The Bells (band)
Encyclopedia
The Bells were a Canadian
rock
band
from Montreal
that had two hit single
s in the early 1970s. Featuring South Africa
n natives Anne and Jackie Ralph as well as Cliff Edwards, Doug Gravelle and Gordie McLeod, the group started in 1965 as The Five Bells.
They had their first hit in 1969 with "Moody Manitoba Morning", followed in 1970 — after shortening their name and making some personnel changes — by "Fly Little White Dove Fly", which became a Top 10 hit in Canada. Piano
player Frank Mills
joined The Bells for a short period from 1970 to 1971, after which he pursued a successful solo
career, the highlight of which was the #3 1979 U.S. hit single "Music Box Dancer
." Charlie Clark also joined the band in 1970 as a guitarist and vocalist; he now lives in Saint John
, New Brunswick
.
"White Dove" was followed up in 1971 by "Stay Awhile", a duet
featuring Ralph and Edwards. Written
by Saint John native Ken Tobias
, the song
became a major hit worldwide, selling four million copies and going to #1 in Canada on the RPM 100
national Top Singles chart on April 10, 1971 and remaining there for two weeks as well becoming their only Top 40 hit in the U.S.
, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
. This disc
sold over one million copies before the major U.S. radio station
s played it, and received a gold disc
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
on 27 May 1971. The song features a whisper
ed vocal
by Jackie Ralph. The success led to invitations to perform on The Tonight Show
in June 1971 and The Merv Griffin Show
. In Australia "Stay Awhile" reached #9.
Edwards departed out on a successful solo career in 1973. The Bells meanwhile had three Top Ten singles from their final album, Pisces Rising (Polydor, 1973): "The Singer", "Hey My Love" and "He Was Me, He Was You", featuring a new rhythm section with Skip Layton on drums and Will (Wayne) Cardinal on bass. Layton and Cardinal were also members of Ocean
in 1976 and Faro in the early 1970s. Their style brought a funkier feel to The Bells pop sound, especially noticeable on their cover of the Donny Hathaway/Roberta Flack song, "Baby I Love You", which also revealed Jackie Ralph's broader vocal talent that had not been previously been demonstrated on vinyl. The group has continued to perform occasionally over the years. Edwards and Gravelle both now reside in Gananoque, Ontario
.
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
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
that had two hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s in the early 1970s. Featuring South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n natives Anne and Jackie Ralph as well as Cliff Edwards, Doug Gravelle and Gordie McLeod, the group started in 1965 as The Five Bells.
They had their first hit in 1969 with "Moody Manitoba Morning", followed in 1970 — after shortening their name and making some personnel changes — by "Fly Little White Dove Fly", which became a Top 10 hit in Canada. Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
player Frank Mills
Frank Mills
Frank Mills , is a Canadian pianist and recording artist, best known for his solo instrumental hit "Music Box Dancer"....
joined The Bells for a short period from 1970 to 1971, after which he pursued a successful solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career, the highlight of which was the #3 1979 U.S. hit single "Music Box Dancer
Music Box Dancer
"Music Box Dancer" is an instrumental piece by Canadian musician Frank Mills that was an international hit in the late 1970s. It features a piano theme that is accompanied by other instrumentation, designed to resemble a music box....
." Charlie Clark also joined the band in 1970 as a guitarist and vocalist; he now lives in Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
"White Dove" was followed up in 1971 by "Stay Awhile", a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
featuring Ralph and Edwards. Written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Saint John native Ken Tobias
Ken Tobias
Kenneth Wayne Paul Tobias is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He is noted for penning a chart-topping hit for The Bells and for several top-selling recordings of his own.-Early career:...
, the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
became a major hit worldwide, selling four million copies and going to #1 in Canada on the RPM 100
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national Top Singles chart on April 10, 1971 and remaining there for two weeks as well becoming their only Top 40 hit in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. This disc
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
sold over one million copies before the major U.S. radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s played it, and received a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on 27 May 1971. The song features a whisper
Whisper
-In fiction:* Whisper , fictitious character in the popular Fantasy RPG Fable* Whisper, a character created by Ian Fleming in the James Bond novel and film Live and Let Die* Whisper , a 2007 horror film...
ed vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
by Jackie Ralph. The success led to invitations to perform on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
in June 1971 and The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
. In Australia "Stay Awhile" reached #9.
Edwards departed out on a successful solo career in 1973. The Bells meanwhile had three Top Ten singles from their final album, Pisces Rising (Polydor, 1973): "The Singer", "Hey My Love" and "He Was Me, He Was You", featuring a new rhythm section with Skip Layton on drums and Will (Wayne) Cardinal on bass. Layton and Cardinal were also members of Ocean
Ocean (band)
Ocean was a gospel rock band formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Ontario, Canada. They are best known for their million-selling 1971 single "Put Your Hand in the Hand", penned by Gene MacLellan. The gramophone record sold over one million copies and received a gold disc awarded by the Recording...
in 1976 and Faro in the early 1970s. Their style brought a funkier feel to The Bells pop sound, especially noticeable on their cover of the Donny Hathaway/Roberta Flack song, "Baby I Love You", which also revealed Jackie Ralph's broader vocal talent that had not been previously been demonstrated on vinyl. The group has continued to perform occasionally over the years. Edwards and Gravelle both now reside in Gananoque, Ontario
Gananoque, Ontario
Gananoque is a town in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,287 year-round residents in the Canada 2006 Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" because of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River, Gananoque's most...
.