The Mynah Birds
Encyclopedia
The Mynah Birds were a Canadian
R&B
band formed in Toronto
, Ontario
active from 1964 to 1967. Although the band never released an album
, it is notable as featuring a number of musicians who went on to have successful careers in rock
, folk rock
and funk
.
Over its short lifespan, the group featured a large number of artists in its many different configurations. Its most memorable lineup included Rick James
(who later had a solo career in funk music), Rickman Mason, John Taylor and Neil Young
and Bruce Palmer
, both founder members of Buffalo Springfield
.
McJohn and St. Nicholas would later become members of the rock band Steppenwolf
. Also, a late-running 1967 version of The Mynah Birds featured heavy rocker Neil Merryweather
.
and bass player Nick St. Nicholas
.
, St. Nicholas, Rick Cameron and guitarist Frank Arnel (aka Frank Iozzo), recorded "The Mynah Birds Song" for Columbia Records
in late 1964 as a prospective single. However, the track was not deemed strong enough and a new track, "The Mynah Birds Hop", was recorded for the A-side. The second track saw James, St Nicholas and Arnel joined by second singer, Jimmy "Liver" Livingstone (born February 28, 1938, Nova Scotia; died June 1, 2002), keyboard player John Goadsby, aka Goldy McJohn and drummer Richie Grand (born June 11, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario). The single was released in Canada in early 1965, but was not a hit.
Shortly thereafter, Bruce Palmer
joined the band in an unusual bass-player swap: Jack London & The Sparrows
gave up Palmer to get Mynah Birds bassist St. Nicholas.
James and new bass player Bruce Palmer then put together a new version of The Mynah Birds, featuring drummer Rickman Mason (born December 2, 1945 in Brantford
, Ontario) and guitarists Tom Morgan (born Tom Catherwood, July 4, 1944 in Brantford, Ontario) and John Taylor (born John Yachemac, June 12, 1946 in Welland, Ontario
; died September 27, 2002).
After leaving The Mynah Birds in April 1965, Jimmy Livingstone joined The Muddy Yorks and then The Just Us
, which evolved into Livingstone's Journey through The Tripp
.
As Rickman Mason has stated that the Motown contract stipulated the group must fulfil six-months of work, so in order to honour these commitments or face being sued, Mason and John Taylor drafted in former guitarist Tom Morgan and two new musicians, singer Mark Smith and former Bunkies bass player John Klasen (b. Brantford, Canada). The Mynah Birds resumed gigging, appearing at numerous venues throughout Ontario, including a return to the El Patio in Toronto (8–10 August), a performance at the Whitby
Arena (31 August) and a show at Peggy's Pavilion in Stroud (10 September) by which point, Robert Benedict had replaced Morgan on guitar.
Morgan was replaced by Neil Young
in January 1966.
in 1966. They recorded a number of tracks, and their first album was in the works when James was arrested, having deserted the United States Navy
prior to forming the Sailorboys. Motown subsequently shelved their recordings.
Young and Palmer left the band after James' arrest. Several of the remaining members continued to perform as the Mynah Birds throughout 1966, but did not make any recordings.
James put together a new short-lived line up of the band in the summer of 1967 with bass player Neil Lillie aka Neil Merryweather
. The group recorded a new version of "It's My Time" but broke up soon afterwards.
.
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...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band formed in 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...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
active from 1964 to 1967. Although the band never released an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, it is notable as featuring a number of musicians who went on to have successful careers in 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...
, folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
.
Over its short lifespan, the group featured a large number of artists in its many different configurations. Its most memorable lineup included Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
(who later had a solo career in funk music), Rickman Mason, John Taylor and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and Bruce Palmer
Bruce Palmer
Bruce Palmer was a Canadian musician notable for playing bass guitar in the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield.-Early years:Palmer was born and raised in Toronto Ontario, Canada...
, both founder members of Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
.
McJohn and St. Nicholas would later become members of the rock band Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
. Also, a late-running 1967 version of The Mynah Birds featured heavy rocker Neil Merryweather
Neil Merryweather
Neil Merryweather is a Canadian rock singer, bass player and songwriter...
.
History
The Mynah Birds grew out of a 1964 group called the Sailorboys, fronted by Jimmy Livingstone and also including guitarist Ian Goble, drummer Rick Cameron, organist Goldy McJohnGoldy McJohn
Goldy McJohn is a Canadian keyboard player best known as the original keyboardist for rock group Steppenwolf. Originally a classically trained pianist, he was a pioneer in the early use of the electronic organ in heavy metal...
and bass player Nick St. Nicholas
Nick St. Nicholas
Nick St. Nicholas is a bassist, and is best known for his membership in Steppenwolf from 1968 to 1970, and then again from 1976 to 1980. After World War II, his family moved to Toronto and became Canadian citizens. Sister Maren joined the Canadian Ballet Company & Conservatory of Music as pianist...
