The Watchmen (band)

Last updated
The Watchmen
Origin Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genres Rock, alternative rock
Years active1988–2003, 2008–present
Labels MCA (1991-96), EMI (1997-2002)
Members Daniel Greaves
Joey Serlin
Ken Tizzard
Sammy Kohn
Past membersPete Loewen
Ryan Ahoff
Grant Page

The Watchmen are a Canadian rock band. They were one of the most commercially successful bands in Canada in the mid to late 1990s. During their peak years, the band had one platinum record ( In the Trees ) and three more gold records ( McLaren Furnace Room , Silent Radar , [1] and Slomotion ). The band has toured Canada a number of times, were the opening act for The Tragically Hip, and co-headlined a national tour with Big Wreck.

Contents

History

The Watchmen first came together in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1988. Founding members were Daniel Greaves, Joey Serlin, Sammy Kohn and Pete Loewen. [2] After performing together for several years, they released an album, McLaren Furnace Room, in 1992. [3]

In 1994, Loewen left the band and was replaced by Ken Tizzard. That same year, the band released their second album, In the Trees . The album was certified Platinum in Canada and is the band's most successful album to date.

The band released the albums Brand New Day and Silent Radar in 1996 and 1998, respectively.

In 1999 the band performed as part of Humble & Fred Fest at Fort York in Toronto. [4] Kohn had left the band when they recorded their 2001 album Slomotion ; the percussion tracks were created electronically. [5] [6] A single from the album, "Absolutely Anytime" was in the Top Ten on the Canadian charts for several weeks. [7] While touring to support the album, the band took on drummer Ryan Ahoff. [8]

In 2003, the Watchmen announced their farewell tour and their intention to disband. [9] They returned to Winnipeg to perform at a fundraiser for the Israel national bobsleigh team. [10]

In 2010, the Watchmen came together for a reunion show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. [11] They have since continued to perform occasional shows across Canada.

The Watchmen are members of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism. [12]

Discography

Studio albums

YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertifications
CAN
[13] [14]
AUS
[15]
CAN
[16]
1992 McLaren Furnace Room Gold
1994 In the Trees 32Platinum
1996 Brand New Day 37
1998 Silent Radar 2868Gold
2001 Slomotion 6Gold

Live albums

Singles

YearTitlePeak Chart PositionAlbum
CAN
[17]
CAN
Alt

[18]
CAN Content (Cancon)
[19]
AUS
[15]
1992"Cracked"872McLaren Furnace Room
"Run and Hide"
1993"Must to Be Free"8
1994"Boneyard Tree"29In the Trees
"Wiser"74
"All Uncovered"235
1995"Lusitana"65
1996"Incarnate"2610Brand New Day
"Shut Up"48
"Zoom"24
1998"Stereo"551Silent Radar
"Any Day Now"393
"Say Something"45
1999"Brighter Hell"
2001"Absolutely Anytime"Slomotion
2002"Holiday (Slow It Down)"
"Slomotion"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Mitchell</span> Canadian musician (born 1952)

Joseph Kim Mitchell is a Canadian rock musician. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to a solo career. His 1984 single, "Go for Soda", was his only charted song on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 86. Several other singles such as "Patio Lanterns", "Rock and Roll Duty", and "Rockland Wonderland", reached the top 20 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady Peace</span> Canadian rock band

Our Lady Peace is a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guitars, and Jason Pierce on drums. The band has sold several million albums worldwide, won four Juno Awards, and won ten MuchMusic Video Awards—the most MMVAs ever awarded to a band. Nineteen of their singles have reached the Top Ten on one of Canada's singles charts. Between 1996 and 2016, Our Lady Peace was the third best-selling Canadian band and the ninth best-selling Canadian artist overall in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">54-40 (band)</span> Canadian rock band

54-40 is a Canadian rock band from Tsawwassen, British Columbia. The band take their name from the slogan "54-40 or Fight!", coined to express the successful expansionist agenda of James K. Polk's presidency, which was intent upon controlling a contested U.S.-Canada border area in the Oregon boundary dispute. 54-40 has had a successful career, with four of their albums being certified platinum in Canada. The band has been nominated for eight Juno Awards. Between 1996 and 2016, 54-40 were among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 50 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.

Manitoba has produced much Canadian music, especially since the early 1960s.

Headstones is a Canadian punk-influenced rock band that was formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1989, broke up in 2003, and then reunited in 2011. Consisting of vocalist Hugh Dillon, guitarist Trent Carr, bassist Tim White, keyboardist Steve Carr and Jesse Labovitz on drums, and a reputation for high energy, 'more rock less super shock' stage presence, and interaction with the audience, they frequently draw capacity crowds at mid-sized venues. Their songwriting tackles many serious and controversial topics. Between 1996 and 2016, Headstones were among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 35 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass Tiger</span> Canadian music band

Glass Tiger is a Canadian rock band from Newmarket, Ontario that formed in 1983. The band has released five studio albums. Its 1986 debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States. Two singles from that album, "Don't Forget Me " and "Someday", reached the U.S. Top 10.

