April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn from its inception in 1969 until his death in 2023, April Wine first experienced success with their second album, On Record (1972), which reached the top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: a cover of Elton John's "Bad Side of the Moon", a top 20 hit in Canada; and a cover of Hot Chocolate's "You Could Have Been a Lady", a number 2 song in Canada.[citation needed]
Although April Wine officially began in late 1969 in Waverley, Nova Scotia, their roots can be traced to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, in 1967/68, where brothers David and Ritchie Henman grew up playing music together before moving to Nova Scotia.[4][5]
Three of the founding members-David Henman (guitar), Ritchie Henman (drums), and their cousin Jim Henman (bass)-were originally in a band named Prism (not to be confused with the Vancouver-based band of the same name). After a brief break to attend university, the trio reformed with Myles Goodwyn on lead vocals and guitar. Goodwyn had previously played with Jim Henman in a group called the Termites. David Henman christened the new group "April Wine". They realized that Halifax did not provide opportunities to play and record, so they sent a demo tape to Aquarius Records in Montreal. Aquarius managers Terry Flood and Donald K. Tarlton returned a rejection letter but the band mistook it for an invitation. On April 1, 1970, April Wine went to Montreal, bringing with them their instruments and $100 in cash; Flood and Tarlton were persuaded to sign the band to a contract.[6] They were set up in a chalet and booked at a local comedy club, Café Andre. They spent the next five months touring eastern Canada with Mashmakhan.[7]
The band recorded and released their self-titled debut album April Wine in September 1971.[8][9] The album included a single, "Fast Train", which was a top 40 hit in Canada and peaked at #38 on the RPM Singles Chart.[10] It established Myles Goodwyn as April Wine's main songwriter. The album did not sell well, but the success of the single led the band's label to ask for a second album. Jim Henman left the band in the fall of 1971 and was replaced by Jim Clench.[1] In the meantime, the band spent 1971 touring the college circuit, with the exception of July 30th, when they opened at Montreal's Place Des Nations for The Guess Who. 1972 was much the same, although they began to play larger venues and opened for a few more large acts, like Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, Badfinger and Stevie Wonder.[7]
Mainstream success
Under the guidance of producer Ralph Murphy,[11] April Wine recorded their second album, On Record in 1972. The first single was a cover version of the Hot Chocolate song "You Could Have Been a Lady". The record was a commercial success, hitting number two for a single week on the RPM Canadian charts, as well as cracking the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States where it stayed for 11 weeks, peaking at No. 32.[12] A second single, a cover of "Bad Side of the Moon" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, also got much airplay on Canadian radio and was a minor hit in the U.S. Both tracks remain staples on classic rock radio stations in Canada. On Record was certified Gold in Canada and the band, along with Murphy, returned to the studio.
While the band was recording their third album in 1973, David and Ritchie Henman quit. Goodwyn and Clench held auditions and the replacements were drummer Jerry Mercer (formerly of Mashmakhan) and guitarist Gary Moffet. They finished the album, Electric Jewels, with the songs "Weeping Widow," "Just Like That" and "Lady Run, Lady Hide", which would stay in April Wine's set lists for many years.[13] In support of this album, the band embarked on the Electric Adventure Tour where nearly every Canadian arena or concert hall that seated more than 2500 saw the band play.[9] The tour also featured a massive lighting and pyrotechnic show.[14] Touring proved successful; Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli of The Rascals attended a 1974 concert in Massey Hall, and were so impressed they offered to record and produce a live album of the band. The one-night recording session was something of a rushed enterprise; they wanted the album to be released by the end of the tour. Goodwyn wasn't happy with the sound, but April Wine Live went gold.[9]
Gold and platinum years
The band's fifth release, 1975's Stand Back, went double platinum in Canada, riding on the success of the singles "Tonight Is A Wonderful Time To Fall In Love" and "I Wouldn't Want To Lose Your Love".[15][14] April Wine went on tour with Heart, then Thundermug.[7] In April 1976, April Wine became the first band to sell out Regina Stadium and the first band to sell out Edmonton's Kinsmen Field House two nights in a row.[16] Following the tour, Jim Clench left, eventually to join Bachman–Turner Overdrive (in 1977);[17] he was replaced by Steve Lang.
