Awesome trio of tracks from the A-Side of Brian Russell's lone solo studio album. This was recorded and released for Toronto's 'Canadian Talent Library' imprint with an exceptional cast of CBC session talent as well as multiple musicians/singers Brian would perform with in Dr. Music. Enjoy!
TRACK LISTING:
A1 People Get Ready (0:00-3:01) [Curtis Mayfield]
A2 If You Could Read My Mind (3:02-6:08) [Gordon Lightfoot]
A3 He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (6:09-10:31) [Bob Russell/Bobby Scott]
Brian Russell was born in Falkirk, Scotland, on November 30th, 1943. He was the son of the Reverend Henry Russell. He began to sing and play guitar at an early age.
Brian moved to Toronto in 1960 when he was 17 years old. The city offered many musical and television opportunities for a young hungry musician during the 1960's and Brian would take many. His most consistent line of work (and how he'd become affiliated with the early nucleus of wat would become Dr. Music) was the various television opportunities the CBC provided. Brian was a good-looking, tall (6'4") charismatic talent with a deep, boomy voice. So he was a natural fit for CBC's musical variety shows of the time. His CBC television credits include: Good Company, Ray Stevens Show (where he was part of the the Ray Stevens Show Singers backing group), and The Music Machine (where he was a regular).
After the demise of Good Company, Toronto-based songwriter composer and producer Clifford Ernest Barnett Jones [Cliff Jones] put together a singing group from the cast of the show, for a project he was working on for CTL/Birchmount. The featured singers were: Rhonda Silver and Diane Miller (fresh off their time singing with "The Willows"); Vern Kennedy, Les Leigh, Brian Russell and Erin Malone. The group was called 'Six People'. Brian sang three songs as solo singer/lead on the album ('Hey Girl', 'Messing Up My Mind' and 'Night Full Of Peace'), and two songs as an ensemble singer ('Here Comes The Sun' and 'Eli's Coming').
The Six People album was released on Canadian Talent Library (CTL) and Birchmount Records in March of 1970. Shortly after it's release, Brian got to work on his own solo album for Canadian Talent Library. Titled 'People Get Ready', the album featured an assortment of popular covers from abroad, as well as three Canadian compositions (Gordon Lightfoot's 'If You Could Read My Mind', Russ Little's 'A Thousand Times' and Cliff Jones' 'I Will Comfort You'). The backing band and chorus featured an amazing assortment of Toronto's musical talent of the time.
Brian Russell, through his various connections from CBC television, was asked to be part of Dr. Music's first line-up, as a singer. This is where he met future wife Brenda Gordon (whom he would also perform with as a duo in the late-1970's), as well as releasing his first original composition ('The Land') as a B-side to the group's first single 'Try A Little Harder'. 'The Land' was also re-released as the B-side to the band's sophomore single 'One More Mountain To Climb'.
After leaving Dr. Music, Brian would write songs and perform on albums of other musicians. Some of his credits include: singing on King Biscuit Boy's 'Lord Pity Us All', on Chi Coltrane's third studio album (Road To Tomorrow) and Robbie Patton's debut album (Do You Wanna Tonight); writing 'You Remind Me Of A Friend' for Vancouver band Skylark's sophomore studio album (also recorded by Rufus & Chaka Khan in 1975); playing guitar on Dave Chapman's debut studio album.
In 1973, Brian and Brenda Gordon moved to Los Angeles, later signing with Elton John's The Rocket Record Company.
In 1974, Brian and Brenda got married. They then began performing together as a husband-wife duo under the stage name 'Brian & Brenda Russell', releasing two studio albums and a half-dozen singles.
CREDITS:
Banjo, Guitar – Jim Pirie
Bass – Rick Homme
Chorus – Betty Richardson, Dianne Brooks, Doug Riley, Rhonda Silver, Steve Kennedy
Drums – Terry Clarke
Electric Guitar [Fuzz Guitar] – Bobby Edwards
Electric Piano, Arranged By, Directed By [Chorus] – Gary Gross
Flute [Electric], Saxophone, Clarinet – Eugene Amaro
Guitar – Ed Bickert
Performer – Don Thompson
Vibraslap, Bells [Freebell], Shaker [Rattleshakers], Gong [Burmese], Tabla, Bongos, Congas, Claves – Mike Craden
Vocals – Brian Russell
Coordinator [Album Coordination] – Bob Stone
Photography By, Graphics – Rick Sanders
Producer – Johnny Burt
Liner Notes – Fred Napoli
Engineer [Recording] – Terry Brown
Executive-Producer – Mal Thompson
Audio Transfer/Restoration/Editing Of Analog-To-Digital By: Scott Edward ([email protected]) PHONE: 226-235-6005
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