The Dave Howard Singers
Encyclopedia
The Dave Howard Singers is a cult Canadian alternative rock band/project originally formed in Toronto
, Canada
. The project is based around the talents of singer-songwriter Dave Howard (the only consistent member) and the signature sound of his Ace Tone
organ
. During the second half of the 1980s, the band were resident in (and drew many members from) Britain, where they were a cult act making several appearances on nationwide television.
Howard's work is noted for its mixture of eccentric humour and sincerity, and its persistent attempts to marry extremely disparate and clashing elements of light popular music (lounge-pop tunes, crooner vocals) and industrial/electronic avant-garde music (rapid electronic rhythms, noise, screaming). Howard’s vigorous stagecraft and highly emotional performance style has led him to be described as a "surreal revolutionary", "a vaudeville entertainer for the post-apocalyptic age" and "damned irresponsible and depraved". His songs have been described as "evoking a singular world both comforting and cruel." Howard himself has admitted “I've always had a passion for exploring extreme emotions, especially in my work. Extremely deranged, delighted, demented, deluded, you name it.”
, The Contortions and of course Suicide
. I also liked the clean minimalism of groups like Young Marble Giants
. And just to totally confuse you, a tiny portion from my list of early influences would be Burt Bacharach
, The Beatles
, John Barry
, early Genesis
, Bernard Hermann, Holst
, Debussy
and Dean Martin
.”
Striking out as a solo act in 1981 (accompanied by a drum machine called “Max”), Howard took on the ironic project name of The Dave Howard Singers - despite the fact that not only was he the only singer in the group, but also the only member. Drawing principally on his Suicide
and Burt Bacharach
influences, he performed song-sets mingling rapid electronic rhythms and noise with lounge-friendly pop tunes and crooner vocals. Audiences confused by this mixture – apart from those who were implacably hostile - were won over by Howard’s sense of humour and encouragement of audience participation (he would invite them to sing along, heckle and tell stories as part of his concert experience). While Toronto-based, he supported international music acts such as James Chance and the Contortions
, The Psychedelic Furs and Jah Wobble
. The debut Dave Howard Singers release was the 8-song cassette album Alone And Gone in 1983, followed by the cassette EP A Loan And A Yawn.
(Magazine
, Visage) was brought in by Howard’s manager Peter Noble to produce Howard’s recordings. Formula persuaded Howard and Noble that if Howard was serious about a musical career, he should relocate to Britain
. Following Formula's advice, Howard moved to London
and was teamed up with ex-Howard Devoto
sidemen Pat Aherne (drums) and Martin Heath (bass, formerly of The Poison Girls) to form a live trio. However, Howard soon became dissatisfied with the musical direction he was being groomed for. Following a WOMAD gig in 1985 at which he had been presented (semi-ironically) as Canada’s musical representative, Howard parted company with Formula, Aherne and Heath.
The day after WOMAD, Howard teamed up with fellow Canadian Nick Smash, a stand-up drummer and “heavy percussionist” who'd previously worked with Rent Boys Inc. This line-up recorded the Whoishe? EP, including the live favourite (and Mad Max
tribute) “Road Warrior”, which was released on Howard’s own label Hallelujah! Records (via Rough Trade). The new-look Dave Howard Singers made an appearance on The Tube
, toured with The Shock Headed Peters and supported Sonic Youth
in Amsterdam.
The Dave Howard Singers followed up Whoishe? with the live-in-concert EP Goodnight Karl Malden EP, recorded in winter 1985 in the Netherlands and released in March 1986. To promote the EP, The Dave Howard Singers pulled off a considerable press coup by playing a bizarre free concert (assisted by slide and video projections) at the London Canadian Embassy (Canada House
) in April 1986. Howard posed, tongue-in-cheek, as a cultural representative (much as he had at WOMAD in 1985) and delivered a noisy set. Described as "the loudest launch reception for a record ever witnessed", the concert was a great cult success and was covered by (among others) Melody Maker, Sounds and New Musical Express.
