Can-Con 45 Of The Day - April 26

Can-Con 45 Of The Day - April 26

Postby radiofan » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:09 pm

Today's Can-Con 45 is from 1970 ... The first hit single for Edward Bear ... "You, Me & Mexico" ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvWGgwFP7No

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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 - April 26

Postby Richard Skelly » Sun Apr 29, 2018 12:06 am

The trouble with mysteries is that it takes time to solve them. So it took me intermittent research over a couple of days to figure out the identity of TUFT.

Look carefully on the credits of You, Me And Mexico, and there is the acknowledgement of TUFT as producer of this superb-sounding single. Indeed, along with Beyond The Clouds by The Poppy Family, it’s arguably one of the greatest domestically produced audio works in late ‘60s Canadian pop.

Spotting the name Terry Brown as You, Me And Mexico engineer, I googled info about the future studio wunderkind behind Rush and Klaatu among other artists. He was listed as producer for Edward Bear’s followup album Eclipse, but there was not even a mention of ‘Mexico’ and first album Bearings on Brown’s website biography.

Bearings was recorded at Eastern Sound in Toronto. By the mid-70s it would become the world’s only 46-track capable studio, according to a former staffer, Salim Sachedina, on his website blog. But back in 1969, it may have still been an 8-track facility, making the Edward Bear single’s quality all the more remarkable.

I did determine that Paul White was listed as ‘executive producer’ of Bearings. As any Canadian aficionado of The Beatles knows, White—who recently passed away—was Capitol Records of Canada’s “A & R guy” (Artists and Repertoire) who wisely opted to release all of the early Parlophone recordings of the Fab Four. (White’s bumbling US counterparts took a pass, which led to a spate of tiny American labels releasing early singles.)

So I wondered if White, still a Capitol Canada bigwig in ‘69, enlisted Brown to help him record Edward Bear who were just signed to the label. Hunting and pecking, I finally discovered the rest of the story. Turns out TUFT was flamboyant rock-music journalist Ritchie Yorke. Who knows if TUFT was some profane acronym...or a nickname Yorke acquired in his native Australia. I’d ask him. But, sadly, Ritchie also died about a year ago, back in his homeland.

You, Me And Mexico was a massive Canadian hit, but only reached #68 on Billboard in June 1970. Still, it set the band up for future American success with Last Song and sequel Close Your Eyes. Ironically, co-founding members Danny Marks (guitar) and Paul Weldon (keyboards) left just before Last Song was recorded. Drummer/vocalist Larry Evoy persevered with new supporting players to reach #3 on Billboard with that million seller.

Marks is an eminent blues guitarist who has also hosted tv and radio shows over the decades. Weldon, a trained architect, returned to his profession after leaving Edward Bear in 1972. He went on to co-own a graphic design firm in Toronto, playing in a jazz band on weekends. Evoy raises thoroughbred horses, oversees publishing of group solo recordings. Larry Evoy has consistently ruled out any Edward Bear reunion for a swan song Canadian tour.

RIP Paul White and Ritchie ‘TUFT’ Yorke.
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