Western Union - Album No. 2

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Muddy Mississippi Line
	2	Rock Medley: Whole Lotta Shakin'; I'm Walkin'; Oh Boy
	3	Kentuckian Song
	4	Irish Scotch
	5	Raggedy Ann
	6	Fiddle Duddle

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	You Were On My Mind
	2	I Remember You
	3	Maiden's Prayer
	4	Put Your Hand In The Hand
	5	Apache
	6	Sweet Dreams - Born To Lose

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

On the turntable....

Western Union were a Westman-based country-rock and folk group whose career grew directly out of Manitoba’s late-1960s television, touring, and exhibition circuit. Fronted by husband-and-wife duo Bill and Sue-On Hillman alongside Jake Kroeger and Barry Forman, the band became a familiar presence on regional television and live stages, logging years of regular TV work, multiple Canadian tours, and countless stage performances before turning to recording.

Sue-On Hillman, born in China and raised partly in Hong Kong before settling in rural Manitoba, brought a distinctive versatility to the group as a vocalist, pianist, and drummer, while also working professionally as a teacher. Bill Hillman, a native of Strathclair, Manitoba, handled lead guitar and vocals and had already built substantial road experience, including touring with Bobby Curtola and appearing on shows with artists such as the Everly Brothers and Roger Miller. Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jake Kroeger, based in the Rapid City area, drew on a background in gospel and quartet singing, while Barry Forman, a chemistry teacher from Rivers, Manitoba, anchored the band’s rhythm and Cajun-flavoured fiddle identity, shaped by both classical violin training and appearances with Canadian mainstays like Don Messer and Tommy Hunter. During this period, the band’s lineup also included guitarist and vocalist John Stefanuk, who had previously been a member of the Cranbrook group The Tycons.

By late 1969, Western Union had established themselves across television, radio, tours, and club work, but Manitoba’s limited studio infrastructure made recording a challenge. Their search for a way onto record led them to Winnipeg’s Galaxy Records, operated by Alex Moodrey, who had experience producing and distributing Ukrainian and other ethnic recordings. The resulting deal produced the group’s debut LP, The Western Union (Galaxy, 1970), recorded live in a makeshift setup in the Winnipeg Grain Exchange building. While the album captured the band’s on-stage variety and energy, heavy post-production echo and limited control over the final sound left the group dissatisfied with the finished product, even as the record sold reasonably well through their television exposure and live following.

Rather than discouraging them, the experience pushed Western Union toward independence and greater artistic control. In 1971, the band entered Century 21 Studios in Winnipeg with engineer John Hildebrand, embracing true multitrack recording for the first time. The sessions added Ted Paley on drums and expanded the group’s sound through the arrangements and keyboard work of Larry Clark, a Brandon-area jazz musician and university lecturer who contributed piano, organ, and vibraphone. The resulting Album No. 2 (Union IV, 1971) marked a major step forward, allowing layered harmonies, fuller arrangements, and a studio sound that more accurately reflected the band’s musical ambitions.

Through Western Union, Bill and Sue-On Hillman laid the foundation for a long and prolific independent recording and performance career, becoming enduring figures in western Manitoba music. The band’s early albums document a transitional moment in prairie music history, capturing a group moving from the regional television and touring circuit into the emerging world of self-directed independent recording, blending country, folk, rock’n’roll, and Cajun influences into a sound that was both locally rooted and stylistically wide-ranging.
-Robert Williston

Musicians
Bill Hillman: lead guitar, vocals
Sue-On Hillman: vocals, percussion
Jake Kroeger: rhythm guitar, vocals
Barry Forman: bass, fiddle
Larry Clark: vibraphone, piano, organ
Ted Paley: drums

Production
Produced by Larry Clark
Engineered and recorded by John Hildebrand
Arranged by The Western Union and Larry Clark
Recorded at Century 21 Studios, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Licensed from CKX Television, Brandon, Manitoba

Artwork
Photography by Ralph Holtcamp (CKX-TV, Brandon, Manitoba)

Notes
Album features vocals by Jake Kroeger, Bill Hillman, and Sue-On Hillman
Album includes rock, folk, country ballads, and Cajun fiddle styles

SUE-ON was born in China, moved to Hong Kong at the age of two, and arrived in Newdale, Canada eleven years ago. Her marriage to Bill Hillman introduced her to the world of entertainment. Sue-On who is vocalist, drummer, and pianist in the group, is a teacher by profession.

BILL HILLMAN - Lead guitarist and vocalist, is a native of Strathclair, Manitoba. Bill has toured with Bobby Curtola, and has appeared on shows with artists such as the Everly Brothers and Roger Miller. It’s a wonder that Bill took time from teaching high school or collecting old radio shows and records to record an album of his own.

JAKE KROEGER - Rhythm guitarist and vocalist calls home Rapid City, Canada. Jake in his spare time manages to run a farm. His unique vocal stylings and love of music are a result of his earlier gospel singing and quartet work.

BARRY FORMAN - who plays Bass, Accordian, Fiddle etc, is a chemistry teacher from Rivers, Manitoba. He has appeared on numerous stage shows with such artists as Don Messer, Tommy Hunter, etc. etc. His “Cajun” Style fiddlin’ is in direct contrast to his early classical training on the violin.

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