Bad Manors

Biography

Canada's Crowbar is the musical apotheosis made by the Full Tilt Boogie Band. The group's theme song, "Oh What a Feeling," resurfaced as a Rush Limbaugh theme song. Here it is in all its glory -- a real '70s studio Frankenstein. And here is Crowbar in all its glory as well, an amazing arsenal of '70s rock, funk, and roots. Bad Manors is an incomparable example of period boogie rock. From 1969 to 1970, most of the members of the group had been a backup band for Ronnie Hawkins under the name "And...

Canada's Crowbar is the musical apotheosis made by the Full Tilt Boogie Band. The group's theme song, "Oh What a Feeling," resurfaced as a Rush Limbaugh theme song. Here it is in all its glory -- a real '70s studio Frankenstein. And here is Crowbar in all its glory as well, an amazing arsenal of '70s rock, funk, and roots. Bad Manors is an incomparable example of period boogie rock. From 1969 to 1970, most of the members of the group had been a backup band for Ronnie Hawkins under the name "And Many Others". However, in early 1970, he fired them; as he later told a friend, "Those boys could fuck up a crowbar in fifteen seconds." They recorded their first album in 1970, called Official Music, as "King Biscuit Boy and Crowbar". King Biscuit Boy left the band later in 1970 but continued to appear off and on as a guest performer. In 1971, the band recorded a performance at Massey Hall, in Toronto, which was released as a double album, Larger than Life (and Live'r Than You've Ever Been). The concert, billed as "An Evening of Love with Daffodil Records", was co-produced by concert promoter Martin Onrot and Toronto radio station CHUM-FM. Numerous guests appeared with Crowbar at Massey Hall, including members of Lighthouse, Dr. Music, and Everyday People. King Biscuit Boy also returned to perform with his former bandmates. The recording and release of the album are significant as being the first time a Canadian band had recorded and released a "live in concert" album. Also in 1971, the band performed a concert in the Lord Beaverbrook Grand Ballroom in New Brunswick and entertained at the anniversary celebrations in Hamilton, Ontario. Due largely to Margaret Trudeau's enthusiasm for the band, Crowbar was featured as the opening act of Pierre Trudeau's 1972 re-election campaign rallies, including a notable stop at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. This association enhanced the band's reputation in Canada and garnered international interest from agencies such as A&M Records and figures such as Clive Davis. Despite this momentum, their second album did not capture the energy of their first and the band faltered. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.