Zon (band)
Encyclopedia
Zon was a progressive rock
band from Toronto
, Canada
formed in the mid-70's. The band consisted of vocalist Denton Young, guitarist
Brian Miller, bassist
Jim Samson, drummer
Kim Hunt, and keyboard
player Howard Helm. They released four albums over the course of their career.
. The album became an FM radio staple in the late '70's. The album garnered the band a 'Best New Group' Juno Award
s nomination. The band would find themselves opening up gigs for the likes of The Tubes
at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens
, and with Styx
and with Foreigner
at CNE Stadium getting opening slot encores on all occasions.
1979's "Back Down to Earth" was produced by Don V. Lorusso and the late Vancouver
keyboard whiz Dale Jacobs. The band played Toronto
as headliners where a hometown crowd swelled to 17,800 people. A reporter for "The Globe and Mail
", who had only stayed to see the opening act, wrote a scathing review thinking he had seen Zon. The negative review was the headline of the entertainment page, nationally in Canada. CBS
demanded compensation for the impact on Zon's popularity but neither the band, nor the label, ever recovered.
Zon was dropped from CBS after a thorough corporate housecleaning of the A & R Department despite Zon already having their contract picked up for a third album.
The ensuing legal battle took much of the heart out of the band, but they did manage one more album for Falcon Records
called "I'm Worried About The Boys", produced by then former CBS A & R man Bob Gallo. The record featured a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane".
As part of the 1980 tour to support the album, Zon did an opening slot for Alice Cooper
at Toronto's CNE
Stadium
. When Cooper failed to appear minutes before showtime, Denton Young was given the onerous task of telling the audience. A riot ensued and police had to be called out. The band broke-up shortly after despite the 1981 single "For You" reaching #2 on CKOC in Hamilton
(higher than any of the previous singles on CBS Records).
, Urgent
and is currently in Moxy
; Jim Samson is now with Moxy
; Roddi Chappell is in long running AOR band Lightspeed who released two CDs on Pacemaker in the '90s and a third with Majestic Rock Records in Europe; Brian Miller works at Toronto's famed 12th Fret guitar store; Howard Helm joined Michael Fury which mutated into Refugee. In 1988 Helm was offered a job as touring keyboardist for Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter. He took the job and spent four years on the road touring the world. He is currently writing for TBS television
in Atlanta and Universal Studios
in Orlando
. He continues to play keyboards in-studio for the likes of bands like Seven Mary Three and others.
At the moment, Helm and his former Zon bandmates are contemplating a new studio album to coincide with the re-issues of that band's back catalogue on CD.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band from 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...
formed in the mid-70's. The band consisted of vocalist Denton Young, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Brian Miller, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Jim Samson, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Kim Hunt, and keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player Howard Helm. They released four albums over the course of their career.
History
Don V. Lorusso produced the band's first album, "Astral Projector", which was released on blue vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. The album became an FM radio staple in the late '70's. The album garnered the band a 'Best New Group' Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s nomination. The band would find themselves opening up gigs for the likes of The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
, and with Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
and with Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
at CNE Stadium getting opening slot encores on all occasions.
1979's "Back Down to Earth" was produced by Don V. Lorusso and the late Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
keyboard whiz Dale Jacobs. The band played 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...
as headliners where a hometown crowd swelled to 17,800 people. A reporter for "The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
", who had only stayed to see the opening act, wrote a scathing review thinking he had seen Zon. The negative review was the headline of the entertainment page, nationally in Canada. CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
demanded compensation for the impact on Zon's popularity but neither the band, nor the label, ever recovered.
Zon was dropped from CBS after a thorough corporate housecleaning of the A & R Department despite Zon already having their contract picked up for a third album.
The ensuing legal battle took much of the heart out of the band, but they did manage one more album for Falcon Records
Falcon Records
Falcon Records was a sub-label of Vee-Jay Records.Due to a name conflict with Falcon Records, the name was subsequently changed to Abner Records....
called "I'm Worried About The Boys", produced by then former CBS A & R man Bob Gallo. The record featured a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane".
As part of the 1980 tour to support the album, Zon did an opening slot for Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
at Toronto's CNE
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
Stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
. When Cooper failed to appear minutes before showtime, Denton Young was given the onerous task of telling the audience. A riot ensued and police had to be called out. The band broke-up shortly after despite the 1981 single "For You" reaching #2 on CKOC in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
(higher than any of the previous singles on CBS Records).
After Zon
Singer Denton Young most recently popped up on Rik Emmett's solo work; Kim Hunt would go on to join HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Urgent
Urgent (Canadian band)
Urgent was a 1980s Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:Often confused with a band from New York with the same name, the Canadian band Urgent was from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and came together during the heyday of heavy metal's hairdays. The group's origins began when drummer...
and is currently in Moxy
Moxy (band)
Moxy was a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1974, from previous members of the rock group, Leigh Ashford — which included singer Douglas "Buzz" Shearman Earl Johnson , Bill Wade Moxy was a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in...
; Jim Samson is now with Moxy
Moxy (band)
Moxy was a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1974, from previous members of the rock group, Leigh Ashford — which included singer Douglas "Buzz" Shearman Earl Johnson , Bill Wade Moxy was a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in...
; Roddi Chappell is in long running AOR band Lightspeed who released two CDs on Pacemaker in the '90s and a third with Majestic Rock Records in Europe; Brian Miller works at Toronto's famed 12th Fret guitar store; Howard Helm joined Michael Fury which mutated into Refugee. In 1988 Helm was offered a job as touring keyboardist for Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter. He took the job and spent four years on the road touring the world. He is currently writing for TBS television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in Atlanta and Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. He continues to play keyboards in-studio for the likes of bands like Seven Mary Three and others.
At the moment, Helm and his former Zon bandmates are contemplating a new studio album to coincide with the re-issues of that band's back catalogue on CD.
Members
- Denton Young (vocals, percussion)
- Howard Helm (keyboards, vocals)
- Brian Miller (guitar, vocals)
- Kim Hunt (drums)
- Jim Samson (bass)
Singles
- 1978 "Melody"
- 1978 "Melody" / "On The Road"
- 1979 "Back Down To Earth"
- 1980 "Sweet Jane" / "Takin' The Easy Way Out"
- 1981 "For You" / "Just The Other Side" [CAN #49]
- 1981 "Better Get Up"
Albums
- 1978 Astral Projector
- 1979 Back Down To Earth
- 1979 Back Down To Earth - Special Edition
- 1980 I'm Worried About The Boys