by Richard Skelly » Sat May 05, 2018 3:23 am
Thanks to rock-paraphernalia collector Rob Frith, I recently saw an old Blue Northern concert ad featuring the original quartet configuration of the group on Facebook. Even before songsmith Ray O’Toole and arranger/producer Billy Cowsill joined, the Mach 1 version could draw a crowd.
Formed in 1977, Blue Northern initially comprised Garry Comeau (guitar/fiddle), Brady Gustafson (drums), Lee Roy Stephens (bass) and American ex-pat Jimmy Wilson (guitar). The quartet’s vocals were fine, but first O’Toole and then Cowsill made Blue Northern a harmonic juggernaut sextet.
An initial indie EP led Polydor to sign the band and herd members into Vancouver’s Water Street Sound to complete an album. According to Canadianbands.com, Can’t Make No Sense was one of the earlier sessions recorded at Buttertree Sound, a Richmond facility owned by engineer Donn Tarris.
A couple more hits would follow but the band splintered in 1982, the same year they were nominated for a Juno. Although Blue Northern opened some American concerts for Tanya Tucker, it appears their records never got US releases. Pity. They were as catchy a country-rock band as Firefall.