Mongrels

Websites:  https://www.hansbands.com/winnipeg-1960-s-1970-s, https://citizenfreak.com/playlists/389-joey-gregorash, http://citizenfreak.com/playlists/323-the-winnipeg-scene-1964-1974
Origin: Winnipeg, Manitoba, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Joey Gregorash: A Musical Journey from Winnipeg to the World
By Robert Williston, March 3, 2025

This biography is drawn from my interview with Joey Gregorash, recorded on December 20, 2023, at 2 PM Winnipeg Time. You can listen to the full conversation here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/327426-gregorash-joey-interview-robert-williston-joey-gregorash

Early Years and The Mongrels
Joey Gregorash was born in 1950 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Influenced by his father, who played at lively kitchen parties filled with music and family, Joey developed an early love for music. His initial musical interest was in the violin, but everything changed when he saw The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. Inspired by Ringo Starr, he shifted his focus to the drums, marking the beginning of his musical journey.

Alongside his longtime friend John Nykon, Joey co-founded The Mongrels, which became one of Manitoba’s most beloved acts. Winnipeg was a thriving hub for live music at the time, earning Joey’s affectionate nickname for the city: “LiverPEG.” The band played regularly at local venues, giving young people a place to gather, dance, and celebrate music.

Joey’s transition from drummer to lead singer was unexpected—one night, the band's original frontman was grounded by his parents for poor grades just thirty minutes before a show. Thrust into the spotlight, Joey had no time to prepare and was forced to improvise lyrics on the spot. Reflecting on the moment, he recalled:
“That was my first induction to the pressure of that show biz phrase that the show must go on! I learned phonetics real fast.”
The audience didn’t seem to notice, and by the end of the night, the band made a decision—Joey would be their new lead singer.

The Mongrels recorded five singles, with Joey Gregorash as lead vocalist on three of them: “My Woman,” “Funny Day,” and “Sitting in the Station.” One of their most notable moments came when Funny Day was featured on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand during the “Rate-a-Record” segment. However, the song was rated poorly because it was deemed too fast to dance to. The band was disappointed, but that same night, they played a major gig at River Heights Community Club, where their loyal fans came out in support. Joey humorously recalls stepping up to the mic and sarcastically announcing, “Good evening, gentlemen. Thanks for coming tonight. Some of the kids are going to rate this one a little better.”

During their time together, The Mongrels worked with Randy Bachman, who wrote songs for them and even guided them in the studio. Joey later reflected on Bachman’s involvement, saying, “Randy was always ahead of the game. He knew how to craft songs, and we were lucky to have him working with us.” The band had a successful run, performing alongside major acts like Neil Diamond, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Box Tops, The Kingsmen, and Tommy James and the Shondells. Interestingly, Joey’s collaboration with Bachman was one of the factors that led to tensions within The Guess Who, as there was internal debate over Bachman writing for other artists.

One of the more amusing stories from this period involved The Box Tops. The Mongrels shared a stage with them at a Winnipeg venue that had bands switch between an upstairs and downstairs performance area. When The Box Tops played their hit song The Letter, Joey and the Mongrels decided to follow it up by playing their own version of the song during their set. To Joey’s amusement, the crowd gave The Mongrels’ rendition an even bigger ovation than The Box Tops', making for a memorable moment. “I’ll leave it up to the audience to decide who did it better,” Joey joked.

As the main host of Winnipeg’s television show Young As You Are, Joey introduced audiences to both local and touring musicians, helping to showcase up-and-coming talent. The Mongrels themselves performed on the show, alongside acts such as Robbie Lane and the Disciples and 49th Parallel. The program provided a vital platform for Canadian music and played a key role in solidifying Winnipeg’s reputation as a thriving music hub.

During this time, in 1968, Joey also had his first experience as an interviewer. His first-ever interview was with John Kay of Steppenwolf, conducted at the airport.

“I was just a kid, standing there with a microphone, trying to act professional while interviewing the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands in the world. I had no idea what I was doing, but John was great—he made it easy.”

The interview touched on Steppenwolf’s rise to fame, their struggles with Columbia Records, and their transition to Dunhill Records. Kay also reflected on the emergence of supergroups, comparing the trend to the jazz era, where musicians constantly shifted between different lineups.

John Kay also praised The Guess Who, saying, “It really surprised me to see a group based in Canada, from Canada, without actually... you know, the record did very well. If I remember correctly, These Eyes was number two in the entire country in Billboard or Cashbox.”

The footage of this interview still exists on film, and Joey has since sent a copy, which will appear soon.

Although the video of the John Kay interview is the only footage that exists, there is one person that Joey is eternally grateful to have in his life to this very day. That being Hans Sipma. Hans befriended the Mongrels and first became their original roadie and great friend. BUT his dedication to photography proved to be the greatest preservation of the era. “Hans took thousands of photographs capturing the very essence of those Winnipeg/Manitoba rock years. His incredible photo contributions have been featured in various rock documentaries to this day.” They are still friends and are still very much in touch.

