Spoons (band)
Encyclopedia
Spoons are a Canadian New Wave
new romantic
synth pop music
group, formed in 1979 in Burlington, Ontario
. They recorded several Canadian chart hits between 1982 and 1989, and in 1983, they won Group of the Year at the U-Know
awards. Their most popular songs include "Romantic Traffic
", "Nova Heart", "Old Emotions" and "Tell No Lies".
in 1979. The band initially consisted of Gordon Deppe (lead vocals and guitar), Sandy Horne (vocals and bass), Brett Wickens
(keyboards, synths) and Peter Shepherd (drums). Deppe, Horne and Wickens attended Aldershot High School, and Deppe and Horne (the only constant members of the band) dated in high school.
In late 1979, Shepherd left the band and was replaced by Derrick Ross on drums. Spoons then released an independent single, "After the Institution", in 1980 on Mannequin Records. Shortly thereafter, Wickens left the band to release an electronica album under the pseudonym Ceramic Hello
, also on Mannequin Records, and later became a graphic designer designing album covers for such artists as Peter Gabriel. He was replaced by keyboardist Rob Preuss, who was only fifteen when he joined Spoons.
The band's first album, Stick Figure Neighbourhood
, was released in 1981, and is notable for being one of the earliest New Wave albums engineered by Daniel Lanois
.
The following year, Spoons released their breakthrough album Arias & Symphonies
. This album spawned three Top 40 hits in Canada: "Nova Heart", "Arias & Symphonies", and "Smiling in Winter". All were dance-oriented New Wave
hits.
Around this time, Spoons' higher profile allowed them to become the opening act for bands such as Culture Club
, Simple Minds
, and The Police
.
Spoons' 1983 album, Talkback
was produced by Nile Rodgers
. Rodgers had actually been approached to produce tracks for Culture Club, but after seeing them in concert, he was unimpressed with that band's reliance on backing tapes -- he was, however, taken with the Spoons opening set, and elected to produce them instead. The Talkback album included the hit "Old Emotions". Following that, the band expanded their sound somewhat, releasing a two-sided hit in 1984 with "Tell No Lies" b/w "Romantic Traffic", also produced by Rodgers. The upbeat "Tell No Lies" featured a more mainstream pop sound than was customary for Spoons, while "Romantic Traffic" was a downtempo song with adult contemporary leanings that would become the group's most enduring hit.
Both "Tell No Lies" and "Romantic Traffic" later found their way onto the soundtrack for the film Listen to the City, in which Horne was featured in a supporting role. However, Listen to the City was not an official Spoons album, as it consisted largely of instrumental music and was credited solely to Gordon Deppe.
In 1985 both Preuss and Ross left Spoons, and were replaced by Scott MacDonald (keyboards) and Steve Kendry (drums), respectively. The band also switched from New Wave imprint Ready Records
, which had folded after the release of Listen to the City, to the more rock-oriented Anthem Records
label. Accordingly, Spoons' 1986 single "Bridges Over Borders" marked a departure from their characteristic sound and showcased a harder rock orientation, as did later single "Rodeo".
The new Spoons line-up released the album Bridges Over Borders in 1986, but was a commercial disaster as it did not chart in the Canadian Top 100, nor did any of the three singles pulled from the LP. The follow-up LP Vertigo Tango reunited the band with Arias & Symphonies producer John Punter, and was a partial return to the band's New Wave roots. The album featured the band's final hit single, "Waterline" (1989), a languid, introspective ballad.
Spoons took a break from recording in the 1990s to allow time to focus on family, but Deppe and Horne, along with various other players, reunited for several Spoons reunion gigs in the 1990s and into the next decade. In 2007, Spoons released Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party
, a collection of previously unreleased material recorded between 1982 and 1985 by the Deppe, Horne, Preuss, Ross line-up.
2008 saw the release of "Limited Edition" which is a greatest-hits of sorts and was released on the Ready Records Imprint to replace the out-of-print "Collectible Spoons."
The band continues to play occasional shows in the Toronto
and Hamilton
area. At the Woodbine Park Summerfest for Vinyl 95.3, the band released their first new studio work in over 20-years - the double A-Side "Imperfekt/Breaking In" which was limited to 100 copies.
