FM (Canadian band)

FM is a progressive rock band from Toronto, Canada which existed from 1976 to 1989, with 2 subsequent brief reunions. Their music has been categorized as space rock, and lyrics are dominated by science fiction themes.

History

Hawkins / Slash line-up

The bands's original 1976 line-up and presentation was very unusual; it consisted of just 2 people: Cameron Hawkins, appearing as a typical rock star at the front of the stage, playing synthesizer, occasional bass guitar, and lead vocals; and Nash the Slash, a mysterious figure in dark clothes lurking in the shadows at the back of the stage, playing electric violin, electric mandolin, backing vocals, and operating a drum machine. Aside from Cameron's bass, the group did not use guitars.

The group first recorded in July 1976 when they performed live in the studio, an event which was videotaped for TVOntario's "Night Music Concert" TV show, first broadcast in November. The full half hour show, which was shown with no commercial breaks, consisted entirely of the band playing 3 long pieces: "Phasors on Stun", "One O'Clock Tomorrow", "Black Noise", and a nonsensical biography of the group resembling free-association poetry recited by disc jockey David Pritchard accompanied by electronic background music and a collage of photos and artwork by Paul Till, appearing between the first and second songs. Neither this music, nor any performances by the original 2-person line-up, were released on an album until 2001.

FM's first public performance took place in November 1976 at the A Space art gallery in Toronto shortly after the TV show first aired.

Hawkins / Slash / Deller line-up #1

Some time after February 1977 the group became a trio when they added Martin Deller on drums. Deller had worked with Nash earlier in 1976 when they and David Pritchard played a 13 minute improvised piece titled "An Admission of Guilt" for Pritchard's album, Nocturnal Earthworm Stew.

After appearing on the CBC TV variety show "Who's New", FM were approached by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to make an album, ultimately titled Black Noise, which the group presumed would be distributed in stores like a normal release. But instead, the CBC chose to sell it by mail order, and only announced its availability during several radio shows. A mere 500 copies were pressed, which was sufficient to meet the demands of this limited distribution method. The CBC edition's cover shows a picture of a manhole cover; a different cover by Paul Till was used for later re-issues on other labels.

Shortly after the album was released, Nash the Slash left the group for a solo career, stating that the addition of a drummer gave the band a sound which was too commercial for his liking. This comment would be frequently quoted in articles and reviews years later for irony, as some his later work, with and without FM, is viewed as being much more commercial and pop-oriented than the first FM album.

Hawkins / Mink / Deller line-up

In the spring of 1977 Nash was replaced with Ben Mink, ex Stringband and Murray McLaughlin's Silver Tractors, who also played electric violin and electric mandolin. Ben has also collaborated with Mendelson Joe and k.d. lang.

Their first record was Direct to Disc (also released as Head Room, or Headroom, see explanation below), and was made using the direct to disc recording method, in which recording tape is not used. This method requires that the group perform two 15-minute sides live in the studio with no overdubs. The recording is mixed live and transcribed to the master disc as it is being performed. This was a briefly popular format in the 1970s, and like all albums made this way, it was a limited edition, because only so many copies can be pressed from the master disc.

The album was mostly instrumental, consisted of one piece on each side, and was issued on the group's private label, Labyrinth Records in 1978, nearly a year after it was recorded. It was well received by critics who compared the first side to a blend of Yes, King Crimson, and Lighthouse, while the second side took on a jazz feel, opening with a section in 17 beats per measure (5/5/7), and concluding with the sound of an unusual instrument: an alpha wave brain monitor plugged into a synthesizer, translating Cameron's live brainwaves into a throbbing hum.

Several years later, Direct to Disc was re-issued as Head Room (or perhaps Headroom; the title, which is also the title of the piece covering side one, is spelled as one word on the main track list printed on the inner gatefold cover, but as two words in the engineering credits and on the first edition's label; conversely, it is spelled as two words on the second edition's front cover, but as one word on that edition's label).

