John Jones, Gary O, Dee Long, Frank Watt, and Ken Wanamaker at the El Macombo in Toronto
Ah, what a delight! Memories by the bus-load!
Since the late 1970’s, Gary O and I have shared a number of special things. Seeing him play at my Junior High School dance (St. Andrews), with his band Aerial, and later at the Yonge Street Station (or whatever it was called!), with the awesome Beatle cover-band; Liverpool! (Or maybe it was the other way ’round?),
Later I joined him in the band, Kid Rainbow, with Margo Davidson and Lonnie Glass. I think I auditioned for the band. It was probably something to do with Brian Bell. Can anybody enlighten me?
Anyway, I was more than a bit thrilled to be playing with someone as cool, professional, and talented, as Gary! He’s really a great songwriter and guitarist and musician, who can sing like Paul Rogers! We also performed many of my original songs in our shows around south western Ontario, which was groundbreaking for my future!
Strippers and Bikers! And I was certainly not nearly as ready as Gary was to burst onto the music scene at that time!
He was! And after many showcases for record companies, Gary was signed by Capitol Records in Los Angeles. Within weeks he was gone. Off to Los Angeles, and the band was no more. Deserted. The new Gary O album was recorded in Los Angeles with professional musicians. We all looked for new bands! (another great story!)
Surprise surprise, Gary was ill-served by Los Angeles, and back he came to Toronto, just in time to take advantage of our new ESP recording studio in Buttonville, with our Linn Drum, and soon enough our Fairlight! We became Gary’s house-band. Frank Watt, Ken Wanamaker, Dee Long, and yours truly; John Jones. Off we went, recording his second album in our studio for Capital records. Meanwhile, Gary borrowed my TR6, and my girlfriend, and went to Las Vegas.
We even did a gig as a band at the El Macombo , see above photo. Does anybody remember the date?
Eventually he became the enabler for my staying in Los Angeles twenty years ago. Those of us who lived in Canada House, in the Dell, know all about it!
Here is Gary’s great video for Shades of 45, from more than 30 years ago! I think it’s Gary McCracken on Simmons drums…
A recent Gary O article on John Jones Music – December 10, 2001