In the Spring of 2010, a Spoons lineup of Deppe & Horne, with producer Jeff Carter, began recording their sixth studio album, "Static in Transmission". The first single released from these sessions was the aforementioned limited-edition "imperfekt" b/w "Breaking In". The release date for "Static in Transmission" was March 29, 2011. In March, 2011, the band began filming for the first single to go to radio for the album, "You Light Up", which is being created by the band's former Keyboardist, Stephen Sweeney. To promote the new album, a tour is expected with Casey MQ on keyboards and Chris McNeill on drums.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
new romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
synth pop music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
group, formed in 1979 in Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
. They recorded several Canadian chart hits between 1982 and 1989, and in 1983, they won Group of the Year at the U-Know
CASBY Award
The CASBY Award is a Canadian award for independent and alternative music, presented annually by Toronto, Ontario radio station CFNY, currently branded as 102.1 The Edge. The name CASBY stands for Canadian Artists Selected By You....
awards. Their most popular songs include "Romantic Traffic
Romantic traffic
Romantic Traffic is the title of a song written by the Canadian band The Spoons and released in 1984 as a single . It was also featured in the 1994 album Collectible Spoons. The music video was shot entirely in Toronto's subway system....
", "Nova Heart", "Old Emotions" and "Tell No Lies".
History
Spoons was formed in Burlington, OntarioBurlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
in 1979. The band initially consisted of Gordon Deppe (lead vocals and guitar), Sandy Horne (vocals and bass), Brett Wickens
Brett Wickens
Brett Wickens , is a Canadian and British Creative Director living and working in the USA.Canadian-born Brett Wickens is a creative director and partner in the design studio Ammunition, which was named one of the top ten Most Innovative Companies in Design in 2011 by Fast Company magazine -- for...
(keyboards, synths) and Peter Shepherd (drums). Deppe, Horne and Wickens attended Aldershot High School, and Deppe and Horne (the only constant members of the band) dated in high school.
In late 1979, Shepherd left the band and was replaced by Derrick Ross on drums. Spoons then released an independent single, "After the Institution", in 1980 on Mannequin Records. Shortly thereafter, Wickens left the band to release an electronica album under the pseudonym Ceramic Hello
Ceramic Hello
Ceramic Hello was a duo from Burlington, Ontario, formed by Brett Wickens in 1980 after leaving Spoons. He teamed up with Roger Humphreys who added a more classical bent to the minimal synthesizer tunes ....
, also on Mannequin Records, and later became a graphic designer designing album covers for such artists as Peter Gabriel. He was replaced by keyboardist Rob Preuss, who was only fifteen when he joined Spoons.
The band's first album, Stick Figure Neighbourhood
Stick Figure Neighbourhood
Stick Figure Neighbourhood was the first album by the Burlington band Spoons. Released in 1981, it received some airplay on college stations, particularly the songs Conventional Beliefs and Red Light...
, was released in 1981, and is notable for being one of the earliest New Wave albums engineered by Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
.
The following year, Spoons released their breakthrough album Arias & Symphonies
Arias & Symphonies
Arias & Symphonies was the second album by the Burlington band Spoons. It contained the highly successful single "Nova Heart" and "Arias & Symphonies"...
. This album spawned three Top 40 hits in Canada: "Nova Heart", "Arias & Symphonies", and "Smiling in Winter". All were dance-oriented New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
hits.
Around this time, Spoons' higher profile allowed them to become the opening act for bands such as Culture Club
Culture Club
Culture Club are a British rock band who were part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band consisted of Boy George , Mikey Craig , Roy Hay and Jon Moss...
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, and The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
.
Spoons' 1983 album, Talkback
Talkback (Spoons album)
Talkback was the third album by the Burlington, Ontario-based band Spoons.The tracks that got airplay in Canada were "Old Emotions","The Rhythm" and "Talk Back". A video was also produced for "Old Emotions", directed by Rob Quartly...
was produced by Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
. Rodgers had actually been approached to produce tracks for Culture Club, but after seeing them in concert, he was unimpressed with that band's reliance on backing tapes -- he was, however, taken with the Spoons opening set, and elected to produce them instead. The Talkback album included the hit "Old Emotions". Following that, the band expanded their sound somewhat, releasing a two-sided hit in 1984 with "Tell No Lies" b/w "Romantic Traffic", also produced by Rodgers. The upbeat "Tell No Lies" featured a more mainstream pop sound than was customary for Spoons, while "Romantic Traffic" was a downtempo song with adult contemporary leanings that would become the group's most enduring hit.
