Erect
Websites:
https://www.andycamp.ca/
Origin:
Midland, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:
Photo left: (Left to Right) The drummer Peter Whittington, Angela Camp, Peter Molloy and Andy Camp below. That was the earliest Erect lineup in Midland, Ontario
The photo was taken just before taking the "Erect Mobile" to the wrecking yard. The police pulled us over and told us we had to take it off the road. That was the inspiration for the song "We Are Police".
Erect began in the late fall of 1977 in Midland, Ontario by Andy Camp, his wife Angela and her brother Peter Molloy. Andy had come off the road from playing Sax with Atlantis and a tour out East with singer Sonny Lee, while Angela was giving birth to their son in Midland. Having finished a contract at Stage 212 at Fillmore’s in Toronto, backing up exotic dancers on Keyboards, Andy and Angie took up a house gig at the Arch Steak House in Midland with Drummer and friend, Lorne Pinkney. After a season, the Arch was sold and Andy started in the The Barrel Works Band at Balm Beach just outside of Midland on Georgian Bay on Keys and Sax. Andy also started recording original instrumentals at Sound Canada in Toronto and Angela was writing new songs with a new edge and was itching to get back recording and touring. They started jamming the songs out with bass player, Peter Molloy, Angela’s brother and local drummer Peter Whittington whom Andy was playing with at the Barrel Works. Over the next year they were developing their sound and material and trying out a few live gigs. In the beginning of 1979 they became dedicated to the project and were recording their new songs to take to the city. It was a new approach of just keyboards, bass, drums and vocals. 1979 was the right time for a unique sound as the music genre of “New Wave” was hitting it’s stride. Producers and new club owners as well as underground booking agencies were looking for acts and they fit the bill. The Drummer, Peter Whittington, went on to work at City TV as a producer. The trio, now named Erect, were working with famed hit Canadian Reggae producer John Forbes. John teamed Angela up with another singer he was working with Carla Goldstein. Together they produced a promotional 45 single of two songs “We Are Police’ and ‘The Colony” at The Grange Studios with drummer Ted Rosnick. Although marked not for resale all 500 sold immediately through independent distributors and lead to a publishing deal on the songs and a release on Boot Records. Erect signed a management agreement with the now defunct Starrider Productions from Streetsville, Ontario and were giging steady. They upgraded the recordings and replaced Carla with new singer Jana Reid, drummer Bruce Macmillan and Jan Albert on guitar. These sessions were done at Springfield Sound outside of London, Ontario with Canadian Producer Brian Ferriman. Record Companies from England, Italy, Australia and Japan were knocking on their door. Management decided it wasn’t the right product and wanted to re-record the band with a big US producer in LA. The band toured for a whole year without the release of the already recorded album.
Management had finally found some partners in Europe for a production deal in Los Angeles, California with Trever Lawrence, producer of “The Pointer Sisters”, and raised a substantial sum. Oh, Yes the dreaded LA deal that was the demise of so many bands at the time. The band was ready to go, all touring had stopped and for 3 months they waited to find out that somehow the money had disappeared and there would be no more recordings. It broke the band, the management company and New Wave was coming to an end. By 1982 Andy, Angela, Peter and Jana would have to move on. They did, vowing never to rely on anyone else again and The Jade Entertainment Corporation was born.
