The Northern Pikes

Last updated
The Northern Pikes
Origin Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Genres Rock
Years active1984–1993
1999–present
Labels Virgin, Scotti Bros.
Members Jay Semko
Bryan Potvin
Don Schmid
Kevin Kane
Past membersMerl Bryck
Glen Hollingshead
Rob Esch
Ross Nykiforuk
Website thenorthernpikes.com

The Northern Pikes are a Canadian rock band formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1984. The original members are Jay Semko, Bryan Potvin, Merl Bryck and Glen Hollingshead, who left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Jay Semko in June 1986. Rob Esch left after the second independent EP Scene In North America (1987?)

Contents

The band was active until 1993 and toured and recorded again from 1999 through to the present.

The Northern Pikes were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, September 30, 2012, in Regina, Saskatchewan. [1]

The band released its ninth record of original material, Forest of Love, on June 7, 2019.

History

The Northern Pikes released two independent EPs before being signed to Virgin Records in 1986, The Northern Pikes (1984) and Scene in North America (1985). They also recorded a song for Saskatchewan After Dark, a 1985 compilation of Saskatchewan-based artists sponsored by the provincial government. Their first album for Virgin, Big Blue Sky , included the Semko-penned "Teenland", the band's first significant hit. The follow-up album Secrets of the Alibi contained three Canadian hits, "Wait for Me", "Let's Pretend" & "Hopes Go Astray".

Their 1990 album Snow in June became their biggest seller in Canada and the US. That album's lead single, "She Ain't Pretty", was the band's biggest hit, and was written by Potvin. An innovative music video for that song received heavy play on MuchMusic and was nominated for a Juno Award in 1991. [2] Overall, the band has been nominated for five Juno Awards, but have yet to record a win.

In early 1992, the band released the single "Everyone's a Hero" for the Canadian Special Olympics. Later that year, the band released their next album, Neptune . The album's biggest hit, "Believe", was written by Potvin. After touring to support the album, they announced their retirement as a group in July 1993.

In 1999, Virgin Records asked the band members for their input on a "greatest hits" package. The band decided to do a short promotional tour following the release of Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984-1993 , but found themselves enjoying the more relaxed independence of making their own schedule that they continued touring. They have since released three independent albums, including Truest Inspiration (2001) and It's a Good Life (2003), as well as the aptly titled Live (2000).

In 2005, the band struck up a musical collaboration with Les Stroud. Throughout 2005 and 2006 they performed together live several times. A six-song EP born from this collaboration entitled Long Walk Home was released in the spring of 2007, and was credited to "Les Stroud & The Pikes". [3] [4] [5]

In 2006, Merl Bryck made the decision to curtail his touring schedule, and left the Northern Pikes. Long-time sideman Ross Nykiforuk joined the band on keyboards as the fourth member onstage from 2006 to 2011. Since then, Semko, Potvin and Schmid have continued touring under the Northern Pikes banner as, in their own words, a "power trio". In 2017, Grapes of Wrath guitarist Kevin Kane joined them for their 30th Anniversary of "Big Blue Sky" Tour, becoming a full-time member of the band in 2018 for the recording of Forest Of Love. The 10-track record is the band's first in 16 years and also features original members Semko, Schmid and Potvin. BlueFrog Studios hosted the band for two official pre-release concerts on June 6, 2019, which were viewed via Facebook Live and YouTube Live. The band began working on a new album in early 2020, which Jay Semko described as a "tribute to Snow in June'" but postponed finishing it due to travel restrictions and difficulty getting together in studio due to the Covid pandemic. They plan to finish it and have it out by 2022.