Both "Tell No Lies" and "Romantic Traffic" later found their way onto the soundtrack for the film Listen to the City, in which Horne was featured in a supporting role. However, Listen to the City was not an official Spoons album, as it consisted largely of instrumental music and was credited solely to Gordon Deppe.
In 1985 both Preuss and Ross left Spoons, and were replaced by Scott MacDonald (keyboards) and Steve Kendry (drums), respectively. The band also switched from New Wave imprint Ready Records
Ready Records
Ready Records was a small but influential independent record label based out of Toronto, Canada that signed a number of New Wave and Indie rock bands from the early to mid-1980s. Focusing primarily on local Toronto-area talent, it released 7" and 12" singles, LPs and cassettes...
, which had folded after the release of Listen to the City, to the more rock-oriented Anthem Records
Anthem Records
Anthem Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario. The company was formed in May 1977 by Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson with initial recording artists Rush, Max Webster, Liverpool and A Foot in Coldwater. The three members of Rush, Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson became...
label. Accordingly, Spoons' 1986 single "Bridges Over Borders" marked a departure from their characteristic sound and showcased a harder rock orientation, as did later single "Rodeo".
The new Spoons line-up released the album Bridges Over Borders in 1986, but was a commercial disaster as it did not chart in the Canadian Top 100, nor did any of the three singles pulled from the LP. The follow-up LP Vertigo Tango reunited the band with Arias & Symphonies producer John Punter, and was a partial return to the band's New Wave roots. The album featured the band's final hit single, "Waterline" (1989), a languid, introspective ballad.
Spoons took a break from recording in the 1990s to allow time to focus on family, but Deppe and Horne, along with various other players, reunited for several Spoons reunion gigs in the 1990s and into the next decade. In 2007, Spoons released Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party
Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party
Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party is a compilation album of unreleased material by Canadian 80s new wave band Spoons. Named after the b-side to their "Talk Back" single, it was released independently by Spoons member Gordon Deppe in ....
, a collection of previously unreleased material recorded between 1982 and 1985 by the Deppe, Horne, Preuss, Ross line-up.
2008 saw the release of "Limited Edition" which is a greatest-hits of sorts and was released on the Ready Records Imprint to replace the out-of-print "Collectible Spoons."
The band continues to play occasional shows in the 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...
and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
area. At the Woodbine Park Summerfest for Vinyl 95.3, the band released their first new studio work in over 20-years - the double A-Side "Imperfekt/Breaking In" which was limited to 100 copies.
In the Spring of 2010, a Spoons lineup of Deppe & Horne, with producer Jeff Carter, began recording their sixth studio album, "Static in Transmission". The first single released from these sessions was the aforementioned limited-edition "imperfekt" b/w "Breaking In". The release date for "Static in Transmission" was March 29, 2011. In March, 2011, the band began filming for the first single to go to radio for the album, "You Light Up", which is being created by the band's former Keyboardist, Stephen Sweeney. To promote the new album, a tour is expected with Casey MQ on keyboards and Chris McNeill on drums.
Post-Spoons careers
- At present, Gordon Deppe has a new pop rockPop rockPop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
trio called Five Star Fall. - Gordon Deppe's band "The Lost Boys" routinely play the Ivy Arms in Milton, ON as well as at Shakespeare Arms in Guelph, ON.
- Sandy Horne now performs and tours with Coast Tsimshian singer/songwriter, storyteller, recording artist Shannon ThunderbirdShannon ThunderbirdShannon Thunderbird, is a Coast Tsimshian First Nations singer-songwriter, storyteller, educator, speaker, playwright and novelist.She is an Elder of the Giluts'aaw tribe, Royal House of Niis'gumiik, Gispwudwada Clan. She is the President and Artistic Director of Teya Peya Productions, an...
, a First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
Artist originally from Northern British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. - Rob Preuss went on to play with Honeymoon Suite on their Racing After Midnight album. He is currently the Associate Musical Director for Mamma Mia! at the Wintergarden Theater in New York City.
- Brett Wickens stayed involved in music, collaborating with Kinetic IdealsKinetic IdealsKinetic Ideals was a Canadian new wave band from Mississauga, Ontario. They released one single and three EPs on the Mannequin record label, formed by Paul Abrahams, manager of the new romantic group Spoons ....
