King Apparatus

King Apparatus was a Canadian third wave ska band, active in the early 1990s.[1] Formed in 1987 in London, Ontario and later based in Toronto,[2] the band's lineup varied over its lifetime, including vocalist Chris Murray, guitarists Sam Tallo, Paul Ruston, J. C. Orr and Paul McCulloch, bassist Mitch Girio, organists Mark LeBourdais and Aleks Dmitrovic, conga player Greg Clancy, saxophonist Bruno Hedman, and drummers Brian Christopher, Dave Kennedy and Mike Southern.[3] Their style was strongly influenced by late 1970s 2-Tone ska,[4] although it introduced a heavier guitar attack than traditional ska.[5]

King Apparatus
OriginLondon/Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genresska
Years active1987 (1987)–1994, 2000
LabelsRaw Energy, Cargo Records, Stomp
Past membersChris Murray
Sam Tallo
Paul Ruston
J.C. Orr
Paul McCulloch
Mitch Girio
Mark LeBourdais
Aleks Dmitrovic
Greg Clancy
Bruno Hedman
Brian Christopher
Dave Kennedy
Mike Southern
Craig Lapsley

Career

The band started in London, Ontario in the mid-1980s, at a time when founding members Murray, Tallo and Girio were students at Fanshawe College or the University of Western Ontario, and later moved to Toronto.[3]

Their debut EP, 1989's Loud Party, was the first-ever release on Raw Energy Records,[6] and was followed by the full-length album King Apparatus in 1990. With distribution in just a handful of downtown Toronto record stores, the self-titled album sold over 5,000 copies, helping Raw Energy to secure a national distribution deal with A&M Records.[6]

The band's best-known single, "Made for TV", was a hit on modern rock radio stations in Canada in 1991, reaching No. 1 on CFNY-FM and on the national campus radio charts,[7] and its video was in heavy rotation on MuchMusic.[2] The video's most unusual feature was that it included a picture-in-picture box of a sign language interpreter signing the lyrics.[5] The album was supported with a national tour.[8]

The band won two CASBY Awards for Best Reggae/Ska Group, in both 1991[9] and 1992.[10]

Following disappointing sales of their second album Marbles, the band left Raw Energy for Cargo Records,[6] but ultimately broke up before recording another album;[11] The band's stability was also impacted by their heavy touring schedule; by 1994, they had undertaken twelve cross-Canada tours in just five years.[12] Murray immediately joined the Toronto reggae band One,[11] and has continued to pursue a solo career in music.[13] LeBourdais, the grandson of historian D. M. LeBourdais and journalist Isabel LeBourdais, later worked as a high school teacher in Delta, British Columbia. Mitch Girio is still a large part of the Toronto ska scene, including as a solo artist and as lead singer and guitarist for the band The King Kong 4.

The band reissued its albums on Stomp Records in 2000,[2] and performed a number of reunion shows that year.[14] Their show at Toronto's Lee's Palace on March 24, 2000 was webcast by primeticket.net.[2]

Discography
  • Loud Party (1989)
  • King Apparatus (1990)
  • Hospital Waiting Room (1992)
  • Marbles (1993)

References
  1. "King Apparatus: They're back". The Gauntlet, March 9, 2000.
  2. "King Apparatus Show 'Net Broadcasted Tonight". chartattack.com, March 24, 2000.
  3. John Kiely, "A band in transition : Tough touring schedule takes its toll on group". Waterloo Region Record, September 8, 1993.
  4. Patrick Lejtenyi, "Ska-Boom and Ska-Bust". Exclaim!, February 2000.
  5. Therese Greenwood, "Ska band performs tonight". Kingston Whig-Standard, January 9, 1992.
  6. "Toronto Label Taps Raw Energy". Billboard, May 7, 1994.
  7. Chris O'Connor, "New ska squads have different ways to skank". Toronto Star, August 30, 1991.
  8. James Muretich, "King Apparatus approaches goal". Calgary Herald, October 24, 1991.
  9. Bill Reynolds, "Test Dummies walk away in fine shape: Winnipeggers take six CASBYs, Toronto's Barenaked Ladies a scant three". The Globe and Mail, December 2, 1991.
  10. Lynn Saxberg, "Barenaked Ladies win four key CASBY awards". Ottawa Citizen, November 16, 1992.
  11. Greg Burliuk, "Reggae band One returns to AJ's Hangar". Kingston Whig-Standard, June 7, 1996.
  12. Nick Krewen, "King Apparatus right at home on top of the world". Hamilton Spectator, March 10, 1994.
  13. The Ruckus - Audio Interview with Chris Murray. rabble.ca, March 2009.
  14. Mike Devlin, "Legends of Canadian ska re-unite". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 17, 2000.
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