Howlin' b/w Driven From Home

“Driven From Home” b/w “Howlin’” captures Jay Smith and The Majestics at the early edge of the Toronto R&B sound that developed around Yonge Street and Yorkville in the mid-1960s. Led by Eugene “Jay” Smith, the group brought together players connected to several key Toronto-area rhythm and blues acts, including members or future members associated with Robbie Lane and The Disciples, David Clayton-Thomas and The Shays, Bobby Kris, Jon and Lee and The Checkmates, and later The Ugly Ducklings.

The single was released on Clip Records as KXP 1111, with “Driven From Home” credited to Eugene Smith and the B-side, “Howlin’,” credited to C. Burnett. The record reflects the hard-edged club sound that helped define Toronto’s mid-1960s R&B scene, with guitar, saxophones, piano, bass, drums, and Smith’s lead vocal driving the arrangement.

Jay Smith and The Majestics later evolved into Shawne and Jay Jackson and The Majestics after Shawne Jackson’s brother Jay Jackson joined the group. The Majestics went on to record for ARC and related labels, appearing on Canadian compilations including CTV’s After Four and Evolution. The group split in 1969, but several members remained active in Canadian music, including Eugene Smith as a solo artist, Fred Keeler with Jericho, Jim Oskirko with The Ugly Ducklings, and other alumni moving through Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks, Robbie Lane and The Disciples, Damage, and Toronto session work.