, Andy McCluskeyAndy McCluskeyGeorge Andrew "Andy" McCluskey is the lead singer, bass guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark ....
of OMDOrchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
, Jah WobbleJah WobbleJah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
, William OrbitWilliam OrbitWilliam Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
, Peter HookPeter HookPeter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
of New OrderNew OrderNew Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
and Martha LadlyMartha LadlyMartha Ladly, AOCA RGD MCSD is a Canadian academic, designer and musician. She is currently Associate Professor of interaction design, at OCAD University. Ladly has also had a long career as a musician and achieved international fame as part of Canadian New Wave band Martha & the Muffins...
, amongst others, but is probably most well-known for his album cover design work with Peter Saville Associates. He is now a partner in the San Francisco design firm, Ammunition. - Derrick Ross was working with a subsidiary record label owned by EMI Music Canada, and then became Vice President of EMI Music Canada.
- Scott Macdonald taught middle school science in Hamilton, Ontario from 1998 until 2001. He is currently residing in Asia where he lives with his wife and two children. He now teaches in United world College South East Asia Singapore East.
- Gordon Deppe used to be a programmer for the 80's channel on Galaxie, however, Patrick Binette now does it
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| CAN | ||
| 1980 | "After the Institution" | |
| 1982 | "Nova Heart" | 40 |
| "Arias & Symphonies" | 18 | |
| "Smiling in Winter" | 30 | |
| 1983 | "Old Emotions" | 28 |
| "The Rhythm" | ||
| 1984 | "Talkback" | |
| "Tell No Lies" | 34 | |
| "Romantic Traffic Romantic traffic Romantic Traffic is the title of a song written by the Canadian band The Spoons and released in 1984 as a single . It was also featured in the 1994 album Collectible Spoons. The music video was shot entirely in Toronto's subway system.... " |
55 | |
| 1986 | "Bridges Over Borders" | |
| "Be Alone Tonight" | ||
| 1987 | "Rodeo" | |
| 1988 | "When Time Turns Around" | 68 |
| 1989 | "Waterline" | 44 |
| "Sooner or Later" | ||
| 2010 | "Imperfekt" |
Albums
- Stick Figure NeighbourhoodStick Figure NeighbourhoodStick Figure Neighbourhood was the first album by the Burlington band Spoons. Released in 1981, it received some airplay on college stations, particularly the songs Conventional Beliefs and Red Light...
(1981) - Arias & SymphoniesArias & SymphoniesArias & Symphonies was the second album by the Burlington band Spoons. It contained the highly successful single "Nova Heart" and "Arias & Symphonies"...
(1982) - TalkbackTalkback (Spoons album)Talkback was the third album by the Burlington, Ontario-based band Spoons.The tracks that got airplay in Canada were "Old Emotions","The Rhythm" and "Talk Back". A video was also produced for "Old Emotions", directed by Rob Quartly...
(1983) - Listen to the City (1984, Gordon Deppe with Spoons)
- Bridges Over Borders (1986)
- Vertigo Tango (1988)
- Collectible SpoonsCollectible SpoonsCollectible Spoons is a greatest hits collection by the Burlington band Spoons. It includes material from their first four albums on Ready Records , but ignores the last two albums, Bridges Over Borders and Vertigo Tango on Anthem Records...
(1994, greatest hitsGreatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
) - Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled PartyUnexpected Guest at a Cancelled PartyUnexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party is a compilation album of unreleased material by Canadian 80s new wave band Spoons. Named after the b-side to their "Talk Back" single, it was released independently by Spoons member Gordon Deppe in ....
(2007, unreleased material) - Limited Edition (2008, greatest hitsGreatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
to replace Collectible Spoons) - Static in Transmission (March 29, 2011)
External links
Official Myspace Page- Spoons Music and Video Archive Official Website
- Spoons at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Spoons at the CanoeCanadian Online ExplorerCanadian Online Explorer is a bilingual online news and information site from Canada.A subsidiary of Quebecor Media, Canoe.ca is a leading local and national interactive media provider of news, entertainment and services, helping to inform and connect Canadians...
Jam!Jam!Jam! is a Canadian website, which covers entertainment news. It is part of the CANOE online portal, owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division....
Canadian Pop Encyclopedia - Spoons at the CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Alternative Walk of Fame