Daniel Greaves is a Canadian rock vocalist and songwriter. He is known as the founder and lead singer of the band The Watchmen, and for his a capella singing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sugar (band)</span> Canadian band

Big Sugar is a band formed in Toronto in 1988 by Gordie Johnson, the band's lead singer, lead guitarist and main songwriter. Between 1996 and 2016, Big Sugar was among the top 25 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada. They are still active today, releasing new music, vinyl re-releases and touring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Wreck</span> Canadian rock band

Big Wreck are a Canadian-American rock band formed by Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty in Boston, Massachusetts in 1992. The band was rounded out with David Henning and Forrest Williams. They disbanded in 2002 and Ian Thornley pursued a solo career with his own band Thornley. In 2010, Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty reunited for a cross-Canada tour, playing both Big Wreck and Thornley songs. In 2012, under the name Big Wreck, the band released their third studio album, Albatross. The band has since released the albums Ghosts in 2014, Grace Street in 2017, ...But For the Sun in 2019, and 7 in 2023.

The New Meanies, originally called the Blue Meanies, are a Canadian four piece rock band from Winnipeg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Mother Earth</span> Canadian rock band

I Mother Earth, or IME, is a Canadian rock band. The band formed in 1990 and reached its peak in popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s. After an eight-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2012. Between 1996 and 2016, I Mother Earth was among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 40 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.

Love Inc. were a Canadian Eurodance music group from Toronto, Ontario. The group was formed by DJ/remixer/producers Chris Sheppard and Brad Daymond, with Simone Denny on vocals.

<i>McLaren Furnace Room</i> 1992 studio album by The Watchmen

McLaren Furnace Room is the first major label album by Canadian band, The Watchmen. Originally released by SUMO Productions in Canada in 1992, the release impressed MCA Records Canada who signed the band and released the album in 1993 on a much wider scale. The title of the album refers to the basement of the McLaren Hotel that served as the band's rehearsal studio.

<i>In the Trees</i> 1994 studio album by The Watchmen

In The Trees is the second studio album by Canadian rock band The Watchmen. It was the first album to be released with Ken Tizzard on bass, who joined the band in 1994 when Pete Loewen left. With hit singles "Boneyard Tree", "All Uncovered", and "Lusitana", this was the band's breakthrough release in their home country of Canada. Videos for both "Boneyard Tree" and "All Uncovered" received heavy play on MuchMusic. At this time, singer Daniel Greaves began to become more comfortable with his songwriting ability. Because of this, only three of the album's songs were credited to guitarist Joey Serlin.

<i>Silent Radar</i> 1998 studio album by The Watchmen

Silent Radar is the fourth studio album by The Watchmen. The album contained numerous hits including "Stereo", "Any Day Now", and "Say Something". Videos for "Stereo" and "Any Day Now" saw heavy play on MuchMusic in 1998, but by the time the video for "Brighter Hell" was released in 1999, the momentum had slowed and this video was seen infrequently.

<i>Slomotion</i> 2001 studio album by The Watchmen

Slomotion is the fifth and final studio album by The Watchmen. The album was released as 2-CD set where the second CD was a greatest hits package.

Last Road Trip was the farewell tour by The Watchmen in December 2003.

<i>Live Radar</i> 1998 live album by The Watchmen

Live Radar is a live EP by The Watchmen.

Chris Wardman is a Canadian music producer, musician and songwriter. Wardman was a founding member of Blue Peter, and was their lead guitarist and main contributing songwriter. Wardman was also a member of Breeding Ground in the late 1980s. Wardman has been actively producing albums for many Canadian acts, including Chalk Circle, Leslie Spit Treeo, Randy Bachman and Emm Gryner. Wardman produced two albums for Art Bergmann, including Sexual Roulette in 1990. Meryn Cadell's most recent new release, 1997's 6 Blocks, was produced by Wardman, for which he hired, among others, former bandmate Jason Sniderman, and he performed on the album as well. The Watchmen credit Wardman with discovering them while playing at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, and he produced their debut album, McLaren Furnace Room, which was certified gold in Canada in 1996. In his review of the album on Allmusic, Roch Parisien complimented Wardman's mix of the album for how he balanced lead singer Danny Greaves' vocals with the music production.

References

  1. Bettsy Powell (16 January 1999). "There's no place like home". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. and 58. ISSN   0006-2510.
  2. "The Watchmen: Hi-tech, Lo-hype" [usurped] . Chart Attack, May 31, 1999. by Sarah Chauncey
  3. "Go Canada: My list of the greatest Canadian bands to never win a Juno". By Dean Pilling, Calgary Sun, April 01, 2016.
  4. "Live Reviews: Humble & Fred Fest August 28, 1999 Historic Fort York, Toronto" [usurped] . Chart Attack, Howard Druckman, August 28, 1999
  5. "CD REVIEWS: The Charlatans UK, Spiritualized, The Watchmen and many more" [usurped] . Chart Attack, September 25, 2001
  6. "Watchmen release innovative collection". UWO Gazette, Volume 95, Issue 25 October 17, 2001
  7. "The Watchmen Cometh". Chilliwack Progress, December 7, 2001. Page 34
  8. "Butt-rocking show". IAN NATHANSON -- Ottawa Sun, Sep 7, 2004
  9. "The Watchmen Pack It In, Look Towards New Projects" [usurped] . Chart Attack, Nov 17, 2003
  10. "Watchmen rock for Israeli bobsled team". Winnipeg Free Press, 09/25/2003
  11. "Concert Review:The Watchmen with Birds of Wales". Panic Manual, September 25, 2010
  12. "Artists - Artists Against Racism".
  13. "The Watchmen Top Albums/CDs positions". RPM . Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  14. "THE WATCHMEN CHART HISTORY". Billboard . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  15. 1 2 Australian chart peaks:
  16. "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada . Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  17. "The Watchmen Top Singles positions". RPM . Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  18. "The Watchmen Rock/Alternative positions". RPM . Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  19. "The Watchmen Canadian Content positions". RPM . Retrieved 2011-11-20.