Amen, The

Websites:  No
Origin: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The Amen were a Canadian garage rock band formed in 1966 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and are remembered for their explosive live shows, tight musicianship, and the release of a single now cherished by collectors. The original lineup featured Tim Ryan (vocals), Ed Schryer (lead guitar), Nick Scali (rhythm guitar), Dave Wilson (bass), and Bob Clarke (drums), with later additions including Bob Yukich and Bob Yeomans.

Listen to Tim Ryan's first album here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/328215-ryan-tim-the-runner
Listen to Tim Ryan's second album here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/299153-ryan-tim-on-purpose

Known locally for their original songs and Clarke’s signature 15-minute drum solos, The Amen quickly became staples of the Sault’s Teen Centre and began touring across northern Ontario, performing in Thunder Bay, Espanola, and Nipigon.

After eight months together, the band traveled to Toronto in late 1966 to record their only single, released in early 1967 on Algoma Productions, a short-lived label based in their hometown. The 45 featured the jangly pop track “Carnivals and Cotton Candy” (written by Ryan) backed with the trippy and psychedelic “Peter Zeus,” co-written by Ryan and Clarke. Both tracks were produced by John Holt, who also produced the 1967 single by their labelmates (Those) Rogues, making him a central figure in the small but memorable Algoma Records catalog.

Following the release, The Amen became fixtures in Toronto’s Yorkville coffeehouse scene, performing regularly at Boris’s and the Red Gas Room, and supported The Guess Who at the Princess Theatre in September 1967. They also played a triumphant homecoming show at the Sault Memorial Gardens that summer. Despite their growing acclaim and original material, The Amen disbanded before the end of 1967 without releasing a follow-up.

The Amen were one of only a few artists to appear on Algoma Records, which also issued rare singles by (Those) Rogues and The Sound Sett, and a lone folk-religious LP by The Novitiate titled Echoes of Happiness. Though the label's output was minimal, it remains a fascinating document of Northern Ontario’s mid-60s rock scene.

Listen to (Those) Rogues here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/298496-those-rogues-wish-i-could-see-you-again-b-w-girl
Listen to The Sound Sett here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/328170-sound-sett-1966-1967

While their recorded output was limited, The Amen's influence on the Sault music scene and their contribution to Canada’s garage rock legacy remain significant—an emblem of the raw talent and ambition bubbling just beneath the mainstream.
-Robert Williston