THE SPARROWS Group of Musicians Known As the Sparrows

Vo lume 3, No. 21 Week of July 19111, 1965 It was many months ago when we were first intro * duced to a very talented THE SPARROWS group of musicians known as The Sparrows. They * have the distinction of being the first Canadian group to offer up a sound comparable to the fast moving English sound. It was for this reason that Beatle-eared Paul White of Capitol records hawked down on these Sparrows and confined their nesting grounds to the Capitol camp. The boys have contri buted a great deal to the task of making the average Canadian aware of the fact that we in Canada have a music industry to be proud of. The Sparrows are Canadian. Art Ayre is the lead. He is pianist, organist, melodicat, vocalist and composer. Art is a vigorously trained musician who stems from a jazz background. Besides looking after the busi ness end of the group and keeping track of the instruments, he also manages to crack up the boys with his quick wit. He has owned and raced several modified sports cars and at the drop of a cab fare will show you his collection of trophies, his pride and joy. Jerry Edmonton looks after the drums, blows a mean harmonica, is an important part of the harmony (vocal) of the group a nd also pens some mighty pretty tunes. Jerry hangs his hat in Oshawa (home) but has been so s uccessful as a musician he now shares a dorm with the rest of The Sparrows. When he's not way out listening to a blues recording, he's way out in space by way of his telescope. He is some what of an expert on space. He can give you the name of every constellation in the sky and has followed every blast-off so closely he knows the space ships by their first name. Dennis Edmonton, brother of Jerry, picks one of the prettiest sounding lead at being a s uccessfu l Sparrow (h e a lso guitars in the business. His singing voice " If I had my wa y l ives in the lap of luxury at the fa mous is the s trongest and keeps the other voices It would be s pring every day Sparrow dormitory) h e can sell h is paint well paced and in close harmony. Dennis A nd flowers would bloom along every ings a nd move home to Scarborough, a road way is also the master when it comes to setting suburb of Toronto. down a tune. His bush and specs (beard A nd I would bring s uns hine The group is a foursome of not a likes and glasses) give him that scholarly look Into eac h mind. ' ' which must be the reason they get along which in effect he is. He spent three years Nick St. Nicholas, the clown of the so well together. T hey have had a n inte r srudying psychology at university. Of the group, keeps tab on the bass, gets into th e esting trip through Music Can ada and four he is the most even-tempered. Never act of singing a nd has a knack of putting " Hard Times Wit h T he Law " is a n example angry, very patient, and always happy. His the right notes in the righ t places a nd com of the ir des ire to make th eir tale nts educational and musical achievements can ing up with some pretty listenable com acceptable a nd most importa nt - liste nable . best be described by one of his composi- pos itions. Nick is a s tudent of the Ontario Much more will be h eard from T HE tions: Col lege of Art , and if he can't make e nough SPARROWS. which will be the mode of transport for the tl Montreal: Las t week we Esquires to make a cross Canada tour link group. It is further reported that a ma jor US me ntione d that a very ing forces with other top Canadi an g roups . Nashville: Ray Griff will be re leas ing recording company has reserve d a dotted " VI big comp any and an line for the boys . ._ equally Jar ge advertis ing his first on the RCA Victor label the first part of August. The tune "I'll Follow Each agency had arranged a RPM would I ike to take this c ross country tour of top Rainbow" by the Blue Boys (RCA) was C.. Canadian recording groups. writte n by Ray a nd could make the ch a rts . opportunity to welcome the c::;. It turns o ut now we were The Country Mu s ic Assoc iation h as executive, members of the a little too premature. a nnounced plans to sell a n album featuring HER 2 5 great country artists. Label a nd pub sales staff and distributors of The ve ry big company is not so big and th e tour lis hing companies i nvo lved have waived Capitol Records of Canada on has been called off. But the ir rights in order to make the album it didn't take long for possible. Artists featured on this LP the occasion of their annual someone to pick our "Origina l Hit P erforma nces" are Ha nk sales convention being held at TH~ Snow, Ray Price , Tex Ritter, Ma rty mu s ic indus try back up Robbins, Buck Owens, Hank Thomp son, the Inn On The Park in Toronto \ off the floor. We under- Me rle Travis , Ha nk Williams, Kitty Wells, stand arrangeme nts a re now unde r way to Ju Iy 19 I 20 I 21 . kick off this same s how in Montrea l through Ernest Tubb, J ohnny Bond, J ohnny Cash, On a muc h s maller scale, but of much the e fforts o f Lionel Pasen and Dave Patsy C line, Red Fole y, L e fty Frizzell, more importance to Cana dia ns, c omes a Boxer. This s how will have a complet e ly• Don Gibson, Pee Wee King, Roge r Miller, 212 minute film on Canada. The score is Canadian lineup a nd we can safely predict George Morgan, Bill Ande rson , Roy Acuff, writte n "Some thing To Sing About" by that when Dave Boxer (The Pied Piper of Bobby Bare, Eddy Arnold a nd Jim Reeves. Oscar Brand. Now, Torontonian, Oscar Montreal) gets behind a promotion it will Pressing will be done by Columbia with an Winn er (film e ditor-"Target For Tonight" ) be th e biggest s how ever to hit the bi-bi initia l order of 500,000 copi es. The LP Donald Ginsberg is looking for the appro town. A sponsor is standing by, we und er will sell for $2.00 but onl y through mail priate fi lm. He and his assistant, Toni s tand, a nd if sufficiently impressed will orde rs as arra nged on 200 TV Stations and Trow, a re busy examining ma ny thousands take the s h ow across Canada. This show up to 500 radio s tations . Los Vegas: The Personality Plugge r of fee t of film from various film- makers in will be a s uccess in hogtown despite the h as news that The Bits & Pieces, a s trong a n atte mpt to fi nd 90 feet. This is mu ch negative a ttitude of some o f the not so Cana dian comedy a nd instrumental s inging c heaper than raking a came ra crew from Canadia n minded citizens who would use trio now a t Isy's in Vancouver, a re s kedded Howe Sound to Dingle Beach. the ir influence to discourage a s how of to re- e nter the US for a six to twe lve week Jim Darra of Darra E nterprises advises this magnitude. The c hance in a lifetime s tay a t T he Gas li ght in Hollywood. Several that he has made arrangeme nts to produce fo r our floundering mus ic industry. singles a nd a n LP a re be ing readied fo r a recording sessio n for Lynda L a ne . We J. B. a nd the Playboys, who are re Dee Gee Records. It was a lso interes ting unders ta nd back up group w ill be The gard ed as Montreal's number one g roup, to note by way of The Persona lity P lugger Regents with voca l background by The wil l be appeari ng in a movie called "Mon that Ike Cole will be appearing on Art Cha rm a ines. tage". The boys have been busy gigg in g Linkle tte r's Tale nt Scout Show. According Record Jottings: Hot on the heels of in Upper Canada and are fast becoming to reports , the s imilarity between th e Di s ney land colossu s "Mary Poppins" one o f the most popul ar groups i n the a rea. voices of Ike and his late brother Nat a re comes ne ws fr om RCA that Di s ney land has Los Angeles: Walt Davis, ass is ta nt to almost unbe lievable . adopted th e favo urite of the 1930 ' s Bob Ma rcucci, sends along news that J ohn Sault Ste. Morie: J.B. a nd The Playboys "Winnie-th e-Pooh". Although th e f ilm is Andrea is in New York cutting a session a nd The Big Town Boys, two of Canada 's not yet fini s hed a nd s ti ll only a bout two for MGM.

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