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Ian Thomas (Canadian musician)

 

 
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Ian Thomas (Canadian musician)
 
 
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Ian Thomas (born 23 July 1950, Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the James Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe....
, Canada) is a Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 singer, songwriter, actor and author. He is younger brother to famed Canadian comedian and actor Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)

David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E....
.

as was a successful rock and roll
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
 musician in Canada during the 1970s, with his most memorable hit being 1973's "Painted Ladies". Success in the American market, however, has proven to be elusive with the possible exception of "Painted Ladies", which remains his only U.S.






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Ian Thomas (born 23 July 1950, Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the James Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe....
, Canada) is a Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 singer, songwriter, actor and author. He is younger brother to famed Canadian comedian and actor Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)

David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E....
.

Career

Thomas was a successful rock and roll
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
 musician in Canada during the 1970s, with his most memorable hit being 1973's "Painted Ladies". Success in the American market, however, has proven to be elusive with the possible exception of "Painted Ladies", which remains his only U.S. Top 40 hit, and the song "Runner" which was recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a jazz/rock group formed by Manfred Mann , in 1971 in music....
. He has also done musical composition for about a dozen films and television shows. Before breaking through with "Painted Ladies", he was a producer at the CBC. Before that, he was part of the folk music
Folk music

Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including:* Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous with the term "Traditional music", also often including World Music and Roots music; the term "Traditional music" was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the other definition...
 group Tranquillity Base.

In 1974 he won a Juno Award
Juno Award

The Juno Awards are presented annually to music of Canada musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music....
 for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year".

In 1981, Thomas made a cameo appearance on SCTV
Second City Television

Second City Television was a Canada television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984....
 with his real life brother Dave Thomas during a sketch of "The Great White North". He played himself and also performed the songs, "Pilot" and "Hold On". He also wrote and recorded the theme song for his brother's film Strange Brew
Strange Brew

The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew is a 1983 in film film starring the popular Second City Television characters Bob & Doug McKenzie, played by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, who also served as co-directors....
. Thomas also was a musical guest on the CTV
CTV television network

CTV is a Canadian English language television network. It is Canada's largest privately owned network, the main television asset of CTVglobemedia, one of the country's largest media conglomerates....
 children's show Whatever Turns You On (a short-lived spinoff of You Can't Do That on Television
You Can't Do That on Television

You Can't Do That on Television was a Canada television program. It first aired as a local program in early 1979 in television before turning national later that same year and, subsequently, international in 1981 in television....
) in 1979.

Many of his songs have been covered
Cover version

In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song.In its current use, it can sometimes have a pejorative meaning — implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive version, usually in the sense of an "authentic" rendition, and all...
 by popular artists, including "Hold On" (Santana
Carlos Santana

Carlos Augusto Santana Alves is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American Rock music musician and guitarist. He became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana , which created a highly successful blend of rock music, salsa music, and jazz fusion....
), "The Runner" (Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann

Manfred Mann are a United Kingdom Beat music, rhythm and blues and popular music band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboard player and founder, who later led the successful 1970s follow-on group Manfred Mann's Earth Band....
's Earth Band), "Right Before Your Eyes" (America
America (band)

America is an English-American folk rock band, originally composed of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members were barely past their teenage years when they became an overnight musical sensation in 1972....
), and "Chains" (Chicago
Chicago (band)

Chicago is an American pop rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The band began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads....
). In 1988, Daryl Braithwaite
Daryl Braithwaite

Daryl Braithwaite is an Australian pop singer. Best known as the lead vocalist of Sherbet , Braithwaite has also sustained a successful solo career, placing 15 singles in the Australian top 40, including the #1 hits "You're My World" and "The Horses"....
 had hits in Australia with two Thomas compositions: "As The Days Go By" (which peaked at #10), and "All I Do" (a #12 chart hit). Bette Midler also covered his song "To Comfort You" on her Bette of Roses CD.

He is also known for the portrayal of the character "Dougie Franklin" on the Canadian comedy series The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show

The Red Green Show was a Canadian television comedy that aired on CBC Television in Canada and on Public Broadcasting Service in the United States from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC....
.

From 1991 through 2002, Thomas released four albums with The Boomers.

