Pierre Senecal (lead vocals, keyboards)
Brian Edwards (bass)
Jerry Mercer (drums)
Rayburn Blake (guitar)
Pierre Senecal, Brian Edwards and Rayburn Blake first met in 1960 and formed a band that played local Montreal dance halls; their drummer didn't show up one night so Jerry Mercer was brought in and ended up joining the band. Edwards quit the band shortly thereafter but the other three continued to perform on the local scene under names like The Phantoms, Ray Blake's Combo and The Dominoes. By 1965 they were calling themselves The Triangle and backing up local R&B singer Trevor Payne. They backed up Payne for four years as The Four Man Triangle until being discovered by producer Bob Hahn, who helped them get signed with Columbia Records in Toronto. Edwards rejoined the band and they changed their name to Mashmakhan, after a type of drug being peddled by a local dealer.
Pierre Senecal's "As Years Go By" was released off the first album in an edited form, and was the group's first hit; it sold 100,000 copies in Canada and 500,000 copies in the U.S. The single also sold 1,000,000 copies in Japan which lead to a tour there which received Beatlemania-like adulation. They followed this up with two follow-up single, "Gladwyn" and "Days When We Are Free".
In 1971 Mashmakhan was one of two contributors to the musical score of the NFB film 'Epilogue/Fieve' which was directed by William Pettigrew. "Couldn't Find the Sun", written by Rayburn Blake for the movie, was included on Mashmakhan's 1971 album 'The Family'. This album also did well in Japan, but the band split up shortly thereafter.
Blake joined the Lisa Hartt Band and also recorded some solo material, and Jerry Mercer joined April Wine. The group was revived twice in the late seventies by Aquarius records with future April Wine members Brian Greenway and, later, Steve Laing.
With notes from Paul Davies, Samuel King, Rayburn Blake and Victor Gibbs.
Singles
1970 As The Years Go By (Columbia)
1970 Gladwyn (Columbia)
1970 Days When We Are Free (Columbia)
1971 Start All Over (Columbia)
1971 Children Of The Sun (Columbia)
1972 Ride Johnny Ride (Columbia)
1973 Dance A Little Step/One Night Stand (Aquarius) AQ-5025
Albums
1970 Mashmakhan (Columbia)
1971 The Family (Columbia)
1999Mashmakhan/The Family (Collector's Choice)
Video
Compilation Tracks
Official Mashmakhan Website
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