's state funeral in 2011. Later that year on September 30, the band reunited for a free Toronto concert celebrating their induction into Canada's Walk of Fame. This lineup featured original members Lorraine Segato (vocals), Dave Gray (guitar), and Steve Webster, joined by newcomers Chris Brown (keyboards), Art Avalos (drums), and Vicki Randle (percussion and backing vocals). Billy Bryans appeared for the final songs before his death in 2012 following a cancer battle.

Encouraged by Bryans’ wish for continuation, the band performed at both the 2012 Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Niagara Co-op Expo with founding members Segato, Gray, Julie Masi, Lauri Conger, and Webster—some returning after long absences.

In 2014, to coincide with Toronto hosting WorldPride, they released an updated dance remix of "Rise Up." Segato resumed her solo career with concerts that year and an album released in early 2015. Although no official announcement marked their disbandment, The Parachute Club has remained inactive since then.

During 2018 and 2019, Segato produced two supergroup renditions of "Rise Up": one featuring Canadian country artists under The Common Cause Collective name and another pop version credited to The New Parachute Collective. In November 2019, "Rise Up" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In 2023, The Parachute Club was honored with induction into Canada's Rock of Fame alongside other prominent bands from the '70s and '80s.

Albums

1983: The Parachute Club Current/RCA – reached #23 in Canada
1984: At the Feet of the Moon Current/RCA – peaked at #14 in Canada; ranked #98 on the 1984 Year-End chart and #54 on the 1985 Year-End chart
1985: Moving Thru the Moonlight Current/RCA – remix collection
1986: Small Victories Current/RCA – attained #33 on Canadian charts
1992: Wild Zone: The Essential Parachute Club BMG; re-released in 2006 by EMI International
2023: Big World Sony Music – double vinyl LP compilation

Singles

Release date	Title	Chart peak	Album
Release date	Title	Canada RPM	Album
July 1983	"Rise Up"	9	The Parachute Club
1983	"Alienation"
1984	"Boy's Club"
October 1984	"At the Feet of the Moon"	11	At the Feet of the Moon
February 1985	"Act of an Innocent"	61
June 1985	"Sexual Intelligence"
October 1986	"Love Is Fire"	23	Small Victories
February 1987	"Love and Compassion"	81
May 1987	"Walk to the Rhythm"	90
January 1988	"Big Big World"	88	Non-album single

Compilation appearances

1984: Self Control and Other Smash Club Hits Polydor; features "Rise Up"
1990: Radio Ffn Powerstation SPV; includes "Innuendo"
1996: Party Time, Volume 2: The Ultimate Party Album SPG; contains "Rise Up"
1996: Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music MCA; features "Rise Up"
1998: Hi-NRG Classics: The Definitive 12" Collection Unidisc; includes "Rise Up"
1999: Poptronica Romance Buddha; contains "Love Is Fire"
2000: Party Time SPG; features "Rise Up"