In October 1986, The Dave Howard Singers released a cover version of the David Essex
hit "Rock On
" (produced by The Stranglers
’ JJ Burnel). This was described at the time as "frighteningly minimalist" and as "ruffian unrest". Even as recently as 2004, the single was described in retrospect as “mutated… beyond all recognition, with Max providing heavy duty electro beats, Nick Smash beating the shit out of his tom-toms and Dave screaming his lungs out (through) a convoluted series of sections before finally degenerating into full-on insanity, with Dave screeching a tirade of obscenities.” Howard made much of the initial friction between himself and Burnel (the latter a committed DHS fan) during the recording session ("It all got off to a tempestuous start. On the first day I was so uptight and made him uptight, so he threatened me with my life. I was thinking, God, this isn't how it should be working out. Then, after the air was cleared, it all worked out fine.")
Nick Smash left the band the day before the Rock On video was to be shot, having clashed with manager Peter Noble and claiming to be "getting pretty sick of that Ace Tone". He would later to patch up his personal relationship with Howard, although he would not return to the band.
) in 1987, immediately following it up with a disco remix called Yon Yonson Meets Dr R-R-Ruth (which spliced the original single with "crackpot sex therapy out-takes").
By May 1988, Howard had recruited singers Wendy and Sarah to provide live backing vocals for him. Bernadette Keeffe (of The Happy End
) also sang with him for about a year. In November 1988, The Dave Howard Singers supported Spacemen 3
. By this point, Howard’s onstage stunts including placing his Ace Tone organ on a wheelchair rather than a keyboard stand (while in Canada, he had often sat in a wheelchair to play the organ). The single What Do You Say To An Angel? (inspired by an unprovoked attack on Howard by a Hell's Angel) appeared in early 1989. By this time, the line-up of the Dave Howard Singers had changed again with the addition of “guitar alchemist” Simon Walker, who in turn had brought in T. Daniel Howard (drums). The band became a quartet with the addition of bass player Christian “Bic” Hayes
(ex-Ring
), whose additional unicycling and juggling skills had endeared him to Howard.
Bic would eventually leave The Dave Howard Singers to play guitar with Cardiacs
, and was later known for his membership of first Levitation
and subsequently Dark Star
. He was temporarily replaced by Stump
bassist Kev Hopper
. Later in 1989, Simon Walker also left The Dave Howard Singers when he was recruited by The House Of Love
to replace the infamous Terry Bickers
(who himself was shortly to join another ex-DHS member, Bic, in Levitation
). Regarding the poaching of Walker, Howard was later to comment, with regret, “It was a sad day... You know, it's just me but I don't think they made full use of him. Pity.”
The band reorganised as a trio of Dave Howard, T. Daniel Howard and new bass player Bevin Burke. With a new recording contract signed with the Ghetto Recording Company, this lineup recorded the single “All My Relatives Look The Same” (released in 1990) and the long-awaited Dave Howard Singers debut album It’s About Time (1991) which was produced by Paul “Thwack” Laventhol (the former King Kurt
guitarist, and Dave Howard’s neighbour). Later on in 1991, Burke was replaced on bass by Anand Gary Subassa (a.k.a. “Subs”) and the band undertook a tour of Europe, frequently playing at squat parties. However, the band's progress was damaged when Ghetto Recording Company folded at the time of the album release (part of the general malaise hitting the British music industry at the time). Consequently, It’s About Time was only released in Germany (apart from an unusual release in Canada for which the band operated under the name of Devoured and the album was released under the title 13).
By early 1992, a disaffected Dave Howard had spent eight years on the margins of the British music industry only to have his hopes dashed by bad luck. Taking stock of the situation, he dissolved the band, quit music and moved back to Canada. He has also cited “the fact that certain family members weren't gettin' any younger and didn't have family close by to look out for them” as affecting his decision.
. He subsequently became Audio Director of the multimedia production company Chromacide and went on to write music for cartoons, commercials, websites and animations.
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...
, Canada
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...
. The project is based around the talents of singer-songwriter Dave Howard (the only consistent member) and the signature sound of his Ace Tone
Ace Tone
Ace Electronic Industries Inc., or Ace Tone was a manufacturer of musical instruments, including electronic organs and analogue drum machines, and effects pedals. Founded in 1960 by Ikutaro Kakehashi with an investment by Sakata Shokai, Ace Tone can be considered an early incarnation of the Roland...
organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
. During the second half of the 1980s, the band were resident in (and drew many members from) Britain, where they were a cult act making several appearances on nationwide television.
