http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_%28band%29Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 in Toronto which included horns, string instruments, and vibraphone; their music reflected elements of rock music, jazz, classical music,and swing. It won Juno Award for best Canadian group in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
Lighthouse was formed in 1968 in Toronto, Canada by drummer/vocalist Skip Prokop, formerly with the Paupers, and keyboardist/arranger Paul Hoffert. The two met in New York City and discussed forming a band structured around a rock rhythm section, jazz horn section and classical string section when they coincidentally found themselves on the same flight back to Toronto. Prokop had admired Ralph Cole's playing when they shared the bill at the Grand Ballroom in Detroit, so he brought him up to Toronto to be the band's guitarist . Prokop and Hoffert assembled the rest of the group from friends, studio session musicians and Toronto Symphony Orchestra members and made a demo recording. On the advice of friend, folk legend Richie Havens, Prokop and Hoffert took the demo to MGM Records in New York who saw the potential and wrote up a contract. Two days later they they had a manager, Vinnie Fusco, out of Albert Grossman's office, who overturned the MGM contract and made a deal with RCA Victor. Lighthouse made its debut on May 14, 1969 at the Rock Pile in Toronto introduced by Duke Ellington with the words"I'm beginning to see the Light...house". "Lighthouse shines as rock meets the classics," Toronto Star, May 26, 1969, p. 29.</ref> The band originally consisted of 13 members. Original band members were:
* Skip Prokop: drums and vocals
* Paul Hoffert: keyboards and vibraphone
* Ralph Cole: guitar and vocals
* Grant Fullerton: bass and vocals
* Vic "Pinky" Dauvin: percussion and lead vocals
* Ian Guenther: violin
* Don Dinovo: violin and viola
* Don Whitton: cello
* Leslie Schneider: cello
* Freddy Stone: trumpet and flugelhorn
* Arnie Chycoski: trumpet and flugelhorn
* Howard Shore: alto saxophone
* Russ Little: trombone
One of the first Lighthouse concerts was at Carnegie Hall and in its first year, the band also played at Fillmore East, Fillmore West, Toronto, Boston and Atlantic City pop festivals, and the Monterey and Newport jazz festivals. A free concert at Toronto City Hall in the summer of 1969 drew a reported crowd of 25,000.[1] Their first album, Lighthouse, was released in 1969 by RCA from RCA's Toronto Eastern Sound Studio. This album was well-received by critics[citation needed] but obtained small commercial success. When they played at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival they were the only act other than Jimi Hendrix, asked to perform a second night among groups that included The Doors, Joni Mitchel, Chicago, Miles Davis and The Who.
Their next album, Suite Feeling, was also recorded in 1969 at Toronto Eastern Sound Studio. It featured two cover songs: The Band's "Chest Fever" and The Beatles' hit "A Day In The Life." Their third and final album for RCA also turned out to be the last one for original lead singer Pinky Dauvin. The album Peacing It All Together was recorded in RCA’s Music Centre of the World Hollywood Studios. The songs "Feel So Good," "If There Ever was a Time" and "The Chant" were minor hits in Canada during the band's time with RCA.
The band moved to the record label GRT and Toronto’s Thunder Sound Studios. There were some other changes within the band as well including the loss of a few members - down to eleven musicians with seven original members still on board. The most notable change was a new lead singer in Bob McBride. In 1971, Lighthouse released One Fine Morning and Thoughts of Movin' On. The title track from One Fine Morning was an international and American hit with both albums 'going gold' in Canada. It was preceded on the Canadian charts by "Hats Off to the Stranger."
In between recording albums and touring 3oo days a year, they were creating innovative projects including the first performances with Symphony Orchestras, a collaboration with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet company, Ballet High, which toured across Canada and a CBC production of Prometheus Bound with actress Irene Worth.
During this period of recording from 1970-1971 with GRT, RCA piggybacked the success of Lighthouse and released a best of album of the first three records recorded with RCA called One Fine Light.
Lighthouse Live! was recorded live at Carnegie Hall in February 1972. This was the first time a Canadian album qualified for platinum status. The band came back later that year with the album Sunny Days on GRT, and garnered the band another gold album. The title song became the band's next Canadian hit single. Hoffert, tired of life on the road, left the band in 1973 but continued as the band's Executive Producer. Bob McBride mysteriously failed to show up at the Record Plant for the New York recording of Can You Feel It. Prokop and Cole wanted to scrap the sessions but Producer Jimmy Ienner insisted they continue. With the exception of "No More Searching" written and sung by new sax player Dave Hillary, Prokop and Cole sang all the vocals and harmonies on the album. The result was one of the band's biggest single releases "Pretty Lady" which was a top-10 hit in Canada.