Later in 1978 the group got is first proper record contract with Visa Records in the USA, and Passport Records in Canada, the latter distributed by GRT Records. Their first release for these labels was a re-issue of the CBC album, Black Noise, now made available in stores for the first time. The USA edition was released in Spring 1978, while the Canadian edition came out near the end of the year. A single from the album, "Phasors on Stun" received a lot of radio airplay, and although it did not chart, it helped to promote the album, which became the group's best known work, achieving platinum status. FM claims they never received royalty payments from the Canadian edition.

Black Noise was followed almost immediately by Surveillance in 1979, the first widely released album with the group's then-current line-up, although it was delayed because GRT Records went out of business one week before the intended release date. The Passport Records label was bought out by Capitol Records who subsequently released both albums. In 1981 the Passport label declared bankruptcy, but was rescued again the following year by new distributor A&M Records, who re-issued Black Noise again. The Passport label ceased operations for a third time in 1984.

An unusual song on Surveillance is a mostly instrumental track titled "Sofa Back" which the group performed live without its brief vocoderized chant of "Moe, Larry, cheese", a quote from the Three Stooges short film "Horses' Collars", expecting the audience would not understand it. Much to the group's surprise, audiences usually chanted the phrase during performance.

In 1980 FM released another album, City of Fear, produced by Larry Fast of "Synergy" fame. Ben Mink also recorded an instrumental solo album, Foreign Exchange with the other members of FM as his backing band. Ben Mink left FM in 1983.

Hawkins / Slash / Deller line-up #2

In 1984 Nash the Slash proposed a double bill tour with FM, as the two artists seemed to mostly share a common audience, due to FM's best known album being the one he made with them in 1977. But FM had still not found a replacement for Ben Mink, and did not have a record contract. Nash resolved both problems by re-joining the group, and getting them signed to Quality Records who were about to release his solo album American Band-ages, which the tour was intended to promote. The double bill concept was retained, with Nash playing a solo set as the opening act. The album, released the following year, was titled Con-Test after the group ran a contest to come up with something that "FM" might stand for, and its cover art featured fine print listing several hundred submissions including Fluent Monkeys, Flunk Math, Fashion Magazine, Free Money, Forgiven Mistake, Facing Mecca, False Mammaries, and so on. Ben Mink also appears on the album. It received mixed reactions, and was criticized for being somewhat commercial, compared to their previous work. But in retrospect, it has become the group's second-best known album, and about half of FM's live set from this time onward consists of songs taken from this album.

A live show at the Masonic Temple in Toronto was videotaped and aired by the CBC as one of its "Rock Deluxe" TV specials in 1985.

FM seemed to be cursed by record labels going out of business. The Quality Records company had existed since the early 1950s, and by the 1960s was Canada's biggest domestic label; but they ceased operations shortly after the album was released. MCA Records picked up the re-issue rights for Con-Test, as well as Nash's American Band-ages, but the abrupt change in record labels led to a near-absence of promotion. Martin Deller left the band after the tour.

Hawkins / Slash / Brierly / Critchley line-up

In 1987 FM re-formed with Greg Critchley (ex Portland Bros. and The Spoons) replacing Martin Deller on drums, and Simon Brierley (ex Lee Aaron's band and Strange Advance) on guitars. This was the first and only time FM or Nash the Slash worked with a guitarist. They recorded Tonight for Duke Street Records, with the first pressing issued on green vinyl. Duke Street also issued the album on CD, with 4 bonus tracks from Con-Test, followed by a full release of that album. The new album was panned by the critics. Five songs from the album were used in the horror film Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and also appear on its soundtrack album.

Hawkins / Slash / Brierly / Cooke line-up

In 1988 Randy Cooke replaced Greg Critchley on drums. The group disbanded in 1989 and have not recorded any new songs since this time.

