April Wine

Friday, October 12, 2012 (8:00 PM - 2:00 AM) | Commodore Ballroom 868 Granville Street Vancouver BC (Downtown)

April Wine
and Myles Goodwyn

April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. According to the band they chose the name ‘April Wine’ simply because it was two words that sounded good together. The band would go on to release over 20 albums and forge a live performance reputation that sees them still drawing devoted crowds across Canada and around the world 37 years after taking their first steps into the hard rock spotlight.

By the spring of 1970 April Wine had relocated from Halifax to Montreal and were making a self-titled album for Aquarius Records. This first album established Myles Goodwyn as a composer with Fast Train receiving much airplay throughout Canada and becoming the main reason April Wine was able to record a second album. In the fall of 1971 Jim Henman left the band and was replaced by Montreal native Jim Clench.

Famed producer Ralph Murphy worked with the group on their second album On Record. Murphy’s mission was to give April Wine a major international hit and he came very close to doing just that. The album pushed the band into the North American public spotlight for the first time. You Could Have Been a Lady, originally recorded in England by Hot Chocolate, was a phenomenal hit for April Wine. This song provided the band with a #1 hit in Canada and allowed them to crack Billboard’s Top 30 in the USA where it remained for 11 weeks. On Record also included another notable tune; a cover of Elton John’s Bad Side Of The Moon.

Following the Gold success of the second album it was clear that April Wine had the chance to become one of Canada’s most significant rock bands. Ralph Murphy would be back to produce the follow up album but there would be changes in the band. By the completion of Electric Jewels a new April Wine would emerge. This band would no longer include the Henman brothers.

Early in 1973 the two remaining members, Myles Goodwyn and Jim Clench, faced the dilemma of taking the band to the next level. After a few auditions Jerry Mercer and Gary Moffet joined the band and April Wine became a tighter, flashier band. The two new members helped to complete album number three; Electric Jewels. This album remains a fan favorite with such classic songs as Weeping Widow, Just Like That and Lady Run Lady Hide. It provides a great example of the writing talents of Goodwyn and Clench. The following spring the band hit the road with a national tour called The Electric Adventure. This tour was the first to use dramatic lighting and pyrotechnic displays as an integral part of their show, a feature that would prove to be extremely popular during their international stardom and would lend influence to various emerging artists, Garth Brooks for one.