Truck (Canadian band)

Truck

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1966 (as Sound Spectrum)
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario , Canada
Products	Music albums, singles
Parent	Truck Music Ltd.

Truck was a Canadian rock ensemble from the 1970s, whose musical approach resembled that of groups like Natural Gas and Lighthouse. Under the Capitol Records label, they issued two singles along with a full-length album. The band initially formed as Sound Spectrum in 1966 but evolved by the early 1970s to include experienced musicians previously associated with Natural Gas and Motherlode, adopting the name Truck. The lineup during the 1970s was completely different from the original members. Renowned for their dynamic stage presence, their album Truck remained on the charts continuously for approximately six weeks.

Background

Starting out as Sound Spectrum, the original roster comprised Dave Borland, Bill Caldwell, Bruce Fleming, Sandy MacKay, and Rob Oliver. By 1972, after rebranding as Truck, the group featured an entirely new set of musicians. Their management was overseen by Clark Spencer and Peter Francey, operating through Magic Management, a division of Truck Music Ltd., based in Toronto. Production duties were managed by Dennis Murphy from Sun Dog Productions.

Michael Curtis, who had been a founding member of the Indiana-based band These Vizitors, brought valuable songwriting credentials including the Capitol single "Happy Man." Shortly after completing high school, Larry Ernewein joined Truck, motivated by his enthusiasm for music.

Graham Lear brought prior experience gained from performing with George Olliver's Natural Gas and Freedom North. Saxophonist Jimmy Roberts moved from Virginia to Toronto in 1969 and secured club gigs through connections with William "Smitty" Smith. Joey Roberts (also known as Joey Miquelon) joined Truck following his tenure with Motherlode.

Brian Wray’s musical background included playing with Five Of a Kind alongside Brian Edwards, who later joined Mashmakhan. Wray also arranged tracks on Freedom North's 1970 album and contributed to both Natural Gas and Motherlode.

Touring extensively throughout Ontario and across Canada in a repurposed red school bus, Truck promoted themselves with bold "Keep On Truckin'" branding to enhance their profile. They maintained weekly performances from 1970 until early 1973 before taking a short break at management’s direction.

Truck served as opening acts for prominent bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Deep Purple, and Fleetwood Mac. Their largest audience numbered around 20,000 attendees at the Rockwood Music Festival held in Orangeville, Ontario.

Career: Sound Spectrum

The band’s origins trace back to 1966 in Ingersoll, Ontario, featuring early members Dave Borland, Bill Caldwell, Bruce Fleming, Sandy MacKay, and Rob Oliver. Drummer Sandy McKay relocated to London, Ontario in 1969 to join the group. By 1970, still under the name Sound Spectrum, they performed at events including the Rock Hill Rock-In festival alongside acts like Mud Flat and Madrigal.

1972

After adopting the name Truck, the band partnered with producer Dennis Murphy and Sun Dog Productions. To support this collaboration, a significant industry showcase took place on April 19, 1972, at Thunder Sound Studios. This event was organized by promoter Michele Frank and attracted key figures such as Skip Prokop of Lighthouse. Coverage appeared in RPM Weekly, which detailed the band’s lineup and management team.

Truck played live shows at venues including Ontario Palace and maintained a packed schedule that involved recording sessions with Murphy. During this time frame, one member departed to join Young—a nine-piece ensemble comprising former Truck members among others.

In September 1972, Magic Management promoted Truck alongside artists like Christopher Kearney and The Good Brothers. Managers Peter Francey and Clark Spencer handled publicity efforts through M. Frank Associates. Booking responsibilities were managed by Concept 376, which represented notable Canadian acts such as April Wine and Brutus.

Under Capitol Records Canada’s banner, Truck released their first single "October in Canada" backed with "Rain," produced by Dennis Murphy at Thunder Sound Studios. The single was distinguished by its maple leaf-themed sleeve but bore only the label "Canada."

The band participated in a political initiative supporting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s First-Time Voter Committee. Alongside The Good Brothers, Truck toured major Canadian cities aboard the Prime Minister's Jet to encourage youth voter participation while simultaneously promoting their single.

By December of that year, management announced an intensive touring itinerary including a January tour with White Trash, a February headlining performance at McGill University, followed by a college tour across the United States.