After Joey left, The Mongrels changed their sound and became more Beatles-influenced with lead singer Alan Schick. They recorded two singles: Do You Know Your Mother b/w Heartaches on Franklin Records in 1969 and Ivy in Her Eyes b/w It`s the Last Time on RCA in 1970. They also recorded a full album in Chicago of material on RCA that to this day has never been released.

Walrus and the Festival Express (1969)
By 1969, Joey had left The Mongrels and briefly fronted the band Walrus before signing as a solo artist with Polydor Records. Walrus had a brief but exciting run, even performing at the infamous Festival Express tour alongside Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and The Band. Joey recalls, “It was like a Canadian Woodstock.”

Before Walrus landed the Festival Express slot, they were already making waves in the Canadian rock circuit. The band, which included some of Winnipeg’s most seasoned musicians, emerged during a time when the city's music scene was evolving from community club performances to larger concerts and festival opportunities. With Walrus, Joey explored a more progressive rock style, shifting away from the raw garage-band energy of The Mongrels.

Before hitting the festival circuit, Walrus made its debut on Joey’s television show, Young As You Are. The band’s appearance gave them valuable exposure, allowing them to showcase their new sound to a wider audience. Joey recalls, “It was a great way to introduce the band. The show gave us a platform to play original material, and that helped us get noticed.”

Walrus was given the opportunity to open for the Festival Express, a legendary cross-country rock tour featuring Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Band, and more. The band was flown to Toronto to perform at the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition), where they played to a massive crowd of 18,000 fans. Joey remembers the moment vividly, “It was unlike anything we had done before. Standing in front of that many people, knowing we were sharing the bill with some of the biggest names in rock, was surreal.” The band was disappointed that Walrus was not filmed for the Festival Express documentary.

The tour itself was a chaotic yet exhilarating experience, with bands traveling together by train and performing in major Canadian cities. Although Walrus did not continue on the train with the rest of the acts, their set at the CNE Stadium was a major highlight of their career. However, their performance nearly got them banned when Joey playfully led the crowd in a chant similar to The infamous "Country Joe and the Fish Cheer in Woodstock.

“After the performance I was politely "schooled " by Timothy Eaton (one of the sponsors) saying, "Joey if you plan on doing that cheer in Winnipeg...you WON'T be doing that cheer in Winnipeg!"

Their most notable moment came when they were booked to play at the Niverville Pop Festival, an event that was meant to be Winnipeg’s answer to Woodstock. Unfortunately, severe weather led to the festival being largely canceled, with only a few bands—including Walrus—managing to perform before the event was shut down. Joey recalls, “It was supposed to be something huge, but mother nature had other plans. Still, we played, and it was a moment I won’t forget.”

After his time with The Mongrels and Walrus, Joey Gregorash took the leap into a solo career when he signed with Polydor Records in late 1969. His first recording session took place at Sound 80 Studios in Minneapolis, where he worked with producer Bob Burns. The result was two singles: “Stay” and “Tomorrow, Tomorrow”, which did not appear on any album but helped generate enough interest for Polydor to offer Joey the opportunity to record a full LP.

Joey recalled:
“Tomorrow, Tomorrow eventually became Together (The Wedding Song) years later. That was the song that really caught Polydor’s attention, and they said, ‘How would you like to do an album?’ That’s what got me the chance to go down to Memphis and record what became North Country Funk.”

In January and May of 1971, Joey recorded his debut solo album, North Country Funk, at the legendary Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee—a historic venue that had hosted icons like Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Booker T. & the MGs. Working in such an environment was a surreal experience for the young Canadian artist:

“You’ve got guys like Isaac Hayes just casually driving up while you're recording, and I'm just this lucky kid from Winnipeg taking it all in.”
Produced by Ron Capone, a key figure at Stax, North Country Funk blended rock, folk, and soulful elements, with Joey’s distinct vocals setting him apart from his contemporaries. However, he later felt that the Memphis influence may have pulled the album in a direction that didn’t fully align with his vision.

“We got influenced by a little bit of that Memphis soul sound, which I loved, but I wasn’t sure if it blended with what I was trying to do. Even ‘Jodie’—years later, I recorded it the way I really wanted it, but you don’t mess with success.”

Breakthrough Hits: "Jodie" and "Down by the River"
The album’s first single, "Jodie", became an international hit, charting in Canada, Germany, Japan, and Australia, and peaking at #3 on the Canadian charts in May 1971. The song’s success was largely due to the endorsement of Steve Cropper of Booker T. & the MGs, who personally urged Polydor to release it.

“Steve Cropper told Polydor, ‘You have to release this song—it’s a hot biscuit!’ And they listened to him. Sure enough, the song took off.”

