Prism (band)
Prism is a Canadian rock band formed in Vancouver in 1977. They were originally active from 1977 to 1984 and have been active again from 1987 to present. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Ron Tabak, guitarist Lindsay Mitchell, keyboardist John Hall, bassist Allen Harlow, and drummer Rocket Norton.
The band's sound is a mix of album-oriented rock and pop rock. They have released a total of eight studio albums, three compilation albums, and one live album.
Prism's success has been primarily in Canada where they won the Canadian music industry Juno Award for 'Group of the Year' in 1981, although they also reached the US top 40 charts with 1981's "Don't Let Him Know". Prism is also noteworthy for launching the careers of several former group members, including international record producer Bruce Fairbairn, songwriter Jim Vallance, Powder Blues Band frontman Tom Lavin, and Headpins and Chilliwack musician Ab Bryant. A pre-fame Bryan Adams also contributed as a songwriter to several early Prism releases.
In March 2011, the band's 1977 song "Spaceship Superstar" was chosen as the wake-up song for the Space Shuttle Discovery crew members. This was a significant point in history as it was the last day that the crews of Discovery and the International Space Station were together before Discovery returned to Earth, in the last mission of Discovery.
History
Sunshyne and Seeds of Time
Prism was the brainchild of musician-producer Bruce Fairbairn, and comprised members from two local Vancouver bands, Sunshyne and Seeds of Time. Fairbairn was originally a trumpet player in Sunshyne, a jazz-rock band, in the early 1970s. Around 1974, the band switched their format to blues-rock by recruiting guitarist Lindsay Mitchell from Seeds of Time as their frontman. The Seeds of Time were a blues-oriented group that had recently wound down after a mildly successful recording career, in which they placed two songs in the Canadian Top 100 : "My Home Town" reached No. 76 and "Crying the Blues" reached No. 90, both in 1971.Still operating under the name Sunshyne, Fairbairn then decided to pursue a recording contract for the band. After a year of trying, he was unsuccessful and in mid-1975 he approached former Sunshyne member Jim Vallance for help in reworking the demos. Some changes were made. First, Vallance helped with new arrangements on two of Mitchell's songs, and also began contributing some of his own at Fairbairn's request. Ron Tabak was recruited to replace Mitchell on lead vocals, while Mitchell remained as the guitarist, and alternate songwriter. A set of five demo songs, two by Mitchell and three by Vallance, were then recorded and sent to record labels across Canada. An executive at GRT Records liked one of Vallance's songs, "Open Soul Surgery", and offered Fairbairn's project a recording contract in 1976.
Prism debut
Over the next year, Fairbairn produced the group's debut album. At the time there was no fixed band line-up for the recording, and Fairbairn employed various musicians from around the local Vancouver music scene. Tabak, Mitchell and Vallance were relative constants during the sessions: others who participated in the recording sessions included Steve Pugsley, Richard Christie, Peter Bjerring, Dave Calder, Tom and Jack Lavin, David Sinclair, Dave Pickell, John Hall, and Graeme Coleman.Eventually, the group line-up "officially" coalesced into Ron Tabak, John Hall, Lindsay Mitchell, Tom Lavin, Ab Bryant, and Jim Vallance. The group was still known as Sunshyne at this point and Bryant had not actually played on any of the recording sessions, joining shortly after they were completed.
By the time the album was completed, seven of its nine songs were written by Vallance, with one by Mitchell and one by Lavin. As the album was about to go into production, some changes were made to the credits. The label's management did not like the name "Sunshyne", so they released a pre-LP teaser single, "I Ain't Lookin' Anymore" with "Don't Let Me Find Out" as a B-side, under the group name "Stanley Screamer". That moniker was not popular with the group, so after trying out several other names at local gigs, the members settled on "Prism" as the band's new name. Also, Vallance decided to use a pseudonym, Rodney Higgs, for his work as the band's drummer and songwriter. As Prism's principal songwriter, Vallance was afraid that if the album failed and his real name was associated with it, he would never land another recording contract. By using the pseudonym, he could get around that problem.
Finally, Fairbairn and Tom Keenlyside received credit as session musicians, with Fairbairn acting as road manager on US and Canadian tour dates. The others who played were not credited on the finished album as musicians, but were listed in the credits in a section labelled "special thanks".
The band was then taken on by Bruce Allen, arguably the biggest rock music manager in Canada at the time.