The band's next release, in 1976, was The Whole World's Goin' Crazy. It was the first April Wine release to hit platinum status based on advanced sales orders alone.[18] The album contained the popular title track as well as a hit single, the ballad "Like A Lover, Like A Song". Their sixth album, Forever for Now, was another platinum seller and contained the band's biggest single to date, "You Won't Dance With Me".[19]
On March 4 & 5, 1977, April Wine was booked to play a charity concert at Toronto's famed El Mocambo Club. The co-headliner on the bill was a band called "The Cockroaches", which turned out to be The Rolling Stones.[20] The pseudonym was a poorly kept secret and huge crowds turned out for the event. April Wine's performance was captured and released as the album Live at the El Mocambo. The band then got its first chance at touring the U.S., opening for The Rolling Stones, Styx and Rush.
Also in 1977, Brian Greenway, late of The Dudes (the Henmans' new band) was brought in as a third guitarist and co-vocalist. His addition gave April Wine a powerful three guitar attack that would make their hard rock sound. This also allowed Goodwyn to switch to keyboards for ballads. They also signed to Capitol Records (in addition to Aquarius).[21]
1978 saw continued Canadian success, and the beginning of international success. The band's seventh album, and the first with Capitol, was First Glance, which had an immediate impact and the singles "Let Yourself Go" and "Get Ready For Love" were successful on Canadian radio.[22] It was the third single, the raucous "Roller", that brought the band mass appeal across North America—it stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven weeks. First Glance stayed on the Billboard album chart for many weeks, making it April Wine's first gold record outside of Canada. Constant touring helped propel the band to greater success, as Americans embraced the hard rock of this "new" band from Canada—in 1978, they toured with Rush and played with Triumph, Starcastle, and Teaze and, in July, played a concert with the Rolling Stones, Journey, and the Atlanta Rhythm Section.[7]
Following on the popularity of First Glance, April Wine released Harder ... Faster in 1979. "Say Hello" and "I Like to Rock" were popular hits on both sides of the border and Harder ... Faster proved to be yet another multi-platinum release for the band.[23] It would stay on the Billboard top album chart for 40 weeks. 1979 was spent touring with Styx, Rush, Toto, Boston, Squeeze and Blue Öyster Cult.[7] By now, the band had accumulated enough hits that Aquarius was able to release the album Greatest Hits. In 1979, the BBC released In Concert for international distribution; in 1981, Aquarius released another compilation album, The Best of April Wine Rock Ballads.
The Nature of the Beast[24] was released in January 1981, and riding on the popularity of the hit singles "Just Between You and Me" and the band's cover of the Lorence Hud song "Sign of the Gypsy Queen", the album hit multi-platinum success in Canada, and was the first April Wine album to reach platinum status internationally. April Wine embarked on an extensive support tour, performing to their largest crowds ever. In addition to a packed schedule of solo concerts, they toured with Diamond Head, Harlequin, Krokus and Franke and the Knockouts, played five concerts with Loverboy, and travelled to Germany to play a concert with Neil Young, Jethro Tull, the Michael Schenker Group (MSG), and King Crimson.[7] The band then went on an eighteen-month hiatus.
In July 1982 April Wine released their tenth studio album, Power Play. The album included the singles "Enough is Enough", "If You See Kay" and "Anything You Want, You Got It". The latter would become the band's opening number on the supporting tour, while the "Enough is Enough" video[25] started receiving frequent rotation on MTV. Despite decent sales, Power Play was not met with the same critical acclaim the prior two albums had received; both the album and its singles charted well on Billboard's lists, but for shorter periods of time than earlier albums and singles. Still, it was certified gold, and then platinum, in October.[26][27] The Power Play tour in 1982 was the band's most extensive—three months, with Saga, Eddie Money and Uriah Heep.[7] The New York concerts with Saga and Money resulted in separate Live From Central Park albums.
The band started writing and recording their next album, Animal Grace, but the members were not getting along, and Myles Goodwyn moved from Canada to the Bahamas. Both Animal Grace and its single "This Could be the Right One" rose quickly on the charts, but stayed only for a short time. In 1984 the band got together for its announced "Farewell Tour", which was a month-long tour across Canada.[7] The tour was successful enough to spawn another live album, One for the Road.
