Music 10 Weekly CENTS Volume 7, No. 23 Week Ending August 5th. 1961 Ambrose Releases ''MARIPOSA - '67'' On Fontana Another year, another Mariposa Folk Festival, and "Mariposa '61" is shaping up to be the best yet. With Toronto: Well known TV and stage personality, disappointment following disappointment and rowdies cooling down to rain soaked "in" crowds, the Mariposa Tommy Ambrose wou Id appear to be launched people have managed to hang on and are again pres enting the top folk and interesting allied acts to the new breed on a successful recording career with the re­ of "music sympathizers" - the "hippies". The three day, Innis Lake affair, will provide an assortment of great lease of his Fontana single "They Don't Give Medals" and "Casino Royale" . talent and the whys and whsefors of the blues, folk, folk rock, bluegrass and old time music, through the Producer, and now manager of Ambrose , many well hosted workshops that will be part of the daytime activities. Phil Ramone , first met Tommy when he was in Toronto on a jingle producing junket aboot a year and a half ago. He liked the Ambrose sound and both kept in touch with one an other , hoping that the right break would come along. Being as Ramone produces for many of the gre ats including Lena Horne, Quincy Jones and Harry Belafonte as well as movie sound ­ tracks, it was just a matter of ti"1e for the STAPLE SINGERS BUFFY SAINTE MARIE THE CROWD How's th is for a li ne-up? Bu ffy Sai nte­ Bonn ie Dobson and Louis Killen. as a specia I ethnic concert hosted by Klaas Mari e, The Staple Singers , Ritchie Havens, These are the artists who have been Van Graft. Tom Rush , Buddy Guy Blues Band, Leonard signed to appear at "Mariposa '67" which The Festival, this year, is expected ohen, rowd, The Kensington Market, will be held Au gust llth., through the 13th., to draw many important observers from music !\\an MacRae, Oavid Rae, The Pennywhisllers, at their Innis Lake location, just eas t of ce ntres all over th e worl d wh ich could lead to Reverand Gary Davis, Penny Lang, Lilly Caledon East , Ontario, approximate~ 35 miles the Mariposa Fo lk Festival being established Brothers and Tex Hooven , Louise Forestier ,. northwest of Toronto. as one of the le-aomg annual event in the Jon i Mitchell , Arthur " Big Boy" Crudup, Mary The three day affair wi 11 include major music industry of the world. Jane and Winston , Owen McBride , Gordon concerts each evening by the above artists, Tickets have now gone on sale and Lowe , The Shelburne Fiddlers , The Di !dine representing the U.K., U.S. and Canada. Day ­ advance sales indicate a highly successful Family , Murray McLaughlin, Alanis Obomsawin , time activities include workshops, seminars , "MARI POSA '67" . right material to happen that would suit the O.D. Bodkins & Company -Patent Pending , a love-in , picnicking and swimming as well Ambrose sound. The Bacharach-David com ­ position "They Don 't Give Medals" , which AMBROSE continued on page 3 The Jon & Lee Sparton PROPHET RELEASES ON Group Announces by LARRY LEBLANC CALEDON LABEL The Initial release of "Bring It Down Expansion Toronto: Orville Prophet, one of the giants in turned out to be such an important item in Front" by Toronto's Jon -Lee Group was the Canadian country music, is currently appear­ the Decca catalogue that it was included in result of a struggle for one of Canada's finest Plans ing at the Horseshoe Tavern, where he is ex­ an album titled "Foreign Love Affair" which bands, to release a recording. per iencing some of the best crowds in his received the nod from the U.S. trade papers For three years, under the bi I ling of Toronto : Joe Parise lli , national sales manager show-biz career. Much of the credit must go and added to his popular ity across the nation. Jon and Lee and The Checkmates they were Spartan Records of Canada , announces that to the timely release of his debut single on the direct dominating force behind Toronto's their London plant facilities have undergooe Caledon "Human Nature" and "You're Not R&B market. But no record. a major expansion program which inc ludes the My Sweetheart Anymore" wh ich is part of the They wanted to be sure of their first purchase of new presses and the ac qui ri ng of hot new Stone Empire . Country radio person­ record. The unit saw some of the mistakes more warehouse space to accomodate larger alities from coast to coast have found ex ­ made in debut discs by other Canadian groups. inventory for