The Grapes of Wrath (band)

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For other meanings of "Grapes of Wrath", see Grapes of Wrath (disambiguation).
The Grapes of Wrath
Origin Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Genres Alternative rock
Years active 1983–1992
2000–2001
2009–present
Labels Nettwerk
Aporia Records
Associated acts Ginger
Lava Hay
Members Chris Hooper
Tom Hooper
Kevin Kane
Past members Vincent Jones

The Grapes of Wrath are a Canadian rock band.[1]

Formed in 1983,[2] they enjoyed their greatest commercial success in the late 1980s and early 90s. The group split in 1992, although throughout the 1990s, most of the band continued to record as Ginger while the "Grapes Of Wrath" band name was tied up in litigation. Vocalists Tom Hooper and Kevin Kane briefly reunited as The Grapes of Wrath for one album in 2000. With the addition of Chris Hooper, the three founding members reunited in July 2010. They have gone on to play several concerts in various Canadian cities, and are once again active as a group.

Singles, a greatest hits collection featuring two new recordings, was released in October 2012 by EMI in Canada. The band's most recent album, High Road, was issued in 2013.

Biography

The Grapes of Wrath were formed in Kelowna, British Columbia in 1983 by Chris Hooper, Tom Hooper and Kevin Kane. They came up with the name for the band after looking at a movie guide—nobody in the band had seen the movie or read the book. In 1984, they signed to Nettwerk, releasing a self-titled EP that year. The following year, their debut album September Bowl of Green was released.

Treehouse (1987), produced by Tom Cochrane, was the band's initial Canadian breakthrough, yielding the hit single "Peace of Mind".

Their 1989 album, Now and Again, produced by Anton Fier, was the band's most successful. The band expanded to a four-piece with the addition of keyboardist Vincent Jones. Jones would later describe working with Fier as "like pulling teeth." [3] The band's tour to support this album was also notable for its opening act, a then-emerging singer/songwriter named Sarah McLachlan.

Produced by John Leckie, These Days, released in 1991, found the band experimenting with a harder rock sound, and while it sold well and spawned the band's highest-charting singles, "I Am Here" and "You May Be Right", it was to be the band's last effort for almost a decade. It received the 1992 CASBY Award for Favourite Album.

Kane then split from the other members of the band, who continued to perform and record together as Ginger. In 1999, Kane and Tom Hooper, the Grapes' main songwriting team, decided to work together again, and in 2000 released Field Trip under the Grapes of Wrath name. Neither Chris Hooper nor Vincent Jones participated in the reunion. Matt Brain was enlisted as the band's drummer, though he was not an official member of the group.

In 2009, Kane and Hooper decided to play together again, as an acoustic duo.[4] Two concerts were scheduled in Western Canada, during which they were to play all their hit songs.[5]

On July 18, 2010, the three original members performed together at the Surrey Fusion Festival in Surrey, British Columbia. It was the first time the original trio had played together since 1992.[6] Dave Genn was brought in to fill Vince Jones' place on keyboards, and a small-scale series of Canadian dates followed throughout 2010.

The trio of Hooper/Kane/Hooper continued to tour regularly thereafter, and The Grapes of Wrath announced that they were beginning work on a new album. Two newly recorded tracks from these sessions were issued on the band's 2012 compilation Singles (EMI). To mark this release, the band was joined by special guests Sam Roberts, Whitehorse, Ron Sexsmith, Hayden, Great Lake Swimmers and other notable Canadian musicians at Toronto's Mod Club.

The band's latest album High Road was released in March 2013 through Aporia Records.

Discography

Singles

Release Date Title Chart positions Album
Canada
RPM 100
1985 "Misunderstanding" September Bowl of Green
1985 "Love Comes Around"
October 1987 "Peace of Mind" #56 Treehouse
January 1988 "O Lucky Man"
March 1988 "Backward Town"
July 1989 "All the Things I Wasn't" #19 Now and Again
October 1989 "Do You Want to Tell Me?" #50
January 1990 "What Was Going Through My Head" #33
May 1990 "The Most"
July 1991 "I Am Here" #8 These Days
October 1991 "You May Be Right" #7
February 1992 "A Fishing Tale" #60
December 2014 "Mexico" High Road

Albums

Compilations

References

  1. ↑ Grapes of Wrath at Jam!
  2. ↑ "Grapes of Wrath in the Cold, But Far from Out in the Cold". Chicago Tribune, January 5, 1990.
  3. ↑ "B.C. group raring to go again". Toronto Star, June 28, 1992, p. C1.
  4. ↑ Grapesofwrath.ca
  5. ↑ BClocalnews.com
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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