April Wine still owed Capitol Records one more album. So Greenway joined Goodwyn in Nassau, along with Montreal session musicians Daniel Barbe (keyboards), Jean Pellerin (bass) and drummer Marty Simon, to record what was supposed to be the band's final album, Walking Through Fire. It was released in September 1985 under the April Wine name.
Rebirth
The band in 2009
In 1988 Goodwyn moved back to Canada. Although there was interest in an April Wine reunion, and the subject was discussed among the former members, other commitments prevented them from getting together until 1992. April Wine returned to the stage that year, starting with a free concert in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The reunited band consisted of Goodwyn, Greenway, returning drummer Jerry Mercer and bassist Jim Clench, who hadn't played with the band since 1975. Filling out the act was third guitarist Steve Segal. The band toured in both Canada and the US. In 1993, now with Flood Ross Entertainment, they released the first "true" April Wine album in a decade, Attitude.[28] It was certified gold in Canada soon after its release. Segal remained with the band through one more studio release, 1994's Frigate. Each year, for the next five years, they went out on tour, playing with, among others, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Meat Loaf, Loverboy, Peter Frampton, Blue Öyster Cult and Nazareth.[7]
The band released another album in 2001, entitled Back to the Mansion.[29] Also in 2001, the band's song "Roller" was featured in the movie Joe Dirt. Then in 2003, they released the live album called Greatest Hits Live 2003. In the meantime, various labels released several compilation albums.
April Wine entered into its 37th year as a band in 2006. On October 31 of that year, Aquarius Records released April Wine Rocks!, a new compilation of April Wine favourites, including a bonus live tune and a new album, entitled Roughly Speaking, was released on November 28, 2006. At the end of that year, Clench left the band for the second time and was replaced by bassist Breen LeBoeuf.[1][2] A year later, Mercer announced his retirement; his scheduled final show in Calgary, Alberta, ringing in the 2009 new year, was cancelled due to bad weather. Mercer was replaced by drummer Blair Mackay.
On November 3, 2010, Jim Clench died in Montreal, of lung cancer, at 61.[17][33][34][35] LeBoeuf left April Wine the following July and was replaced by Richard Lanthier from the Yes tribute band Close to the Edge. Mackay left in March 2012 and was succeeded by Roy "Nip" Nichol, late of the band SamHill. Steve Lang died on February 4, 2017, at age 67, of Parkinson's disease.
Labels continued to release their music; BGO Records released a re-mastered The Nature Of The Beast / Power Play in 2020.[36] April Wine continued to tour across Canada annually and to play festivals in Europe and in the United States, with the group consisting of Goodwyn, Greenway, Lanthier, and drummer Roy "Nip" Nichol.[37][38][39] They played a concert in Ottawa in September 2021.[40]
Their song 'Sign of the Gypsy Queen' can be heard in the background in the penultimate Breaking Bad episode Granite State; the guitar solo is playing behind Jesse's recorded confession tape being watched by Todd and Uncle Jack in the neo-Nazi compound.
In December 2022 Myles Goodwyn announced that he would no longer be touring with the band, turning over his vocal and guitar duties to Marc Parent: "I've had a long career, happy, fulfilling. I've seen much of the world and I'm grateful to continuing support of radio and our fans worldwide, but touring has been very difficult in recent years because of my diabetes and my health comes first, so unfortunately, my touring days are officially over", he said. He only focused on writing and recording. Goodwyn died in Halifax, Nova Scotia on December 3, 2023, at the age of 75.[41]
Band members
Current members
Brian Greenway – guitar, vocals (1977–1986, 1992–present)
Richard Lanthier – bass, vocals (2011–present)
Roy Nichol – drums, vocals (2012–present)
Marc Parent – lead vocals, guitar (2023–present)
Former members
Myles Goodwyn – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards (1969–1986, 1992–2023; his death)
Jimmy Henman – vocals, bass (1969–1971)
David Henman – guitar, vocals (1969–1973)
Ritchie Henman – drums, keyboards (1969–1973)
Jim Clench – bass, vocals (1971–1975, 1992–2006; died 2010)
April Wine was also inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and awarded with its Lifetime Achievement Award on March 13, 2009.[47][48][49]
In 2008, April Wine was inducted into the East Coast Music Hall of Fame.
