 Visit Jimi at popstar.com and win a Pop Romantico
poster signed by the artist. Hundreds of celebrities. Write a
fan letter to your favorite popstar. A recommended sight. Just
have fun... |
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Watch AC webshorts
and .visuals |
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 Having
listened to this one a half dozen times, I've got to tell you
these guys barely qualify as a rock band, let alone a psych act.
Quality pop outfit yeah, but psych? Definitively not... Guitarist
Ron Bartley, bassist Jimi Bertucci , drummer Brian Cotterill
and keyboard player Bob McPherson got their start in the late
1960s with the Toronto-based Just Us. That outfit subsequently
morphed into Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet (great name), but
ran into a problem with Captain Midnight's publishers. The threat
of legal action was enough to see the quartet opt for another
name switch - this time around Abraham's Children. Signed to
the small Toronto-based G.A.S. Records, the band enjoyed a Canadian
top-40 hit with their debut 45 'Goodbye-Farewell'. Their 1973
follow-up 'Gypsy' went top-10, leading G.A.S. to finance an LP.
Unfortunately, by the time the group started recording the album,
musical tensions had begun to flare. G.A.S. executes demanded
the band continue to work in a commercial pop vein, while the
band members were interested in a harder-rock sound. Guess which
side won the fight? Produced by Paul Gross (who contributed a
couple of tracks to the LP), 1973's "Time" offered
up a mix of the earlier singles and new studio material. Boasting
three lead singers in Bartley, Bertucci and Contterbill, the
entire set was enjoyable, with tracks such as 'Children's Song'
and 'How To Be A Lady' showcasing the group's knack for writing
and performing commercial pop. Imagine a Canadian version of
Pilot, or The Raspberries and  you'll
get a feel for most of the album. The group also enjoyed a third
Canadian hit with the bouncy 'Thank You'. It's interesting that
the two best songs are also the least commercial. Both 'Woman
'O Woman' and the group-penned 'Workin' for the Man' are thumping
rockers, albeit with harmony vocals that make radio stations
so happy.Following the album's release the band underwent an
ongoing series of personnel changes that saw Bertucci, Cotterili
and McPherson all quit. With replacements the band struggled
on for three more years, during which time they shortened their
name to 'The Children''. They also released one final non-LP
single - 1974's 'Goddess of Nature' on Rampage. The group finally
called it quits in 1976. Bartley, Dinardo and O'Shea subsequently
formed Bang. Bertucci continued to record under the name 'Jimi
B'. The band has reformed and continues to tour to this day,
along with a retrospective double CD titled "30". [SB]
Patrick The Lama |
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 1050CHUM Jimi
signs the celeb wall. Listen to the interview with Gord James
on CHUM radio. Chum prepares to celebrate fifty years of puttin...(read more)
|
 CANADA D' EH
There's something magical, without getting too ethereal, when
a group of people can get together for a....(read
more) |
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 Los Angeles CA - Abies
Babies, as they are sometimes called, started out in Toronto
like so many other bands, with hopes of one day becoming well
known and respected musicians. It was at Club 813 that these
four young boys would be discovered by the late Jack Morrow (Fat
Mouth, Teenage Head). When Morrow first saw them they were performing
in front of an all black crowd. He was overwhelmed by the energy
coming off the stage, and the crowd’s acceptance of the
music. Band members Jimi Bertucci, Ron Bartley, Brian Cotterill
and Bob McPherson were in for the surprise of their lives when
Morrow asked producer Paul Gross (Phase One, Triumph, Rush, Saga
etc.) to work with the group. Within weeks he and the group were
writing and demoing songs. During the early 70's, Abraham’s
Children was led by founder and principal songwriter Jimi Bertucci.
It was the writing skills of Jimi Bertucci and Ron Bartley that
would pen some great classic songs still heard on radio stations
today. Their first single, Hot Love, was released in 1970. Hot
Love would later become the flip side to their 1972 hit Goodbye
Farewell on G.A.S. Records. It would be almost one year later
before the release of their first international hit, Gypsy. Soon
they would be recognized by record mogul Neil Bogart of the famous
Buddha Records in the US who was quick to sign the band. The
releases of Goodbye Farewell, Gypsy and Thank You confirmed that
this was a group that would not go unnoticed. The release of
their first album TIME in 1973 which included all the hits and
songs like Workin for the Man, Woman O Woman featuring congo
hero Dick Smith, Moses Hazan on flute, and Dave Marsden, would
show a different side to The Children, a heavier side. To support
this album, a second guitarist, Shawn O'Shea was added. While
preparing for the next album, The Children would release Goddess
of Nature full of big strings. Once again, Abraham’s Children
would have another hit that would end up on K-Tels Music Power
album. After the success of Goddess of Nature in 1975 the group
went for a heavier and more intricate sound, attempting to leave
behind the famous sound that had made them a Canadian household
name. The Children were growing up. The collective songs for
the new album would never be released due to problems with their
record label and musical differences. Jimi Bertucci decided to
pursue a solo career. Ron Bartley and the other band members
would continue to tour and record some new songs, but were never
able to capture the magic that The Children were known for on
stage and on record.The 2004 “2nd Coming Tour” gave
many dedicated fans had the opportunity to see the boys at their
musical best. They performed all new material and, of course,
some old favorites. |
 Abraham's Children.
Groupe pop formé à Toronto à la fin des
années 1960 avec Jimi Bertucci (basse), Ron Bartley (guitare),
Bob McPherson (claviers) et Brian Cotterill (batterie) et, à
partir de 1973, Shawn O'Shea (guitare). D'abord connu sous le
nom de Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet et, ensuite, d'Abraham's
Children ou tout simplement de The Children, le groupe joue dans
les clubs de Toronto avant de signer avec Gas Records en 1972
et ensuite avec Buddha Records aux États-Unis. Le groupe
devient rapidement populaire, en grande partie grâce à
son style énergique, et joue pour des grandes foules -
par exemple à la Centre Island de Toronto et au Nathan
Phillips Square - ainsi qu'à des émissions télévisées
telles que Musical Friends et Canadian Bandstand. Ils font des
tournées importantes au Canada et aux États-Unis.
Leur son, tendant à l'origine vers le " bubble-gum
" commercial, évolue vers le rock classique. En 1968,
ils produisent leur premier 45 tours " Hot Love ",
suivi en 1972 de " Goodbye Farewell " (no10 au Canada
d'après le palmarès du RPM) et sa version italienne
" Bye Bye Bambino Occhi Blue ". En 1973, le groupe
sort son unique 33 tours, TIME (GLP 2001 Gas Records), et le
45 tours additionnel " Gypsy " (no 5 au Canada et succès
international) et, en 1974, le 45 tour " Goddess of Nature
". Bertucci (né Vincenzo Donato Bertucci à
Calabre, en Italie) et Bartley (né à Verdun, au
Manitoba) écrivent la plupart des chansons du groupe.
Bertucci commence sa carrière solo en 1975 et s'installe
en Californie et, même s'il enregistre toujours des 45
tours et se produit encore en tournée, le groupe se sépare
en 1976. Presque 30 ans plus tard, les membres d'origine de Abraham's
Children enregistrent un album de retrouvailles (intitulé
30) à Toronto. En 2004, Bertucci et les membres remplaçants
jouant sous le nom des Abraham's Children entreprennent des tournées
en Californie et au Canada. |
 
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Read more about the super
pop band members click on their photo. |
San Diego - A San Diego Electronics company is
trying to stop a competing Escondido company from developing
a new printed-circuit board because it alleges the local firm
" pirated" the designs. The Escondido company, Graham
Electronics Manufacturing Inc., is dismissing the claim as "
ridiculous." San Diego-based Electronics Solutions has petitioned
San Diego Superior Court Judge Philip Sharp for an injunction
to stop Graham Electronics from developing and selling the "backplane"
a printed-circuit board that allows electronic signals to pass
from one part of a computer system to another with minimal signal
degradation. Rod Bolton, president of Electronics Solutions,
said his former director of engineering, Leonid Besprozvanny,
who has a doctorate in electrical engineering, left his company
in July and joined Graham Electronics, taking the technology
for the backplane with him. But Graham officials say their backplane
design is completely different, and an injunction is merely an
attempt bay a larger company - Electronics Solutions -to eliminate
legitimate competition. "What we have developed here is
totally different. This is a case of them trying to stifle us,
said Vincenzo Bertucci, president of Graham Electronics. The
flap started last July when Besprozvanny left Mira Mesa based
Electronics Solutions, which is a subsidiary of Zero Corp., a
multi-million dollar electronics firm. Before he left Electronics
Solutions, Besprozvanny was involved in the development of the
backplane. The company hired an outside consulting firm to assist
in the design, and it spent $170,000 on the project, Bolton said.
The backplane took six months to develop and it hit the market
last August, Bolton said. Upon leaving Electronics Solutions,
Besprozvanny rehired the same outside consulting firm, Electro-CADD
of San Diego, to design an identical piece of equipment, alleges
Bolton. "It's like coping a test," Bolton said. "They
copied our test and they didn't have to study." Bolton said
his company wants Graham Electronics to cease development work
on its own backplane because it "pirated" Electronics
Solutions' "trade secret." Bertucci at Graham Electronics
said the premise of the injunction is "ridiculous."
A product no longer retains "trade secret" protection
once it is released to the market, for more than six....(more) |
 Canadian
Cold Cuts -
Jimi B (A&M) Jimi Bertucci's
first album since leaving Abraham's Children and Angel is worthy
of his potential as a solo artist, but it's variety has left
his style to vague to establish a focal point. The two-sided-split
concept he attempts here is emphasized by the cover photography
-- wave experiments and sweet rock. Side one is fast and trendy,
but falters at Shake and Touch Me when he mixes the wrong ingredients,
starting with the basic riffs. Honourable mention goes to O'Dee
an account of Jimi's experience with a hermaphrodite that is
as weird as it's unique. The flip side belongs to AM and FM respectively
with ballads Wickless Dynamite and Strange Feeling displaying
a strong point inhis writing and AOP anthem. All American Boy
flashing his his capability for an honest rocker. He penned all
the songs except Red White and Blue and Shake which was co-written
with BB Gabor. This album will probably receive lukewarm reception
from the consumers but with radio support it is the type to catch
on quickly into a brush fire. Although Jimi offers us nothing
revolutionary, he has battered freshness into his form of today's
music trends. His next step is either to patent himself as a
musician of impressive variety or solitude into a style to receive
recognition be is worth, as is apparent in this album. Rating
Good (By Lola) |
 ***
The George Weston Recital
hall is just that, a recital hall. When I walked into this incredibly
designed structure per l'arte de l'arte at the Toronto Centre
for the Arts, I was quickly reminded of my days in Europe sprinting
from one acoustically perfect theatre to another. There is almost
a spiritual aura when you're standing in rooms still emanating
the essence of music that has the ability to reach out and touch
the inner soul. I was early and decided to try and catch the
sound check. As I approached the back stage I was stopped by
a security guard...(read the full review) |
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 New video now up. AC live @ the
Toronto Centre for the Arts. Wishing On A Star |
 COVER
STORY ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN A NEW CHAPTER -
"Mrs. Norton once referred to children as Fragile beginnings
of mighty end." Avenue of America's Gary Salter is now preparing
his Abraham's Children for a mighty beginning rather than "mighty
end." Their release on the G.A.S. label, "Goodbye Farewell",
was slow to start but with the combined efforts of manager Jack
Morrow and A&R man Paul Gross, they have now had the single
listed on almost seventy stations across Canada - a rarity, so
early on release. Morrow's telephone hype included calls to John
Oliver/CHEC Lethbridge: Al Jenssen CHAK Inuvik: Greg Stewart/CKWS
Kingston: Mike Christie/CKOM Saskatoon: Dave Hammond CFCY/ Charlottetown:
Doug McAllister CHNL/ Kamloops and many others in both principal
and breakout markets. Salter received their first boost from
radio with CKOC Hamilton who recognized the single as a "Potential
Hit". This was quickly followed by CFCF/ Montreal: CHED/Edmonton:
CKOM/Saskatoon: CKLC/ Kingston: CKLW/Windsor, and CKCK/Regina.
That started the hit churning and created a national breakout
with listings from coast to coast. Salter made a quick trip to
the US and firmed a deal with The Buddah Group who released the
the deck almost immediately. Because of the play on CKLW, several
US markets within the glant's listening area have provided a
healthy sales picture for the single. Abraham's Children now
have a firm foothold on the market, confirming Salter's faith
in the group. Says Salter: " When producing a record whether
it be a single or an album, we the people who finance the project,
must keep in mind to be competitive in the world-wide trade.
We also must remember that Canadian radio is more than capable
of breaking what can turn out to be a world-wide hit. This means
producing the kind of product that their programming requires,
and not taking advantage of the fact that under present legislation,
radio stations are required to play 30%  Canadian
content. I feel "Goodbye Farewell" to be one of those
records. Abraham's Children; Brian Cotterill, drums: Ron Bartley,
guitar: Bob McPherson, organ: and Jimi Bertucci, bass who penned
their hit single, have been together in various, form, for more
than five years. They, like so many of their contemporaries,
have hung on, hoping their day would come, and knowing that when
it did, they would be ready. Under the capable guidance of independent
writer/producer, Paul Gross, the band finally came together.
He believes that "Goodbye Farewell" and Abraham's Children
are "a super combination that is only the beginning of what
is destined to be the Canadian success story of the year."
On a recent tour of the Atlantic Provinces, Abraham's Children
pulled capacity houses and received rave reviews. Brian Dunnine,
a reporter for the St. John's Journal-Pioneer, wrote; "
What perhaps sets this group of young Canadian talent aside,
is their friendliness. They have not acquired the attitudes associated
with top recording artists, that of the mighty visiting the small.
Rather, all four could be described as being average young Canadians,
if you could call producing two hit songs both of which are on
local hit parade, average". According to their manager,
Jack Morrow, the group " is the most dynamic, hard-working
band in North America", and further predicts that they will
be " without a doubt, the hottest act in show business in
one year." He also challenges any other band to match Abraham's
Children on the same billing. That's manager talk-but Morrow's
proof of this claim is their 30,000 draw at Toronto's Center
Island and another 25,000 at the Toronto CNE and packed house
after house wherever they appear. |
SHOP WORRY FREE..PAYPAL TRUSTED
ON LINE |
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NORTH
YORK, ONT - Jimi
and long time friend and dedicated Abraham's Children fan Gary
Gotlieb had a chance to schmooze just before the band went on
stage at the Toronto Centre For The Arts. Gary is the son of
the late Harry Gotlieb, Vice President of G.A.S. Records, who
personally handled the extensive marketing and promotions for
AC. Harry was responsible for seeing the band sell millions of
records worldwide and chart on Billboard, RPM and Cashbox. "I
remember Gary as a kid with a contagious smile and a positive
outlook on life", said Jimi. The two remain friends and
you can often catch Jimi at Gary's cottage when he's in Toronto. |
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