Can-Con 45 Of The Day - December 28

Can-Con 45 Of The Day - December 28

Postby radiofan » Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:27 pm

Today's Can-Con 45 is from 1969 ... From Edmonton, The Southbound Freeway and "Roll With It" ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irC6twt_Z0c

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Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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Re: Can-Con 45 Of The Day - December 28

Postby Richard Skelly » Thu Dec 28, 2017 3:21 am

Interesting trifecta of an Alberta band, recording in New Mexico with Buddy Holly’s fabled producer, releasing a cover version of a tune by a still largely unknown space cowboy called Steve Miller. And, to my ears, Southbound Freeway improved on the original which came from Miller’s so-so album Children Of The Future. Steve strained to hit the high notes on his version while Freeway vocalist Mo Boyer (???) had just the right rasp to nail it down.

I put a question mark by Mo’s name because there were so many talented Albertans who spent time with the band that it’s difficult to keep track. SF began as a support band for Barry Allen. Earlier in the ‘60s, Allen was part of Wes Dakus & The Rebels. They were in the American southwest, backing up The Fireballs whose career was handled by Norman Petty, the erstwhile Clovis-based New Mexican who launched Buddy Holly to fame. Petty liked The Rebels and cut some sessions with Dakus and Allen who kept in touch afterwards.

Southbound Freeway briefly featured Barry Allen. Then he bolted to Toronto to try his hand at psychedelia with a band called (groan) Purple Haze. Guitarist-brothers Dwayne and Richard Osepchuk and drummer Ken Koshelek persevered and wisely utilized the past connections with Norman Petty.

By the time of Roll With It, Boyer was most likely behind the mic, while Mavis McAuley had probably replaced keyboardist Ron Turko. Whoever played the ivories added a staccatoed rhythm, not unlike Ray Manzarek on The Doors hit Touch Me.

Released by Quality Records in Canada, Roll With It got picked up Stateside by Atco. Decades later, it still sounds a little raw, a bit punchy...but an improvement on what Steve Miller first conceived.

PS: Mavis McCauley was reportedly among the first female keyboardist/vocalists in a Canadian rock band. She later joined One Horse Blue. Meanwhile, the mysterious Mary Saxton, whom I’ve written about before, spent time in a later edition of Southbound Freeway. Oh yeah, Southbound Freeway isn’t on the route to Clovis, NM. It was apparently the unofficial name of the connector between Edmonton and Calgary.
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