Grant Smith and the Power

Val Stevens, Mike Harrison and the Miller Brothers had been playing with Eddie Spencer & The Power when a decision was made on 1 January 1967 to bring in a new singer – Ellis Grant Smith (b. London, Ontario) together with guitarist Jim Pauley from his previous band, The Express. Two weeks later, another former Express member and second drummer, Wayne Stone came in.

The first line-up remained together until mid-1967 and initially gigged as E G Smith and The Power before adopting the better known, Grant Smith & The Power. After Charlie Miller’s departure in June, the group went to the United States for the summer of 1967, now working with only one drummer. After returning to Canada, Jim Pauley quit and was replaced by Jon Palma in September.

The band’s debut 45, a soul version of The Spencer Davis Group’s ‘Keep on Running’ coupled with Smith and Stevens’ ‘Her Own Life’, came out in January 1968 and featured line up C (as did the second single on MGM). Both singles were recorded (with Steve Kennedy on the sessions) at Toronto music mogul, Art Snider’s Sound Canada studios in Toronto. Soon afterwards, Palma left and new guitarist Kenny Marco, who had played with Ayres in The Beau Keys during the mid-‘60s (and in the interim, The Upset) was recruited.

Grant Smith & the Power - Her Own Life
Grant Smith & the Power - Keep on Running
Grant Smith & the Power - Thinkin' About You

Later that year, former Dianne Brooks, Eric Mercury and The Soul Searchers member, Steve Kennedy joined. In October 1968, Harrison left to join McKenna Mendelson Mainline but was not replaced immediately. Stevens also left at this point and William Smith from The Soul Searchers came in, covering bass on Hammond organ. Line up F was responsible for recording the bulk of the group’s album in late 1968, which also included the band’s debut single.

A few months later Marco, Kennedy, Smith and Stone left to form Motherlode. Bernardi (from The Spirit Revue) and Chirowski (from various bands, including Mandala and The Power Project) came in as replacements and remained until February 1970 when they went onto join Ronnie Hawkins & Many Others. Joe Agnello from the Lords of London also came in at this time and later left to join Leigh Ashford. Former Franklin Sheppard sideman, Frank De Felice filled in for the last few months before forming Jericho in March 1970.

Advertised gigs
February 5 1967 – The Syndicate Club, Toronto (formerly Club Isabella) (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
February 11 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
February 18 1967 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Franklin Sheppard & The Good Sheppards and The Wyldfyre (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
March 4 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
March 10 1967 – Gogue Inn, with The Five Good Reasons, Dana and Sunny & Peter
March 24 1967 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto
March 26 1967 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto
April 9 1967 – Crang Plaza, Downsview, Ontario with R K & The Associates (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
April 14 1967 – Club 888, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
April 29 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
May 6 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with Luv-Lites and The Tiaras and The Syndicate Five (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
May 13 1967 – Whitby Arena, Whitby, Ontario with Shawne Jackson, Jay Jackson & The Majestics, Bobby Kris & The Imperials, The Last Words, Jack Hardin & The Silhouettes, The Tripp, The Ugly Ducklings, Roy Kenner & The Associates and others (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
June 2 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
June 2 1967 – Annadale Country Club, Pickering, Ontario (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
June 9 1967 – Don Mills Curling Club, Toronto with The One Eyed Jacks
June 16 1967 – Whitby Arena, Whitby, Ontario with James and Bobby Purify, Shawne Jackson, Jay Jackson & The Majestics, Jack Hardin and Stitch In Tyme (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
June 27 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with The One Eyed Jacks and Who & The Blazers (Band travelled to the United States for the summer)
September 6 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
September 23 1967 – Club 42, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
September 29 1967 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
September 30 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
October 14 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
October 21 1967 – York University, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
October 22 1967 – Teddy Bear Club, Toronto
November 11 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with The Taxi
November 18 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
December 8 1967 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
December 15 1967 – Club Trocadero, Toronto
December 23 1967 – Bunny Bin, Toronto with Christopher Edward Campaign and The Village Stop
December 26 1967 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario
December 31 1967 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
January 6 1968 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
January 12 1968 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario
March 8 1968 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario
March 10 1968 – Teddy Bear Club, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
March 17 1968 – O’Keefe Centre, Toronto with The Hollies and Spanky & The Gang (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
March 19 1968 – Club Riviera, Norval, Ontario with Stitch In Tyme and The Lords of London
March 24 1968 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
March 29 1968 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario
March 30 1968 – Neil McNeil Student Council, Toronto (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
June 16 1968 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario (billed as E G Smith & The Power and just back from US tour)
June 20 1968 – Huron Park Recreation Centre, Cooksville, Ontario with The Lords of London, The Five Shy and The Cat (billed as E G Smith & The Power)
June 21 1968 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario
June 22 1968 – Club Commodore, Kawarthas, Ontario
June 23 1968 – Summer Gardens, Port Dover, Ontario
June 29 1968 – Balm Beach Danceland, Balm Beach, Ontario
July 2 1968 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
July 12-13 1968 – Sauble Beach Pavilion, Sauble Beach, Ontario
July 14 1968 – Summer Gardens, Port Dover, Ontario
August 24 1968 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
September 1 1968 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario with The Private Collection
September 22 1968 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
September 27 1968 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario
October 13 1968 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario with The Staccatos (probably Harrison’s final show)
November 24 1968 – Paradise Gardens, Guelph, Ontario
November 30 1968 – Royal York Hotel, Toronto with The Stitch In Time
December 1 1968 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario
December 26 1968 – Hidden Valley, Huntsville, Ontario with The Taxi
December 28 1968 – Summer Gardens, Port Dover, Ontario
April 4 1969 – Bramalea Community Centre, Bramalea, Ontario with Wingate Funk
April 25 1969 – Jubilee Pavilion, Oshawa, Ontario
April 26 1969 – Neil McNeil’s High School, Toronto
April 27 1969 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
December 5 1969 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario
February 13 1970 – Jubilee Auditorium, Oshawa, Ontario

Thanks to Carny Corbett, Mike Harrison, Sonny Bernardi, Craig Webb and Grant Smith for their help. The source for most of the live dates listed here was the “After Four” section, published in the Toronto Telegram.

© Copyright Nick Warburton, 2009. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

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