Garfield French

 

Here is a bio: Garfield French was an idealist who travelled to inspire his musical ideas. He would often go into seclusion - once on an island in Spain and later to a chalet in Switzerland - before returing to Canada where he formed the Garfield Band.

The band began by playing university pubs. Their stage show was so extravagent and elaborate that their excessive amount of equipment made it nearly impossible to book them in small venues.

In October 1976, The Garfield Band performed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa as openers for 10CC. The English act's record label reps were in the audience that night and took a shine to The Garfield Band.

With a Mercury Records deal (through its subsidiary Capricorn) in hand, they became, simply, Garfield and released the Elliott Mazur produced 'Strange Streets' which spawned the hit single "Old Time Movies".

The follow-up, 'Out There Tonight', was less than a break-through and the band found itself being held hostage at the hands of Capricorn and it would be a full year before the band's third album, 'Reason To Be', could be released (this time on Polygram).

The band played with acts such as: Muddy Waters and James Cotton, The Doobie Brothers, Rick Derringer, The Edgar Winter Group, Max Webster, The Beach Boys, and in Montreal with Rush was the bands last show before they split up in the early 80s.

 

 

Thomas aka tszirmay