The Stampeders – New Day (1974)

The Stampeders are a Canadian rock trio, consisting of Rich Dodson (guitar, vocals), Ronnie King (bass, vocals), and Kim Berly (drums, vocals).

FullFront

The band formed in Calgary, Alberta in 1964 as The Rebounds. The Rebounds had five members: Rich Dodson, Len Roemer, Brendan Lyttle, Kim Berly, and Race Holiday. They renamed themselves The Stampeders in 1965 and Len Roemer was replaced with Ronnie King and Van Louis. In 1966 they relocated to Toronto, Ontario, and became a trio in 1968 when Lyttle, Louis, and Holiday left.
In 1971 they had a hit with “Sweet City Woman,” which won Best Single at the Juno Awards, reached #1 on the RPM magazine charts, and #8 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Written by Dodson, the track stayed in the Billboard chart for 16 weeks and the disc sold a million by September 1971, and the R.I.A.A. granted gold disc status. They also won Juno Awards for Best Group, Best Producer (Mel Shaw), and Best Composer (Dodson) that year.

Normally considered a pop-country-rock outfit, “New Day” represents a bit of a departure for The Stampeders. Leaving relatively “hokey” numbers (like Monday Morning Choo Choo, for example) aside, The Stampeders show their versatility and their ability to play straight ahead Rock and Roll on this album.
Highlights include “Ramona”, a straight ahead rocker, “It’s Your Move”, another fast-paced tune and the casually paced “Do It Again”. Of particular interest are the songs “In the Shadows” and “Somebody Help Me”–two groove-infused songs that are featured as bookends on the Stampeders “Backstage Pass” Live album.
A nice change of pace for a group that is, unfortunately, lost in the annals of Canadian Rock history. They continue to this day to tour Canada doing fairs, festivals, casinos and theatres.

Tracklist

01. Ramona – 3:24
02. Marigold – 4:53
03. Running Out Of Time – 3:53
04. It’s Your Move – 2:55
05. Wild Eyes – 3:52
06. In The Shadows – 4:30
07. Words – 2:55
08. Do It Again – 3:30
09. Somebody Help Me – 2:05
10. Brothers Of The Universe – 4:47

Credits