The Stampeders

The Stampeders. Rock band formed in Calgary in 1964 as a sextet, the Rebounds. It was re-organized in Toronto as a trio in 1968 by Rich Dodson (guitarist, born Sudbury, Ont, 1 Jul 1947), Ronnie King (bass guitarist, born Rotterdam 1 Aug 1947), and Kim Berly (drummer, born Dawson Creek, BC, 24 Jul 1948). Each sang and contributed songs to the repertoire.

The trio's recording for MWC (Music World Creations, founded by the band's manager, Mel Shaw) of Dodson's "Carry Me" was a major Canadian hit in 1971. It was followed the same year by his "Sweet City Woman," an international hit. As a result The Stampeders received the 1971 Juno Award as vocal and instrumental group of the year. Though the success of "Sweet City Woman" typecast the band in a pop vein, its roots were in classic rock. The single "Wild Eyes" (1972) was the first to reflect this accurately. Other hits included "Devil You" (1971) and "Hit the Road Jack" (1975), both popular in the USA, as well as "Monday Morning Choo Choo" and "Then Came the White Man" (1972), and "Oh My Lady" and "Minstrel Gypsy" (1973).

The Stampeders were one of the top touring bands in Canada during the 1970s and appeared in TV specials on the CBC and Global networks. They also toured widely in the USA (where, in 1974, they were the only Canadians to perform at the American Song Festival, held at Saratoga, Cal, and seen on ABC TV) and performed in Brazil in 1972 and in Europe in 1972 and 1973. They were especially popular in the Netherlands, where they won an Edison Award in 1973 for their first European LP (a combination of their first two Canadian LPs).

In 1976 a second drummer and a three-man brass and reed section were added. In December of that year, however, Dodson left to pursue a solo career, subsequently establishing the Marigold label in Toronto and enjoying some success in the "adult contemporary" market with "No Time to Say Goodbye" (1984) and "Your Own Kind of Music" (1985). Berly left The Stampeders in 1978, at which point King switched to guitar and was joined by his brother Roy (bass guitar) and two other musicians; the band continued for a time as The Stampeders Featuring Ronnie King.

The Stampeders received the SOCAN lifetime achievement award in 2011. The band had previously garnered SOCAN awards for "Sweet City Woman" (1993), "Carry Me" (1993), "Oh My Lady" (2002), "Minstrel Gypsy" (2002), and "Devil You" (2006).

Discography
Against the Grain. 1970. MWC MWCS-701

Carryin' On. 1971. MWC MWCS-702

Rubes, Dudes and Rowdies. 1972. MWC MWCS-704

From the Fire. 1973. MWC MWCS-705

New Day. 1974. MWC MWCS-706

Backstage Pass 1974. MWC MWCS-707

Steamin'. 1975. MWC MWCS-708

Hit the Road. 1976. MWC MWCS-709

Platinum. 1977. MWC MWCS-710

Ballsy. (1979). Apex ATL-1601

Also, the compilations The Best of the Stampeders (Tee Vee International TA-1072), Stampeders' Greatest Hits (Canada's Greatest Memories CGM-101), and Over 60 Minutes with... Stampeders (Aquarius Q2-554, CD), issued in 1977, 1984 and 1988 respectively. A compilation of Dodson's solo recordings, Lookin' Back (Marigold MPL-1201), was released in 1985

Bibliography

Leblanc, Larry. "Confidence comes after that first hit," The Music Scene, 266, Jul-Aug 1972

Goldman, Mark David. "Sweet city woman and her friends," Weekend Magazine, 21 Apr 1973

"The Stampeders: taking rock and roll happiness across the land," The Canadian Composer, 108, Feb 1976

"Dodson career flourishes with new LP," RPM, 30 Mar 1985

Links to Other Sites
Stampeders
The official website of the popular band the Stampeders. Features bios, a discography, and music clips.

Western Canadian Music Awards
The website for the Western Canadian Music Alliance, which promotes the best in western Canadian music. Features the latest news about their annual awards gala. For a listing of previous winners and Hall of Fame inductees, click on the "Awards" link.