Sound Sett

Websites:  https://citizenfreak.com/artists/110504-strangers
Origin: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The Sound Sett – 1966/1967
A Blazing, Long-Lost Canadian Garage Rock Masterpiece
In the pantheon of Canadian garage rock, few lost albums hit as hard as The Sound Sett’s 1966 recording — a blistering, fuzz-drenched time capsule from a group of Cambrian College students who captured lightning in a bottle.

But before Sound Sett, there was The Strangers — an instrumental powerhouse formed by Bruce MacGregor, Bob Coulombe, and Jerry Siegfried. The trio played community halls and dance circuits across Northern Ontario in the mid-60s, honing their craft with tight surf-rock instrumentals.

In a single ambitious recording session, they laid down over 100 tracks in Bruce’s basement using an Ampex reel-to-reel recorder, microphones hung from rafters, and pure first-take energy. “We recorded about 120 songs — no second takes, just ran through the entire setlist,” Bruce recalls. These long-lost instrumental gems, some of which have never been heard publicly, are set to be released soon exclusively at citizenfreak.com.

A Garage Rock Gem Like No Other
Fast forward to 1966 — Bruce, Bob, and Jerry were now students at Cambrian College in Sault Ste. Marie, ready to evolve their sound. They added Jim Bagshaw (drums), Chuck Wesley (rhythm guitar), and Ken Cartmill (vocals), forming The Sound Sett. What followed was the recording of an album so rare, only 80 copies were pressed for friends and family — making it one of the rarest and most elusive Canadian garage rock LPs in existence.

The album was released under Algoma Productions, the same local label that issued garage 45s by fellow Sault Ste. Marie bands The Amen (“Carnivals and Cotton Candy” b/w “Peter Zeus”) and (Those) Rogues (“Wish I Could See You Again” b/w “Girl”). It was a Spring 1967 Quality Custom pressing, manufactured at Arc Sound in Toronto. Bruce’s original reel-to-reel master was sent to Toronto by the band’s manager, Joe Spina, who coordinated the pressing. “We just wanted 10 copies for ourselves… but people kept asking, so we upped it to 80,” Bruce said. Thought lost for decades, the album resurfaced when Bruce discovered his lone surviving copy inside an old Beatles LP sleeve. After a careful cleaning, it played perfectly.

Canadian music historian Ivan Amirault added valuable insight: “I remember interviewing John Holt of Algoma Records years ago about (Those) Rogues and The Amen. He told me the Rogues had recorded an LP and that only about 10 copies were pressed. I wonder if he was actually referring to this LP by The Sound Sett. It’s definitely a Quality Custom pressing because of the QC prefix on the catalog number. John also told me that between the Rogues and Amen 45s — which were pressed at the same time — he had 600 copies done between the two. Since I’ve seen many Amen 45s and very few Rogues copies, it’s clear that the split was heavily weighted toward The Amen. It even charted locally. Back when I first spoke with Sault record collectors, they hadn’t even heard of the Rogues — this was before the internet made discoveries like this more accessible.”

For The Amen go here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/265156-amen-the-carnivals-and-cotton-candy-b-w-peter-zeus
For (Those) Rogues go here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/298496-those-rogues-wish-i-could-see-you-again-b-w-girl

Ken Cartmill, their lead vocalist, brought raw energy and emotion to their songs, despite being incredibly shy offstage. According to Bruce MacGregor, “Ken wanted to sing so badly, but he was so shy he’d dress in all black — black socks, black slacks, black turtleneck — basically to be invisible on stage. He had a hard time facing the crowd, but when the music started, he gave it his all.”

Now, for the first time, this long-lost album is streaming exclusively at The Museum of Canadian Music — and it’s nothing short of a garage rock revelation.

Ugly Ducklings Covers Done Right
The album opens with two ferocious covers of Toronto’s legendary Ugly Ducklings:

“She Ain’t No Use to Me”
“Just in Case You’re Wonderin’”
Both tracks explode with energy, driven by Bob Coulombe’s blaring, overdriven lead guitar. “Bob had a brand-new Strat and Fender Deluxe amp — his sound was razor sharp,” Bruce says. “Meanwhile, I was playing a Fender Mustang I bought from Leo Fender himself — probably serial number 300. I still have it hanging on the wall.”

Originals That Demand Attention
But it’s the originals that truly elevate this record to “lost classic” status:

“Oh No” is a standout garage-punk scorcher, led by Coulombe’s fuzz-drenched lead, backed by Jim Bagshaw’s relentless drumming. “That’s Bob on lead — he was a natural, very talented. The whole take was first try, no overdubs,” Bruce shared.
“Dead Sea” is a tight instrumental rocker, a holdover from The Strangers' surf-rock days, showcasing the band’s musical precision and intensity.