In 2019, Semko recorded a new version of the band's 1987 single "The Things I Do for Money", in collaboration with cellists Theodor and Maximilian Aoki, for the soundtrack to Warren P. Sonoda's feature film Things I Do for Money . [6]

Discography

Studio albums

Independently-released EPs

Collaborative EP

Live albums

Compilations

Appearances

Singles

Release dateTitleChart peakAlbum
CAN US
June 1987"Teenland" (Semko)29 Big Blue Sky
October 1987"Things I Do for Money" (Semko)85
January 1988"Dancing in a Dance Club" (Semko)
August 1988"Wait for Me" (Semko)58 Secrets of the Alibi
November 1988"Hopes Go Astray" (Potvin)45
April 1989"Let's Pretend" (Semko)66
May 1990"She Ain't Pretty" (Potvin)686 Snow in June
August 1990"Girl with a Problem" (Semko)8
November 1990"Kiss Me You Fool" (Bryck/Semko)12
March 1991"Dream Away" (Potvin)47
February 1992"Everyone's a Hero" (Bryck/Schmid/Semko/Potvin/Nykiforuk)Non-album single
October 1992"Twister" (Semko/Potvin)25 Neptune
February 1993"Believe" (Potvin)17
April 1993"Worlds Away" (Semko)40
2001"Echo Off the Beach" (Potvin) Truest Inspiration
2001"Colour into Colour" (Bryck)
2003"It's a Good Life" (Semko) It's a Good Life
2003"Underwater" (Bryck)

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<i>Secrets of the Alibi</i> 1988 studio album by The Northern Pikes

Secrets of the Alibi is the second album by The Northern Pikes released in 1988. It featured two hit Canadian singles - "Wait for Me" (#58)and "Hopes Go Astray".

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<i>Its a Good Life</i> (album) 2003 studio album by The Northern Pikes

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<i>Live</i> (Northern Pikes album) 2000 live album by The Northern Pikes

Live is the second live album by The Northern Pikes released in 2000. The album was released independently.

<i>Big Blue Sky</i> (The Northern Pikes album) 1987 studio album by The Northern Pikes

Big Blue Sky is the first major label album by The Northern Pikes released in 1987. It featured two hit Canadian singles - "Teenland" (#29) and "Things I Do for Money"(#85).

<i>Snow in June</i> 1990 studio album by The Northern Pikes

Snow In June is the third major label album by The Northern Pikes released in 1990. It featured three hit singles - "Kiss Me You Fool", "She Ain't Pretty", and "Girl With a Problem". The album features guest appearances from notable performers such as Crystal Taliefero, Garth Hudson, and John Sebastian.

<i>Neptune</i> (Northern Pikes album) 1992 studio album by The Northern Pikes

Neptune is the fourth album by The Northern Pikes released in 1992. This was the band's last studio album until they reformed in 1999.

<i>Gig</i> (Northern Pikes album) 1993 live album by The Northern Pikes

Gig is a live album released by The Northern Pikes in 1993 and distributed by EMI. It is the band's first live album. It was recorded over two nights during the tour to support Neptune. Following the tour, the band would dissolve until reforming in 1999.

<i>Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984–1993</i> 1999 compilation album by The Northern Pikes

Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984–1993 is a Greatest Hits album by The Northern Pikes released in 1999. Along with some of the band's biggest hits, the album included 3 previously unreleased tracks.

"She Ain't Pretty" is a single by Canadian rock band The Northern Pikes, from their 1990 album Snow in June. It is the song for which the Pikes are best known.

Roxanne Potvin is a bilingual French-English Canadian singer, guitarist and songwriter based in Gatineau, Quebec. Potvin has earned a Juno nomination, seven Maple Blues awards nominations, making appearances at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Ottawa Bluesfest, and has toured internationally,.

References

Citations
  1. Trembath, Sean (2017-09-22). "Swimming upstream: Jay Semko's musical journey". The StarPhoenix . Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. "Nominees 1991". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  3. "Survivorman a catch for the Northern Pikes". Entertainment. Parry Sound North Star. 2006-03-22. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  4. "Les Stroud & the Pikes | Luke Despatie & the Design Firm". Archived from the original on 2014-05-23. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
  5. "News". The Northern Pikes – Official Website. Archived from the original on 2007-06-27. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  6. Matt Olson, "Creative Isolation: Jay Semko steps toward the silver screen". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix , August 17, 2020.