Five Man Electrical Band
Encyclopedia
The Five Man Electrical Band (originally The Staccatos) was a rock
group
from Canada
's capital city of Ottawa
, best known for their 1971 hit
single
"Signs".
"Signs" was written by Les Emmerson
and reached #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A. in August 1971.
Presently the members are:
Other players:
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's capital city of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, best known for their 1971 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Signs".
"Signs" was written by Les Emmerson
Les Emmerson
Les Emmerson is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Five Man Electrical Band. He also recorded as a solo artist, charting in Canada with "Cry Your Eyes Out"....
and reached #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in August 1971.
Studio albums
- 1966 - Initially (as The Staccatos)
- 1967 - A Wild Pair (Split album: one side by The Guess WhoThe Guess WhoThe Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
; the other by The Staccatos) - 1969 - Five Man Electrical Band
- 1970 - Good-byes and ButterfliesGood-byes and ButterfliesGood-byes and Butterflies is the second studio album by Canadian rock band, the Five Man Electrical Band. This album featured the band's biggest hit, "Signs"...
- 1972 - Coming of Age
- 1972 - Sweet Paradise
- 1975 - The Power of the Five Man Electrical Band (Greatest hitsGreatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) - 1995 - Absolutely Right: The Best of Five Man Electrical Band (compilation)
- 2008 - Half Past Midnight: The Staccatos and Beyond (Now Sounds/Cherry Red CD release of 1969 Capitol LP, Five Man Electrical Band, plus numerous Staccatos singles. Remastered from the original masters.)
- 2009 - The Staccatos Five Man Electrical Band: First Sparks The Anthology (1964–1969) (Pacemaker CD Release of numerous Staccatos singles, Five Man Electrical Band singles, plus material released from the first three albums. Remastered from the original masters.)
Singles
| Year | Song | Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Small Town Girl" | 20 | - |
| "Move to California" | 26 | - | |
| 1966 | "Let's Run Away" | - | |
| "It's a Long Way Home" | - | ||
| "C'Mon Everybody" | - | ||
| 1967 | "Half Past Midnight" | - | |
| 1968 | "Didn't Know The Time" | - | |
| "It Never Rains On Maple Lane/Private Train" | - | ||
| 1969 | "Moonshine (Friend of Mine)" | 56 | - |
| 1970 | "Hello Melinda, Goodbye" | 55 | - |
| 1971 | "Signs" | 4 | 3 |
| "Absolutely Right" | 3 | 26 | |
| 1972 | "The Devil and Miss Lucy" | 65 | - |
| "Money Back Guarantee” | 17 | 72 | |
| "I'm a Stranger Here" | 2 | 76 | |
| 1974 | "Werewolf" | 28 | 64 |
Lineups
- Ted Gerow (keyboards)
- Brian Rading (bass)
- Rick 'Bell' Belanger (drums)
- Les EmmersonLes EmmersonLes Emmerson is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Five Man Electrical Band. He also recorded as a solo artist, charting in Canada with "Cry Your Eyes Out"....
(vocals, guitar) - Mike 'Bell' Belanger (2nd drums)
Presently the members are:
- Ted Gerow (keyboards)
- Les Emmerson (vocals, guitar)
- Mike 'Bell' Belanger (vocals, 2nd drums)
- Steve Hollingworth (vocals, drums)
- Rick Smithers (bass)
- Brian Sim (guitar)
Other players:
- Wes Reed (percussion)
- J. Murray Davison (drums)
External links
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Five Man Electrical Band
- MTV: Five Man Electrical Band profile
- Canuckistan Music review of "Half Past Midnight" and the Five Man Electrical Band LP