Joey Gregorash

Joey Gregorash
Joey Gregorash in 1970
Background information
Origin Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genres Rock
Years active 1965–1975, 1987
Labels Polydor, Attic

Joey Gregorash is a vocalist/ musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba who became the first solo Manitoba act to win a Juno Award in 1972 for Outstanding Performance-Male.


Career overview

In 1965 Gregorash became a founding member of popular Winnipeg-area band the Mongrels: originally on drums, Gregorash by 1966 was organist and lead singer for the group who from 1968 would record five singles for the local Franklin label with two albums released.[1] In 1969 Gregorash left the Mongrels and after fronting the group Walrus - not connected with the like-named UK progrock outfit - signed as a solo act with Polydor Records: subsequent to two single releases in the autumn of 1970 Gregorash recorded his debut album North Country Funk at Stax Studios in Memphis in January and May of 1971 with the advance single "Jodie" being issued in March 1971 to reach #3 on the Canadian charts.[2]

The second single from North Country Funk: "Don't Let Your Pride Get You Girl", was "flipped" by radio d.j.'s who favored the intended B-side: Gregorash's rendition of Neil Young's "Down By the River", which afforded Gregorash a second Canadian Top Ten hit. "Down by the River" would be the only release by Gregorash to attract US attention, reaching #118 on the Singles Chart 101-150 ranked in Record World. "Down by the River" would be featured on Gregorash's second album: Tell the People, which otherwise featured new tracks cut at Trans-Maximus the Memphis studio owned by Steve Cropper: issued in 1972 Tell the People afforded Gregorash moderate Canadian chart impact through its three single releases. Gregorash's first two albums and their singles would be issued in the US by Jimmy Webb's Lionel (aka Lion) Records.[2]

In 1973 and 1974 Gregorash concluded his association with Polydor Records with two single releases subsequently switching to a career in radio working as a writer of radio ads an also as a disc jockey. Also Gregorash, who had hosted music shows on Winnipeg television during his fledgling music career, from 1986 hosted "S'kiddle Bits", a noon hour children's variety television show on CKY-TV which featured in-studio and on-location musical performances and guests from around Manitoba: in 1993 "S'kiddle Bits" was replaced by the adult-oriented "Hi Noon", also hosted by Gregorash, which ran for a year.[2]

In 1984 Gregorash returned to recording with "Love Will Bring It Together" a charity single for the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg which had as B-side "Together" a song which utilized the tune of Gregorash's early single "Tomorrow Tomorrow" for lyrics which Gregorash had once sung to it at a friend's wedding. From being played by one radio disc jockey in Winnipeg "Together" eventually accrued sufficient interest for release on Attic Records as "Together (The New Wedding Song)" which reached the Canadian Top Ten in the summer of 1987. In 1991 Gregorash recorded two new tracks for The Wedding Album: Songs That Say I Love You which overall was a multi-artist album of previously released tracks, including "Together (The New Wedding Song)". That same year Gregorash recorded his third album: Bop & Rock with Joey which was themed for children.[3]

Discography

Albums

Year Album CAN
1971 North Country Funk 58
1972 Tell the People —
1987 Together —

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Album
CAN CAN AC CAN Country US
[4]
1970 "Stay"/
"I'm Easy Come Easy Go"		 84 — — — singles only
— — 25 —
"Tomorrow Tomorrow" 67 25 — —
1971 "Jodie" 3 — — — North Country Funk
"Don't Let Your Pride Get You Girl"/
"Down by the River"		 68 — — —
6 — — 113
1972 "My Love Sings" 16 — — — Tell the People
"Take the Blindness" 14 45 — —
1973 "Tell the People" 47 11 — —
"Liza" 51 — — — singles only
1974 "You've Been Wrong" 58 48 — —
1987 "Together (The New Wedding Song)" 6 15 — — Together

References

  1. ↑ "The Mongrels My Woman / Sitting in the Station - 7".
  2. 1 2 3 "Joey Gregorash". Canadian Bands.com. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  3. ↑ "A Joey Gregorash Retrospective". www.classicalgasemissions.com.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 376. ISBN 0-89820-188-8.
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