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Canadian pop/rock band
This article is about the Canadian pop/rock group. For the Italian power metal band, see
Skylark (Italian band)
. For other uses of the same word/name, see
Skylark
.
Skylark
was a Canadian
pop
and
rock
band
active from 1971 to 1973 and based in
Vancouver
.
[2]
"Wildflower"
is their biggest hit.
History
[
edit
]
Skylark formed in 1971 from one of
Ronnie Hawkins
's backup groups and signed with
Capitol Records
, releasing a self-titled album in 1972 which spawned three
singles
.
[3]
[4]
The group, whose alumni include
composer
/
arranger
David Foster
, disbanded after the lukewarm reception of their second album. Two of its other members,
Donny Gerrard
and
Carl Graves
achieved mixed success in other projects.
Their biggest single, "
Wildflower
", was a 1972 number #1
hit
in Canada on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart; it reached number 10 on the Canadian RPM singles chart and then peaked at number 9 on the
Billboard
Hot 100
the following spring, selling over a million copies.
[1]
It was
written
by
guitarist
Doug Edwards and Dave Richardson, who was a
Victoria
police officer at the time.
[3]
[5]
The song's popularity was boosted by frequent play on
CKLW
-AM radio after its initial release.
[6]
Donny Gerrard was amongst the Canadian musicians who recorded the 1985 charity single for African famine relief entitled "
Tears Are Not Enough
". He sang his solo line with
Bryan Adams
.
Doug Edwards died on November 11, 2016.
[3]
Donny Gerrard died from
cancer
in February 2022, at the age of 75.
[7]
Former members
[
edit
]
Discography
[
edit
]
Charted singles
[
edit
]
Albums
[
edit
]
1972 -
Skylark
(Shanachie/Capitol)
[
edit
]
(number 53 in Canada
[10]
)
Track listing
[
edit
]
- Side 1
- "Brother Eddie" ? (Howie Vickers, Joe Fahrni,
Robbie King
) - 4:31
- "What Would I Do Without You" - (Ernie Shelby,
Phillip Mitchell
) - 3:29
- "A Long Way to Go" - (
Barry Mann
,
Cynthia Weil
) - 3:46
- "Suites for My Lady" - (
David Foster
,
Duris Maxwell
) - 2:06
- "I'll Have to Go Away" - (
Kerry Chater
, Renee Armand) - 5:07
- Side 2
- "The Writing's on the Wall" - (Don Troiano) - 3:01
- "Twenty-Six Years" - (
David Foster
, Donny Gerrard, Linda Patterson) - 4:55
- "
I'm in Love Again
" - (
Fats Domino
,
Dave Bartholomew
) - 3:18
- "
Wildflower
" - (David Richardson, Doug Edwards) - 4:08
- "Shall I Fail" - (Carolyn Borsman, Doug Edwards) - 1:27
Personnel
[
edit
]
1974 -
2
(Capitol)
[
edit
]
- "You Remind Me of a Friend" (B.Russell - B.Gordon) 3:20
- "Love's a River Flowing" (R.Nichols - J.Bettis) 3:58
- "It's a Wonder" (Alexandra Wangberg) 3:14
- "Wingless Bird" (D.Edwards - C.Borsman) 5:07
- "Wildflower" (D.Richardson - D.Edwards) 4:08
- "If That's The Way You Want It" (D.Lambert - B.Potter) 3:38
- "Foster Frees" (David Foster) 6:19
- "The Love Affair Is Over" (
Bob Ruzicka
) 3:15
- "
One More Mountain to Climb
" (N.Sedaka - H.Greenfield) 5:04
Personnel
[
edit
]
- Produced and Engineered by Erik The Norwegian.
- Arrangements and Production Coordination by David Foster
Members of Skylark:
- Donny Gerrard - lead vocals, backing vocal arrangements
- B.J. Cook Foster - lead and backing vocals
- David Foster - piano, electric piano, Moog and pipe organ
Other musicians:
- Steve Pugsley - bass
- Alan Mix - guitar
- Brian Hilton, Duris Maxwell - drums
- Carl Graves - backing vocals, percussion
- Gabriel Delorme - acoustic guitar
- Robbie King - organ (tracks 2,6,7)
- William Smith - organ (track 9)
- Bobby Taylor - backing vocals
1996 -
Wildflower: Golden Classics Edition
(Collectibles)
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"
CANOE -- JAM! Music - Pop Encyclopedia - Skylark
[usurped]
".
Jam!
. Retrieved on October 11, 2009.
- ^
"Attic Records will distribute Greedy artists"
.
Billboard
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 27, 1976. pp. 88?.
ISSN
0006-2510
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Wildflower Co-Writer Succumbs to Cancer"
.
The Music Express
, November 14, 2016, Keith Sharp
- ^
"Billboard Album Reviews"
.
Billboard
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 29, 1972. pp.
50
?.
ISSN
0006-2510
.
- ^
" West Coast musician Doug Edwards composed Wildflower for Skylark"
. TOM HAWTHORN,
The Globe and Mail
, November 28, 2016
- ^
Nat Freedland (September 15, 1973).
"Skylark flying on 'flower' power"
.
Billboard
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 17?.
ISSN
0006-2510
.
- ^
"Donny Gerrard, lead singer of Skylark's 'Wildflower' has died"
. Yahoo! News. February 4, 2022
. Retrieved
February 4,
2022
.
- ^
"Top 11 (OK, 8) One-Hit Wonders ? And Why So Many Bands Can’t Follow Up Their Only Hit"
.
Rock Cellar
, Frank Mastropolo. January 12, 2017.
- ^
Kent, David
(1993).
Australian Chart Book 1970?1992
(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 277.
ISBN
0-646-11917-6
.
- ^
"RPM Top 100 Albums - September 30, 1972"
(PDF)
.
Collectionscanada.gc.ca
.
External links
[
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]