Live at the El Mocambo is the second live album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1977.
On Record is the second studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in April 1972. The album spawned the hit "You Could Have Been a Lady" a cover of the Hot Chocolate song that was only released one year earlier. The song peaked at No. 32 on May 19, 1972 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since then been one of the band’s most popular songs.
Electric Jewels is the third studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in November 1973 by Aquarius Records. In a 2007 publication by Goose Lane Editions, Electric Jewels ranked number 73 in Bob Mersereau's 2007 book The Top 100 Canadian Albums.
Live! is the first live album by the Canadian rock band April Wine. It was released in 1974. The album was recorded in the auditorium of Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Stand Back is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1975. It became the first album by a Canadian band to achieve platinum sales in Canada. The song "Slow Poke" features lead vocals by Myles Goodwyn that were slowed down in studio.
First Glance is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in March 1978. First Glance became April Wine's first significant record internationally. The album spawned the hit single "Roller", which remains one of their most popular songs and a classic rock staple. It peaked in the top forty hit in the United States.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Canadian rock band April Wine released in 1979. The picture on this album cover is also used on three other albums First Glance (1978) (American version only), The Hits (1987), and Classic Masters (2002).
The Nature of the Beast is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1981. The album was recorded at Le Manoir Studios, in the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell, in Oxfordshire, England following the band's 1980 European tour. This album was April Wine's commercial peak, certified Platinum in the US and reaching #24 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Greatest Hits Live 2003 is a live album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 2003.
The Hits is a Compilation album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1987. The picture used on this cover is also used on the album covers of First Glance (1978) (American version only), Greatest Hits (1979), and Classic Masters (2002).
The Best of April Wine: Rock Ballads is a compilation album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1981.
The April Wine Collection is a compilation album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1992. This album has the biggest selection of songs on one album by April Wine, and is still in print.
From the Front Row ... Live! is a live audio-DVD album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 2003. As with all these 'From the Front Row ... Live!' releases this is a rehash of previously existing King Biscuit Flower Hour recordings with the track sequence rearranged. These recordings feature some of the band's hits. Released 2003 in Canada 2004 UK/US
Myles Francis Goodwyn was a Canadian musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter of the rock band April Wine. He released 16 studio albums with April Wine, and four albums as a solo artist. Goodwyn led the group from its inception and garage band roots to its multiplatinum sales peak. He received the National Achievement Award at the 2002 SOCAN Awards, an ECMA Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as a member of April Wine.
April Wine Rocks! is a compilation album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 2006, which features songs recorded during their time on the Aquarius Records label (1971–1986).
Live in London is a live concert video by Canadian rock band April Wine, filmed at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, on January 27, 1981. This video was first released in 1981 on VHS and BETA format by Thorn EMI, and also on Pioneer Laserdisc in co-operation with Capitol Records and Aquarius Records, Canada. Live in London was also officially release on DVD by Cherry Red Records, on May 13, 2008.
Gerald "Jerry" Mercer is a Canadian drummer, best known for his work with the rock groups Mashmakhan, April Wine as well as Offenbach.
The First Decade is a compilation album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1989. It contains four previously unreleased tracks.
James Patrick Clench was a Canadian bassist, vocalist and songwriter known for his roles in the rock bands April Wine and Bachman–Turner Overdrive.
Teaze is a Canadian hard rock band formed in Windsor, Ontario in 1974. The band released four studio albums and a live album recorded in Japan. The band reformed in 2019.
1 2 3 Barris, Alex. (2001). Making music: profiles from a century of Canadian music. Barris, Theodore. (1sted.). Toronto: HarperCollins. ISBN0-00-200056-3. OCLC46629111.
↑ Aaron, S. Victor (March 26, 2013). "Almost Hits: April Wine, Mar 2013". somethingelsereviews.com. Something Else Reviews. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
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