Information/Write-up
Released March 16, 2025 - story updated March 26, 2025
By Robert Williston
The Sound Sett – 1966/1967
A Blazing, Long-Lost Canadian Garage Rock Masterpiece
In the pantheon of Canadian garage rock, few lost albums hit as hard as The Sound Sett’s 1966 recording — a blistering, fuzz-drenched time capsule from a group of Cambrian College classmates in the electronics technicians course who captured lightning in a bottle.
But before Sound Sett, there was The Strangers — an instrumental powerhouse formed by Bruce MacGregor, Bob Coulombe, and Jerry Siegfried. The trio played community halls and dance circuits across Northern Ontario in the mid-60s, honing their craft with tight surf-rock instrumentals.
In a single ambitious recording session, they laid down over 100 tracks in Bruce’s basement using an Ampex reel-to-reel recorder, microphones hung from rafters, and pure first-take energy. “We recorded about 120 songs — no second takes, just ran through the entire setlist,” Bruce recalls. These long-lost instrumental gems, some of which have never been heard publicly, are set to be released soon exclusively at citizenfreak.com.
A Garage Rock Gem Like No Other
Fast forward to 1966 — Bruce, Bob, and Jerry were now students at Cambrian College in Sault Ste. Marie, ready to evolve their sound. They added Jim Bagshaw (drums), Chuck Wesley (rhythm guitar), and Ken Cartmill (vocals), forming The Sound Sett. What followed was the recording of an album so rare, only 8 to 10 copies were ever pressed — making it probably the rarest Canadian garage rock LP in existence.
The album was released under Algoma Productions, the same local label that issued garage 45s by fellow Sault Ste. Marie bands The Amen (“Carnivals and Cotton Candy” b/w “Peter Zeus”) and (Those) Rogues (“Wish I Could See You Again” b/w “Girl”). It was a Spring 1967 Quality Custom pressing, manufactured at Arc Sound in Toronto (no jackets). Bruce’s original reel-to-reel master was sent to Toronto by the band’s manager, Joe Spina, who coordinated the pressing. For decades, the LP was believed to be lost — even mistaken for an unreleased album by (Those) Rogues — until Bruce discovered his lone surviving copy inside an old Beatles LP sleeve. After a careful cleaning, it played perfectly. Recent conversations with Chuck Wesley and Joey Spina confirmed they too still have their original copies — that’s three located so far.
Canadian music historian Ivan Amirault added valuable insight: “I remember interviewing John Holt of Algoma Records years ago about (Those) Rogues and The Amen. He told me the Rogues had recorded an LP and that only about 10 copies were pressed. I wonder if he was actually referring to this LP by The Sound Sett. It’s definitely a Quality Custom pressing because of the QC prefix on the catalog number. John also told me that between the Rogues and Amen 45s — which were pressed at the same time — he had 600 copies done between the two. Since I’ve seen many Amen 45s and very few Rogues copies, it’s clear that the split was heavily weighted toward The Amen. It even charted locally. Back when I first spoke with Sault record collectors, they hadn’t even heard of the Rogues — this was before the internet made discoveries like this more accessible.”
This confusion was understandable. (Those) Rogues, another Sault Ste. Marie band, had reportedly recorded an album around the same time in John Holt’s basement. Holt was said to have had 10 acetate copies made for promotional purposes — all of which were thought lost. For years, collectors speculated about the identity of this mysterious LP. Thanks to recent conversations with Chuck Wesley and Joey Spina, it’s now definitively confirmed that the album in question was, in fact, The Sound Sett.
Joey Spina also maintained a detailed ledger of bookings, gigs, venues, and payments from his time managing the band. “I have a book that lists all the dates and prices — where we played and when,” he said. The scans of this one-of-a-kind archive will soon be made available on citizenfreak.com, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the grassroots touring circuit of Northern Ontario garage bands in the 60s.
For The Amen go here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/265156-amen-the-carnivals-and-cotton-candy-b-w-peter-zeus
For (Those) Rogues go here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/298496-those-rogues-wish-i-could-see-you-again-b-w-girl
Ken Cartmill, their lead vocalist, brought raw energy and emotion to their songs, despite being incredibly shy offstage. According to Bruce MacGregor, “Ken wanted to sing so badly, but he was so shy he’d dress in all black — black socks, black slacks, black turtleneck — basically to be invisible on stage. He had a hard time facing the crowd, but when the music started, he gave it his all.”
Now, for the first time, this long-lost album is streaming exclusively at The Museum of Canadian Music — and it’s nothing short of a garage rock revelation.
Ugly Ducklings Covers Done Right
The album opens with two ferocious covers of Toronto’s legendary Ugly Ducklings:
• “She Ain’t No Use to Me”
• “Just in Case You’re Wonderin’”
Both tracks explode with energy, driven by Bob Coulombe’s blaring, overdriven lead guitar. “Bob had a brand-new Strat and Fender Deluxe amp — his sound was razor sharp,” Bruce says. “Meanwhile, I was playing a Fender Mustang I bought from Leo Fender himself — probably serial number 300. I still have it hanging on the wall.”
Originals That Demand Attention
But it’s the originals that truly elevate this record to “lost classic” status:
• “Oh No” is a standout garage-punk scorcher, led by Coulombe’s fuzz-drenched lead, backed by Jim Bagshaw’s relentless drumming. “That’s Bob on lead — he was a natural, very talented. The whole take was first try, no overdubs,” Bruce shared.