Currently, he performs with Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan

Murray McLauchlan, Order of Canada is a Canada singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player....
, Cindy Church
Cindy Church

Cindy Church is a Canada country music and folk music artist. Church released three studio albums on Stony Plain Records and was nominated for Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards in 1995 and 1996....
 and Marc Jordan
Marc Jordan

Marc Jordan , is a multi-music genre Canada musician known both as a songwriter and session musician for other artists, and as a singer in his own right....
 in the group Lunch At Allen's.

He has also written two books, Bequest (2006), Canadian Best Seller, and The Lost Chord (2008), both through Manor House Publishing
Manor House Publishing

Manor House Publishing Incorporated is a small publishing company based in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, established 1998. It publishes mostly in soft cover books by Canadian authors, many previously unpublished....
.

Discography


Singles


With Tranquility Base (1970-71)
Year Title Chart positions Album
Canada
RPM 100
RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canada music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees....
Canada
A/C		US
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
1970 "If You're Lookin'" #24 #47 - Non-LP singles
1970 "In The Rain" - - -


Ian Thomas solo career (1973-1988)

Year Title Chart positions Album
Canada
RPM 100
RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canada music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees....
Canada
A/C		US
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
1973 "Painted Ladies" #4 #5 #34 Ian Thomas
1973 "Come The Son" #67 #84 -
1974 "Long Long Way" #85 #39 -Long Long Way
1975 "Mother Earth" #41 - -Re-recorded single version:
Original version from Long Long Way
1975 "Julie" #69 - -Delights
1975 "The Good Life" #92 - -
1976 "Liars" #25 - -Calabash
1976 "Mary Jane" - - -
1977 "Right Before Your Eyes" #57 - -
1978 "Coming Home" #40 #33 -Still Here
1978 "I Really Love You" - - -
1979 "Time Is The Keeper" #71 - -Glider
1979 "Pilot" #83 - -
1980 "Tear Down The Wall" - - -The Best of Ian Thomas
1981 "The Runner" - - -The Runner
1981 "Hold On" #28 #20 -
1981 "Borrowed Time" - - -
1981 "Chains" #29 - -
1983 "Strange Brew" - - -Strange Brew
Strange Brew

The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew is a 1983 in film film starring the popular Second City Television characters Bob & Doug McKenzie, played by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, who also served as co-directors....
 Soundtrack
1984 "Do You Right" #65 - -Riders On Dark Horses
1984 "Picking Up The Pieces" - - -
1985 "Endless Emotion" - - -Add Water
1985 "Harmony" - - -
1985 "Touch Me" - - -
1988 "Back To Square One" - - -Levity
1988 "Levity" #25 - -


With The Boomers (1991-2002)
Year Title Chart positions Album
Canada
RPM 100
RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canada music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees....
Canada
A/C		US
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
1991 "Love You Too Much" #41 #32 -What We Do
1991 "One Little Word" #49 #29 -
1991 "Wishes" #68 #28 -
1993 "You've Got To Know" #20 #26 -Art of Living
1993 "Art of Living" #41 - -
1994 "Good Again" #68 - -
1996 "I Feel A Change Coming" #17 #15 -25 Thousand Days
1997 "Saving Face" #18 #24 -
2002 "I Want To Believe In Something" - - -Midway

With Lunch At Allen's (2004-present)
Year Title Chart positions Album
Canada
RPM 100
RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canada music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees....
Canada
A/C		US
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
2004 "Perfect World" - - -Lunch at Allen's
2007 "What Kind of Love" - - -Catch The Moon


Solo albums

  • 1973 - Ian Thomas
  • 1974 - Long Long Way
  • 1975 - Delights
  • 1976 - Calabash (aka Goodnight Mrs. Calabash)
  • 1978 - Still Here
  • 1979 - Glider
  • 1980 - The Best of Ian Thomas
  • 1981 - The Runner
  • 1984 - Riders on Dark Horses
  • 1985 - Add Water
  • 1988 - Levity
  • 1993 - Looking Back


Albums with The Boomers

  • 1991 - What We Do
  • 1993 - Art of Living
  • 1996 - 25 Thousand Days
  • 2002 - Midway


Albums with Lunch at Allen's

  • 2004 - Lunch at Allen's
  • 2007 - Catch the Moon


Comedy Album with the Air Pirates

  • 1990 - Volume Two


External links