Allan Sisters (Jackie and Coralie) - Drummer Man

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Drummer Man	03:25
	2	Remember The Face	02:33
	3	Devil To Angel	02:25
	4	Window Pane	03:03
	5	Evil On My Mind	02:23

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Lily The Pink	03:39
	2	Give It Up Girl	02:40
	3	I'm In With The Downtown Crowd	02:35
	4	Wherever You Are	02:31
	5	Dream Boy	02:37

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Information/Write-up

The Allan Sisters (Jackie and Coralie)

The Allan Sisters—Jackie and Coralie Allan—were born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, where their musical journey began in childhood. Jackie was singing on stage by the age of seven, with Coralie soon joining her. By their early teens the sisters were already local performers, appearing at school events, community shows, and eventually with a short-lived vocal group called the Four Tops (no relation to the famous Motown act). When that group folded, Jackie and Coralie returned to working as the Allan Sisters, building a loyal following in Alberta before setting their sights on bigger things.

In the early 1960s the sisters moved to Toronto, the hub of Canada’s music industry. There they crossed paths with Art Snider, a key figure on the CBC’s Country Hoedown program and the founder of Chateau and later ACT Records. Snider saw potential in the duo and soon became both their producer and Jackie’s husband. The sisters’ first single appeared in 1964 on the U.S.-based Shell label: “Larry” / “Never on Saturday.” The A-side, a catchy girl-group number, gave them a taste of success, climbing to #35 on the CHUM charts that summer.

Snider quickly signed them to his new ACT label, and later to the Red Leaf consortium, which he co-founded with Stan Klees and Duff Roman. In October 1964 he took the Allan Sisters and fellow ACT artist Pat Hervey to London, England, where they cut a dozen songs in a whirlwind three-hour session—making them among the first Canadian pop singers to record overseas. From these sessions came “Mr. Special” / “Wherever You Are,” released in late 1964 and warmly received across Canada. More singles followed on Red Leaf, including “Remember the Face” / “In My Diary” and “Your Kind of Love” / “Lonely World.”

The Allan Sisters were part of the wave of Canadian female pop singers who helped define the mid-sixties Toronto sound. They toured nationally, appeared on television, and scored their greatest recognition in 1966 when they moved to Quality Records. Their single “I’m In With the Downtown Crowd” / “Give It Up Girl” became a cult favourite. Though only a modest hit at the time, it was rediscovered years later by British DJs and collectors as a standout example of Canadian Northern Soul. Original copies now command high prices, and the record has ensured the sisters a place in international soul history.

That same year they appeared on CTV’s A Go-Go ’66, which led to an invitation from Tommy Hunter. For more than a decade, the Allan Sisters were regular performers on The Tommy Hunter Show, appearing on CBC television throughout the late 1960s and 1970s. This exposure shifted their sound closer to country, a move that suited their voices and stage presence. In 1969 they recorded their debut LP, Jackie & Coralie, backed by Toronto psych-rockers Rockadrome. The album, issued on Snider’s Sound Canada label, mixed pop and country influences and is now a rare collector’s item.

By the early 1970s Jackie and Coralie leaned fully into country. Signing with Arpeggio Records, they released an album and several singles in 1972, and even hosted their own CBC television special, The Allan Sisters’ Christmas Special. Alongside their recording career they continued their weekly appearances on The Tommy Hunter Show and toured across Canada, from Ontario to the Maritimes.

In the late 1970s they began working with the Edmonton pop ensemble Cloudburst (future Juno winner Jack Semple was among its members), who became their touring and recording band. Together they released two independent albums: the pop-leaning Smile (1978) and the gospel-infused double album Precious Moments (1980). Both records reflected the sisters’ versatility and willingness to explore new territory. They toured with Cloudburst until 1983, when they chose to go their separate ways.

Tragically, Jackie was diagnosed with cancer later that year and passed away in 1984. Coralie shifted into a business career while continuing to perform in nostalgia revues and cabaret shows, later settling in North Vancouver.

Though their career never produced an international smash, the Allan Sisters carved out a unique place in Canadian pop history. They recorded across multiple labels, performed on national television for over a decade, and left behind singles that still resonate with collectors and soul enthusiasts worldwide. Their story reflects both the opportunities and frustrations of Canadian pop in the 1960s and 1970s—but also the enduring spirit of two sisters from Edmonton whose harmonies carried them to national recognition.
-Robert Williston

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