Jim Bagshaw – A Drummer’s Drummer
Formerly of Inferno 5 Plus 1, Jim Bagshaw brought serious experience and raw power to the kit. His tight fills and driving tempo anchor the band’s garage energy with precision and punch. “Jim was the first guy we recruited — from the moment he joined, everything just clicked,” Bruce said.

DIY Recording: A True Labor of Love
The album was recorded in Cambrian’s gymnasium, converted into a makeshift studio with hanging mics and reel-to-reel. “We just wanted a keepsake, something for ourselves,” Bruce said. “But people kept asking for copies, so we upped the pressing to 80. It was thought that the album was totally lost until I randomly rediscovered the original LP inside an old Beatles album years later — cleaned it up, and it played perfectly.”

With no known surviving copies besides Bruce’s own, this album may well be the rarest Canadian garage rock record in existence.

A Band Poised for Greatness
Formed in Sault Ste. Marie in 1966, The Sound Sett quickly made waves, playing shows from Marathon to Manitouwadge, planning a Western Canada tour, and sending audition tapes to Detroit labels. Their manager, Joe Spina, helped press the LP and foster label interest. Despite the momentum, the album was never commercially released, a private treasure nearly lost to time.

Now Streaming: A Lost Treasure Resurfaces
Finally available for streaming only, this album is a garage rock revelation — a rough gem from Canada’s 60s scene, full of attitude, sweat, and serious skill.

Fans of The Ugly Ducklings: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/305188-ugly-ducklings-somewhere-outside-multicoloured-label; The Haunted: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/282752-haunted-st
or Inferno 5 Plus 1: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/284151-inferno-5-plus-1-i-can-take-it-b-w-fays-gig will find The Sound Sett a thrilling and essential discovery.

Listen now at citizenfreak.com – and stay tuned for the upcoming release of The Strangers 120-song instrumental archive.
-Robert Williston

Ken Cartmill: lead vocals
Bob Coulombe: lead guitar
Bruce MacGregor: rhythm guitar, lead guitar
Chuck Wesley: rhythm guitar
Jerry Siegfried: bass guitar
Jim Bagshaw: drums

First appeared on GarageHangover:
Newspaper Article Extract:
Sound Sett will play to B.C.
By BILL TAVES
Cambrian Correspondent

Three months ago, six Cambrian College students got together and formed the Sound Sett.

In the short time they have been together, the musicians have changed their style and hit a hot mixture of music — from the hard rock stylings of Jeff Beck to the sweet soul sounds to the blues sound of the Rolling Stones. A medley of Three Rivers ballad to one of their own numbers.

The six members of the group are not newcomers to the music field. Bruce MacGregor, lead electronics student, and Bob Coulombe have been playing professionally for a group in British Columbia.

Bob Coulombe, a machine shop technologist student, is the Sound Sett’s lead guitar man. Bob is one of the top lead guitarists north of Toronto. He is an avid fan of jazz and good “rock” music.

Bruce MacGregor, a senior electronics student, plays rhythm and lead guitar, as well as bass and vocals. He enjoys all types of music, but will play jazz, country and rock — Bruce said one of his “favorites” list.

Bruce, Bob and Jerry played together in the Lakehead area for three months before coming to the Sault.

Jim Bagshaw, drummer for the band, has had wide experience as a drummer in Sault groups including: The Talisman, The Inferno 5, The Inferno 5 + 1, and a number of other groups.

Church Wesley, another electronics student, plays rhythm guitar for the group. Before coming here, Chuck played for The Bee-Jays in his hometown of Marathon.

He has natural talent for music, and can pick up and play almost any musical instrument.

Ken Cartmill is the only non-Cambrianite in the group. However, he has tremendous singing ability and serves in the position of singer for the Sound Sett.

Joe Spina manages the group. He is another electronics student. Joe has already received offers from recording companies and has played a large part in the city’s growth of sound.

Included in the band’s repertoire are a number of selections written by Bruce and Ken. Local audiences enjoy the music styles of the two musicians and offer constructive suggestions to them on how to improve their home selections.

The Sound Sett will be travelling north in mid-April for a northern circuit which includes Marathon and Wainjoutowage, a tour of Western Canada beginning in June, will take the group to Vancouver and B.C.

The Sound Sett is rapidly rising in the eyes of the top music people and it shouldn’t be too long before they reach the top if they keep on progressing.

Manager Joe Spina will be travelling to Detroit later this month with audio tapes of the band.