The Razorbacks
The Razorbacks were a Canadian rockabilly band that attained moderate national popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was known for its lively stage show, and made regular appearances on The Tommy Hunter Show on CBC.
The Razorbacks | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Rockabilly |
| Years active | 1986–1996 |
| Label | Other People's Music |
| Members | Tony Kenny - vocals/guitar Jailhouse Joe Myke - bass Don Dekouchay - drums Donny Cartwright (Donohue) - guitar/ vocals |
| Website | https://www.avra-records.com/razorbacks.html |
The Razorbacks were a Canadian rockabilly band that attained moderate national popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1] The band was known for its lively stage show,[2] and made regular appearances on The Tommy Hunter Show on CBC.
History
[edit]The Razorbacks were formed in 1986; members were singer/guitarist Tony Kenny, bassist Jail House Joe, drummer Don Dekouchay, and Donny Cartwright.[3] The band began busking and performing in Toronto.[4]
By 1988, The Razorbacks were performing around southern Ontario,[2] and that year they independently released their first album Go to Town.[5] Shortly thereafter the band was signed to Warner Records, which re-released the album.[6] Singles from the album included "It's Saturday Night," which appeared on the RPM Country Singles chart,[7] and "So Much Fun".[8] The band won the CASBY Award for "Most Promising Group",[9] defeating The Tragically Hip.
The Razorbacks appeared on the Super Dave television show called Swim Stadium, season 2, episode 9. In December 1989, the band was featured in their own CBC Television Christmas special, It's a Razorbacks Christmas Barbeque.[10][11] The special, which saw the band performing original Christmas-themed music, also featured special guest Mary Margaret O'Hara,[12] who received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance in a Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series at the 5th Gemini Awards in 1990.[13]
The album Go to Town was re-released in 1997 with four extra tracks.[14]
In 2023, A.V.R.A. Records began digitally reissuing the Razorbacks catalog including unreleased material.
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album | CAN |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Go To Town | 78 |
| 1989 | Live A Little | 84 |
| 1989 | It's A Razorbacks Christmas Barbeque | |
| 1996 | Flying Jenny | |
| 2024 | Early Rarities & Unreleased Gems |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN | |||
| 1988 | "It's Saturday Night" | 30 | 68 | Go to Town |
| 1989 | "Times Like These" | 42 | 95 | Live a Little |
References
[edit]- ^ Paul Myers (1 November 2007). Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories. Simon and Schuster. pp. 31–. ISBN 978-1-4165-8736-1.
- ^ a b "Rockabilly Roundup with Razorbacks". The Cord, March 17, 1988, by E Beyer
- ^ "Non-performing trio bursts into record market". Winnipeg Free Press, via Newspaper Archives July 08, 1988 - Page 25
- ^ "Razorbacks charge into the music scene". Brandon Sun, via Newspaper Archives July 28, 1988 - Page 24
- ^ Craig MacInnis, "Tireless Razorbacks popping up everywhere". Toronto Star, January 22, 1988.
- ^ "Razorbacks cut figure in rock". Toronto Star - Toronto, Ont. Greg Quill May 26, 1988 Page: E.4
- ^ "Country Singles". RPM, August 13, 1988
- ^ "Hootnanny Howls in the Hills". Medicine Hat News, via Newspaper Archives. August 02, 1991 - Page 29
- ^ "The fab CASBY'S". The Varsity. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ Mayes, Alison (19 October 1989). "The Razorbacks land on TV". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Saint John Times Globe (15 December 1989). "The Razorbacks star in a Christmas special". Saint John Times Globe. p. 44. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Greg Burliuk, "Television, of all things, shows us the proper Christmas spirit". Kingston Whig-Standard, December 15, 1989.
- ^ Stephen Nicholls, "Avonlea, E.N.G. lead Gemini nominations". Waterloo Region Record, October 24, 1990.
- ^ " Razorbacks Go to Town". AllMusic, Review by Sean Carruthers
Further reading
[edit]- Blake, Joseph (17 November 1988). "A Kerouac poem of sounds and feelings". Times Colonist. Victoria, BC. p. 37. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Craig, Terry (1 June 1989). "Razorbacks promise good time". Star-Phoenix. Saskatoon, SK. p. 41. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Crossley, Karen (26 August 1988). "Razorbacks in the street". The Winnipeg Sun. p. 27. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Done, Paul (27 March 1993). "The Razorbacks return to old form". Waterloo Region Record. Kitchener, ON. p. 35. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Durichen, Pauline (5 January 1989). "Razorbacks cut own niche in rock world". Waterloo Region Record. Kitchener, ON. p. 54. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Gingrich, Marina (28 October 1988). "The Razorbacks have been around". The Daily Herald-Tribune. Grande Prairie, AB. p. 37. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- O'Connor, James (14 April 1989). "Hog wild!: With a follow up album due out soon, it looks like The Razorbacks' wallowing days are over". The Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Shaw, Ted (4 March 1988). "Razorbacks prickly but infectious". The Windsor Star. p. 23. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- "The Razorbacks reissues". A.V.R.A. Record Label
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