In addition to "Canada" b/w "Rain," Truck released another single featuring Latin influences titled "Get It Together" backed with "Can’t Wait Until Tomorrow," also on Capitol Records within that year. Bassist Larry Ernewein exited the band and was succeeded by Jim Crichton. Lead vocalist Michael Curtis departed to join Crazy Horse alongside his brother Rick; both contributed to the album At Crooked Lake, with Michael providing vocals plus multiple instrumental parts.

1973

In January 1973, Billboard announced that Capitol Records planned to release Truck's first album in mid-January. Truck Music Limited, under the leadership of Peter Francey, created a 20-minute promotional film shot on 16mm featuring Truck, Christopher Kearney, and The Good Brothers to showcase these artists to clients and booking agents.

For three years, Truck performed weekly until February, when Magic Management decided to pause their live appearances. This break was intended for the band to rehearse new songs, enhance their stagecraft, and get ready for the album launch. During this time, the group moved from London, Ontario to Toronto.

By early March, the singles "Get It Together" and "Can't Wait Until Tomorrow" started receiving airplay on stations such as Radio Western in London and CKLW-FM in Windsor. By mid-March, "Get It Together" was added to playlists at CHEC in Lethbridge and later appeared on breakout market stations like CJCJ in Woodstock.

In March, Concept 376, an Ontario-based booking agency, revealed plans for a promotional compilation album featuring Truck alongside artists including King Biscuit Boy, Leigh Ashford, Lighthouse, Ocean, and Pepper Tree.

April saw Truck take part in the "Save James Bay" benefit concert with performers such as Peter, Paul & Mary, Ian and Sylvia, and Joni Mitchell. The band toured eastern Canada and the Maritime provinces, appeared on the Musical Friends program broadcast by CFCF-TV, and played at Toronto’s Mad Mechanic venue.

Album release

Capitol Records hosted a press event in April to celebrate the launch of Truck's self-titled debut album, Truck. The lineup on the record included Graham Lear (drums and percussion), Larry Ernewein (bass and backing vocals), Bill Usher (congas and bongos), Joey Miquelon (guitar), Brian Wray (keyboards, flute, backing vocals), Michael Curtis (lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, percussion), and James Roberts (tenor saxophone, flute, organ). The album opener "Rollin's On My Mind" was co-written by Lear and Wray; all other tracks were composed by the band. Side A contained "Rain," "People," "Can't Wait (Until Tomorrow)," and "Please Don't Come Shining Your Light," while Side B included "Sing a Song," "Get it Together," "Take a Look," "Ernie," and "Another Dream."

Airplay & charting

By early April, several Canadian campus radio stations such as DAL Radio in Halifax and Radio Erindale in Clarkson were playing tracks from the album. It debuted on the RPM100 Albums Chart at position #100 on April 21, 1973. The following week it climbed to #98 and continued its ascent to #85 by May 26 after six weeks on the chart. This steady ranking indicated consistent sales. To support retail presence, two members of the band appeared in the June 2 edition of RPM Weekly alongside Bob McBride and Dave Redgers, manager of Mr. Sound store in London.

Further activities in 1973

By August 1973, Magic Management in Toronto appointed Karen Quee as director of public relations. She managed publicity efforts for Truck as well as artist Christopher Kearney. Collaborating with Clark Spencer, they initiated a promotional campaign aimed at more than 400 colleges across Canada and the United States to raise awareness for Truck along with Craig Nicholson, Doug Brittain, Christopher Kearney, and The Good Brothers. Plans were also being made for a U.S. tour scheduled for autumn.

New line up

The December 22 issue of RPM Weekly listed an updated roster: Mike Langford (vocals), Neil Chapman (guitar), Marty Morin (drums), Jim Crichton (bass), and Todd Booth (keyboards and synthesizer). In November, this lineup performed at the National Entertainment Conference near New York City where they received commendation from Dave Brubeck backstage. After touring for two months, they secured gigs at Toronto’s Abbey Road Pub from December 17 through December 22. The band intended to stay local through year-end while preparing a new show for 1974 and planned performances in New York scheduled for late January.

• Guitarist Neil Chapman and drummer/vocalist Marty Morin joined Truck after previously playing with Heat Exchange.