The self-titled Prism album was released on GRT in May 1977. Although Ab Bryant appears on the back jacket, he had only been hired days before the photo was taken. But within a few months of the album's debut, Bryant exited the group to join the Rocket Norton Band, later joining Chilliwack. Lavin switched back to bass in Bryant's absence and Sunshyne's trombonist, Ralph Eppel, joined alongside adjunct members Bruce Fairbairn and Tom Keenlyside in Prism's horn section for their ensuing tour.
After the first leg of touring ended in late August 1977, Vallance resigned as drummer, but remained as principal songwriter. Vallance did not enjoy the lifestyle of touring, preferring instead to write songs in his home studio. He was replaced with Seeds of Time alumnus Rocket Norton, who was also leading his own Rocket Norton Band at the time.
Lavin was let go in December 1977 and went on to form the Powder Blues Band, who in the next few years hit the Canadian charts with several singles and albums.
Prism's "Spaceship Superstar" and "Take Me to the Kaptin" were released as singles and both charted in Canada. The debut album reached platinum status in sales by the next year.
1978–1981: Fixed line-up
As Prism was preparing to record their follow up album, some changes happened to the line-up that remained fixed for the next three years. Firstly, another Seeds of Time alumnus, Allen Harlow, was brought in as bassist, in January 1978, to replace Tom Lavin. Then, Vallance quit the band as principal songwriter. Upon rehearsing song demos with the band, Mitchell and Vallance had fallen into heated disagreements over the style of songwriting. When it became apparent they were at an impasse, Vallance elected to go, leaving two songs for the band, "N-N-N-No!" and "You're Like The Wind". But his departure left a gaping hole in songwriting for the band to fill. Fortunately, Al Harlow supplied two songs, and the remaining members' songs filled out the album. See Forever Eyes was again produced by Fairbairn. The album was released in June 1978, with the title track and Harlow's songs, "Flyin'" and "Take Me Away", released as singles. See Forever Eyes reached platinum status by the next year.Just before their 1978 tour, saxophonist Tom Keenlyside was dropped, but Fairbairn and Eppel remained on trumpet and trombone respectively. Keenlyside went on to join Lavin in the Powder Blues Band.
On July 16, 1978, Prism played a show at Royal Oak Music Theater in Royal Oak, Michigan, that was broadcast by Westwood One Radio and later appeared as a much sought after promo album. That same summer, the band toured the US and Canada as the opening act for Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell Tour.
During early 1979, the band returned to the studio to record their third and what would be their most commercially successful album. Mitchell was now the principal songwriter and wrote/co-wrote four songs for the album. Although it was his largest contribution yet for a single album, it fell short of what was needed. In an effort to help, Vallance became involved again and brought along his new songwriting partner, Bryan Adams, to contribute to the songwriting effort. Adams, who at the time was an unsigned recording artist, wrote/co-wrote three songs. Vallance, meanwhile, co-wrote one track as Rodney Higgs, arranged two tracks using his real name and played drums, bass and guitars on several tracks without credit.
For their 1979 tour, the two remaining horns were dumped, but Fairbairn remained involved with the band and organized a six piece horn section, that appeared with the band on selected dates for the next few tours.
Their third album, Armageddon, was released in June 1979 to much promotional hype. "Virginia", "Armageddon", and "Night to Remember" were released as singles and charted in Canada. The album reached double platinum status by the next year and helped garner the band their lone Canadian music industry Juno Award for 'Group of the Year' in 1981. Also, Mitchell received the SOCAN Song of the Year award for "Night to Remember" in 1980. The title track "Armageddon" became one of the band's most recognizable songs. Despite the album's commercial success, the record label, GRT, went into receivership and the band signed on with Capitol Records.
The group's next record, Young and Restless, was released in May 1980. This was the first Prism album written without any credited contributions from Vallance/Higgs: all songs were written by Mitchell, Harlow or Norton.. The album spun off Prism's highest-charting single, also called "Young and Restless", which peaked at No. 14 on the Canadian chart.
At this point, Prism parted company with their long-time producer and founder Bruce Fairbairn, and recorded one new track for their 1980 greatest hits album, All the Best from Prism, with new producer John S. Carter, who was known professionally simply as "Carter"; Carter was the group's producer for all their subsequent releases through 1983. The new song, "Cover Girl", was written by Mitchell and Bryan Adams and was released as a single but did not chart.
Fairbairn went on to a successful career as a record producer. He died of a heart attack on May 17, 1999, in his Vancouver home, aged 49.