The Amen

Garage bands were as common in the 1960s in Canada as they were anywhere else, with each region of the country developing their own styles and musical experimentations. Among the cream of the Sault Ste Marie crop were The Amen. Formed by Tim Ryan on vocals and Ed Schreyer on guitars, the high school friends rounded out the group with Nick Scali on rhythm guitar, Dave Wilson on bass and drummer Bob Clarke. Like virtually the rest of all garage bands, they mimicked the British sounds and wrote their own material as well, playing at the local teen centre and eventually graduating to school dances. By the time they'd all graduated from high school, they'd also outgrown The Soo, and they took their gear to Toronto in January of 1966. After playing some of the local hot spots for a few months, they hooked up with manager Bernie Finklestein, who was also handling The Paupers and Kensington Market at the time. They recruited producer John Holt and released a 45 on the local Algoma Productions label the next year. Written by Ryan, "Carnivals and Cotton Candy" was ripe with a sweet, yet simple pop feel. With its psychadelic tones mixed with bongo drums and tambourines, Ryan and Clarke's b... more...