However, the follow-up single, "Don’t Let Your Pride Get You Girl", failed to make an impact. Joey had warned the label against releasing it, feeling it was too much of a country song that didn’t fit his style. But an unexpected turn of events changed everything.

“The Maritimes saved my career,” Joey laughed. “The radio stations out there said, ‘No, we’re not playing that one. We’re playing Down by the River instead.’ And that’s what turned into my next big hit.”

Joey’s groove-infused, laid-back interpretation of Neil Young’s "Down by the River" became an unexpected triumph, becoming his second Canadian Top Ten hit and the only one to gain attention in the United States, reaching #118 on the Record World singles chart.

The story of how "Down by the River" was recorded is one of those happy accidents that can define a career.

“We were short one song for the album. It was the last night in our hotel room, and we were scrambling to come up with something. I had a few drinks, started goofing around, and sang Down by the River with this rhythm that was always in my head. The producer stopped me and said, ‘That’s a hit.’ The next morning, we went into the studio and recorded it in one take—just bass, congas, a rimshot on the snare, and my vocal. It was completely bare bones, but somehow, it worked.”

When it became clear that radio programmers were ignoring the official single in favor of the B-side, Polydor rushed to re-edit "Down by the River" for airplay, cutting it down to 3:27 from the original 5-minute album version.

The song’s success led Joey to be nominated for a Juno Award for Best Male Vocalist in 1971, ultimately losing to Gordon Lightfoot by just one vote.

“It was always Lightfoot or Murray—Murray or Lightfoot. I came so close, but hey, losing to Lightfoot? That’s an honor in itself.”

Tell the People (1973) and the End of the Polydor Era
Following the success of North Country Funk, Joey Gregorash recorded his second solo album, Tell the People (1973), primarily at Trans-Maximus Studios in Memphis, owned by legendary guitarist Steve Cropper. The album retained the rootsy, soul-infused feel of its predecessor while introducing a more polished, radio-friendly production.

Despite releasing three singles, Tell the People failed to match the breakout success of "Jodie" and "Down by the River". Joey later expressed dissatisfaction with the album’s production, feeling that it lacked the rawness and grit he originally envisioned.

"I wanted more rawness, more grit. The production got away from me, and I didn’t have the control I wanted. That’s why I’ve always wanted to go back and re-record some of those songs the way I originally envisioned them."

One of the album’s standout tracks, "My Love Sings", was written for Joey’s late wife, Janine. He continues to perform it to this day in her memory.

“We end every rehearsal with it. It was her song, and I want to re-record it the way I originally meant for it to sound.”

By 1974, after releasing a few standalone singles, Joey stepped away from his major-label recording career and shifted toward radio broadcasting. However, his journey in music was far from over.

The Jay Anthony Years and Late '70s Releases (1977)
In 1977, Joey Gregorash reinvented himself under the alias Jay Anthony (Joey Anthony Gregorash) and signed with RCA Victor. Under this name, he released two singles: "Baby, Is There Something Going On b/w Would You Take it Nice" and "Love Lost Woman b/w Bad Time Girl".

These records showcased a different side of Joey’s musical influences, drawing on funk and soul elements rather than his folk-rock roots. However, the project was ultimately unsuccessful, and Joey later expressed mixed feelings about the production.

"I wanted Would You Take It Nice to have more of a Paul McCartney & Wings feel, but they layered on this big Motown-style arrangement. It just wasn’t what I envisioned. But I always loved Baby, Is There Something Going On."

Years later, Joey nearly had a second chance with Baby, Is There Something Going On. His former manager, Ben Kaye, who had gone on to work with Céline Dion, considered pitching the song for one of her albums. However, industry politics intervened.

"Céline had just released Falling Into You, and for the next album, the label was charging ‘presentation fees’ to even consider songs. The fee for me would’ve been about 30 grand. I just didn’t have the money. So that was the end of that dream."

Following these two releases, Joey stepped away from music as a performer, shifting his focus toward radio and television, where he would soon find a new audience.

Television Career and Winnipeg Broadcasting (1980s–1990s)
After stepping away from recording, Joey transitioned into radio broadcasting in the early 1980s, becoming a morning show host at CHMM-FM in Winnipeg. His natural charisma and quick wit made him a standout personality, leading to new opportunities in television.

In 1986, he became the host of S’Kiddle Bits, a children’s variety show on CKY-TV that ran until 1993. The program featured a mix of music, puppetry, and educational content, making it a staple of Canadian children’s programming.

"We made it fun. We had music, we had puppets, and somehow, I ended up singing a lot more reggae than I ever expected!"

The success of S’Kiddle Bits led to Joey hosting HI NOON in 1993, an adult-oriented talk show that further solidified his status as a beloved Winnipeg media personality.

