Papa Bears Medicine Show
Websites:
No
Origin:
Vancouver, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:
The Papa Bears Medicine Show were a Vancouver, British Columbia band that got their name shortly after Papa Bear Craig Wood yelled down to his room-mates "Who's been sleeping in my bed?".
This album was Vancouver's first bootleg LP recording, released in 1970 on One Shot. Upon discovery of the bootleg, the albums were pulled from local record store shelves and were sold privately for $6 each. They now fetch around USD$1500.00 to $2500.00, depending on their condition. It's a tough album to find in decent shape.
The tracks were assembled by Michael Willmore and 99 hand-numbered copies of the album were pressed at Rada Records in Vancouver.
The primitive front and back paste-on silk-screen design was by Rob Goldie. OMTW-1001A is etched into the dead wax on side a, OMETW-1001B is etched into the deadwax on side b.
The band also released 2 singles, on Aragon and 6th Avenue featuring different tracks (except 'Golden Girl').
A CD compilation of different tracks was also assembled and released by Michael Willmore and Rieuwert Buitenga (The Nightstalkers, The Worst) on One Shot 002 in 2003. The album was also bootlegged on the Five Little Indians label out of Germany. Even that album has sold for as much as $165.
On March 12, 2024 citizenfreak.com released 2 albums worth of material from John Murray's master tapes, transferred by John Lyle and presented, with John Murray's agreement, by Robert Williston. For for the most part they were previously unreleased tracks of live recordings from The Retinal Circus from 1968 (there is some overlap with Medicine Show at the Retinal Circus CD on One Shot 002, released 2003).
-Robert Williston
Vic Stewart: vocals, tambourine
John Murray (John Lyle, The Poppy Family): lead guitar
Craig "Papa Bear" Wood: vocals, guitar, banjo
Lee Taylor: bass, background vocals
Kat Hendrikse (Vancouver Playboys, Tom Northcott, Heart): drums
Robbie King: keyboards
