Edwards, Cliff - Transition

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Follow Me	03:09
	2	You've Gone Away	03:42
	3	I Wish I Were Going Back Home	03:31
	4	Faces	03:56
	5	I Know I Can	03:36

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Still Lovin' You	02:47
	2	Hold Me	03:28
	3	Uncle Dad And Auntie Mom	03:38
	4	Everybody's Going His Own Way	03:22
	5	Living In The Country	03:10

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

Kingston’s Cliff Edwards was a founding member of The Five Bells, later known simply as The Bells—a hugely successful soft-rock group that rose to prominence in the mid-1960s and notched multiple Canadian and international hits throughout the following decade. While still performing with The Bells, Edwards began to establish himself as a solo artist, eventually releasing albums on major labels including Polydor, Columbia, and A&M Records over the next fifteen years.

Listen to The Bells here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/267117-bells-the-best-of-the-millennium-collection

Released in 1973 on Polydor Records, Transition marked Edwards’ first solo outing and a stylistic shift into the country and folk-rock territory of the early '70s singer-songwriter movement. Recorded at Toronto Sound Studios, the album was produced by Edwards and engineered by Peter Houston.

The supporting lineup reads like a who’s who of Canadian studio talent: Brian Edwards (Cliff’s brother and bandmate in The Bells, and later of Mashmakhan) on bass, Rayburn Blake (also of Mashmakhan and Riverson) on guitar, Leon Aronson on piano, and Wayne Stone (formerly of Grant Smith & The Power, Motherlode, and Dr. Music) on drums. But it’s the powerhouse vocal backing ensemble that gives Transition its extra spark.

Listen to one of Mashmakhan's albums here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/290477-mashmakhan-st

Listen to Riverson here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/298115-riverson-st

Dianne Brooks was already a revered figure in Canadian soul and R&B circles, having fronted The Soul Searchers and worked closely with producer William “Mickey” Stevenson. Her solo recordings on Verve and Revolver were trailblazing examples of Canadian soul.

Listen to one of Dianne's albums here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/268888-brooks-dianne-some-other-kind-of-soul

Rhonda Silver, a respected Toronto-based singer, would go on to become a prolific session vocalist and a solo artist in her own right, eventually releasing material on Quality Records in the 1980s and 1990s.

Listen to one of Rhonda's albums here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/300492-silver-rhonda-departure

Laurel Ward (Black) had been part of The Sinners and the psych-pop group Dr. Music, later marrying and recording with Terry Black as part of the duo Black and Ward.

Listen to one of Black & Ward's release here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/267685-black-ward-terry-black-and-laurel-ward-all-night-long

Stephanie Taylor was also part of the Toronto vocal elite, known for her work with Doug Riley and Dr. Music, and appearing on numerous CBC and commercial sessions throughout the 1970s.

Listen to Stephanie's album here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/303472-taylor-stephanie-i-don-t-know-where-i-stand

Together, these women elevate Edwards’ mellow, introspective material with rich gospel, soul, and folk-inspired harmonies—sometimes understated, sometimes soaring, always tasteful.

Musically, the album drifts between introspective folk-rock and mellow country-inflected pop. “You’ve Gone Away,” a haunting ballad written by Marty Reno (noted collaborator of Gene MacLellan), opens with atmospheric restraint. “Faces,” a contribution by MacLellan himself, delves into deeper melancholic territory. “Still Lovin’ You,” penned by Ken Tobias, lifts the mood with funkier grooves and a sweetly crooned refrain. Edwards’ own “Hold Me” stands out as a tender mid-tempo rocker, carried by warm organ swells and expressive electric guitar.

After stepping away from the music industry, Cliff Edwards began a second creative career as a set designer and camera operator at CKWS-TV in Kingston, eventually creating and producing the locally beloved children’s show The Corner Shop. He later returned to music briefly in 2003 for a series of Bells reunion concerts and helped oversee the release of a greatest hits compilation for the band.

Transition captures a moment of quiet reinvention for one of Canada’s most distinctive voices of the soft-rock era—an album rich in mood, songwriting craft, and subtle performance, buoyed by a who’s-who of Canadian session talent.
-Robert Williston

Cliff Edwards: vocals
Brian Edwards: bass
Rayburn Blake: guitar
Leon Aronson: piano
Wayne Stone: drums
Rhonda Silver: backing vocals
Dianne Brooks: backing vocals
Laurel Black: backing vocals
Stephanie Taylor: backing vocals

Produced by Cliff Edwards
Engineered by Peter Houston
Recorded at Toronto Sound Studios

Art arrangements by A.C. Donohue
Photography by Jacques Giard

Special thanks to my dad and mom, Brian and Johanne, the girls, and my wife Adrienne

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