Studebaker Hawk - Rainbows, Pots of Gold and Moonbeams b/w Hot Love

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Rainbows, Pots of Gold and Moonbeams	03:47

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Hot Love	03:19

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

Emerging from the fertile London, Ontario club circuit in the mid-1970s, Studebaker Hawk represented a brief but ambitious chapter in the evolution of Canada’s melodic rock scene. The band first appeared on Smile Records in 1974 with the single “Rainbows, Pots of Gold and Moonbeams,” a lush, radio-friendly track produced by Ken Friesen and arranged by Paul Benton. Written and sung by Doug Varty, it carried an easy pop warmth balanced by the band’s guitar edge and rhythmic drive. The release was serviced widely to Ontario stations and drew promising early airplay, eventually charting in RPM during late summer 1975 and reaching No. 15 on Vancouver’s CKLG, according to Vancouver Signature Sounds.

Throughout 1975 the band—then comprising Doug Varty (vocals, guitar), Paul Benton (keyboards), Rick Denham (bass), and Dave Betts (drums)—recorded their debut LP at Sound Canada Studios with producer Ken Friesen. RPM reported a steady flow of studio updates and live activity through the year, including shows in London, Windsor, and Kitchener, as Smile Records confirmed a national distribution deal with Phonodisc. The forthcoming album, tentatively titled Rock and Roll All the Time, was slated for release in October 1975 and included new Varty-Benton originals alongside a cover of the Beatles’ “I’ve Got a Feeling.” The group launched a southwestern Ontario tour that autumn, earning notice for translating their studio polish into a harder, tighter live sound.

By early 1976, RPM announced plans for a follow-up single titled “Hold On to Your Lovin’,” again written by Varty and Benton. Whether this record was ever formally issued remains uncertain, as no physical copies or catalog listings have surfaced. Around the same time, RPM also noted that the band intended to return to Sound Canada to begin work on a full LP, signaling a move toward what they described as a “return to roots rock.” Before those sessions could materialize, the members began pursuing other directions. Varty and Benton continued collaborating in new London-area projects such as Sea Dog and Lowdown, while drummer Dave Betts later gained national attention with Honeymoon Suite.

Doug Varty would go on to an extensive solo and collaborative career spanning rock, soul, and blues, performing for decades as one of southern Ontario’s most respected vocalists and bandleaders. His early work with Studebaker Hawk captured a unique moment between the polished AM pop of the early ’70s and the tougher, guitar-driven sound that came to define Canadian rock’s next wave. Though their recorded legacy was limited to a single 45 on Smile, the band’s presence in RPM and their fleeting chart success preserve the story of a promising act poised on the edge of wider recognition—one of the hidden gems in Canada’s mid-’70s melodic rock landscape.
-Robert Williston

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