Howard's work is noted for its mixture of eccentric humour and sincerity, and its persistent attempts to marry extremely disparate and clashing elements of light popular music (lounge-pop tunes, crooner vocals) and industrial/electronic avant-garde music (rapid electronic rhythms, noise, screaming). Howard’s vigorous stagecraft and highly emotional performance style has led him to be described as a "surreal revolutionary", "a vaudeville entertainer for the post-apocalyptic age" and "damned irresponsible and depraved". His songs have been described as "evoking a singular world both comforting and cruel." Howard himself has admitted “I've always had a passion for exploring extreme emotions, especially in my work. Extremely deranged, delighted, demented, deluded, you name it.”
Early years (1979-1984)
An ex-student of the Royal Conservatory of Ontario, Dave Howard started his musical career in Toronto in 1979, as part of a post-punk band called The Diner’s Club (also featuring drummer Boris Rosych and guitarist Brian Ruryk). Howard noted later “we were into all that stuff out of New York like Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, The Contortions and of course Suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. I also liked the clean minimalism of groups like Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants were a post-punk band formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. A trio, their music was constructed around the powerful and minimal instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham along with the vocals of Alison Statton.-History:...
. And just to totally confuse you, a tiny portion from my list of early influences would be Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
, early Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Bernard Hermann, Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
, Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
.”
Striking out as a solo act in 1981 (accompanied by a drum machine called “Max”), Howard took on the ironic project name of The Dave Howard Singers - despite the fact that not only was he the only singer in the group, but also the only member. Drawing principally on his Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
and Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
influences, he performed song-sets mingling rapid electronic rhythms and noise with lounge-friendly pop tunes and crooner vocals. Audiences confused by this mixture – apart from those who were implacably hostile - were won over by Howard’s sense of humour and encouragement of audience participation (he would invite them to sing along, heckle and tell stories as part of his concert experience). While Toronto-based, he supported international music acts such as James Chance and the Contortions
James Chance and the Contortions
James Chance and the Contortions, led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, were one of the original punk jazz groups of the New York No Wave music scene. Their first recording, credited solely as Contortions, was on the 1978 compilation, No New York, produced by Brain Eno...
, The Psychedelic Furs and Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble
Jah 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...
. The debut Dave Howard Singers release was the 8-song cassette album Alone And Gone in 1983, followed by the cassette EP A Loan And A Yawn.
The London years (late 1984-1986)
In October 1984, British keyboard player and producer Dave FormulaDave Formula
Dave Formula, , is an English keyboardist and film-soundtrack composer from Manchester, who played with the post-punk band Magazine, and New Romantic ensemble Visage during the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s and in the "world music" band The Angel Brothers.-Early Years and St...
(Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
, Visage) was brought in by Howard’s manager Peter Noble to produce Howard’s recordings. Formula persuaded Howard and Noble that if Howard was serious about a musical career, he should relocate to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Following Formula's advice, Howard moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and was teamed up with ex-Howard Devoto
Howard Devoto
Howard Devoto is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for the punk band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, one of the first post-punk bands...
sidemen Pat Aherne (drums) and Martin Heath (bass, formerly of The Poison Girls) to form a live trio. However, Howard soon became dissatisfied with the musical direction he was being groomed for. Following a WOMAD gig in 1985 at which he had been presented (semi-ironically) as Canada’s musical representative, Howard parted company with Formula, Aherne and Heath.
The day after WOMAD, Howard teamed up with fellow Canadian Nick Smash, a stand-up drummer and “heavy percussionist” who'd previously worked with Rent Boys Inc. This line-up recorded the Whoishe? EP, including the live favourite (and Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
tribute) “Road Warrior”, which was released on Howard’s own label Hallelujah! Records (via Rough Trade). The new-look Dave Howard Singers made an appearance on The Tube
The Tube (TV series)
The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five seasons, from 5 November 1982 until 1987...
, toured with The Shock Headed Peters and supported Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
in Amsterdam.
The Dave Howard Singers followed up Whoishe? with the live-in-concert EP Goodnight Karl Malden EP, recorded in winter 1985 in the Netherlands and released in March 1986. To promote the EP, The Dave Howard Singers pulled off a considerable press coup by playing a bizarre free concert (assisted by slide and video projections) at the London Canadian Embassy (Canada House
Canada House
The High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom in London is the diplomatic mission from Canada to the United Kingdom. It is housed in two buildings in London.-History:...
) in April 1986. Howard posed, tongue-in-cheek, as a cultural representative (much as he had at WOMAD in 1985) and delivered a noisy set. Described as "the loudest launch reception for a record ever witnessed", the concert was a great cult success and was covered by (among others) Melody Maker, Sounds and New Musical Express.
