The Arrows (Canadian band) – Wikipedia
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Canadian new wave band
The Arrows |
|
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Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | New wave |
Years active | 1981–1986 |
Labels | A&M Records, Avion Records, El Mocambo Records, Spontaneous Records |
Members | Dean McTaggart Michael Sloski Gabor Szepesi Hendrik Rilk Rusty McCarthy Rob Gusevs Earl Seymour Doug Macaskill Glenn Olive Bobby Economou |
The Arrows was a Canadian new wave band active during the 1980s (and not to be confused with the British band ‘Arrows’).
Biography[edit]
The Arrows were formed in 1981 by vocalist Dean McTaggart, the group’s only consistent member. They recorded a single (“Treat Her Right” b/w “Come On Up”) in 1981.[1] The following year, the group issued a 4 song mini-album called Misunderstood which was recorded at Grant Avenue Studios and produced by Daniel Lanois.[2]
In 1984, the band landed a deal with A&M Records. With the help of producer David Tyson, who also became McTaggart’s frequent writing partner, the Arrows’ 1984 debut album Stand Back was a national success in Canada, providing a top 40 hit with “Meet Me in the Middle”.[3][4][5] The album sold well, and the band found themselves as the opening act on the UK leg of Chris de Burgh’s 1984 tour.[citation needed]
Upon returning home, they went back to the studio for work on their second album The Lines Are Open, which saw its release in October 1985.[6][5] The singles “Heart of the City”, “Talk Talk” and “Chains” all saw success in Canada, but pressures from management for a breakout hit were causing problems within the band, and following a cross-Canada tour, the group called it quits at the end of 1986.[5]
In 1995, a CD compilation Talk Talk: The Best of The Arrows surfaced on a German import label that contained the majority of the tracks from their first two albums.[7]Stand Back were re-issued on CD in 2011,[8] and The Lines Are Open was re-issued in 2013.[9]
McTaggart continued with his songwriting career, writing hit songs for artists such as “Heaven Help My Heart” by Wynonna,[10] and, as co-writer, “Unsung Hero” by Terri Clark[11] and several hits by Amanda Marshall, notably “Birmingham”[12] and her Canadian AC No. 1 hit “Dark Horse”, which also became a hit for Mila Mason.
1981 line-up[edit]
This line-up recorded the 1981 debut single “Treat Her Right” b/w “Come On Up”
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Drums and Percussion – Michael Sloski
- Keyboards – Gabor Szepesi
- Bass – Hendrik Rilk
- Guitars – Rusty McCarthy
1982 line-up[edit]
This line-up recorded the 1982 4-song mini-album Misunderstood.
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Drums and Percussion – Michael Sloski
- Keyboards – Rob Gusevs
- Bass – Hendrik Rilk
- Guitars – Rusty McCarthy
- Saxophone – Earl Seymour
1984 line-up[edit]
This line recorded the 1984 album Stand Back.
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Guitars – Doug Macaskill
- Keyboards – Rob Gusevs
- Saxophone – Earl Seymour
- With session musicians:
- Bass – Peter Bleakney, Howard Ayee
- Drums – Michael Sloski, Gary Craig
- Percussion – Matt Zimbel
- Keyboards, Vocals – David Tyson
- Backing Vocals – Al Van Wart, Eddie Schwartz
1985 line-up[edit]
This line recorded the 1985 album The Lines Are Open.
- Vocals – Dean McTaggart
- Keyboards – Rob Gusevs
- Saxophone – Earl Seymour
- Guitars – Doug Macaskill
- Bass – Glenn Olive
- Drums – Bobby Economou
- With session musicians:
- Alto Saxophone – Vernon Dorge
- Backing Vocals – Charity Brown, David Blamires, John Rutledge, Sharon Lee Williams, David Tyson
- Percussion – Memo Acevedo
- Trumpet – Rick Waychesko, Steve McDade
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
Compilation albums[edit]
- Talk Talk: The Best of The Arrows (1995), Long Island Records
- Misunderstood (1982), Spontaneous Records
Singles[edit]
- “Treat Her Right” (1981), El Mocambo Records
- “Come On Up” (1981), El Mocambo Records[13]
- “Lovelight” (1982), Spontaneous Records[14]
- “If It’s Love” (1982), Spontaneous Records[15]
- “Meet Me in the Middle” (1984), A&M Records – Canada #30
- “Say It Isn’t True” (1984), A&M Records[16]
- “Never Be Another One” (1984), A&M Records[17]
- “Girl in 313” (1984), A&M Records[18]
- “Talk Talk” (1985), A&M Records – Canada #47[19]
- “Easy Street” (1985), A&M Records[20]
- “I Owe You” (1985), A&M Records[21]
- “Heart of the City” (1986), A&M Records – Canada #57[22]
- “Tell It To My Heart” (1986), A&M Records[23]
- “Chains” (1986), A&M Records – Canada #93[24]
- “Wild One” (1986), A&M Records[25]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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