McKenna Mendelson Mainline
Encyclopedia
McKenna Mendelson Mainline is a seminal Canadian
blues
band, working the same English
club circuit as the then up and coming bands Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin. In the spring of 1969, the band was signed to Liberty Records
(United Artists).
)'s uniqueness stemmed from the originality of their approach to the blues genre. In the summer of 1968, Toronto
, Canada
blues guitarist Mike McKenna (born April 15, 1946 in Toronto), formerly of Luke & The Apostles
, placed an ad in The Toronto Star in May 1968 seeking musicians for a new project. In replying to the ad, acoustic blues artist Joe Mendelson
(born July 30, 1944 in Toronto) suggested to McKenna that the idea of searching for blues musicians through the want ad milieu was an exercise in naïveté. Nevertheless, the two worked well creatively and the basis of McKenna Mendelson Mainline's dynasty was formed.
bassist Denny Gerrard (born February 27, 1948 in Scarborough, Ontario) was invited to join, and The Spassicks' Tony Nolasco (born July 9, 1950 in Sudbury, Ontario) completed the quartet on drums. The band debuted at the Night Owl club in Toronto's Yorkville Village from August 5–10 and the following month recorded demos which later became the basis of a bootleg album, McKenna Mendelson Blues. Gerrard left the band in early October (immediately after a show at Massey Hall supporting The Fugs) because of artistic differences and was replaced by Mike Harrison (born November 1, 1948 in Brampton, Ontario), bassist from popular Canadian R&B band Grant Smith & The Power
. What came to be known as "the original line up" was now in place.
In November 1968, MMM opened for The Jeff Beck
Group at the Grande Ballroom
in Detroit, USA, and garnered several standing ovations. The die was cast.
to gig and hopefully to pursue a major record deal. The band hit the stage almost immediately, their first show being at the Utrecht
Pop Festival on December 27/28, 1968, filling a prime timeslot just vacated by Jimi Hendrix
and his duo (Noel Redding
and Mitch Mitchell
). MMM started soon thereafter gigging on an English club circuit which included such notables as The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
, Family (band)
, The Keef Hartley
Band, Gun, and the newly-formed Led Zeppelin
.
After several false starts, they signed with Liberty/United Artists in the spring of 1969, and in April recorded their best-selling album Stink. It was subsequently reissued on CD.
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...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
band, working the same English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club circuit as the then up and coming bands Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin. In the spring of 1969, the band was signed to Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
(United Artists).
Beginnings
Much of McKenna Mendelson Mainline (MMM; see disambiguation at MMMMMM
MMM may have one of the following meanings: * The number 3000, in Roman numerals* Marketing mix modeling, a method of statistical analysis* The Master of Management and Manufacturing program, a 2 year graduate-level dual degree MBA + MEM program offered by Northwestern University's Kellogg School...
)'s uniqueness stemmed from the originality of their approach to the blues genre. In the summer of 1968, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy 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...
blues guitarist Mike McKenna (born April 15, 1946 in Toronto), formerly of Luke & The Apostles
Luke & The Apostles
Luke & The Apostles was a 1960s blues group from Toronto known for their 1967 hit "Been Burnt". Band members included Canadian guitarist Mike McKenna, Luke Gibson, Peter Jermyn, Jim Jones, and Pat Little...
, placed an ad in The Toronto Star in May 1968 seeking musicians for a new project. In replying to the ad, acoustic blues artist Joe Mendelson
Mendelson Joe
Mendelson Joe is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, painter and outspoken political activist and uses his art to express political themes. His most famous painting depicted Prime Minister Brian Mulroney with his face superimposed on a pair of human buttocks...
(born July 30, 1944 in Toronto) suggested to McKenna that the idea of searching for blues musicians through the want ad milieu was an exercise in naïveté. Nevertheless, the two worked well creatively and the basis of McKenna Mendelson Mainline's dynasty was formed.
