First at it in 1977, Bentwood Rocker continue to craft their legacy in the making with this, the first instalments of their new visual album — available now.
Fans of the five-piece were treated to the first taste with the double release of “I’m Not Taken” and “Give Her An Inch” this month. The Ontario-based rockers have five additional songs to follow, all professionally captured via Empire Theatre’s Music City Mondays series — a pandemic-related initiative by the Belleville-based venue.
“This is the first time in our over 40 years together that the band has been recorded live!” they marvel.
It’s yet another milestone for members Dan Thompson, Eric Baragar, Mike Goettler, Barry Haggarty, and Steve Smith.
Since staking claim to their rightful spot on the Canadian music map, the course of their careers have seen them serve countless albums and singles; they’ve shared the stage and studio with the likes of Randy Bachman, Bob Dylan, Sass Jordan, Tom Cochrane, producers Jack Richardson (Bob Segar, Alice Cooper), Terry Brown (Rush), engineers Dennis Hetzendorfer (The Bee Gees, John Mellencamp), Mike Jones (Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo), and more.
Having started as a studio project in the late ‘70s after more than a decade prior of performing mostly cover material under the name Sands of Time, the group added vocalist Thompson to the mix and set off to create original lyrics and compositions.
With their debut album, Not Taken, first out in 1979, Take Me To Heaven followed in 1982. There was a self-titled offering, Bentwood Rocker in 1996, and The Works — a boxset — in 2000. In all there’s been eight albums altogether and, in 2017, the band reconvened in the studio to rock out an EP trilogy — aptly titled Take One, Take Two, and Take Three. In 2020 they extended a single, “Hold On,” to the masses as well.
“Over forty years…” they say. “Over forty years of recording and performing together as a group, with all original members.
“That’s what sets us apart in the world of popular music.”
