line up 1 (1969-74)

- David Hare -- keyboards, percussion

- Pamela Marsh -- lead vocals, keyboards, percussion

- Alan Muggridge -- drums, percussion

- Chris Paputts (aka Chris Hate) -- rhythm guitar

- Carson Richards -- bass, vocals

- Bruce Wheaton -- lead vocals, guitar

- The Fun Guys (Chris Paputts)

- Pamela Marsh (solo efforts)

- Molly Oliver (Carson Richards and Bruce Wheaton)

- The Secrets (Chris Paputts)

- The British Are Coming (Chris Paputts)

- The Stitch In Time  (Bruce Wheaton)

- Bruce Wheaton (solo efforts)

- The Viletones (Chris Hate)

- Zoom (Chris Paputts)

Genre: rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Everyday People

Company: Paramount

Catalog: PAS 6021
Year: 1971

Country/State: Yorkville, Canada

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: promo sticker on cover

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1

Price: $30.00

By the time singer/guitarist Bruce Wheaton formed Everyday People in 1969, he'd already been in six bands.  Following the break-up of Stitch In Time and a short stint with an outfit named SOMA,  band number seven was the Halifax-based Everyday People.  Yes, the name was inspired by the Sly & the Family Stone song.  

Having recruited former The Sparrow keyboardist David Hare, former The East Gate Sanctuary singer Pamela Marsh, ex-Cathederal drummer Alan Muggridge, former The New Breed guitarist Chris Paputts and bassist Carson Richards, the band recorded a series of demos which attracted the attention of Terry Brown and Doug Riley's Toronto-based Dr. Music Productions.  Signed by GRT Records in Canada and Paramount in the States, they recorded their self-titled album in 1970, with an American release the following year.  

Recorded in Toronto's Sound Studios Ltd. with Terry Brown and the band co-producing, 1970's "Everyday People" underscored front man Wheaton's key role in the band.  In addition to writing the majority of the tracks, Wheaton shared lead vocals with Marsh and was responsible for lead guitar.  Wheaton and company were clearly talented performers and there are some first rate songs on the collection.  'You Make Me Feel' reflected a nice mixture of country-rock and more pop oriented moves.  'Don't Wait for Tomorrow' was a pretty ballad, made a little less impressive by the dated '70s lyrics.  Elsewhere, while I'm not a big disco/dance fan, 'I Like What I Like' deserved it's reputation as one of the first true disco songs to ever be release.  Just remember, along with the title track, it was not representative of the rest of the album's sound and feel.  Over the years I've listened to the album dozens of times and the feeling I always come away with is the album was too good to be bad, but too inconsistent to be truly good.  Sporting one of the year's ugliest cover concepts probably didn't help sales.

The band toured extensively throughout Canada and the US, but called it quits in 1974.  

"Everyday People" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Everyday People  (Sylvester Stewart) - 2:57  rating: *** stars

Since the band name was inspired by Sly Stone & Company, why not start the album off with a cover of one of Sly's best songs?  Well, because your cover wasn't going to be anywhere near as good as the original.

2.) Travellin'  (Bruce Wheaton)  - 3:37  rating: *** stars

Keyboardist David Hare's moment in the spotlight.

3.) I Get That Feeling  (Pam Marsh - Bruce Wheaton) - 4:04  rating: *** stars

Exemplified by the the bluesy ballad 'I Get That Feeling', her deep, soulful voice made Pam Marsh the band's secret sauce.   Awesome harmony vocals.  The song was tapped as the album's third single:

- 1972's 'I Get That Feeling' b/w 'Experience of Love' (GRT/Paramount catalog number 1233-05)

4.) Music Man  (Bruce Wheaton) - 2:41  rating: *** stars

Well if you were looking for musical inspiration, you could do far worse than Robbie Robertson and The Band.

5.) Experience In Love  (Bruce Wheaton) - 2:26   rating:** stars

One of the album's more out-and-out commercial efforts - not necessarily a good thing since it sounded like the theme song for a lame '70s television sitcom.

6.) You Make Me Wonder   (Bruce Wheaton) - 3:30   rating: **** stars

I found 'You Make Me Wonder' interesting given it straddled a couple of musical genres.  To my ears ths song managed to deftly cross the line of demarcation between country-rock, conventional hard rock and Partridge Family-styled top-40 pop.  The basic acoustic guitar powered melody could easily have been mistaken for a Poco track, but the mid-song section with a nice Wheaton solo was convention FM rock, while the sweet Marsh and Wheaton vocals were top-40 pop friendly.  Easy to see why the tune was tapped as the leadoff single:

- 1972's 'You Make Me Wonder' b/w 'Nova Scotia Home Blues' (GRT/Paramount catalog number 1233-01).

(side 2)
1.) I Like What I Like   (Bruce Wheaton) - 6:23   rating: **** stars

The band's primary claim to fame, 'I Like What I Like' is notable for one of those tunes that regularly pops up on lists of early disco songs.  With it's tribal percussion, repetitive chanting (basically six minutes of the title over and over and over), and Richards' pounding bass line, it's easy to see why this tune did so well on dance floors.  It's also interesting in being so atypical compared to the rest of the band's catalog.  Who would have imagined an early-'70s Canadian band would be so funky?

- 1972's 'I Like What I Like, Part 1' b/w 'I Like What I Like, Part 2' (Paramount catalog number PAA-0157)

2.) Don't Wait for Tomorrow   (Bruce Wheaton) - 3:30   rating: *** stars

'Don't Wait for Tomorrow' boasted what was easily the album's prettiest melody and came as a major shock after the previous dance track.  Nice example of how well Wheaton and Marsh's voices blended together.  I took a star off the rating for the patented '70s lyrics.  The track was tapped as the band's third single:

- 1972's 'Don't Wait for Tomorrow' v/w 'Everyday People' (GRT/Paramount catalog number 1322-008)

3.) Nova Scotia Home Blues   (Bruce Wheaton - Pamela Marsh)- 4:14   rating: *** stars

Spurring memories of Gary Brooker and Pocol Harum, Nova Scotia Home Blues' opened up with some Hare church organ moves, before moving into conventional rocker territory.

4.) Girls   (Bruce Wheaton)- 6:52

Plodding ballad - disappointing way to close the set.

The band continued to tour through 1974, releasing a pair of non-LP Canadian singles:

- 1972's 'Feelin' Better Already' b/w 'Music Man' (GRT/Paramount catalog number 1322-14)

- 1973's 'To-day I Feel Like Being Happy' b/w 'Music Man' (GRT/Paramount catalog number 1322-016)

I think the clip was recorded for the Montreal based television show "Musical Friends", but YouTube has a clip of the band lip synching 'Feeling Better Already': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOi-9tCOVg0 

For anyone interested, Wheaton has an extensive website at:  http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Business/BruceWheaton/

Marsh also has a small web presence at: https://web.archive.org/web/20161016074902/http://www.pammarsh.com/