by paterson » Fri Jun 08, 2018 1:05 pm
I believe that Pag's three singles (Lovin you Ain't Easy, Rainshowers and Some Sing Some Dance) from his 1972 MUCH English album were released in the US on the Pye record label. Not sure if the LP was ever released though.
Pye was a fairly successful label in Europe but as far as I am aware didn't have much going on in the US. Pagliaro material from this album was also released on Pye in Europe. Lovin You Ain't Easy charted on the BBC Top 40 and Michel did make an appearance on the BBC TV program Tops of the Pops in 1972.
Some people think that the first anglo album was mostly recorded in London England. This is not really the case, most of the album was recorded at Toronto Sound and Pag used the best session musicians in Toronto including some members from Dr. Music and Lighthouse. The late Ben McPeek handled the string arrangements on Some Sing Some Dance and Rainshowers. When I interviewed Michel he mentioned that many people thought it was Abbey Road where some recording took place but it was Apple Studios in London, and did include mixing of some of the songs and some recording. He told me that "part" of the album was recorded at Apple.
I believe Some Sing Some Dance was playlisted on WKBW in Buffalo in the fall of 1972 but only for a few weeks, and never charted. The country sounding What The Hell I Got had a little airplay in the US on a few country stations and this was on the CBS label.
Back in the early 70's some border stations in New York and Michigan would occasionally pick up a few cancon "hits" that 1050 CHUM or CFTR were playing, and of course CKLW had an impact as well. Tragically Hip had quite a bit of airplay in Buffalo and Detroit area radio and could sell out easily at the biggest venues in those cities.
When I was working at FM 96 in London, ON doing the all nighter in 1980, I would get requests from Erie PA for cancon songs that we would play that the US audience was familiar with. Songs by Rough Trade, April Wine, FM etc. FM 96 was popular in Erie back then and I remember being in Detroit in a hotel lobby during this time and hearing the station in the bar and restaurant. FM 96 has a huge coverage area.