.
Early years
An early line-up, comprising Rick JamesRick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
, St. Nicholas, Rick Cameron and guitarist Frank Arnel (aka Frank Iozzo), recorded "The Mynah Birds Song" for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in late 1964 as a prospective single. However, the track was not deemed strong enough and a new track, "The Mynah Birds Hop", was recorded for the A-side. The second track saw James, St Nicholas and Arnel joined by second singer, Jimmy "Liver" Livingstone (born February 28, 1938, Nova Scotia; died June 1, 2002), keyboard player John Goadsby, aka Goldy McJohn and drummer Richie Grand (born June 11, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario). The single was released in Canada in early 1965, but was not a hit.
Shortly thereafter, Bruce Palmer
Bruce Palmer
Bruce Palmer was a Canadian musician notable for playing bass guitar in the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield.-Early years:Palmer was born and raised in Toronto Ontario, Canada...
joined the band in an unusual bass-player swap: Jack London & The Sparrows
Jack London & The Sparrows
Jack London and The Sparrows were a sixties “Toronto British invasion” band, and are best known for including future Steppenwolf members, Jerry Edmonton, Goldy McJohn and Nick St...
gave up Palmer to get Mynah Birds bassist St. Nicholas.
James and new bass player Bruce Palmer then put together a new version of The Mynah Birds, featuring drummer Rickman Mason (born December 2, 1945 in Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Ontario) and guitarists Tom Morgan (born Tom Catherwood, July 4, 1944 in Brantford, Ontario) and John Taylor (born John Yachemac, June 12, 1946 in Welland, Ontario
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
; died September 27, 2002).
After leaving The Mynah Birds in April 1965, Jimmy Livingstone joined The Muddy Yorks and then The Just Us
The Just Us
The Just Us were a short-lived Toronto based, R&B band from the mid 1960s, which later morphed into The Tripp and then Livingstone’s Journey. The group’s personnel included Neil Merryweather and Stan Endersby.-Origins:...
, which evolved into Livingstone's Journey through The Tripp
The Tripp
The Tripp was a short-lived Canadian rock band, based in Toronto from the mid 1960s, featuring Neil Merryweather and Stan Endersby and formed the link between The Just Us and Livingston’s Journey.-The Just Us:...
.
As Rickman Mason has stated that the Motown contract stipulated the group must fulfil six-months of work, so in order to honour these commitments or face being sued, Mason and John Taylor drafted in former guitarist Tom Morgan and two new musicians, singer Mark Smith and former Bunkies bass player John Klasen (b. Brantford, Canada). The Mynah Birds resumed gigging, appearing at numerous venues throughout Ontario, including a return to the El Patio in Toronto (8–10 August), a performance at the Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
Arena (31 August) and a show at Peggy's Pavilion in Stroud (10 September) by which point, Robert Benedict had replaced Morgan on guitar.
Morgan was replaced by Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
in January 1966.
1966-Motown Records
The Mynah Birds signed a seven-year deal with Motown RecordsMotown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
in 1966. They recorded a number of tracks, and their first album was in the works when James was arrested, having deserted the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
prior to forming the Sailorboys. Motown subsequently shelved their recordings.
Young and Palmer left the band after James' arrest. Several of the remaining members continued to perform as the Mynah Birds throughout 1966, but did not make any recordings.
James put together a new short-lived line up of the band in the summer of 1967 with bass player Neil Lillie aka Neil Merryweather
Neil Merryweather
Neil Merryweather is a Canadian rock singer, bass player and songwriter...
. The group recorded a new version of "It's My Time" but broke up soon afterwards.
Releases
A planned single, "It's My Time" b/w "Go On And Cry", assigned the catalog number V.I.P. 25033, was withdrawn just prior to its scheduled release by Motown. It was not released until the single were included in the 2006 box set The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 6: 1966, released in a limited edition of 6000 by Universal archival label Hip-O SelectHip-O Records
Hip-O Records is a record label, currently part of Universal Music Group, which specializes in reissues and compilations. Their Hip-O Select label is currently in the midst of releasing the Complete Motown Singles, a series of fourteen box sets which include both sides of every 45 from Motown...
.
Singles
| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Mynah Bird Hop/The Mynah Bird Song | Columbia Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
Compilation inclusions
| Year | Song | Album | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "It's My Time" | The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 6: 1966 | Hip-O Hip-O Records Hip-O Records is a record label, currently part of Universal Music Group, which specializes in reissues and compilations. Their Hip-O Select label is currently in the midst of releasing the Complete Motown Singles, a series of fourteen box sets which include both sides of every 45 from Motown... |
*recorded in 1966 |
| 2006 | "Go On and Cry" | The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 6: 1966 | *recorded in 1966 |