“Someone sent a video demo of the show to Nashville (I still don't know who) and I almost had a television deal there based on an interesting call from Anne Boatman at TNN. BUT, later that year the Nashville country video show was replaced in Canada by a Canadian Country video show and relations got VERY frosty. My deal vanished. Even a trip to Nashville could not mend broken fences.”

During this period, Joey also received a gold record for "Together", an unexpected full-circle moment in his career.

"I got my gold record for Together while I was hosting S’Kiddle Bits. It was surreal—here I was on a kids' show, and suddenly I’m up there with Bryan Adams and Glass Tiger getting a gold record."

Through both radio and television, Joey became a household name in Winnipeg media, connecting with multiple generations of fans beyond his music career.

A Musical Comeback: The Late 1980s & 1990s
After more than a decade away from recording, Joey made an unexpected return in 1984 with "Love Will Bring It Together", a charity single for the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg. The B-side featured a reworked version of his early song "Tomorrow, Tomorrow", now titled "Together (The Wedding Song)".

What started as a one-off fundraiser quickly gained traction when radio stations were flooded with listener requests. Demand for the song kept growing, and for three years, new pressings sold out repeatedly.

"People kept calling radio stations asking where they could buy it. We kept pressing more copies, and every year it would sell out again. It took three years before a label finally picked it up."

In 1987, Lite Rock Records released Together, followed by a nationwide release on Attic Records in 1989. The song became Joey’s biggest-selling single, reaching the Canadian Top 10 and earning him a gold record.

"It was the people's song. The public kept it going. To this day, I still get asked to sing it at weddings."

Hockey Rock Winnipeg Style (1996): A Musical Tribute to the Jets
In response to the devastating loss of the Winnipeg Jets NHL franchise in 1996, a star-studded lineup of prairie music legends came together to celebrate the team's legacy and mourn its departure. The result was Hockey Rock Winnipeg Style, a heartfelt musical tribute that captured the deep connection between Winnipeg, its hockey team, and its passionate fanbase.

The album featured a collection of songs performed by notable Canadian artists who volunteered their talents to commemorate the Jets' impact on the community and hockey culture. Among the standout tracks was Randy Bachman’s spirited tribute to Alexei Zhamnov, titled "That's One Hot Russian Jet," and Harlequin’s energetic homage to Teppo Numminen, simply titled "Numminen." These tracks captured the energy and skill of the team’s beloved players, making them instant fan favorites.

Joey Gregorash contributed two songs to the album: "Give Me a Ring King" and "I Want to Play Hockey." The latter, a reggae-infused number, had already become a favorite among young audiences thanks to its popularity on Joey’s television show, S’Kiddle Bits. His uplifting contributions helped solidify the album’s mix of heartfelt nostalgia and lively celebration.

Other renowned Winnipeg artists, including Jennifer Hanson and Big Dave McLean, also lent their voices to the project, further enriching this unique collection of music that reflected the pride and passion of the city’s hockey-loving community.

Beyond its musical significance, Hockey Rock Winnipeg Style was a charitable endeavor. All proceeds from the album sales were donated to the Winnipeg Jets Goals for Kids Foundation, benefiting children across Manitoba. Though the Jets would eventually make their triumphant return to Winnipeg in 2011, this album remains a poignant reminder of the city's resilience and unwavering support during one of the most challenging times in its hockey history.

As Joey and his fellow artists proved, the spirit of the Winnipeg Jets could never truly be lost—certainly not to Phoenix, and certainly not to time. All proceeds from the album were donated to the Winnipeg Jets Goals for Kids Foundation.

Personal Tragedy – Loss of His Daughter, Kaleigh
In 2008, Joey’s daughter Kaleigh, a musically gifted young woman, tragically passed away at the age of 23. Joey has spoken about how losing a child changed his perspective on life, stating that after such a loss, nothing else feels like a real challenge anymore. His strong spiritual beliefs helped him through the grieving process, and he continues to honor her memory. “The name refers to a celebration and she truly was every day of her life and a blessing to ours.”

Casino MC Career and Introducing His Heroes (1990s–2010s)
Joey spent 20 years as an MC at Winnipeg casinos, introducing legendary artists such as Davy Jones, Tony Orlando, Crystal Gayle, and Glen Campbell. Notable moments included:

Davy Jones stopping mid-show to compliment Joey’s introduction.

Tony Orlando bringing Joey on stage to sing Sweet Gypsy Rose.

Crystal Gayle’s manager being skeptical at first but later thanking Joey for a flawless introduction.

Glen Campbell, already struggling with memory loss, telling Joey: “That was a wonderful intro, son.”

Joey Gregorash’s career has spanned decades, crossing genres, industries, and generations. Whether through hit records, television shows, or community projects, his impact on Canadian music and broadcasting remains undeniable.

Joey and his former Walrus bandmate Brian McMillan are rehearsing for possible 2025 performances.