Body Electric

Body Electric were a Vancouver, British Columbia pop-rock and AOR band built around the songwriting partnership of Bob Buckley and David Sinclair, two musicians whose work together had already produced major Canadian radio success before the group took shape. Emerging after the end of Straight Lines, Body Electric carried Buckley and Sinclair’s melodic instincts into a more keyboard-driven 1980s setting, combining polished studio craft, layered synthesizers, saxophone colour, strong guitar lines, and radio-focused hooks.

Before Body Electric, Bob Buckley and David Sinclair had worked together in Straight Lines, the Vancouver pop-rock band that grew out of earlier projects including Spring and Dogstar. By the late 1970s the group had become a known Vancouver club act, attracted the attention of Bruce Allen, and signed with Epic Records. As Straight Lines, they released two albums: Straight Lines in 1980 and Run for Cover in 1981. Their best-known single, “Letting Go,” became a Canadian hit and brought Buckley and Sinclair Juno recognition as songwriters, with nominations connected to the song at the 1983 Juno Awards.

Following the breakup of Straight Lines, Buckley and Sinclair began looking for a new direction. They connected with Frank Ludwig, the former Trooper, Brutus, Ironhorse, and Union keyboardist and vocalist. Ludwig and Sinclair already knew one another from their time studying music at the University of British Columbia, and the new collaboration reportedly came together after the two crossed paths again at Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver while working separately on the same commercial session. With Buckley, Sinclair, and Ludwig at the core, the group developed new material and signed with Attic Records through Ludwig’s connection to Walter Zwolinsky, formerly of Brutus.

The band’s self-titled debut album, Body Electric, was released by Attic Records in 1984. Produced by Ron Obvious and recorded at Little Mountain Sound, the album introduced the group’s sleek synth-pop and pop-rock approach. The recording centred on Bob Buckley, David Sinclair, and Frank Ludwig, with additional players including Daryl Burgess, Doug Edwards, Ken Chalmers, and Marc LaFrance. Singles from the album included “Don’t Take Me for a Fool,” “Somewhere in Time,” and “Stop the Music,” the latter receiving video exposure on MuchMusic. For live work, the group added Ross Friesen on drums and Kelly Cook on bass, touring through much of the period that followed the album’s release.

In 1985, Body Electric returned with the five-song EP Two Worlds, also released by Attic Records. By this point Brian Newcombe had replaced Kelly Cook on bass, while Ross Friesen remained on drums. The EP featured David Sinclair more prominently as lead vocalist, with Frank Ludwig moving into a less central vocal role. Produced by Bill Henderson of Chilliwack, engineered by Howard Rissin, mixed by Bob Rock, and mastered by George Marino, Two Worlds produced the singles “Do You Think They Can Tell?” and “All Through the Night.” The group also appeared on television programs including CBC’s Downtown Saturday Night, but internal musical differences led to Ludwig’s departure just as the band was preparing for important national exposure opening for Corey Hart.

After Ludwig left, Body Electric restructured again. Seeking a stronger management and label situation, the band signed with Scott Andrews and Gordon Sinclair of Parallel One Records, who were also associated with JATO. Jerry Adolphe replaced Ross Friesen on drums, and the band moved into its final phase with the 1986 single “Strangers in Love.” That track was followed by the 1987 album Walking Through Walls, released on Parallel One. Produced by Bob Buckley and David Sinclair, recorded and mixed at Little Mountain Sound Studios, and engineered and mixed by Mike Fraser, the album represented the group’s most mature and fully realized work. It generated further singles including “I Don’t Know Why” and “Out of the Blue,” with Bob Rock mixing “Strangers in Love” and “I Don’t Know Why.”

Despite the strength of Walking Through Walls, Body Electric was caught in the instability of the independent Canadian music business. When Parallel One Records collapsed in the late 1980s, the band’s momentum was cut short and the group folded soon after. Their catalogue remained concise but strong: the 1984 Body Electric album, the 1985 Two Worlds EP, the 1987 album Walking Through Walls, and a run of Canadian singles released between 1984 and 1987.

The group’s recordings later returned to circulation through reissues. In 2000, Unidisc reissued the debut album with Two Worlds added, while Escape Music reissued Walking Through Walls in 2003 with bonus tracks drawn from the band’s mid-1980s recording period. Those releases helped preserve the band’s place in the story of Vancouver studio-pop, Canadian AOR, and the longer creative arc connecting Straight Lines, Body Electric, and the later work of Buckley and Sinclair.

The musicians involved in Body Electric remained deeply connected to Canadian music. Bob Buckley became a prolific composer, arranger, producer, and film and television music figure. Frank Ludwig continued his long career as a vocalist, keyboardist, educator, and performer. David Sinclair went on to become one of Vancouver’s most respected guitarists, known for his touring and session work with major Canadian and international artists, as well as his long presence in the city’s professional music community. For the Museum of Canadian Music, Sinclair’s connection is especially meaningful: he was not only part of several important Vancouver recording lineages, but also a valued MoCM-connected artist whose career reached from Straight Lines and Body Electric into decades of wider Canadian music history.

-Robert Williston