Spasstiks
Websites:
No
Origin:
Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:
The Spasstiks: From High School Halls to Toronto’s Psychedelic Soundscape
The Spasstiks were born out of the high school circuit in Toronto around 1964, cutting their teeth at multi-band shows across the city’s suburbs. With Jim Campbell on vocals, Mike McQueen on lead guitar, Pete Shield on bass, Rob Mullen on rhythm guitar, and Vince Doyle on drums, the band quickly grew beyond teen dances and sock hops, developing a tight live act that blended raw rock ‘n’ roll energy with the groove of early funk-soul crossover and flashes of surf-inspired guitar work.
By 1966, the band had become regulars in Toronto’s legendary Yorkville scene—a hotbed of folk, garage, and psychedelic sounds. That same year, The Spasstiks landed their biggest gig to date: opening the Toronto Sound revue at Maple Leaf Gardens. The marathon 14-hour concert, organized by CHUM Radio, featured many of the city's most prominent acts—Luke & The Apostles, The Paupers, The Ugly Ducklings, Jon and Lee & the Checkmates, The Last Words, and more—and drew thousands of fans, cementing The Spasstiks’ place in the city’s fast-rising rock circuit.
Riding the momentum of their live performances, the band entered the studio in early 1967 to cut their only single for Apex Records. Released in May of that year, "Love’s Got a Hold on Me" b/w "If That’s What She Wants" was a fuzz-kissed burst of pop-psych soul with strong melodic hooks and punchy rhythm. While the record didn’t chart, it gained regional attention and remains a cult favorite among collectors of Canadian garage and psychedelic music.
Their visibility soon attracted producer Jack Richardson, co-founder of Nimbus 9 Productions (later known for work with The Guess Who and Alice Cooper). As part of a rebranding effort, the band changed their name first to The Cat, and then simply Cat—a nod, some say, to the classic Jimmy Smith album. During this transition, original members Pete Shield, Rob Mullen, and Vince Doyle exited the group and were replaced by drummer Phil Mulholland, bassist Graham Fidler, and multi-instrumentalist Gary O’Connor (guitar, piano, organ).
Under the Cat moniker, the band recorded three non-LP singles and a full-length self-titled album between 1968 and 1971. The standout track, "We’re All in This Together," became a minor Canadian hit and earned lasting airplay on classic rock radio. The single featured early studio work by engineer Bob Ezrin, who would go on to international acclaim. Cat toured extensively and even appeared on the famed 1970 Festival Express train tour alongside Janis Joplin, The Band, and other icons.
Listen to Cat here: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/270443-cat-st
Though their time as The Spasstiks was relatively brief, their fusion of garage grit, pop hooks, and early psychedelic flourishes left a distinct mark on Toronto’s 1960s music landscape. Their lone Apex single remains a treasured snapshot of a band on the cusp of evolution—and of a scene bursting with raw, homegrown talent.
-Robert Williston
Jim Campbell: vocals
Mike McQueen: lead guitar
Pete Shield: bass
Rob Mullen: rhythm guitar
Vince Doyle: drums
