Tom Hooper (bass, vocals)
Chris Hooper (drums)
Kevin Kane (guitar, vocals)
Vincent Jones (keyboards; 1990)
Robert Wat (keyboards; 2010)

Brothers Tom and Chris Hooper met Kevin Kane in 1977 during their teens in Kelowna, British Columbia. Their first band was a punk combo called Kill Pigs which played faster than the singer could sing. From there, Kane and the Hoopers went on separate musical paths; Kane to art-rock group Empty Set and the Hoopers to Gentlemen Of Horror. The Gentlemen were popular playing in and around Vancouver and released a 7" single in 1981. During this time, Tom Hooper edited a local punk 'zine called 'Indecent Exposure', to which Kane and Chris Hooper contributed.

In April of 1983, after putting together a one-off show as cover band Honda Civic, the trio decided to work together musically again. From the Hooper family garage they began rehearsals and gained enough confidence to open for acts in Seattle and Vancouver as the newly christened Grapes of Wrath (from the classic movie of the same name).

By raising money at flea markets and garage sales the act was able to record 4 songs with up-and-coming producer Greg Reely in July and August 1984. However, a chance live acoustic rendering of their songs by newly formed Nettwerk Records' led to the band being signed and released the tracks as a self-titled EP in November 1984. The band played a farewell gig in hometown Kelowna, packed up Tom Hooper's station wagon and the Grapes of Wrath moved to Vancouver.

In late summer of 1985, Nettwerk released the first album 'September Bowl of Green', which dented the charts at college and alternative radio. Their first two videos "Misunderstanding" and "A Dream (About You)" were heavily rotated by MUCHMusic. This attention led to Nettwerk's negotiations with Capitol Records for a distribution deal and the band returned to the studio in May 1986 to remix "Misunderstanding" and "Love Comes Around" with Tom Cochrane. These remixes would eventually be added to the 'September Bowl Of Green' CD re-issue. The band continued playing live - including a high profile show at the 2nd Annual Independent Music Festival - in 1986.

Cochrane was sufficiently impressed enough to produce the band's sophomore effort 'Treehouse' which was released in October 1987.

Ex-Pere Ubu and Lounge Lizard/Golden Palomino drummer Anton Fier produced 'Now And Again' in Woodstock, New York, where the band lived in isolation for the first half of 1989. They recorded in an old haunted Catholic church called Dreamland Studios.

‘Now And Again’ featured newly added keyboardist Vincent Jones. Jones had toured with the band during 'Treehouse' and worked so well personally and musically that the band decided to add him permanently. Jones' contribution to the new album was augmented by legendary pedal steel player Sneeky Pete Kleinow (Flying Burrito Brothers) and keyboardist Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers/Rolling Stones).

Englishman John Leckie (XTC/Stone Roses/Posies) would helm 'These Days' which was recorded from December 1990 to January 1991 at Vancouver's Mushroom Studios. In February 1991, the band travelled to London and spent three weeks mixing at Abbey Road Studios.

Musical and personal differences brought about the band's demise in 1992 with the departure of Kevin Kane. The Grapes of Wrath's final show was Halloween 1992 in Vancouver. Tom Hooper, Chris Hooper and Vince Jones carried on under the name Ginger and re-signed to Nettwerk Records.

Kane, meanwhile, released his debut solo album ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ in 1996 to modest critical applause but little fanfare.

In 1999, Kane and Tom Hooper, his main songwriting partner in The Grapes of Wrath, reconciled after Ginger disbanded. They collaborated on a new Grapes album, Field Trip, in 2000 on the short-lived SongCorp label. But the company went bankrupt before the new Grapes of Wrath could promote it. Kane and Hooper went their separate ways in 2000.

