Smith, Grant & the Power (E.G. Smith & the Power) - Keep on Running b/w Her Own Life

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	Keep on Running	02:57
	2	Her Own Life

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Information/Write-up

Grant Smith: vocals
Val Stevens: organ
Jim Pauley: guitar
Mike Harrison: bass
Wayne “Stoney” Stone: drums
Charlie Miller: drums
Ralph Miller: trumpet
Brian “Otis” Ayres: saxophone
Steve Kennedy: saxophone, harmonica
Jon Palma: guitar
Ken Marco: guitar
William “Smitty” Smith: keyboards
Sonny “Jiggs” Bernardi: drums
Josef Chirowski: keyboards
Joe Agnello: bass

Val Stevens, Mike Harrison and the Miller Brothers had been playing with Eddie Spencer & The Power when a decision was made on 1 January 1967 to bring in a new singer – Ellis Grant Smith (b. London, Ontario) together with guitarist Jim Pauley from his previous band, The Express. Two weeks later, another former Express member and second drummer, Wayne Stone came in.

The first line-up remained together until mid-1967 and initially gigged as E G Smith and The Power before adopting the better known, Grant Smith & The Power. After Charlie Miller’s departure in June, the group went to the United States for the summer of 1967, now working with only one drummer. After returning to Canada, Jim Pauley quit and was replaced by Jon Palma in September.

The band’s debut 45, a soul version of The Spencer Davis Group’s ‘Keep on Running’ coupled with Smith and Stevens’ ‘Her Own Life’, came out in January 1968 and featured line up C (as did the second single on MGM). Both singles were recorded (with Steve Kennedy on the sessions) at Toronto music mogul, Art Snider’s Sound Canada studios in Toronto. Soon afterwards, Palma left and new guitarist Kenny Marco, who had played with Ayres in The Beau Keys during the mid-‘60s (and in the interim, The Upset) was recruited.

Later that year, former Dianne Brooks, Eric Mercury and The Soul Searchers member, Steve Kennedy joined. In October 1968, Harrison left to join McKenna Mendelson Mainline but was not replaced immediately. Stevens also left at this point and William Smith from The Soul Searchers came in, covering bass on Hammond organ.

A few months later Marco, Kennedy, Smith and Stone left to form Motherlode. Bernardi (from The Spirit Revue) and Chirowski (from various bands, including Mandala and The Power Project) came in as replacements and remained until February 1970 when they went onto join Ronnie Hawkins & Many Others. Joe Agnello from the Lords of London also came in at this time and later left to join Leigh Ashford. Former Franklin Sheppard sideman, Frank De Felice filled in for the last few months before forming Jericho in March 1970.

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