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Brian Clasby (rhythm guitar, vocals
Brian Medway (lead guitar, vocals)
Laurie Roberts (bass, vocals)
Dale Waddell (drums)
Dave Wilson (drums; replaced Waddell)
Before setting up shop in New Westminster, British Columbia, Medway co-founded The Traces with Roberts and Clasby (both ex-The Sound Squad) in Southampton, England during August of 1965. The Traces initially had a female singer named Nikki who was the girlfriend of band manager and local DJ Dave Jay. It was Jay who had selected Medway for The Traces from hundreds of musicians who had responded to an ad that he had placed in the 'Echo' newspaper. Medway then recruited Clasby and Roberts.
The Traces then advertised for a drummer and commenced practicing at Green Lane School in one of the class rooms. Soon the musicians, less Nikki, struck out on their own to play local gigs. Not long after that, Medway's parents moved the family to New Westminster, BC.
Later in 1965 Medway started an R & B and blues based band featuring local musicians called The Shades of Black. They played all over the lower British Columbia mainland.
Roberts and Clasby followed in 1966 to reform the band with Medway and Haney, BC native Dale Waddell on drums under the new name Meddy's People.
Medway's family were also involved in helping the band find success. His father, Fred Medway, was the band's manager. His mother made costumes and his cousin, Peter Medway, stage managed and was their roadie.
Immediately after the band's first few gigs they signed a contract with a local AM radio station CKLG to represent the station at events. One of the deejays at the station was Daryl Burlingham [aka Daryl B] took the band under his wing and managed to get Meddy's People a recording contract with Quality Records in 1968. They soon recorded a number of singles at Vancouver Recording Studios with engineer Robin Spurgin and personally supervised by Burlingham who helped the band through every step of the process.
The band played hundreds of shows in Vancouver's including such venues as Denny's Discotheque, The Cave, Village Bistro, Grouse Nest, The Bayshore Inn, Planetarium as well as halls and arenas and the odd school dance. The band eventually stopped performing together in the fall of 1969.
Medway formed Pegasus in 1975 who toured with Rory Gallagher. He turned down a chance to join Gallagher's band as he did when asked by Polydor Records to fill in for Eric Clapton in Cream years earlier out of respect for the bands he was already loyal to. He quit the music business in December 1975 and into the construction contract management business. For the last 10 years he has run his own business consulting practice in Vernon, BC; Wilson went on to play with Heart briefly.
with notes from Brian Medway, Ray Medway and Laurie Roberts.
Singles
1968 Shalalalee/Substitute (Quality) 1906X
1968 Yes I Will Not/Hideaway (Quality) 1918X
1969 Fantasy World/Mr. Sister (Quality) 1931X
Albums
Video
Compilation Tracks
