Page 26 - July 2021

Lost Canadian Classics
Joe Madigan presenter at Radiodowntown.ca
Canadian bands produced some great records back in the 1960s, and some of them became big hits in the United States. Somehow, there are many that never made it south of the border, and these records certainly deserve a second chance.
R. Dean Taylor’s lost Motown hit!
R. Dean Taylor is best known for his 1970 classic “Indiana Wants Me,” which reached #1 in both Canada and the United States (on Cashbox). While it was his first record released on Rare Earth, it was not his first Motown record.
The Toronto native moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1964 with hopes of making it big. He was hired by Motown as a songwriter, and would eventually have records released as a performer.
His first release was “Let’s Go Somewhere” in 1965. The song was written by Taylor, with heavy input from the power house trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland. The song barely cracked the top 40 in Toronto reaching #39 on 1050 CHUM in February of 1966.
His second release was “There’s A Ghost In My House,” a forgotten gem from 1967. If it wasn’t for Taylor singing, you’d think it was a Four Tops record. It was produced after all by Holland and Dozier. It’s got that powerful punch that’s very reminiscent of “Seven Rooms of Gloom.” It failed to chart...initially.
Artists on V.I.P. were poorly promoted. V.I.P. certainly didn’t carry the weight that Motown, Tamla, or Gordy carried. Artists like Chris Clark, The Underdogs, The Elgins, and The Monitors were all on the label and failed to gain national attention. The Spinners had one major hit on the label in 1970 with “It’s A Shame.” The Spinners would go on to greater success when they signed with Atlantic Records. The Mynah Birds, a group that featured Rick James and Neil Young, were set to have a single released on the label in 1966, but it remained shelved for decades.
While “There’s A Ghost In My House” failed to make the American airwaves, the kids in the United Kingdom enjoyed dancing to the record at northern soul clubs. Tamla Motown re-released the record and it reached #3 in the UK...in 1974! The song was later covered by British bands in the 1980s.
Sincerely, Joe Madigan
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