Toronto - Lookin' For Trouble

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Even the Score	03:23
	2	You Better Run	03:15
	3	5035	03:14
	4	Get Your Hands Off Me	03:42
	5	Do Watcha, Be Watcha	03:37
	6	Tie Me Down	03:19

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Don't Stop Me	04:04
	2	Lookin' For Trouble	03:44
	3	Delirious	03:20
	4	Shot Down	03:44
	5	Let's Spend the Night Together	04:04

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Information/Write-up

Toronto was one of Canada’s defining hard-rock bands of the early 1980s, a group that blended glam-punk attitude with radio-ready rock hooks and the unmistakable voice of Annie “Holly” Woods. At a time when Canadian rock was beginning to hold its own against the international heavyweights, Toronto managed to carve out a sound that was both brash and melodic, streetwise yet polished, and always powered by Woods’s unrelenting, soulful roar.

The band took shape in 1979 when Woods, a San Francisco native who had migrated north, teamed up with guitarist Brian Allen. Alongside guitarist Sheron Alton, keyboardist Scott Kreyer, bassist Nick Costello, and drummer Jimmy Fox, the band christened itself after their adopted city. They quickly became known for their fierce live shows, Woods’s gritty stage presence, and a repertoire that mixed swagger with stadium-sized choruses.

Toronto’s debut album, Lookin’ for Trouble (1980), produced by Bill Henderson and Brian MacLeod of Chilliwack, immediately made an impact. The single “Even the Score” showcased their punchy, no-nonsense style and helped drive the record to platinum sales in Canada. Their follow-up, Head On (1981), worked under the experienced hand of Rush producer Terry Brown, and again achieved platinum success, cementing the band as one of the country’s hottest new acts.

The turning point came with Get It on Credit (1982), which featured new members Gary Lalonde on bass and Barry Connors on drums. The album produced the band’s signature anthem, “Your Daddy Don’t Know,” a song that stormed Canadian charts, broke into the U.S. Hot 100, and earned Juno Award recognition. Its mix of tough guitars, sleek keyboards, and Woods’s powerhouse delivery gave Toronto their widest exposure yet. Hidden within the same sessions was “What About Love,” a song co-written by Allen, Alton, and Jim Vallance that was shelved at the time but later resurfaced as a career-reviving international hit for Heart in 1985.

Though lineup changes continued—Mike Gingrich replacing Lalonde, and further departures in 1983—the band maintained momentum with Girls’ Night Out (1983), another platinum record driven by the title track, “All I Need,” and “Ready to Make Up.” Yet behind the scenes, exhaustion and creative differences began to fray the group’s chemistry. By 1984, Woods and Kreyer rebranded the outfit as Holly Woods & Toronto, releasing Assault & Flattery with the fiery single “New Romance.” Just as a new chapter seemed possible, their label Solid Gold Records collapsed, abruptly ending the band’s run.

In the years that followed, Toronto’s legacy endured. A Greatest Hits package appeared in 1984, and when it was reissued in 1988, fans were finally treated to the band’s original version of “What About Love.” Former members went on to new projects—Gary Lalonde joining Honeymoon Suite, Brian Allen moving into production and A&R, and Barry Connors playing with Coney Hatch and Lee Aaron—while Woods remained a commanding figure. She and Kreyer relocated to Atlanta, recording material that languished for decades before resurfacing in 2007 as Live It Up! on Cyclone Records. In later years Woods revived the name for festival appearances, keeping the flame alive for fans who never forgot the band’s raw power.

Toronto’s story is one of quick ascents, near misses, and enduring influence. They left behind a string of platinum records, unforgettable singles, and one of Canadian rock’s greatest “what-ifs” in “What About Love.” More than anything, they embodied the grit, resilience, and unpolished charm of their namesake city, with Holly Woods’s voice still echoing as one of the most commanding in Canadian rock history.
-Robert Williston

The glam-punk grit of Toronto's Lookin' for Trouble album is by far the band's edgiest recording. Not only is it their debut album, but it has lead singer Holly Woods sounding her roughest, with tracks that are strewn together by a boorish and coarse street-corner feel. With "Even the Score," "Do Watcha Be Watcha," and a cover of Pat Benatar's "You Better Run" being the best indication of the group's unpolished sound, there is still some energy left over for the title track. But even with Woods's grainy vocals taking precedent, there is some hint in the camouflaged tidiness of the guitars and keyboard work that Toronto's slight alternative direction wasn't a mainstay. They adopted a more commercial, hard rock lean on future albums like Get It On Credit and Girls Night Out, and while Holly Woods still sounds forceful on later recordings, Lookin' for Trouble embodies a certain alternative feel that can't be heard on the rest of their material.

Holly Woods: lead vocals
Sheron Alton: guitar, backing vocals
Brian Allen: guitar, lead vocals
Scott Kreyer: keyboards, backing vocals
Nick Costello: bass
Jimmy Fox: drums

Produced by Bill Henderson and Brian MacLeod

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