I.B.S

I.B.S. were a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan punk and power-pop group active during the mid-1980s, built around Chris Ramsay on vocals and guitar, Robin Beitel on lead guitar and vocals, John DeCoteau on bass, and James Pollock on drums, vocals and guitar. Their music drew from punk, guitar pop and new wave, but the band also had a strong sense of humour that carried through their songs, sleeve notes and credits.

By 1986, I.B.S. were active on the Saskatoon live circuit. A surviving handbill documents an opening appearance for Rank and File in Saskatoon on July 15, 1986, while the photographs, credits and acknowledgements accompanying their album show how closely the group was tied to the city’s independent music community.

The band became associated with Rockin’ Rod Records, operated by Saskatoon promoter and broadcaster Ron Spizzirri, who handled distribution and promotion for the group. Their first and only album under the I.B.S. name, Go!, was recorded at High Level Recording in Saskatoon and released by Rockin’ Rod Records in 1986. Duane Harder and I.B.S. produced the album, with Harder engineering the sessions, and the sleeve made a point of the record’s local origins with the line ‘Everything was done right in town here.’

All four members contributed to the writing. Chris Ramsay wrote ‘Nice Place to Visit’, while James Pollock wrote ‘The Last Time’, ‘Mood I’m In’, ‘Surfin’ on the South Saskatchewan’, ‘Hey Betty’ and ‘Girlfriend’s Dead’. John DeCoteau contributed ‘Changed My Mind’, ‘It Doesn’t Matter’, ‘Based on Faith’ and ‘Glad You’re Gone’, and Robin Beitel wrote ‘Ebony, Black and Charcoal’ as well as the music for ‘Truth and Memories’, whose words were written by Pollock.

The twelve songs moved easily between melodic guitar pop, punkier material, relationship songs and humour. ‘Surfin’ on the South Saskatchewan’, dedicated to Malibu Deb Rolfes, was an instrumental whose title transplanted California surf culture onto Saskatoon’s own river, while songs such as ‘Girlfriend’s Dead’ and ‘Ebony, Black and Charcoal’ reflected the band’s more playful side.

That same personality ran throughout the packaging for Go!. The illustrated inner sleeve introduced the musicians informally, describing John DeCoteau as ‘an academic, a bass player and a great dancer’, while the credits included Bob Cole as flashlight man, Jeff Lee for distribution and clapping, and James Drummond for lights and as the ‘Gimme a Break’ singer. One of the album’s more memorable declarations was simply ‘This album is MIDI incompatible.’

The acknowledgements provide a useful picture of the community around the band, with names including Robin Billinton, Scott ‘Dole’ Finley, Gary Kaminski, Tony Zuck, Chip and Tony Kinman, The Pursuit of Happiness, Music City Promotions, Imperial Records, family members, musicians, friends and supporters. There was even a special thank-you to ‘the anonymous organ donor on “Surfin’ on the S.S.”’

Artwork for Go! was credited to C.K. Cousins, while Troy Apollo created and designed the inner sleeve. All songs were copyrighted in 1986 to Troy Apollo Productions.

The I.B.S. name did not survive for long, but most of the band remained together. Robin Beitel left and Tony Zuck joined on lead and acoustic guitar, with Ramsay, DeCoteau and Pollock continuing alongside him. The group eventually adopted the name Different Initials, retaining three quarters of the I.B.S. lineup and continuing to develop material that had begun during the earlier band’s lifetime.

Saskatoon musician and journalist Stephen A. Nelson later recalled meeting I.B.S. around 1986 or 1987, interviewing the group for a local entertainment publication and attending recording sessions. He also remembered receiving a cassette of unreleased material well before the next album appeared, particularly recalling ‘Trouble’s Leaving Town’ and ‘Kiss Without a Cure’, both of which later appeared on the Different Initials album.

As Different Initials, the lineup consisted of Chris Ramsay on vocals and guitar, John DeCoteau on bass, James Pollock on drums and vocals, and Tony Zuck on lead and acoustic guitar. The band became a popular part of Saskatoon’s independent and alternative scene, playing university dates and sharing stages with touring artists including David Lindley and the Hoodoo Gurus. Zuck later described Different Initials as the most successful band he had played with.

Their album Ruminations was released by Rockin’ Rod Records in 1989 and contained ten songs: ‘Selfish Heart’, ‘A Thousand Tales’, ‘Trouble’s Leaving Town’, ‘Kiss Without a Cure’, ‘What’s Going Round’, ‘Ruminations’, ‘It Might Be Today’, ‘Stranded’, ‘My Life’s a Lie’ and ‘Hopin’ You’re Happy’.

Ruminations was recorded and mixed at Audio Art in Saskatoon, with Robin Billinton producing. Glenn Ens engineered the sessions with assistance from Vance Boymook, and Ens and James Pollock handled the mix. Arrangements were credited collectively to Different Initials, while Charles Cousins handled the design, Bob Short supplied the sleeve photography and Cathy Schick provided the cover photograph.

The connection between the two records is direct. Ramsay, DeCoteau and Pollock remained at the centre of both bands, while Zuck replaced Beitel on guitar. By the time Ruminations appeared, the sound had become more polished, but the melodic songwriting and independent character heard on Go! were still present.

Different Initials eventually came to an end in what a Saskatoon Star-Phoenix account described as an acrimonious breakup. The members then began moving in different directions. James Pollock relocated to Toronto, where he was working with former Pursuit of Happiness bassist John Sinclair and vocalist Leslie Stadnyk, while Chris Ramsay moved to Victoria. John DeCoteau also relocated to Toronto, dividing his time between music and medicine, and Tony Zuck remained in Saskatoon.

Zuck later fronted High Speed Sacrifice, described at the time as an offshoot of Different Initials. The group opened for artists including David Wilcox, Luba, The Forgotten Rebels and Harlequin, after which Zuck formed Martyr Bones. He also remained active in Saskatoon music and community broadcasting, including involvement with CFCR, while pursuing a career outside music.

I.B.S. released only one album under that name, but the personnel and material carried directly into Different Initials, making Go! and Ruminations closely connected records within the same Saskatoon story. The first captured the band in its rougher, more playful mid-1980s form, while the second documented how the music developed after the arrival of Tony Zuck and the change of name.

Drummer James Pollock shares his name with a noted Canadian poet, but no reliable evidence has been found establishing that they are the same person, and the two should not be treated as the same individual without further documentation.

-Robert Williston