The band released Good Day in 1974. Like the previous album, the lead vocals were divided between Skip Prokop and Ralph Cole, but Prokop switched to guitar full-time and the drummer was Billy King. Even though there were two string players and two horn players credited on the album, their presence was minimal. The album produced no hits, but did contain "Wide-Eyed Lady", a song co-written by Bob McBride. Back at Thunder Sounds Recording Studios, the band turned a few tracks on an album before Prokop left. The album was never completed. GRT released The Best of Lighthouse to capitalize on their past success. Ralph Cole took the band out for another couple of tours but in 1976 Lighthouse disbanded.
Prokop, Hoffert, Cole and McBride reunited along with many of the Lighthouse alumnae in September 1982 for a weekend of concerts at Ontario Place which drew 33,000. Denon records in 1989 bought the rights to the GRT recordings and released The Best of Lighthouse-Sunny Days Again. The re-mix of the album was produced by Hoffert, Cole, Prokop and McBride. The band reunited in 1992 with a ten member line-up which included the founding members Prokop, Hoffert and Cole with McBride on vocals. McBride had become addicted to drugs, resulting in erratic performances, and he was dismissed several months later. He was replaced by Dan Clancy. Three years later Breaking Records released, Song of the Ages. The single, Remember the Times, was a top-thirty hit in Canada. In 1998 the original master tapes of The Best of Lighthouse-Sunny Days Again were digitally re-mastered and released by True North Records who also re-released "Song of the Ages" in 1999.
Recent activity
After the band disbanded in the '70s, many of the players went on with their musical careers while some went in different directions.
Paul Hoffert continued his career as a film composer, winning a Genie Award for his score for the cult-hit movie Outrageous, headed up the Ontario Arts Council and created CulTech, a Research Centre at York University. In 2005 he received the Order of Canada. Prokop and Cole formed other bands with some success before hitting their stride in the advertising world and as record producers. Saxophonist Howard Shore became the music director for Saturday Night Live and began a career in film composition, emerging as one of Hollywood's most sought after composers (among other awards Shore recently won three Academy Awards® for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy). Don DiNovo bought a church in Arthur, Ontario and turned it into recording studio. Dick Armin continued his work as a creator of electronic string instruments.
Russ Little has continued as an in-demand musician and composer. He can be heard on numerous releases including his own albums, Snapshot, Footwork and On the Shoulders of Giants. He was voted Best Trombonist of 2007 by Canada's National Jazz Awards. John Naslen became a recording engineer (he engineered the 1994 Lighthouse Song of the Ages release). Grant Fullerton continues to perform with his own band. Louie Yacknin opted out of music altogether and bought a tire installation company. Larry Smith moved to Israel and created a software company for language translation. Bob McBride became a top studio session singer and was heard on numerous commercials but he suffered from drug abuse and serious illness, and died in 1998.
Lighthouse has remained together since they reunited in 1992. The rhythm section for the ten-member group features the original founders, Prokop (drums), Hoffert (keys) and Cole (guitar) with Don Paulton, (keys), Doug Moore (bass) and Dan Clancy (vocals). The horn section is made up of original member, trombonist Russ Little, Simon Wallis, (saxophones and flute), Chris Howells (trumpet) and saxophonist Steve Kennedy who performed with the band at Ontario Place in 1982. Lighthouse continues to perform and create innovative works including a reunion concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra that was broadcast nationally, a tour of Brazil with an original multimedia stage show in collaboration with the Desrosiers Dance Theatre and a series of concerts in which sections of the band performed in different locations across Toronto linked together by broadband cable. In 1996, Lighthouse was inducted into the Q107 Canadian Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Lighthouse songs have been used in films and covered by other artists including Three Dog Night, Shobha and Carlos Santana. Rap artist Akon has sampled "I'd Be So Happy" and Japanese rock stars Theatre Brook perform One Fine Morning in their stage show.
For their 40th anniversary, ole/Universal Records released "40 Years of Sunny Days", a retrospective of their biggest hits, featuring digitally remastered tracks, and a DVD of new performances recorded at Q Music in 5.1 Surround Sound.
They continue to perform and tour extensively across Canada.
