The full-fledged album RADIO SILENCE followed a few months later that summer. It received strong airplay from City-TV and opened the can of fans even wider. They released a 45 that spring for "Video Verite," a song about nostalgia for the future, b/w "Radio Silence." The video for "Video Verite" was shot and edited by The New Music at The Edge. The station played "Factory Living" and "Same Old Place," and other stations in the market soon followed suit, and the band found themselves on the road opening for Blondie and Teenage Head.īut by 1980 Tomlinson was gone and Mike Bambrick was the new drummer. They were a hit with radio stations around Toronto who were also switching over to what would be dubbed, 'the new music,' including independent station CFNY. They released their debut ep TEST PATTERNS FOR LIVING later that year after recording all seven tracks in a single day at SouthWest Studios in London, Ont. Playing a mix of synthesizer-driven originals and their own take on the standards, they continued on the circuit and were signed to Ready Records in '79, one of the few truly independent labels at the time. MuchMusic wasn't on the air yet, but it was easy to see a revolution of new sounds was abound. Big hair and tight spandex still ruled, but once the club scene caught up with the changing musical landscape, the band found themselves in high demand. Bars predominately had bands play cover tunes, and Blue Peter put their own spin on the Stones, Iggy Pop, Led Zeppelin, but were still actively writing and trying out their own material on the crowds.
#BLUE PETER RADIO SILENCE CRACK#
Originally formed by Markham, Ont, vocalist Paul Humphrey and guitarist Chris Wardman, the band's lineup was solidified when Geoff McOuat came in on bass and Ron Tomlinson brought his drumkit on board.Īfter moving to Toronto in '78, they quickly discovered the 'big time' circuit was a tough egg to crack at first, simply because of the lack of venues that were home to the new wave pop sound they were developing.
Disco was on its way out and punk was making a statement, leading the way for new wave. Blue Peter's beginnings were pretty typical - friends getting together in the basement to play rock and roll and hopefully impress the girls, and the late '70's had some of the freshest sounds anywhere.