B-Sides (Helix album)

Last updated
B-Sides
B-Sides (Helix album).jpeg
Compilation album by
ReleasedJune 1999
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Label Break
Helix chronology
Deep Cuts: the Best Of
(1998)
B-Sides
(1999)
Live! in Buffalo
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

B-Sides is a compilation album by the Canadian hard rock band Helix. It is their 13th official release, and their fourth compilation album. Despite the title, it actually consists of no b-sides. It was released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of Helix, and featured a reunion of surviving members of the "classic" 1980s lineup on three tracks. It also compiled previously unreleased tracks from 1989 to 1998. As a bonus, it included two unreleased songs from the Helix independent years. [2]

Canadians citizens of Canada

Canadians are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, several of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Canadian.

Hard rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music that began in the mid-1960s, with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. It is typified by a heavy use of aggressive vocals, distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, and often accompanied with keyboards.

Helix (band) hard rock band

Helix is a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don Simmons, and bassist Keith "Bert" Zurbrigg. However, their most well known lineup, and the one that recorded "Rock You", was the 1980s version of the band: Vollmer on vocals, accompanied by guitarists Brent "The Doctor" Doerner and Paul Hackman, bassist Daryl Gray, and drummer Greg "Fritz" Hinz. The history of the band has been marked by many lineup changes, with Vollmer being the sole constant member and only remaining member of the original lineup. Although Hackman was killed in a tour bus accident in 1992, the surviving members of the 1980s lineup reunited in 2009 for an album and have continued to tour since 2011. Watson died in 2019.

Contents

Track listing and musician credits

All songs written by Brian Vollmer and Paul Hackman except where noted.

Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Since the band's inception in 1974, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to de facto leader of the band, weathering numerous lineup changes. Vollmer was born in Listowel, Ontario before relocating to Kitchener. He currently resides in London, Ontario with his wife, Lynda.

Paul Wayne Hackman was a Canadian guitarist who performed with the rock band Helix from 1976 until his death in a road accident. Among the hits which contain his playing are the #32 Canadian single "Rock You" and the #20 mainstream Canadian rock single "Deep Cuts the Knife", which he co-wrote with Bob Halligan Jr..

1. "Jaws of the Tiger" (3:42)
1989 re-recording of a song originally released in 1986 on the "It's Too Late" single, and available on Over 60 minutes with... (1990).

Over 60 Minutes With... is the seventh album release by Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band Helix. Their first compilation, it collects music from their first three Capitol Records albums but includes nothing from Wild in the Streets (1987). It was released on cassette and CD. Along with past singles and album tracks, the compilation album also includes previously unreleased songs "Everybody Pays the Price" and "Give It To You". Also included is "Jaws of the Tiger", which had first been released in 1986 as the B-side of the "It's Too Late" single.

2. "Danger Zone" (4:25)
Featuring reunion of surviving members of the "classic" 1980s lineup. Song originally written for Back for Another Taste (1990). This was the final song that Brian Vollmer ever wrote with Paul Hackman. [3]

<i>Back for Another Taste</i> 1990 studio album by Helix

Back For Another Taste is the seventh Helix studio album and eighth album altogether. It was also their last album of their original Capitol Records contract. In a fall 1987 interview on MuchMusic with Erica Ehm, lead vocalist Brian Vollmer jokingly stated that this album would be titled Blood, Sweat & Beer.

3. "S.E.X. Rated" (2:32) (Brent Doerner, Vollmer)
Featuring reunion of surviving members of the "classic" 1980s lineup. 1999 re-recording of a song originally released in 1991 on the b-side of the cassette single to "Good To The Last Drop".

Cassette single cassette tape release of music single

A cassette single is a music single in the form of a Compact Cassette.

4. "Wanting You" (4:15) (O'Brien, Werner)
1999 recording of a song originally demoed for Back for Another Taste (1990).

5. "You Got Me Chained" (3:15) (Vandenburg, Steve Marinaccio, Vollmer)
1999 recording sessions to finish a song originally demoed for Back for Another Taste (1990).

6. "Devil's Gate" (3:32) (Mark Chichkan)
Recorded as a demo for 1998's Half-ALIVE .

7. "Love is a Crazy Game" (4:28) (Hackman, Marinaccio, Ray Lyell)
1999 recording sessions to finish an alternate version demoed for Back for Another Taste (1990), later re-arranged and re-recorded for 1993's It's a Business Doing Pleasure .

8. "Take It or Leave It" (3:36) (Gord Prior, Novocel)
Recorded as a demo for 1998's Half-ALIVE.

9. "You Got The Love That I Like" (4:28) (Hackman, Lyell)
1999 recording of a song originally demoed for Back for Another Taste (1990).

10. "Let The Good Times Roll" (5:53 - music ends at 3:53 followed by 2 minutes of silence) (Hackman, Dexter)
Featuring reunion of surviving members of the "classic" 1980s lineup. Song originally written for Back For Another Taste (1990).

Buried tracks

11. "Thinking It Over" (2:51) (Del Shannon)
Previously unreleased. Recorded in 1976.

12. "Like Taking Candy From a Baby" (3:06) (Doerner, Vollmer)
Previously unreleased. Recorded in 1978.

Production and credits

Compilation concept by Brian Vollmer
Track 1 produced by Ed Stone. Tracks 2, 3 and 10 produced by Dan Brodbeck and Daryl Gray. Track 4, 5, 7 and 9 produced by Dan Brodbeck. Tracks 6 and 8 produced by Daryl Gray. Track 11 produced by Dave Lodge. Track 12 produced by Bob Morton.

Helix at the time of release

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References

  1. Prato, Greg. "Review: B-Sides". Allmusic . Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  2. Vollmer, Brian (2004). Gimme An R! the story of Brian Vollmer, lead vocalist of Helix. Ball Media Corporation. ISBN   0-9739849-0-2.
  3. "Helix History - 1999". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-06-05.