Edward Bear
- For the song by The Damned, see Edward the Bear. For the bear, see Winnie the Pooh.
Edward Bear was a Toronto-based Canadian pop-rock group, formed originally in 1966 by Larry Evoy and Craig Hemming. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1969 with a lineup of Evoy, Danny Marks and Paul Weldon. Marks left the band the following year and was succeeded by Roger Ellis. The band had several chart successes in the early 1970s before disbanding in 1974. Their name is derived from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, whose "proper" name is Edward Bear. Their top selling singles include "You, Me and Mexico", "Last Song", and "Close Your Eyes", all three of which were Top 5 hits in Canada and charted well in the United States.
Career
The band had its biggest hit in 1972, when "Last Song" charted at #1 in Canada and peaked at #3 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[1] It was awarded a gold disc in March 1973 for selling over one million copies by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1] By then, the band's original line up had split up. Evoy remained as the primary songwriter and creative force throughout the band's career, rebuilding the band twice, until it finally was disbanded in 1974.
They won a Juno Award in 1973 for outstanding group performance.
Evoy, who briefly embraced Scientology in 1973, went on to a solo career, but is currently retired from live performance and running a small recording studio. Marks has continued a successful career as a blues guitarist and radio host. Weldon performs with a jazz combo and teaches at Seneca College in Toronto. Bill Loop, bassist in the early 1970s, resides in Southwestern Ontario and plays locally with various session musicians. He also teaches guitar.
Discography
Bearings
Albums
1969: Bearings
Track Listing
- Side One
- Guitar Intro - 0:35
- "You, Me And Mexico" - (Larry Evoy) - 2:46 (U.S. #68, Canada #3[2])
- "Fool" - (Evoy) - 2:47
- "Cinder Dream" - (Evoy, Paul Weldon) - 5:01
- "Woodwind Song" - (Danny Marks, Weldon) - 3:55
- "Hideaway" - (Freddie King) - 4:01
- Side Two
- "Mind Police" - (Marks, Evoy) - 4:05
- "Toe Jam" - (Marks, Evoy, Weldon) - 5:39
- "Sinking Ship" - (Evoy) - 3:35
- "Every Day I Have the Blues" - (Peter Chatman) - 6:30
- "Guitar Coda" - 0:35
Personnel
- Danny Marks - lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, vocals
- Paul Weldon - organ, vocals, organ bass, harpsichord, piano
- Larry Evoy - drums, vocals, timpani, chimes
1970: Eclipse
Track Listing
- Side One
- "Four Months Out To Africa" - (Paul Weldon) - 3:13
- "Chris' Song" - (Larry Evoy) - 6:23
- "You Can't Deny It" - (Danny Marks) - 4:40
- "Pickering Tower" - (Evoy) - 2:57
- Side Two
- "T-1 Blues" - (Marks) - 3:24
- "Pirate King" - (Evoy) - 3:23
- "Long Forgotten Day - (Marks) - 4:55
- "Monday" - (Marks) - 5:40
Personnel
- Danny Marks - guitars, backing vocals, steel guitar, banjo
- Paul Weldon - keyboards, backing vocals, piano, bass
- Larry Evoy - drums, lead vocals
1971: Edward Bear
Track Listing
- Side One
- "Last Song" - (Larry Evoy) - 3:15 (U.S. #3, Canada #1 for two weeks;[3] Canada AC #1, U.S. AC #1 for two weeks)
- "Private School Girls" - (Roger Ellis) - 3:43
- "Fly Across The Sea" - (Evoy) - 2:35
- "Edgware Station" - (Ellis) - 3:04
- "Cachet County" - (Ellis) - 4:05
- Side Two
- "Masquerade" - (Evoy) - 2:38
- "Back Home Again" - (Paul Weldon) - 2:30
- "Best Friend" - (Ellis) - 2:45
- "Ease Me Down" - (Evoy) - 3:14
- "Black Pete" - (Evoy, Weldon, Danny Marks) - 4:03
Personnel
- Roger Ellis - guitars, vocals
- Paul Weldon - keyboards
- Larry Evoy - drums, vocals
1973: Close Your Eyes
"Close Your Eyes" (U.S. #37, Canada #3 for two weeks),
"Some Sunny Day",
"I Love Her (You Love Me)",
"Nowhere Is Karen Around",
"Does Your Mother Know",
"Fool",
"What You Done",
"Walking On Back",
"Haven't You Touched Him",
"All The Lights Were Shining"
1991: The Edward Bear Collection (compilation)
"You Me & Mexico", "Fly Across The Sea", "Masquerade", "Last Song", "Close Your Eyes", "Fool", "Same Old Feeling", "Freedom For The Stallion", "On & On", "God Bless Now", "I Had Dreams", "She Loves A Parade", "You & I", "Not Dreaming About You", "You Can't Deny It"
Singles
Year | Song | Canada rank | USA rank | Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart | U.S. Adult Contemporary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | "You, Me and Mexico" | 3 | 68 | 27 | - |
"You Can't Deny It" | 16 | - | - | - | |
1971 | "Spirit Song" | 86 | - | - | - |
1972 | "Fly Across the Sea" | 18 | - | - | - |
"Masquerade" | 7 | - | 16 | - | |
"Last Song" | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
1973 | "Close Your Eyes" | 3 | 37 | 4 | - |
"Walking on Back" | 33 | 115 | - | - | |
"Coming Home Christmas" | - | - | - | - | |
1974 | "Same Old Feeling" | 36 | - | - | - |
"Freedom for the Stallion" | 20 | - | - | - |
Band members
- Lead vocals
- Larry Evoy (1966–1974)
- Bass guitar
- Craig Hemming (1966–1969)
- Bill Loop (1970–1974)
- Bo Tanas (1974-1977)
- Drums
- Dave Brown (1966–?)
- Larry Evoy (?–1974)
- Guitar
- Danny Marks (1966–1970)
- Roger Ellis (1970–1974)
- Keyboard
- Paul Weldon (1966–1972)
- Bob Kendall (1972–1974)
- Barry Best (1974)
References
- 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 308. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
External links
- Jam: Edward Bear (accessed 25 June 2006)
- Transcript of 1970 interview with Edward Bear that appeared in Vancouver's Georgia Straight Newspaper (accessed 25 June 2006)
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Edward Bear (accessed 25 June 2006)
- 50 Plus: "Whatever Became of ... Edward Bear?" (February 1999, accessed 25 June 2006) dead link
- Canconrox: Edward Bear (accessed 25 June 2006)
- Thestar.com
- Lyrics to "Last Song"