• “Dead Sea” is a tight instrumental rocker, a holdover from The Strangers' surf-rock days, showcasing the band’s musical precision and intensity.
Jim Bagshaw – A Drummer’s Drummer
Formerly of Inferno 5 Plus 1, Jim Bagshaw brought serious experience and raw power to the kit. His tight fills and driving tempo anchor the band’s garage energy with precision and punch. “Jim was the first guy we recruited — from the moment he joined, everything just clicked,” Bruce said.
DIY Recording: A True Labor of Love
The album was recorded in Cambrian’s gymnasium, a large space that Bruce and the band cleverly transformed into a makeshift studio. “It was quite large, with a big stage and heavy curtains,” Bruce recalls. “I thought it would be good for sound — the drapes helped dampen the echo and gave us some control over the acoustics.” At the opposite end of the gym, up on the second floor, was a small control room where a fellow student helped run the recording setup. They captured everything live to reel-to-reel using hanging microphones and a basic but effective single-track recorder. “We just wanted a keepsake, something for ourselves,” Bruce said. It was thought that the album was totally lost until Bruce rediscovered the original LP inside an old Beatles sleeve years later — cleaned it up, and it played perfectly.
With three known surviving copies now confirmed — Bruce’s, Joey’s, and Chuck’s — this may still be the rarest Canadian garage rock record in existence.
A Band Poised for Greatness
Formed in Sault Ste. Marie in 1966, The Sound Sett quickly made waves, playing shows from Marathon to Manitouwadge, planning a Western Canada tour, and sending audition tapes to Detroit labels. Their manager, Joe Spina, helped press the LP and foster label interest. Despite the momentum, the album was never commercially released, a private treasure nearly lost to time.
Now Streaming: A Lost Treasure Resurfaces
Finally available for streaming only, this album is a garage rock revelation — a rough gem from Canada’s 60s scene, full of attitude, sweat, and serious skill.
Fans of:
The Ugly Ducklings: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/305188-ugly-ducklings-somewhere-outside-multicoloured-label; The Haunted: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/282752-haunted-st
Inferno 5 Plus 1: http://citizenfreak.com/titles/284151-inferno-5-plus-1-i-can-take-it-b-w-fays-gig will find The Sound Sett a thrilling and essential discovery.
The Strangers: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/328188-strangers-surfin-in-the-sault-vol-1
-Robert Williston
Ken Cartmill: lead vocals
Bob Coulombe: lead guitar
Bruce MacGregor: rhythm guitar, lead guitar on Dead Sea
Chuck Wesley: rhythm guitar, lead guitar on Harlem Nocturne
Jerry Siegfried: bass guitar
Jim Bagshaw: drums
First appeared on GarageHangover:
Newspaper Article Extract:
Sound Sett will play to B.C.
By BILL TAVES
Cambrian Correspondent
Three months ago, six Cambrian College students got together and formed the Sound Sett.
In the short time they have been together, the musicians have changed their style and hit a hot mixture of music — from the hard rock stylings of Jeff Beck to the sweet soul sounds to the blues sound of the Rolling Stones. A medley of Three Rivers ballad to one of their own numbers.
The six members of the group are not newcomers to the music field. Bruce MacGregor, lead electronics student, and Bob Coulombe have been playing professionally for a group in British Columbia.
Bob Coulombe, a machine shop technologist student, is the Sound Sett’s lead guitar man. Bob is one of the top lead guitarists north of Toronto. He is an avid fan of jazz and good “rock” music.
Bruce MacGregor, a senior electronics student, plays rhythm and lead guitar, as well as bass and vocals. He enjoys all types of music, but will play jazz, country and rock — Bruce said one of his “favorites” list.
Bruce, Bob and Jerry played together in the Lakehead area for three months before coming to the Sault.
Jim Bagshaw, drummer for the band, has had wide experience as a drummer in Sault groups including: The Talisman, The Inferno 5, The Inferno 5 + 1, and a number of other groups.
Church Wesley, another electronics student, plays rhythm guitar for the group. Before coming here, Chuck played for The Bee-Jays in his hometown of Marathon.
He has natural talent for music, and can pick up and play almost any musical instrument.
Ken Cartmill is the only non-Cambrianite in the group. However, he has tremendous singing ability and serves in the position of singer for the Sound Sett.
Joe Spina manages the group. He is another electronics student. Joe has already received offers from recording companies and has played a large part in the city’s growth of sound.
Included in the band’s repertoire are a number of selections written by Bruce and Ken. Local audiences enjoy the music styles of the two musicians and offer constructive suggestions to them on how to improve their home selections.
The Sound Sett will be travelling north in mid-April for a northern circuit which includes Marathon and Wainjoutowage, a tour of Western Canada beginning in June, will take the group to Vancouver and B.C.
The Sound Sett is rapidly rising in the eyes of the top music people and it shouldn’t be too long before they reach the top if they keep on progressing.
Manager Joe Spina will be travelling to Detroit later this month with audio tapes of the band.
Greetings, Holy Smokes! What an Absolute Killer LP!!! Huge fan of the 60's Canadian Rock scene and have many of the Greats. PLEASE tell me that someone will do a proper reissue so all of us Garage Heads can enjoy it and share with others. I am Floored by how Great this is-LMK about any developments-I would even be happy with a CD copy for starters, Best, Bob in Chicago