Fraser & DeBolt
Encyclopedia
Fraser & DeBolt were a Canadian
folk
duo
, active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its members were Allan Fraser
and Daisy DeBolt (1945 – October 4, 2011).
. Their first words to each other were "I like your voice." As DeBolt puts it, Fraser "knocked on the door and that was it, he never left." Not long after, their budding musical romance found them hitchiking every day from Toronto to Hamilton, Ontario to work on material. By the summer of 1969, Fraser & DeBolt was officially formed as a duo.
In 1970 they travelled to the United States
on a coffee house circuit tour. During the second week of February, while in upper New York State, they received a message from Ravi Shankar
's manager, Jay K. Hoffman. Hoffman signed them to a management contract, and arranged for Fraser & DeBolt to audition for a recording contract
. On April 5, 1970, they opened for Tom Paxton
at Fillmore East
in New York City
. The showcase led to two offers, and the duo were signed to Columbia Records
.
Work began in Toronto on their debut album
. They were accompanied by the violinist Ian Guenther with production by Craig Allen, who was also the art director for the album cover. On its release in January, 1971, one critic wrote it had "moments when the only possible responses are to laugh aloud or to cry, and there are very few aesthetic experiences that genuinely produce those effects." Reviews appeared in The New York Times
, the Los Angeles Free Press
and other publications.
Recording commenced in late 1971 for the follow-up album, With Pleasure, which featured musicians from the Canadian band, Simon Caine
. The duo continued to tour and perform across Canada and the United States and, in 1974, they represented North America at the International Song Festival held at Sopot
, Poland
. Fraser & DeBolt broke up not long after, except for a few reunion appearances.
In November 1994, their story was told in an episode of Adrienne Clarkson Presents
on CBC-TV. As recently as January, 2004, their first album was still on the playlist
s at the radio station
WFMU
in Jersey City, New Jersey
. The Canadian music trade paper, The Record
, explained the duo's significance when it wrote, "Fraser & DeBolt were the greatest Canadian band never to have made it."
DeBolt died on October 4, 2011, from cancer, at the age of 66.
In reviewing this release, Mark Allan, of Allmusic, commented that "One of the many sad secrets of the popular music business is the way this little gem languished in obscurity. It should have been heard by millions, but disappeared at the height of psychedelia. Two years later, The Band found an audience with haunting tales of bygone rustic North American life with their seminal, self-titled second album. Widespread acclaim eluded the earlier outing by this unheralded Canadian trio. The songs, most written independently by Daisy DeBolt or Allan Fraser, are poetic."
John Gabree, in a review published in High Fidelity in 1971, described Fraser & DeBolt With Ian Guenther as "one of the best pop albums I have ever heard."
The recording has never been legally released or reissued on compact disc
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its members were Allan Fraser
Allan Fraser (musician)
Allan Hugh Fraser is a Canadian folk musician and songwriter. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was part of Fraser & DeBolt , and released two albums with Columbia Records...
and Daisy DeBolt (1945 – October 4, 2011).
Career
Allan Fraser and Daisy DeBolt met at a workshop at the 1968 Mariposa Folk FestivalMariposa Folk Festival
The Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a few decades, it returned to Orillia in 2000. Ruth Jones, her husband Dr...
. Their first words to each other were "I like your voice." As DeBolt puts it, Fraser "knocked on the door and that was it, he never left." Not long after, their budding musical romance found them hitchiking every day from Toronto to Hamilton, Ontario to work on material. By the summer of 1969, Fraser & DeBolt was officially formed as a duo.