1974

During June and July of 1974, Truck maintained an extensive touring itinerary, appearing at several venues such as Toronto’s Piccadilly Tube (June 24–29), The Gasworks (July 8–13), various locations in Quebec City including the New Electric Circle (July 15–28), and Toronto's Abbey Road Pub (July 29–August 3). They were scheduled to perform again at The Gasworks in September.

That year saw the departure of two members: drummer Marty Morin and vocalist Mike Langford. After undergoing multiple lineup adjustments, Truck is believed to have dissolved in 1974.

Discography

Singles

Artist	Title	Catalogue Number	Release Year	Additional Information
Truck	"Canada" / "Rain"	Capitol 72679	1972
Truck	"Get it Together" / "Can't Wait (Until Tomorrow)"	Capitol 72687	1972

Albums

Artist	Title	Catalogue Number	Release Year	Additional Information
Truck	Truck	Capitol ST 6388	1973

Compilation Appearances by Various Artists

Compilation Title	Track Name	Catalogue Number	Release Year	Additional Information
Concept	"People"	Concept 376 Limited PRP 171	1972

Sound Spectrum

Following his time with Truck, Sandy McKay joined bands including Persuasion, Tanis, and Terry Dee’s Flying Rock and Roll Circus. Between 1980 and 1983, he was a frequent performer on Janice Zolf's FM96 program "Live from the Marienbad."

McKay shifted his focus toward jazz music, aligning with former Truck colleagues Brian Wray and Larry Ernewein. From 1984 through 1989, he played drums for The Oliver Whitehead Quintet and was also a member of the dance band Hawthorne from 1983 to 1998. During the mid-1980s, he took part in prominent Canadian jazz festivals. Since 1986, McKay has held the position of Artistic Director for the Jazz for the People concert series at London’s Wolf Performance Hall. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with a Forest City London Music Award in 2011.

As of the 2020s, McKay remains active musically, performing with groups such as those led by Larry Ernewein.

Truck

By the year 1974, Graham Lear had joined Gino Vannelli’s supporting band.

Brian Wray contributed his talents to Moe Koffman’s album If You Don't Know Me By Now, released in 1982.

Percussionist Bill Usher earned the Juno Award for Children's Album of the Year in 1987 and was recognized as Presenter of the Year at the Pacific Contact booking conference held in Burnaby in 2014.

In the mid-1970s, Larry Ernewein transitioned from his music career into aviation, initially working as a flight instructor before becoming a pilot with Air Canada in 1979. He was distinguished as the first Canadian recipient of the L. Paul Soucy award and performed aerobatic flying for the film Amelia. Alongside his aviation pursuits, Ernewein continues to engage in music and manages Innerkip Aerodrome near Innerkip, Ontario.

Line ups

Initial Sound Spectrum roster

• Dave Borland – trumpet
• Bill Caldwell – guitar
• Bruce Fleming – keyboards
• Sandy MacKay – drums
• Rob Oliver – saxophone

Musicians credited on Truck's May 1973 album

• Michael Curtis – lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, percussion
• Larry Ernewein – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Graham Lear – drums, percussion
• Joey Miquelon (also known as Joey Roberts) – guitar
• James Roberts – tenor saxophone, flute, organ
• Bill Usher – congas, bongos
• Brian Wray – keyboards, flute, backing vocals

Truck lineup later in 1973

• Neil Chapman – guitar
• Jim Crichton – bass guitar
• Mike Langford – lead vocals
• Todd Booth – keyboards, synthesizer
• Marty Morin – drums

Changes to Truck's lineup over time

• Gord McKinnon – keyboards, vocals (succeeded Wray)
• Mike Langford – lead vocals (replaced Curtis)
• Jim Crichton – bass guitar (took over from Ernewein in 1972)
• Marty Morin – drums (followed Lear in 1973)
• Todd Booth – keyboards (replaced McKinnon in 1973)
• Neil Chapman – guitar (succeeded Miquelon in 1973)
• Paul DeLong – drums (replaced Morin in 1974)
• Michael Sadler – lead vocals (succeeded Langford in 1974)

External links

• Discogs: Truck
• Dufferin County Real-estate guide - 365 Things To Do In Orangeville, ON, The ‘Freak Out’ Festival Of 1969 – Rock Hill Park by David Waters
• ArtistInfo Truck
• Vintage Vinyl Truck (Discussion)