Harlequin (band)
Encyclopedia
Harlequin is a Canadian
rock
band that formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1975 and lasted until the mid-1980s. The band is best known for their hit singles "I Did It For Love," "Thinking of You," "Superstitious Feeling," and "Innocence."
In 2004, the band reformed briefly as Harlequin II, and in 2007 the band resurfaced under their original name and released a live album, On/Q Live, in 2009.
Glen Willows, keyboardist
Gary Golden, and drummer
David Budzak. The band began recording demos and travelling to Toronto
to perform in the local bars and clubs. It was in one of these small bars in Toronto that Harlequin were discovered by representatives of Jack Douglas
, the producer of Aerosmith
, John Lennon
, and Patti Smith
. The discovery of Harlequin by Jack Douglas's representatives was completely by chance, as they had intended to see another band in a larger bar downstairs, but could not gain admittance due to a sell-out crowd.
Jack Douglas helped in getting Harlequin signed to CBS
/Epic Records
records in 1979, and later that year that band released their first LP
, Victim of a Song, which quickly went Gold, and began receiving heavy radio play, particularly in Western Canada. The bands second release, Love Crimes (1980) wielded two hits, "Thinking Of You," and "Innocence," Harlequin's biggest hit to date. Harlequin's third album One False Move (1982) wielded two more hits, "Superstitious Feeling," and "I Did It For Love." The first three albums together locked Harlequin in as a staple on Canadian rock radio, and they released a compilation album, Radio Romances in 1984.
For their self-titled fourth studio album, Harlequin replaced Jack Douglas with The Fixx
bassist Alfie Agius as their producer. Harlequin (1985), produced only one single, "Take this Heart." In 1986, Harlequin released their Greatest Hits album, and disbanded shortly thereafter. By the time the band stopped touring in 1986, guitarist Glen Willows had been replaced by John Hannah, Gary Golden had been replaced by John White on keyboards, and Denton Young had taken over David Budzak's drummer seat.
In 2004, some members of the band reformed temporarily under the guise of Harlequin II, and in 2006, the band was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, under the auspices of the Western Canadian Music Awards
.
In 2007 George Belanger reformed Harlequin with a different lineup of musicians, himself being the only original member of the band. This current lineup includes guitarist Derrick Gottfried, bassist Nik Rivers, keyboardist Darren Moore, and drummer AJ Chabidon. This lineup released Waking the Jester (2007), which contained two singles, "Shine On," and "Rise." The current band resumed touring, and in 2009 released Harlequin's first live album, Live On/Q.
The band continues to tour mostly within Canada, performing frequently around the country.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1975 and lasted until the mid-1980s. The band is best known for their hit singles "I Did It For Love," "Thinking of You," "Superstitious Feeling," and "Innocence."
In 2004, the band reformed briefly as Harlequin II, and in 2007 the band resurfaced under their original name and released a live album, On/Q Live, in 2009.
History
In 1975, Winnipeg bassist Ralph James formed Harlequin upon recruiting vocalist George Belanger, guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Glen Willows, keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Gary Golden, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
David Budzak. The band began recording demos and travelling to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to perform in the local bars and clubs. It was in one of these small bars in Toronto that Harlequin were discovered by representatives of Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas may refer to:* Jack Douglas , British actor and comedian* Jack Douglas , American record producer* Jack Douglas , American comedy writer...
, the producer of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, and Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
. The discovery of Harlequin by Jack Douglas's representatives was completely by chance, as they had intended to see another band in a larger bar downstairs, but could not gain admittance due to a sell-out crowd.
Jack Douglas helped in getting Harlequin signed to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
records in 1979, and later that year that band released their first LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, Victim of a Song, which quickly went Gold, and began receiving heavy radio play, particularly in Western Canada. The bands second release, Love Crimes (1980) wielded two hits, "Thinking Of You," and "Innocence," Harlequin's biggest hit to date. Harlequin's third album One False Move (1982) wielded two more hits, "Superstitious Feeling," and "I Did It For Love." The first three albums together locked Harlequin in as a staple on Canadian rock radio, and they released a compilation album, Radio Romances in 1984.
For their self-titled fourth studio album, Harlequin replaced Jack Douglas with The Fixx
The Fixx
The Fixx is an English rock band formed in London in 1979. Their hits include "One Thing Leads to Another," "Red Skies," "Stand or Fall," "Saved by Zero," "Sign of Fire," "Are We Ourselves?," "Secret Separation," "Driven Out," "How Much Is Enough?," and "Deeper and Deeper," which was featured on...
bassist Alfie Agius as their producer. Harlequin (1985), produced only one single, "Take this Heart." In 1986, Harlequin released their Greatest Hits album, and disbanded shortly thereafter. By the time the band stopped touring in 1986, guitarist Glen Willows had been replaced by John Hannah, Gary Golden had been replaced by John White on keyboards, and Denton Young had taken over David Budzak's drummer seat.
In 2004, some members of the band reformed temporarily under the guise of Harlequin II, and in 2006, the band was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, under the auspices of the Western Canadian Music Awards
Western Canadian Music Awards
The Western Canadian Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony for music in the western portion of Canada, that originated in its current form in 2003...
.
In 2007 George Belanger reformed Harlequin with a different lineup of musicians, himself being the only original member of the band. This current lineup includes guitarist Derrick Gottfried, bassist Nik Rivers, keyboardist Darren Moore, and drummer AJ Chabidon. This lineup released Waking the Jester (2007), which contained two singles, "Shine On," and "Rise." The current band resumed touring, and in 2009 released Harlequin's first live album, Live On/Q.
The band continues to tour mostly within Canada, performing frequently around the country.
Studio albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Victim of a Song |
| 1980 | Love Crimes |
| 1982 | One False Move |
| 1985 | Harlequin |
| 2007 | Waking the Jester |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Radio Romances |
| 1986 | Harlequin's Greatest Hits |
Live albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Live On/Q |
Singles
| Year | Song Title |
|---|---|
| 1979 | "Survive" |
| 1980 | "Sweet Things in Life" |
| 1980 | "Innocence" |
| 1981 | "Thinking of You" |
| 1982 | "Superstitious Feeling" |
| 1982 | "I Did It For Love" |
| 1984 | "Take This Heart" |
| 1986 | "It's No Mystery" |
| 2007 | "Shine On" |
| 2007 | "Rise" |
External links
- The Official Harlequin Website
- Glen Willows website
- [ Allmusic.com page]