In 1970 they travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on a coffee house circuit tour. During the second week of February, while in upper New York State, they received a message from Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
's manager, Jay K. Hoffman. Hoffman signed them to a management contract, and arranged for Fraser & DeBolt to audition for a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
. On April 5, 1970, they opened for Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
at Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The showcase led to two offers, and the duo were signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Work began in Toronto on their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
. They were accompanied by the violinist Ian Guenther with production by Craig Allen, who was also the art director for the album cover. On its release in January, 1971, one critic wrote it had "moments when the only possible responses are to laugh aloud or to cry, and there are very few aesthetic experiences that genuinely produce those effects." Reviews appeared in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the Los Angeles Free Press
Los Angeles Free Press
The Los Angeles Free Press , also called “the Freep”, was among the most widely distributed underground newspapers of the 1960s. It is often cited as the first such newspaper...
and other publications.
Recording commenced in late 1971 for the follow-up album, With Pleasure, which featured musicians from the Canadian band, Simon Caine
Simon Caine
Simon Caine was a short-lived Toronto funk/soul band, which recorded a solitary album in 1970. Most of the musicians went on to become top session players on the Canadian music scene throughout the 1970s and 1980s working with the likes of Bruce Cockburn, David Wiffen and Murray McLauchlan.-Early...
. The duo continued to tour and perform across Canada and the United States and, in 1974, they represented North America at the International Song Festival held at Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Fraser & DeBolt broke up not long after, except for a few reunion appearances.
In November 1994, their story was told in an episode of Adrienne Clarkson Presents
Adrienne Clarkson Presents
Adrienne Clarkson Presents was a Canadian cultural entertainment series broadcast on CBC Television beginning in 1988. The series ended in 1999, the year host Adrienne Clarkson was appointed Governor General of Canada....
on CBC-TV. As recently as January, 2004, their first album was still on the playlist
Playlist
In its most general form, a playlist is simply a list of songs. They can be played in sequential or shuffled order. The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of radio broadcasting and personal computers.-In radio:...
s at the radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
WFMU
WFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. The Canadian music trade paper, The Record
The Record (magazine)
The Record was a Canadian music industry magazine that featured record charts, trade news and opinions. David Farrell launched the publication in mid-1981, continuing its printed version until August 1999 when The Record continued as a website-based publication...
, explained the duo's significance when it wrote, "Fraser & DeBolt were the greatest Canadian band never to have made it."
DeBolt died on October 4, 2011, from cancer, at the age of 66.
Discography
- Fraser & DeBolt With Ian Guenther
- Released: 1971, Label: ColumbiaColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
C 30381
- Released: 1971, Label: Columbia
- "All This Paradise"
- "Gypsy Solitaire"
- "Them Dance Hall Girls"
- "David's Tune"
- "Waltz of the Tennis Players"
- "Armstrong Tourest Rest Home"
- "Fraser and Debolt Theme"
- "Old Man on the Corner"
- "Warmth"
- "Stoney Day"
- "Pure Spring Water"
- "Don't Let Me Down"
In reviewing this release, Mark Allan, of Allmusic, commented that "One of the many sad secrets of the popular music business is the way this little gem languished in obscurity. It should have been heard by millions, but disappeared at the height of psychedelia. Two years later, The Band found an audience with haunting tales of bygone rustic North American life with their seminal, self-titled second album. Widespread acclaim eluded the earlier outing by this unheralded Canadian trio. The songs, most written independently by Daisy DeBolt or Allan Fraser, are poetic."
John Gabree, in a review published in High Fidelity in 1971, described Fraser & DeBolt With Ian Guenther as "one of the best pop albums I have ever heard."
The recording has never been legally released or reissued on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
- Fraser & DeBolt With Pleasure
- Released: 1973, Label: ColumbiaColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
KC 32130
- Released: 1973, Label: Columbia
- "Broad Daylight Woman" (3:12)
- "Columbus Hits the Shoreline Rag" (3:40)
- "I Want to Dance with You" (3:01)
- "Cleo's Couch" (2:57)
- "Big Time Charlie" (4:25)
- "Sister Nell & Dirty Reuben" (1:58)
- "Two Rainbows" (4:09)
- "This Storm Shall Surely Pass" (5:45)
- "Why-Kiki" (3:39)
- "Waiting for the Harvest in Garf's Front Yard (Pure Spring Water #2)" (4:23)