Edwards, Cliff - Undercurrent

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	It's You	04:09
	2	Island Queen	03:47
	3	Donaldson Bay	03:53
	4	Sailing	04:17
	5	The Music's Too Loud	04:15
	6	Don't Give Up	03:55
	7	Shadows	03:35
	8	Old Soul	03:40
	9	If it isn't One Thing	03:23
	10	Today's the Day	03:00

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

Cliff Edwards is a cornerstone figure in Canadian popular music, best known as the founder, lead vocalist, and producer of the internationally successful group The Bells. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he was drawn to music early, forming his first band, the Strata-Kats, at sixteen. The group performed at school dances, dance halls, and ski resorts north of the city, giving Edwards his first sustained experience in front of live audiences and revealing a natural blend of country, pop, and rockabilly influences that would shape his career.

While pursuing studies at École des Beaux-Arts with the goal of becoming a commercial artist — and later working in Eaton’s Advertising Department — Edwards continued performing steadily. During this period he fronted The Counts Four, building a strong presence on Montreal’s club circuit as his musical ambitions expanded beyond weekend performances.

By the early 1960s, Edwards had committed fully to a professional music career. In addition to leading The Counts Four, he hosted Sing A Good Song on CFCF television, a local program devoted to emerging country and folk talent. His younger brother, Brian Edwards—later the lead singer of the psychedelic rock band Mashmakhan—also appeared on the show, underscoring how deeply music ran in the family.

A pivotal shift came when Edwards joined forces with pianist Frank Mills and English sisters Ann and Jacki Ralph. The group first operated as The Five Bells before shortening the name to The Bells. With Edwards as lead male vocalist and producer, the band became one of Canada’s defining soft-rock acts of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Hits such as “Fly Little White Dove Fly,” “Moody Manitoba Morning,” and the million-selling “Stay Awhile” established their international presence. “Stay Awhile” alone sold over two million copies worldwide and remains one of the era’s enduring Canadian recordings.

When The Bells dissolved, Edwards redirected his focus toward songwriting more aligned with his folk and country roots. Over the next fifteen years he released six solo albums — Transition (1973), Carpenter of Wood (1974), Singer of Songs (1976), What’s Forever For (1980), and From a Quiet Room (1989) among them — generating Canadian playlist hits including “Uncle Dad, Auntie Mom,” “Carpenter of Wood,” “Song for Wendy,” “What’s Forever For,” and “She’s My Woman.” His 1989 release From a Quiet Room showcased Edwards in a rock-oriented setting, blending melodic hooks, rhythmic drive, and a confident rock and roll edge with the storytelling depth and distinctly Canadian sense of place that has long defined his writing.

After the release of From a Quiet Room, Edwards did not record another studio album for nearly three decades. His return in 2016 with Undercurrent marked his first new full-length recording in twenty-seven years, reaffirming his commitment to songwriting in a folk-rock framework and reconnecting him with longtime collaborators and musicians from his Ontario community.

Relocating from Montreal to Toronto, and later to eastern Ontario, Edwards lived for a time on a hobby farm in Warkworth before settling in the 1000 Islands region. In Kingston he worked at CKWS-TV as a set designer and camera operator, eventually creating the children’s program The Corner Store. His visual arts training and production background naturally extended into community cultural development. Edwards became a driving force behind regional festivals and events, including Porch Jam, the Sculpture Park Folk & Arts Festival, Jammin’ in the Islands, the 1000 Islands Waterfront Festival, and the Joel Stone Waterfront Concert Series.

His later work was revisited in 2024 with the retrospective release Through the Years, bringing together selections from across his solo catalogue and underscoring the longevity and consistency of his songwriting career.

Now based in Gananoque, Ontario, Edwards has also operated MacNeil’s Landing, a family restaurant where he occasionally performs dinner concerts, merging hospitality with music in the most organic way possible.

Throughout every phase of his career—from the Strata-Kats and The Counts Four, to platinum records with The Bells, to his six-album solo catalogue and community leadership—Cliff Edwards has remained a steady contributor to Canadian cultural life, equally comfortable onstage, in the studio, behind a camera, or helping build the next generation of creative spaces.
-Robert Williston
Updated Feb 22, 2026 with Cliff's comments incorporated

Musicians
Cliff Edwards: guitar, vocals
Doug Reansbury: guitars
Dan Charbonneau: guitars
Grant Heckman: guitars, slide guitar on “Don’t Give Up”
Ken Hall: keyboards
Leigh Graham: keyboards, solo on “Don’t Give Up”
Chris Murphy: flute (solo on Donaldson Bay)
Duncan Holt: drums, percussion
Bob Arlidge: bass
Michelle: background vocals
Dan Kasaboski: background vocals
Mark Wilkins: background vocals
Anna Sudac: background vocals
Selina Chiarelli: background vocals
Mariko Ohtake: background vocals

Songwriting
All songs written by Cliff Edwards for Songs Unlimited except:
‘It’s You’ music by Mark Wilkins for Wilkinsonsgs, lyrics by Cliff Edwards for Songs Unlimited
‘Donaldson Bay’ lyrics by Brigitte Bachmann, music by Cliff Edwards
‘The Music’s Too Loud’ music by Doug Reansbury, Cliff Edwards, lyrics by Cliff Edwards
‘Today’s The Day’ lyrics by Cliff Edwards, Brigitte Bachmann, music by Cliff Edwards

Production
Produced by Cliff Edwards, Doug Reansbury, Duncan Holt
Recorded and mastered by Duncan Holt for Concept Audio

Artwork
Album photos: Cliff Edwards, Susan Tunnicliffe
Album design: Kathy Daw

Notes
Special Thanks to Danny McBride, Peter and Judy Cleveland, Cheryl and Rick Hitchen, Suzanne Bodner, Darlene Liscom, Bruce Miller, Dan Kasaboski, Margo and Glenn Warner, Gerry Coady

Very special thanks to Brigitte for her constant support and encouragement, without which the album would not have happened; to my wonderful family and friends who support my work, buy my songs and follow my music career, including the many musicians who perform with me, in support of Canadian music.

Manufactured: Summit Sound Inc., Westport, Ontario

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