Brother (Canadian band)

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Brother was a short-lived rock trio from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; best known for the fact that all three members later joined The Guess Who.

History[]

Brother was formed in 1969 by guitarist/singer Kurt Winter, bassist/singer Bill Wallace, and drummer/singer Vance Schmidt (later known as Vance Masters). They were together for less than six months and are only known to have recorded three songs.[1][2] In the summer of 1970, the band members organized and headlined the Niverville Pop Festival, Manitoba's first rock festival.[3]

Through the Winnipeg rock scene, the members of Brother were longtime acquaintances of The Guess Who; and the two bands often attended each other's gigs.[4] Guitarist Randy Bachman left The Guess Who in mid-1970, and that band's leader Burton Cummings recruited Winter as Bachman's replacement.[5] Winter took some unrecorded Brother songs with him, including "Hand Me Down World" and "Bus Rider" which appeared on the 1970 Guess Who album Share the Land.[6] Some later Guess Who songs including "Rain Dance" and "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon" were also based on Brother songs.[1]

Brother ceased to exist after Winter's departure, with Wallace and Schmidt joining other Manitoba bands.[2] The three members of Brother briefly reunited in 1971 to record the single "Sending Money"; the recording was financed by Winter but it failed to attract notice.[7] The Guess Who's bassist Jim Kale departed that band in 1972 and was replaced by Wallace, making him the second member of Brother to move to The Guess Who.[8] Winter and Wallace were members of The Guess Who simultaneously for about two years; Winter left that band in 1974,[9] and Wallace remained until the band split in 1975.[10]

After The Guess Who broke up, various former members of that band attempted reunion tours with floating lineups. Winter briefly joined a lineup led by Jim Kale in 1977-78. Schmidt, now known as Vance Masters, joined Burton Cummings's solo band in 1978 and the following year he briefly participated in a different reunion lineup of The Guess Who, again led by Kale.[7] Wallace contributed to a Guess Who reunion show in 1979 and a lengthy nostalgia tour from 2000 to 2003.[11]

Brother reformed one more time for a charity performance in 1994.[1] Winter died in 1997.[12] Masters (Schmidt) is still active in the Manitoba music scene.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Einarson, John: "American Woman: The Story of the Guess Who"; (1995) Quarry Press
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Canadian Bands.com - Brother". www.canadianbands.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  3. ^ "Niverville Pop Festival". Manitoba Music Museum. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  4. ^ Einarson, John (2013-12-15). "Dec 2013: Winter's tale". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  5. ^ "The Guess Who | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  6. ^ Share the Land - The Guess Who | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-22
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Vance Master's Brother page http://www.members.shaw.ca/vancemasters/bands/brother.html
  8. ^ Liner notes: 1991 MCA compilation "Track Record: The Guess Who Collection"
  9. ^ Nick Talevski (April 7, 2010). Rock Obituaries – Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. pp. 728–. ISBN 978-0-85712-117-2.
  10. ^ "the Guess Who | History & Albums". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  11. ^ B, Best Classic; News, s StaffThe BCB team brings you the latest Breaking; Contests; stories, On This Day rock history; Videos, Classic; retro-Charts; more. (2020-06-28). "Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman Reunion Tour Moves to 2021". Best Classic Bands. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  12. ^ "RIP - "Guess Who" - Kurt Winter". The Canadian Guitar Forum. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
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