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The Grapes of Wrath (band)

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The Grapes of Wrath
OriginKelowna, British Columbia, Canada
GenresAlternative rock
Years active1983–1992
1998–2001
2010–present
LabelsNettwerk
Capitol-EMI
Aporia Records
MembersChris Hooper
Tom Hooper
Kevin Kane
Past membersVincent 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 1990s. 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 now tour various Canadian cities on an annual basis, mostly in Ontario and Western Canada, and are 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.[3] All three had been members of the short-lived punk rock band Kill Pigs.[4] They came up with the new band name after looking at a movie guide—nobody in the band had seen the movie or read the book.[4]

In 1984, they signed to Nettwerk, and released a self-titled EP that year.[5] The following year, their debut album September Bowl of Green was released.[6]

Treehouse (1987), produced by Tom Cochrane, was the band's Canadian breakthrough, yielding the hit single "Peace of Mind".[7] Some songs on the album included keyboard parts by session musician Vincent Jones, who also toured with the band thereafter although he was not yet credited as a member.[6]

Their 1989 album, Now and Again, produced by Anton Fier, was the band's most successful.[8] Jones, officially a band member by this time, would later describe working with Fier as "like pulling teeth".[9] The band's tour to support this album was also notable for its opening act, a then-emerging singer/songwriter named Sarah McLachlan.[10]

Produced by John Leckie and mixed by Gareth Cousins, These Days, released in 1991, found the band experimenting with a harder rock sound,[11] and spawned the band's highest-charting singles, "I Am Here" and "You May Be Right". It received the 1992 CASBY Award for Favourite Album, and "I Am Here" won the CASBY for Best Song.[12]

These Days was, however, to be the band's last new album for almost a decade.[13] Kane then split from the other members of the band, who continued to perform and record together as Ginger.[13]

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.[14] Neither Chris Hooper nor Vincent Jones participated in the reunion. Matt Brain was enlisted as the band's drummer, though he was not a member of the group.

In 2009, Kane and Hooper decided to play together again as an acoustic duo.[15] Two concerts were scheduled in Western Canada, during which they were to play all their hit songs.[15]

On July 18, 2010, the three original members performed together at the Surrey Fusion Festival in Surrey, British Columbia.[16] It was the first time the original trio had played together since 1992.[17] 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).[18] To mark this release, the band was joined by guests Sam Roberts, Whitehorse, Ron Sexsmith, Hayden, Great Lake Swimmers and other notable Canadian musicians at Toronto's Mod Club.[18]

The band's latest album High Road was released in March 2013 through Aporia Records.[19]

Discography

Singles

Release Date Title Peak 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
March 2013 "Good To See You" High Road
December 2014 "Mexico"

Albums

Year Title Certifications
CAN
[20]
1984 The Grapes of Wrath —
1985 September Bowl of Green —
1987 Treehouse Gold
1989 Now and Again Platinum
1991 These Days Platinum
2000 Field Trip —
2013 High Road —
2017 Brave New Waves session —

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. ^ "Grapes of Wrath: Rising out of Kelowna". Ottawa Citizen, May 6, 1988.
  4. ^ a b "B.C. group raring to go again". Toronto Star, June 28, 1992.
  5. ^ "Inside the Sleeve: Pop; Alibis, Moev, Skinny Puppy, The Grapes of Wrath". The Globe and Mail, January 31, 1985.
  6. ^ a b "Kelowna-bred Grapes branches east". Toronto Star, November 9, 1987.
  7. ^ "The Grapes of Wrath a rare pop music item". Toronto Star, November 11, 1987.
  8. ^ "Grapes of wrath put on seedless show". Calgary Herald, July 29, 1990.
  9. ^ "B.C. group raring to go again". Toronto Star, June 28, 1992, p. C1.
  10. ^ "McLachlan, the Grapes both ripe for greatness". Montreal Gazette, October 13, 1989.
  11. ^ "Mellow rebels: The Grapes of Wrath have matured". Calgary Herald, October 28, 1991.
  12. ^ "Barenaked Ladies, Grapes of Wrath win multiple CASBYs". Vancouver Sun, November 17, 1992.
  13. ^ a b "Ginger out of Grapes: Band didn't break up, it grew up". The Province, October 27, 1993.
  14. ^ "Grapes of Wrath get it together on Saltspring". Victoria Times-Colonist, September 26, 2000.
  15. ^ a b "Grapes of Wrath duo reunites, plays Surrey". Surrey Leader, September 7, 2009.
  16. ^ "Grapes end their wrath; Folk-rock trio cites maturity for helping overcome their differences as they focus on recapturing musical magic". Victoria Times-Colonist, October 31, 2013.
  17. ^ Adrian Mack (July 15, 2010). "Original Grapes of Wrath Regroup". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  18. ^ a b "Grapes of Wrath savouring sweet reunion: After nasty split and two decades apart, B.C. band is enjoying easy return". Toronto Star, October 7, 2012.
  19. ^ "Grapes of Wrath take the High Road". The Globe and Mail, March 30, 2013.
  20. ^ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
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