Skylark

from Victoria BC

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Skylark

Label: Capitol Records

circa 70s

Photo credit David Wisdom taking a picture of James O'mara shooting Skylark in 1971
Vancouver's Skylark* formed from the ashes of one of Ronnie Hawkins' many back-up groups, Foster and former New Breed member Cook took the initiative and the band was soon signed to Capitol Records.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1972 which spawned three singles including what would be the band's biggest hit - "Wildflower". The song was written by the band's original guitarist Doug Edwards and a policeman friend from Victoria, BC (David Richardson). The song went to No. 1 in Canada and made Billboard magazine's Top-10. The single would go on to sell over 1 million copies.

A follow-up album '2', was released in 1974 and again contained "Wildflower" as a request by Capitol to keep the song prominantly in the public's consciousness. The album itself featured the additional help of Bobby Taylor (of Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers fame) on backing vocals and Robbie King on organ. The record was met with less success and the group called it a day.

Many of the band's members later began solo careers: vocalist Donny Gerrard recorded several singles in the mid-'70s including "Words Are Impossible" (1976) plus backing vocal work for Elton John, John Fogerty and Donna Summer; After the end of her 7 year marriage to Foster, B.J. Cook moved to Toronto and wrote the lyrics to theme songs for the TV shows 'Night Heat' and 'Airwaves' with Domenic Troiano and the theme to 'Meatballs 3'; Percussionist Carl Graves had two hits in 1975 ("Baby, Hang Up The Phone" and "Hey Radio"); guitarist John Verner, an American who toured briefly as Skylark's guitarist from Fall 1972 through Spring of 1973 went on to play with Ambrosia as substitute for David Pack, as Sonny Bono's guitarist for an episode of the Six Million Dollar Man" television show, and with Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot, footage of which later appeared on their VH1 "Behind The Music" show. Verner was also hand picked by Paul Stanley to audition for KISS, but was not chosen. Verner currently serves in the United Sates Army Ground Forces Band in Atlanta, Georgia as senior guitar instrumentalist.

The most successful was keyboardist David Foster who had been married to Skylark vocalist B.J. Cook at the time and are the parents of rising songwriter Amy Foster-Gillies (Diana Krall, Josh Groban, Destiny's Child). Foster went on to work with Quincy Jones and record movie soundtracks such as 'St. Elmo's Fire', producing others (Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Chicago, Paul Hyde & The Payolas, Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie), and his own solo recordings with guest vocalists such as Olivia Newton-John.

* From jam.canoe.com

Pop/Rock/Indie

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