Tom Hooper signed with Bullseye Records and released 'Unexplored Cosmos' in 2002 and toured Ontario that year on the heels of two radio singles - "Cardboard Man" and "Same Old Me". He also released two more independent albums 'Basement Suite' (2006) and 'Tom's Journey Through The Solar System' (2007). He is married to Suzanne Little (ex-Lava Hay); Kane released his sophomore solo album ‘Timmy Loved Judas Priest’ the same year but he would continue in music behind the scenes producing albums for the likes of Superconductor, Star Collector, The Capitals, Wayne Lavallee, The Salteens and Zumpano among others. Kane's latest solo recording, 'How to Build a Lighthouse', was released in September 2007 on Bongo Beat Records; Chris Hooper has remained in bands throughout as drummer for acts on the Bongo Beat Record label including Paul Hyde and Dave Rave. He is also a video editor and film maker; Vincent Jones is a producer, songwriter, editor and musician who has worked with David Baerwald, The Rose Chronicles, John Bottomley, Mae Moore, Colin James, Skydiggers, Cowboy Junkies and Dick Dale (as part of comedian Dave Foley's 'Christmas Special') among others. He married Lava Hay's Michele Gould.

With an initial financial lure to reunite for the Surrey Fusion Festival in 2010, Grapes of Wrath stayed together for a reunion tour featuring the Hooper brothers and Kevin Kane (minus Vincent Jones) and Robert Wat on keyboards well into 2011.

with notes from J.Nelson and Tom Hooper


Singles
1985 Misunderstanding/A Dream (About You)(Nettwerk/EMI) NT7-302
1985 When Love Comes Around/Breaks My Heart (live) (Nettwerk/EMI) NT-303
1987 Peace of Mind/So Many Times (Nettwerk/EMI) B-73035
1987 O Lucky Man/Seems Like Fate (Nettwerk/EMI) B-73047
1987 Backward Town/Run You Down (Nettwerk/EMI) B-73051
1989 All The Things I Wasn't/I Can Tell (Nettwerk/EMI) B-73089
1989 What Was Going Through My Head/Let Me Roll It (Nettwerk/EMI)
1989 The Most/Stay (Nettwerk/EMI) 79914
1990 Do You Want to Tell Me?/Backward Town (Acoustic)/I Can Tell (Nettwerk/EMI) CDPRO-590
1991 You May Be Right/Down So Close (Nettwerk/EMI) SPRO-79047
1991 I Am Here/All The Time [12"] (Nettwerk/EMI) SPRO-79867
1991 A Fishing Tale/Peace Of Mind (live)(Nettwerk/EMI) CDPRO-597
1991 Away (Nettwerk/EMI) CDPRO-598

Albums
1984 The Grapes of Wrath [EP] (Nettwerk) 115871
1985 September Bowl of Green (Nettwerk/EMI) NTL-30004
1986 September Bowl of Green (Nettwerk/EMI) ST-12537
[re-issue with "If I Needed Someone" removed]
1987 Treehouse (Nettwerk/EMI) CLT-48018
1989 Now And Again (Nettwerk/EMI) 92581
1991 September Bowl of Green [CD re-issue] (Nettwerk/EMI)
[w/ 3 tracks from 'Grapes Of Wrath EP' and two remixes]
1991 These days (Nettwerk/EMI) 79880
1994 Seems Like Fate: 1984-1992 (Nettwerk/EMI) 31185-2
[with 2 previously unreleased tracks]
2000 Field Trip (Oasis/Songcorp) SONG-2002

Video
1985 Misunderstanding
1985 A Dream
1987 Peace Of Mind
1987 O Lucky Man
1987 Backward Town
1989 All The Things I Wasn't
1989 Do You Want To Tell Me?
1989 What Was Going Through My Head
1991 I Am Here
1991 You May Be Right
1991 A Fishing Tale
1991 I Am Here (extended video)
1994 Those Days [full-length]

Compilation Tracks




Official Grapes of Wrath Website
Official Tom Hooper Website
Official Kevin Kane Website
Official Vincent Jones Website
Official Gentlemen of Horros Website