Thursday 24 December 2020

Spoons Nova Heart




The late 1970’s and early 1980’s were fertile grounds for the growth of “New Wave” music here in Southern Ontario. It would seem that the musical requirements for bands of this nature were here in abundance. The young musicians that would form these groups were of the right age group to have heard of the 1960’s rock and roll bands, but not to be overly influenced by them, (unlike the group of musicians a decade or so older) and to have been teenagers when the golden age of Canadian pop music was on the radio (thank you Can Con). Their musical influences were broader and deeper, and consequently their music reflected that. 


Arguably, one of the finest representatives of this group of musicians who performed in this genre were "Spoons" (not “The Spoons”, just “Spoons”) who came together in 1979. This quartet hailed from Burlington Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Ontario just west of Toronto. Like so many other groups, things got started when the four members met and became friends at high school. Although there have been a few personnel changes throughout the band’s history (it should be noted Spoons are still together), two of the original members, Gordon Deppe (lead vocals and guitar) and Sandy Horne (vocals and bass) have been there from the beginning. Gord has been the main songwriter in the band as well, although other members have also contributed. The two other original members of the quartet were Rob Preuss on keyboards and synthesizer and drummer Derrick Ross.


It is common to assume that any successful band has spent years toiling in obscurity before the brass ring suddenly appears on the horizon. Spoons, on the other hand, it would seem, hit the ground running. After releasing an independent single in 1980, in early 1981 they entered Grant Avenue Studios in Hamilton and recorded their debut LP (on Ready Records) “Stick Figure Neighbourhood” (recorded by Daniel Lanois). The album received good reviews (in particular from the magazine Canadian Musician in their November/December 1981 issue) and the general consensus was that Spoons were a band to keep an eye on. They couldn’t necessarily be pigeon-holed, although of course musical influences were certainly there for anyone who cared to listen. What stood out though was Gordon Deppe’s guitar, the tight ensemble playing, the great vocals and all around interesting songs. This was a very good first record, especially for such a young band who were still only a couple of years in being. It was a portent of things to come. 


If the Spoons debut record put them on the radar, then their second offering, “Arias & Symphonies”, made sure they were now squarely front and centre in the Canadian music scene. Gordon Deppe had indicated during interviews that the follow-up record to Stick Figure Neighbourhood would be more dance oriented, and the commercial appeal of Arias & Symphonies could not be ignored. The album contained three hit singles; “Nova Heart”, “Arias & Symphonies” and “Smiling In Winter”. It was recorded partially in London at Air Studios and at Sounds Interchange in Toronto. The songs on Aria & Symphonies revealed real growth in the band’s musicianship and songwriting. Not only were they radio-friendly, they were tighter and more focused, putting Gordon’s vocals up front. Gordon’s singing was more dynamic, and there was an excellent balance of all of the instruments, with an emphasis on sparse guitar lines, keyboard textures, synthesizer melodies and prominent bass lines. While not immediately noticeable, closer listening reveals carefully layered background and harmony vocals, adding an ethereal quality to these excellent songs. For this recording, noted British producer John Punter (Japan, Roxy Music) was brought on board. He was an inspired choice, and the resulting recording featured a more sophisticated and lusher sound, with a more space between the instruments and a greater use of dynamics in the songs themselves. John Punter was au courant with the New Wave music scene in England, having worked with a number of bands in that genre, making him the perfect choice for producing the music Spoons were recording. (In fact, Gordon has said that some people, upon first hearing the music, assumed Spoons were English). John Punter was also very knowledgeable about the most recent musical technology, allowing Spoons to incorporate cutting edge instrumentation into their songs. For instance, Gordon advised me they were able use instruments which were not really well known to add certain textures to their songs (for example, the hand claps in Nova Heart). In Gordon’s words, “we caught a lot of sounds and new developments just as they were happening, and a lot of that was thanks to the new producer”. 


The standout track from Arias & Symphonies was “Nova Heart”. It was a charting single that garnered the group serious airplay (it was very radio friendly). The song has an infectious beat, perfect for the club dance floor, along with a great keyboard riff which is used as a motif throughout the song. It has a strong backbeat (listen for the handclaps) which, along with the excellent bass playing by Sandy Horne (and Gordon’s tasty guitar licks) gives it a great groove. The format is basically ABAB (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo and chorus). After the synth solo the chorus is repeated and the band uses a fade to complete the song. There is no doubt that it is a great piece of pop music; unique (at least for a Canadian band) at the time of its release, and noted Canadian music writer Bob Mersereau has included it in his book of the top 100 Canadian singles. It also had great lyrics which told a futuristic coming of age story, a perfect complement to the new sound reflected by the song. Through one of those serendipitous acts of fate that seem to occur just when they are needed, the era of music videos had commenced, and Spoons were perfectly placed to take advantage. The group’s members were very photogenic and their video for Nova Heart (which would appear on the initial episode of Much Music), became a staple for the station.


Nova Heart was the first single to be released from Arias & Symphonies. Initially it came out in the standard 7 inch format (Ready Records SR 201X), and after it became a hit, a 12 inch version was released (Ready Records SRB 020). The “B” side  (on both versions) featured a non-album track (always great for collectors!) titled “Symmetry”.


Nova Heart, and Arias & Symphonies were groundbreaking pieces of Canadian music. Spoons' look and sound were perfectly suited for the time, and were it not for some issues with getting their music released internationally, who knows how successful they could have been outside of Canada. Domestically, they deserved all of the success they had, and can certainly be considered in the vanguard of Canadian groups from the 1980’s. It is a testament to the quality of their music that it is still being played on the radio to this day. As stated earlier, the band is still very viable; working and creating music, and their back catalogue is readily available. In fact, a 30th Anniversary Edition of Arias & Symphonies with bonus tracks was released in 2012. If you aren't familiar with the band, I highly recommend them, and if you just haven't heard them for while, they will certainly bring back memories.   

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