In October 1986, The Dave Howard Singers released a cover version of the David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
hit "Rock On
Rock On (David Essex song)
"Rock On" is a song that was composed and sung by English singer/songwriter David Essex in 1973. In March 1974, it reached #1 in Canada on the RPM national Top Singles chart and was a Top 5 song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop-music chart. It was Essex's only Billboard Top 40 hit. The song also...
" (produced by The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
’ JJ Burnel). This was described at the time as "frighteningly minimalist" and as "ruffian unrest". Even as recently as 2004, the single was described in retrospect as “mutated… beyond all recognition, with Max providing heavy duty electro beats, Nick Smash beating the shit out of his tom-toms and Dave screaming his lungs out (through) a convoluted series of sections before finally degenerating into full-on insanity, with Dave screeching a tirade of obscenities.” Howard made much of the initial friction between himself and Burnel (the latter a committed DHS fan) during the recording session ("It all got off to a tempestuous start. On the first day I was so uptight and made him uptight, so he threatened me with my life. I was thinking, God, this isn't how it should be working out. Then, after the air was cleared, it all worked out fine.")
Nick Smash left the band the day before the Rock On video was to be shot, having clashed with manager Peter Noble and claiming to be "getting pretty sick of that Ace Tone". He would later to patch up his personal relationship with Howard, although he would not return to the band.
The London years (1987-1992)
Still using the “Dave Howard Singers” project name, Howard continued as a solo performer (accompanied by the ever-faithful Max). He released the “quasi-hip-hop” single Yon Yonson (based on an American nonsense rhymeYon yonson
Yon Yonson is an infinitely recursive poem, nursery rhyme or song, perhaps best known from the novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, although Vonnegut did not create it.- Origins of the song :...
) in 1987, immediately following it up with a disco remix called Yon Yonson Meets Dr R-R-Ruth (which spliced the original single with "crackpot sex therapy out-takes").
By May 1988, Howard had recruited singers Wendy and Sarah to provide live backing vocals for him. Bernadette Keeffe (of The Happy End
The Happy End
The Happy End was a brass band formed by Matt Fox in 1983. Inspired by the music of Kurt Weill, Hans Eisler and Charlie Haden, to name a few, the band reflected the political landscape of London and the UK throughout the Thatcher years...
) also sang with him for about a year. In November 1988, The Dave Howard Singers supported Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia"...
. By this point, Howard’s onstage stunts including placing his Ace Tone organ on a wheelchair rather than a keyboard stand (while in Canada, he had often sat in a wheelchair to play the organ). The single What Do You Say To An Angel? (inspired by an unprovoked attack on Howard by a Hell's Angel) appeared in early 1989. By this time, the line-up of the Dave Howard Singers had changed again with the addition of “guitar alchemist” Simon Walker, who in turn had brought in T. Daniel Howard (drums). The band became a quartet with the addition of bass player Christian “Bic” Hayes
Christian Hayes
Christian Hayes , also known as Bic Hayes, is an English rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. His highest profile musical role has been fronting the band Dark Star between 1998 and 2001, whom he formed with fellow ex-Levitation members David Francolini and Laurence O'Keefe.He has also played in a...
(ex-Ring
Ring (band)
Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.The band is notable for having helped to launch the subsequent musical careers of Robert White , Michael "Mik" Tubb and Christian "Bic" Hayes .-History:Ring evolved out of the south London experimental...
), whose additional unicycling and juggling skills had endeared him to Howard.
Bic would eventually leave The Dave Howard Singers to play guitar with Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
, and was later known for his membership of first Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
and subsequently Dark Star
Dark Star (band)
Dark Star were an English rock band from London, whose music mixed dark psychedelica, with a dub undertow and noisy effects-laden guitar.-History:...
. He was temporarily replaced by Stump
Stump (band)
Stump were an Anglo-Irish indie/experimental/rock group featuring former Microdisney members Mick Lynch and Rob McKahey , along with Kev Hopper and Chris Salmon . They formed in London in 1983...
bassist Kev Hopper
Kev Hopper
Kev Hopper is primarily known as the bass guitarist with the 1980s band Stump, but it is more accurate to define him as a composer and multi-instrumentalist playing Musical Saw, guitar and samplers....
. Later in 1989, Simon Walker also left The Dave Howard Singers when he was recruited by The House Of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
to replace the infamous Terry Bickers
Terry Bickers
Terry Bickers is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the rock bands The House of Love and Levitation...
