Knight, Ritchie & the Mid-Knights - The Joke b/w My Kind Of Love

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	The Joke	02:36

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	My Kind Of Love	02:48

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

Richie Knight & The Mid-Knights – From Yonge Street to Number One

In the late 1950s, Toronto’s music scene was still a patchwork of high school bands and dancehall combos, but out of this ferment came a group that would etch its name in history: Richie Knight & The Mid-Knights. What began as a handful of classmates jamming in 1959—George Semkiw on guitar, Leo Donaghue on sax, John McCanliss on guitar, and Jim Williams on drums—would, within just a few years, become the first Canadian band to top the CHUM charts.

Like many teenage outfits, the lineup changed quickly. A bassist (Roger Woods), a pianist (Barry Lloyd), and vocalist Rich Hubbard came aboard, but by 1961 only Semkiw, Lloyd, and Hubbard remained. Instead of folding, they rebuilt. Doug Chappell joined on bass, Barry Stein on drums, and Mike Brough on sax. Lloyd switched from piano to Hammond organ, and suddenly the Mid-Knights had a sound that could stand up against anything happening on Yonge Street.

By 1962 they were regulars on the Ontario circuit, honing their act in small-town halls before pushing their way onto the Yonge Street Strip, Toronto’s proving ground for live rhythm and blues. It was there that ARC Records took notice. Among their repertoire was a fiery cover of “Charlena,” a West Coast R&B number by The Sevilles. It became their showstopper, and ARC producer Ben Weatherby rushed them into the studio in early 1963. Cut live in one night, “Charlena” backed with James Brown’s “You’ve Got the Power” was raw, immediate, and electric.

Radio was slower to catch on. CKEY gave it the first spins, but once CHUM began playing it—after an avalanche of listener requests—the single took off. By spring 1963, “Charlena” had reached No. 1 on CHUM, the first time a homegrown Toronto band had ever claimed the top spot. The record sold over 100,000 copies and proved Canadian kids didn’t need to look south for their heroes; they had their own.

The Mid-Knights’ sudden success transformed their fortunes overnight. They headlined dances at Balmy Beach Canoe Club, Mazaryk Hall, the Jubilee Pavilion in Oshawa, and The Pav in Orillia. Maple Leaf Gardens even came calling: first as part of Dick Clark’s Cavalcade of Stars in 1963, then again in 1965 when they opened for the Rolling Stones.

ARC tried to keep the momentum going with a string of follow-ups—“The Joke,” “My Kind of Love,” “Homework,” “Come Back-Try Me”—all minor hits, but none with the impact of “Charlena.” Lineup shifts didn’t help: Barry Lloyd exited, replaced by Ray Reeves, and in 1966 vocalist Rich Hubbard left, with Richard Newell (soon to become King Biscuit Boy) stepping in. The Mid-Knights morphed through several identities, from a leaner blues-based outfit to the horn-heavy Mid-Knights Revue, even signing with RCA and later Warner Bros. They remained a force on stage, but changing trends and label indifference meant their recording career stalled.

Still, their legacy was already secured. “Charlena” had kicked open the door for what became known as the Toronto Sound—a gritty, R&B-rooted movement that would spawn Little Caesar and the Consuls, Jon & Lee & The Checkmates, The Big Town Boys, The Mynah Birds, Mandala, and The Paupers. Richie Knight & The Mid-Knights proved that a Canadian band could compete on their own charts and inspire an entire scene.

Behind the scenes, members like George Semkiw and Doug Chappell would go on to long, influential careers in production, engineering, and the music industry, ensuring the Mid-Knights’ impact resonated far beyond their original run.

They may not have lasted past the 1960s, but for one shining moment in 1963, a Toronto band of young hopefuls stood on top of the charts and gave Canada its first true taste of rock and roll glory.
-Robert Williston

Comments