Timoon, Adam - Live!

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Flight of the Bumblebee	02:00
	2	The Cars (Adam Timoon)	03:40
	3	Something	03:14
	4	Bobby McGee	03:41
	5	Dialogue	01:00
	6	Malaguena	04:14

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Mister Beaujangles	03:34
	2	Red Riding Hood (Adam Timoon)	04:47
	3	Forbidden Games	02:33
	4	Rain	01:39
	5	Zorba the Greek	02:30
	6	Stranger in My Place	02:57

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

Adam Timoon is a nightclub entertainer whose act consists of equal parts music and comedy, but he's an extremely accomplished guitarist who can sing a lick, too. These days he plays retirement homes and corporate events, but way back when he was a regular on Cross Canada Hit Parade, and for many years he headlined the Seaway Hotel in Toronto, where the Las Vegas Room was renamed "Adam's Inn". That's about all I have in terms of biographical information on Timoon, although I can add that he was married to a woman named Carol who co-wrote some of his songs.

Adam Timoon Live! was recorded in 1971 at Sound Canada Recording Centre, and produced by Timoon and Art Snider, with engineer Ernie Lyons. The fact that it was apparently recorded in a studio makes me wonder if it was a fake live album. At any rate, Timoon shows off his guitar chops on the well-known instrumentals "Flight of the Bumblebee" and "Malaguena". "Me and Bobby McGee" is, of course, a cover of the Kris Kristofferson tune popularized by Janis Joplin, which really builds up a full head of steam towards the end when the crowd joins in on the chorus. And "The Cars" is a comedy number with a laid-back rockabilly groove and lyrics modified to match a couple of audience members.
-Kevin McGowan

Musicians:
Adam Timoon: lead vocals, twelve-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Audience participation captured live at performance

Production:
Produced by Adam Timoon and Art Snider
Engineered by Ernie Lyons
Recorded at Sound Canada Recording Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Artwork:
Cover and liner photography by Derek Fraser (Toronto)

Notes:
Manufactured and distributed in Canada by Quality Records Limited, 380 Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario

Liner notes:
Adam Timoon is the best one-man show in town.” With that line from the Toronto Star in June 1963, critic Dave Caplan captured the warm-toned voice and quick-witted personality that made Timoon a favourite of Toronto club audiences for nearly a decade. A full-bodied singer with clear interpretive inflections, Timoon blended humour, spontaneous remarks, and a soul-inflected delivery that gave even familiar material a fresh impact. His long-running residency at the Seaway Hotel’s Las Vegas Room — affectionately rebranded “Adam’s Inn” — showcased his ability to build an entire evening of entertainment around a single performer.

Instrumentally, Timoon was equally impressive. A highly accomplished player of both twelve-string acoustic and electric guitar, he brought surprising agility to repertory ranging from Ernesto Lecuona to Mikis Theodorakis. His technique is highlighted on album centrepieces such as ‘Flight of the Bumblebee,’ ‘Forbidden Games,’ ‘Zorba the Greek,’ and ‘Malaguena.’ Humour also played a central role: ‘The Cars,’ written with his wife Carol, became his most requested comedic song, while his Russian retelling of ‘Red Riding Hood’ earned nightly laughs.

The album captures Timoon’s trademark audience rapport — spontaneous, unscripted, and rooted in topical humour. Crowd participation was welcomed, provided listeners could handle the unpredictable turns of a Timoon show. As Caplan noted, the LP is the kind of record played repeatedly “with renewed anticipation of every listening,” representing a performer whose complete entertainer status was recognized well beyond Toronto's club circuit.

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