faster service. cellent listener reaction to both sides which While performing in New York , in could create a national breakout for Prophet. clubs I ike the Cheetah , the Scene and the Orval Prophet has come a long way Telephone Booth, in the past year, Jon and from that day at the Strawberry Festival in Lee became accepted by many of the American Edwards, Ontario, where, at the age of 14, musicians congregating in that city. he made his de but as an entertainer. The em­ They played with Junior Walker and cee of the CFRA Show "Fiddlers Fling", the All Stars at Shea's Stadium and he called where Orval made his radio debut, was Frank them one of the best units that he had ever . Jones, now one of the most successfu I pro­ played with. ducers on the North American continent and The Canadian public had an interest­ a very important part of Columbia's Nashvi I le ing look at the six when they appeared on scene. CBC-TV's "Compass" . The half hour pro­ From Festival to radio and then on to gram showed the group during a routine week, the recording end of the business . It was one offstage and performing. success after another. His first disc under Their "homebase" the Avenue Road the Decca banner , "I'm Going Back To Bi rm­ Club was also the local meeting spot for most ingham" turned out to be a big one for Orval musicians. Jam sessions were held quite and is now considered a collectors item . This Somehow, Orval Prophet , this kindly often with members of Toronto's top groups also led to his appearance on WSM's "Grand down to earth Country Gentleman, who intro­ taking part. Murray Campbell , manager of the Ole Opry" as well as radio and TV appear­ duced the world to the "Nashvi I le Sound", club has been a close friend and advisor to ances across the country . has managed to remain an important part of the Jon -Lee Group for some time. Under It was in 1957 that Decca began using the Canadian country scene , although he does Murray's guidance they realized their goals the now famous "Nashville Sound" and Orval , maintain a home in Miami , Florida, as well and potential. using the moniker of johnny Six, which was as his Ottawa home. He still makes frequent Members of the Group are: drummer Sparton sales tor Canada for the first dreamed up by Decca's A&R eh ief Paul Cohen, television and radio appearances and is con­ Jeff Cutler; organist Mike Fonfara; bassist quarter are reported up 60% while sales in was one of the first to record with this dis­ sidered one of the top club draws in the Peter Hodgson and lead guitarist Larry Ontario are up a whopping 87%. tinctive sound . The disc "Mademoiselle" business. JON & LEE continued on page '3 SPARTON continued on page 7 room, and Joey Post• couldn't have picked a July 31st. , through August 5th. Centre. This gave the press a closer look at better group. They are one of the most re­ upstairs at the Red Gas I The Ken· the Airplane and their promoters. Needless to freshing collection of today's sounds in the slngton Market were play ing to a very large say, The Flllmore's Biii Graham , manager of business. Their showstopper, of course , was crowds. Looks like Bernie Finkelstein, their the San Francisco group, and· promoter John " Canada" currently No. 63 on the RPM 100 . manager, has another winner. Morris were very pleased with the events of Arc execs Phll Anderson, Biii Giiiiiand and The Jefferson Airplane really took off the day. O'Keefe's Jack Karr advised me that. Tom Burny were present along with promotion last Sunday at NPS . The big love-in was a advance ticket sales are excellent. man Richard Dinsmore. Cathy McKlnnon and smashing success . No , I didn't push that nice John Donable , the rock jock from newly acquired Arc artist Douc Crosely were policeman into the fountain. If the JA caused CKLB and their mid-morning man Barry Sarazin , dropped by the office for a chat and both are looking forward to their appearances at the Oshawa Fair with the mobile unit. CHNO Sudbury's personality, John Loweth was doing the Vi II age scene last Received a letter from Hank Snow and week and popped in for a visit and told me TV viewers will be in for a treat this Fall. about a wi Id group known as The Inferno Five. That's all I can tell you now. Hank will be The Group has been booked solidly throughout appearing in Shelbourne, Ont., Aug 19 and the north country and there's a chance that 20 and in Hamilton Aug 26. Try not to miss ·that they may be playing the Toronto area in him.