Hawkins / Slash / Deller line-up #3

In 1994 Cameron Hawkins created a new record company called Now See Hear, distributed by MCA Records, and purchased the rights to Black Noise which was still owned by the CBC, but ownership was set to expire that year. Hawkins was surprised to find a competitor bidding for the rights, but his label emerged as the winning bidder. By this time, the CBC no longer possessed a master tape of the album, and Cameron travelled to the USA to search the former Passport Records vaults for the tapes of this, and the other Passport albums, without success. The Now See Hear re-issue of Black Noise was made from a transfer from vinyl. Now See Hear also licensed the recording to One Way Records, a company specializing in re-issues, who released an American edition.

The re-issue was followed by a reformation of the group's classic line-up for a series of concerts from 1994 to 1996, resulting in a new live CD titled RetroActive, also issued on Now See Hear in 1995.

In 2001 Nash the Slash compiled unreleased and live FM recordings from the 1970s and 1980s on a CD titled Lost in Space on his own Cut-throat Records label. This release was not approved by the other members, and did not mention the name FM; the artist was listed as "Nash the Slash, Cameron Hawkins & Martin Deller". It includes recordings made by the original Hawkins / Slash line-up in 1976 and 1977, and demo versions of songs for Con-Test recorded in 1984.

Hawkins / Vena / Deller line-up

In 2006 FM re-formed again for a live performance at NEARFest on August 16 in Toronto, and also gave a concert prior to this on June 16. The new line-up included Italian musician Claudio Vena on electric violin and electric mandolin. No recordings by this line-up have been issued, and the band's website has not been updated since 2006.

Discography

All releases are Canadian editions except where noted.

Albums

• Black Noise
• CBC Records, 1977
• Visa Records VISA-7007 (USA), 1978
• Passport Records 9167-9381, distributed by GRT Records, 1978
• Passport Records, distributed by Capitol Records, 1979
• Passport Records, distributed by A&M Records, 1982
• Now See Hear Records NSBBD-7007, distributed by MCA Records (first CD release), 1994
• One Way Records OW-33651 (USA CD), 1996
• Direct to Disc
• Labyrinth Records LBR-1001, 1978
• re-issued as Head Room, Labyrinth Records LBR-1001, circa. 1980
• Surveillance
• Passport Records PB-2001, distributed by Capitol Records, 1979
• Foreign Exchange (by Ben Mink, but featuring all of FM)
• Passport Records PB-2024, distributed by Capitol Records, 1980
• City of Fear
• Passport Records PB-2028, distributed by Capitol Records, 1980
• Con-Test
• Quality Records SV-2138, 1985
• MCA Records, 1986
• Duke Street Records, distributed by MCA Records (on CD only), 1987
• Tonight
• Duke Street Records DSR-31042, distributed by MCA Records (first pressing on green vinyl), 1987
• Duke Street Records, distributed by MCA Records (CD edition with 4 bonus tracks from Con-Test), 1987
• Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (various artists soundtrack)
• (USA LP), 1988
• RetroActive
• Now See Hear Records NSHSD-1194, distributed by MCA Records, 1995
• Lost in Space (artist listed as Nash the Slash, Cameron Hawkins & Martin Deller)
• Cut-throat Records CUT-6CD, 2001

Singles

• 1978 - Phasors On Stun / Dialing for Dharma
• 1985 - Just Like You [CAN #38]
• 1986 - All of the Dreams [CAN #86]
• 1986 - Why Don't You Take It (Flight Mix) / Just Like You (Fun Mix) (12 inch single) [CAN #90]
• 1986 - She Does What She Wants (issued on MCA, but appearing on the Duke Street album the following year)
• 1987 - Good Vibrations / Good Vibrations (instrumental) (only available with fan club membership, as advertised on insert included with Tonight album)
• 1987 - Dream Girl / The Real Thing [CAN #41]
• 1988 - Magic (in Your Eyes) / I'm Not Mad (Ready for the World) [CAN #52]

References

External links

• Website for the reformed FM
• Blacknoise The FM Archive (Fan Site)
• Nash's website