(who himself was shortly to join another ex-DHS member, Bic, in Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
). Regarding the poaching of Walker, Howard was later to comment, with regret, “It was a sad day... You know, it's just me but I don't think they made full use of him. Pity.”
The band reorganised as a trio of Dave Howard, T. Daniel Howard and new bass player Bevin Burke. With a new recording contract signed with the Ghetto Recording Company, this lineup recorded the single “All My Relatives Look The Same” (released in 1990) and the long-awaited Dave Howard Singers debut album It’s About Time (1991) which was produced by Paul “Thwack” Laventhol (the former King Kurt
King Kurt
King Kurt was a 1980s psychobilly rock band from the UK. They formed in 1981 and split up in 1988, although they have reformed sporadically and played a reunion concert in 2010...
guitarist, and Dave Howard’s neighbour). Later on in 1991, Burke was replaced on bass by Anand Gary Subassa (a.k.a. “Subs”) and the band undertook a tour of Europe, frequently playing at squat parties. However, the band's progress was damaged when Ghetto Recording Company folded at the time of the album release (part of the general malaise hitting the British music industry at the time). Consequently, It’s About Time was only released in Germany (apart from an unusual release in Canada for which the band operated under the name of Devoured and the album was released under the title 13).
By early 1992, a disaffected Dave Howard had spent eight years on the margins of the British music industry only to have his hopes dashed by bad luck. Taking stock of the situation, he dissolved the band, quit music and moved back to Canada. He has also cited “the fact that certain family members weren't gettin' any younger and didn't have family close by to look out for them” as affecting his decision.
Back in Canada (1992-2006)
Back in Toronto, Howard was soon coaxed out of retirement to play with Paul Laventhol (who’d also moved to Canada) in a burlesque band which also featured drummer Keith “Keef” McGuinness. Laventhol’s time in Canada was fairly short, and once he had returned to the UK Howard and McGuinness became the duo Me And Keith (which played two concerts, a year apart). After the end of this project, Howard retired his Ace Tone organ and retreated to the studio to write music for Canada’s Global Television NetworkGlobal Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
. He subsequently became Audio Director of the multimedia production company Chromacide and went on to write music for cartoons, commercials, websites and animations.
The return of the Dave Howard Singers (2007-present)
On April 7, 2007, the original Dave Howard Singers lineup (Howard and Max) reconvened to play at Mitzi’s Sister, Toronto. The project have performed several gigs since then. Apparently reinvigorated by his live activity, Howard has re-released his first four UK EPs ("Whoishe?", "Goodnight Karl Malden", "Rock On", "Yon Yonson") as a compilation CD called What Your Girlfriend Threw Out, Or Your Friend Never Returned.Albums
- Alone And Gone (1983, self-released cassette album)
- It’s About Time, (1991, Ghetto Recording Company, Germany-only – also released in Canada as Devoured album 13)
Singles and EPs
- A Loan And A Yawn (1983, self-released cassette EP)
- Whoishe? EP (1985, Hallelujah! Records) (UK IndieUK Indie ChartThe UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
#39) - Goodnight Karl Malden EP (1986, Hallelujah! Records)
- "Rock On" (1986, Fun After All Records)
- "It Doesn't Cut Like a Knife" (1987, Hallelujah! Records)
- Yon Yonson (1987, Hallelujah! Records) (UK IndieUK Indie ChartThe UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
#4) - Yon Yonson Meets Dr R-R-Ruth (1987, Hallelujah! Records)
- "Chances" (1988, Pinpoint)
- What Do You Say To An Angel? (1989, Pinpoint Records)
- All My Relatives Look The Same (1990, Ghetto Recording Company)
Compilations
- What Your Girlfriend Threw Out, Or Your Friend Never Returned (2007, DHS - compiles the four EPs “Whoishe?”, “Goodnight Karl Malden”, “Rock On”, “Yon Yonson”)
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- List of Canadian musicians
- List of bands from Canada
- :Category:Canadian musical groups
External links
- The Dave Howard Singers homepage
- The Dave Howard Singers @ MySpace
- Chromacide homepage (Dave Howard's dayjob)
- "Boys And Girls... Here's The Road Warrior" - feature and interview on Gutterbeatz weblog, January 24, 2004
- Dillon, Charlotte "[ Dave Howard Biography]", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation