Biography
Best known for their 1971 anti-establishment smash “Signs,” the Ottawa-based Five Man Electrical Band included guitarist/vocalist Les Emmerson, bassist Brian Rading, keyboardist Ted Gerow, and the drumming brothers Rick “Bell” Belanger and Mike “Bell” Belanger.
The group traced its origins to the Staccatos, an Ottawa outfit that Rading and Rick Belanger launched in 1963 alongside Dean Hagopian and Vern Craig. When Hagopian exited after twelve months, Emmerson stepped in and soon alternated lead vocals with Rick Belanger. The Staccatos issued an independent single in 1965 before signing with Capitol Canada, which released “Small Town Girl” the same year. That track, along with “Move to California,” “It’s a Long Way Home,” and “C’Mon Everybody,” all reached the Canadian Top 30 during 1965 and 1966, yet the band’s first major breakthrough arrived with the 1967 hit “Half Past Midnight.” Their initial push into the American market came that year via the joint album A Wild Pair with the Guess Who; although the LP moved briskly and “Half Past Midnight” appeared as a U.S. single, critics dismissed the Staccatos as overly reminiscent of the Beach Boys.
After recruiting keyboardist Ted Gerow and parting ways with Vern Craig, the Staccatos issued their second album, titled Five Man Electrical Band, in 1968 and adopted that name the following year at Rading’s urging. They remained with Capitol, commuting to Los Angeles to cut singles such as “It Never Rains on Maple Lane.” A subsequent move to MGM and a permanent relocation to L.A. yielded further 45s that barely registered on the charts. One of those releases, “Hello Melinda Goodbye,” carried “Signs” on the flip side; the track, written after Emmerson noticed the growing thicket of billboards along American highways, received modest local airplay in Los Angeles but faded when reissued as an A-side.
By 1971 the members were on the verge of disbanding when their new imprint, Jimmy Webb and Dallas Smith’s Lion Records, re-released “Signs” to preview the band’s debut LP, Goodbyes & Butterflies. The single climbed to number three in the United States and number four in Canada, eventually selling more than two million copies worldwide. Its successor, “Absolutely Right,” also performed strongly, peaking at number three north of the border and inside the U.S. Top 20. Later LPs fared less well beyond Canada; both “Julianna” and “Money Back Guarantee” reached number 17 in 1972, while “I’m a Stranger Here” climbed to number two that same year.
After failing to score another American hit, the original Five Man Electrical Band dissolved in 1973, though Emmerson continued recording under the group’s name for two additional years. He later operated Perfect Records, collaborated with the Cooper Brothers, and launched a solo career after returning to Ottawa. The classic lineup reunited in 1986 for a benefit concert and sporadic Eastern Canadian tours. Emmerson acquired the rights to the band’s catalog and compiled the 1995 anthology Absolutely Right. He passed away in Ottawa on December 10, 2021, at age 77 from complications related to COVID-19.
The group traced its origins to the Staccatos, an Ottawa outfit that Rading and Rick Belanger launched in 1963 alongside Dean Hagopian and Vern Craig. When Hagopian exited after twelve months, Emmerson stepped in and soon alternated lead vocals with Rick Belanger. The Staccatos issued an independent single in 1965 before signing with Capitol Canada, which released “Small Town Girl” the same year. That track, along with “Move to California,” “It’s a Long Way Home,” and “C’Mon Everybody,” all reached the Canadian Top 30 during 1965 and 1966, yet the band’s first major breakthrough arrived with the 1967 hit “Half Past Midnight.” Their initial push into the American market came that year via the joint album A Wild Pair with the Guess Who; although the LP moved briskly and “Half Past Midnight” appeared as a U.S. single, critics dismissed the Staccatos as overly reminiscent of the Beach Boys.
After recruiting keyboardist Ted Gerow and parting ways with Vern Craig, the Staccatos issued their second album, titled Five Man Electrical Band, in 1968 and adopted that name the following year at Rading’s urging. They remained with Capitol, commuting to Los Angeles to cut singles such as “It Never Rains on Maple Lane.” A subsequent move to MGM and a permanent relocation to L.A. yielded further 45s that barely registered on the charts. One of those releases, “Hello Melinda Goodbye,” carried “Signs” on the flip side; the track, written after Emmerson noticed the growing thicket of billboards along American highways, received modest local airplay in Los Angeles but faded when reissued as an A-side.
By 1971 the members were on the verge of disbanding when their new imprint, Jimmy Webb and Dallas Smith’s Lion Records, re-released “Signs” to preview the band’s debut LP, Goodbyes & Butterflies. The single climbed to number three in the United States and number four in Canada, eventually selling more than two million copies worldwide. Its successor, “Absolutely Right,” also performed strongly, peaking at number three north of the border and inside the U.S. Top 20. Later LPs fared less well beyond Canada; both “Julianna” and “Money Back Guarantee” reached number 17 in 1972, while “I’m a Stranger Here” climbed to number two that same year.
After failing to score another American hit, the original Five Man Electrical Band dissolved in 1973, though Emmerson continued recording under the group’s name for two additional years. He later operated Perfect Records, collaborated with the Cooper Brothers, and launched a solo career after returning to Ottawa. The classic lineup reunited in 1986 for a benefit concert and sporadic Eastern Canadian tours. Emmerson acquired the rights to the band’s catalog and compiled the 1995 anthology Absolutely Right. He passed away in Ottawa on December 10, 2021, at age 77 from complications related to COVID-19.
Albums