Original band members
Former The PaupersThe Paupers
The Paupers are a Canadian psychedelic rock band that recorded two albums for Verve Forecast Records in 1967 and 1968 and appeared at the Monterey International Pop Festival.-Origins:...
bassist Denny Gerrard (born February 27, 1948 in Scarborough, Ontario) was invited to join, and The Spassicks' Tony Nolasco (born July 9, 1950 in Sudbury, Ontario) completed the quartet on drums. The band debuted at the Night Owl club in Toronto's Yorkville Village from August 5–10 and the following month recorded demos which later became the basis of a bootleg album, McKenna Mendelson Blues. Gerrard left the band in early October (immediately after a show at Massey Hall supporting The Fugs) because of artistic differences and was replaced by Mike Harrison (born November 1, 1948 in Brampton, Ontario), bassist from popular Canadian R&B band Grant Smith & The Power
Grant Smith & The Power
Grant Smith & The Power were a popular Canadian rock-soul outfit from the 1960s that had a hit with a cover of Jackie Edwards' "Keep On Running" and was also a training ground for musicians who went on to the likes of McKenna Mendelson Mainline, Motherlode, Crowbar and Leigh Ashford.- Group...
. What came to be known as "the original line up" was now in place.
In November 1968, MMM opened for The Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
Group at the Grande Ballroom
Grande Ballroom
The Grande Ballroom is a historic live music venue located at 8952 Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The building was designed by Detroit engineer and architect Charles N. Agree in 1928 and originally served as a multi-purpose building, hosting retail business on the first floor and a large...
in Detroit, USA, and garnered several standing ovations. The die was cast.
Early success in the UK
In December 1968, MMM reversed the trend of English bands coming to North America, and proceeded to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to gig and hopefully to pursue a major record deal. The band hit the stage almost immediately, their first show being at the Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
Pop Festival on December 27/28, 1968, filling a prime timeslot just vacated by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and his duo (Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
and Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell
John Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
). MMM started soon thereafter gigging on an English club circuit which included such notables as The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band are a band created by a group of British art-school denizens of the 1960s...
, Family (band)
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
, The Keef Hartley
Keef Hartley
Keef Hartley was an English drummer and bandleader. He fronted the Keef Hartley Band, and played at Woodstock. Hartley was later a member of Dog Soldier, and variously worked with Rory Storm, The Artwoods and John Mayall.-Biography:Hartley was born in Preston, Lancashire, England...
Band, Gun, and the newly-formed Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
.
After several false starts, they signed with Liberty/United Artists in the spring of 1969, and in April recorded their best-selling album Stink. It was subsequently reissued on CD.
Back to Canada
Homesickness, dissension in the ranks, and the vagaries of youth facilitated a return to Canada in June 1969. Shortly after the July release of Stink, Allied Records released the demos recorded in September 1968 as McKenna Mendelson Blues. MMM thus became Canada's first "major label" act to be the victim of a bootlegged album. However, while in Europe and England selections from the Stink album appeared on various blues samplers and compilations. Following the success of Stink, MMM / Mainline had three subsequent releases of note - "Our Home and Native Land", "The Mainline Bump and Grind Review - Live at the Victory" (a well known, somewhat risqué Toronto burlesque theatre), and "No Substitutes". Following the release of "No Substitutes", Mainline disbanded and McKenna and Mendelson never played together again.Mainline Today
The Mainline reunion of the late 1990s gave rise to their best known "recent" gig at Toronto's El Mocambo Tavern, which closed its doors for the last time in November 2001. A reformed Mainline, without Mendelson, but with Mike McKenna (guitar, slide guitar, vocals), Tony Nolasco (drums, lead vocals), Mike Harrison (bass, vocals), Ted Purdy (acoustic guitar, vocals) and Bob Adams (harmonica) played to a sold-out crowd on the Elmo's. A CD, Last Show @the Elmo, was subsequently released, and is available from Bullseye Records.Albums
- 1969 Stink (Liberty/United Artists)
- 1969 McKenna Mendelson Mainline Blues (Paragon/Allied); 1996 CD re-issue (Pacemaker)
- 1971 Canada Our Home & Native Land