John Martin (vocals)
Doug Orr (bass)
Peter Jermyn (organ)
Robert Coulthart (drums)
Bob Blyth (vocals; replaced Martin)
Brian Lewicki (vocals; replaced Blyth)
Pat Karwin (aka) Karwan (guitar)
After leaving his gig with Toronto's Luke & The Apostles, Peter Jermyn joined Ottawa band The Heart. However, the band soon found themselves faultering and Jermyn formed The Modern Rock Quartet with fellow band member John Martin and former Esquires members Coulthart and Orr along as an experiment in contemporary music without a guitarist.
Their first professional show was the Innaugeration of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. This was followed by an opening slot for Paul Butterfield in Kingston, Ontario.
They became residents for several months at New York's Cafe Au Go Go and also The Scene.
Their hit single was Jermyn's "Plastic Street" backed with a song by aspiring folky Bruce Cockburn called "Games". As the band stumbled they even tried adding a guitarist, Pat Karwin, plus experiments with David Wiffen. Former Esquires member Brian "Lewis" Lewicki replaced Karwin, but they soon resumed their guitarless format shortly thereafter until finally packing it in during the early '70's.
Peter Jermyn and his wife owned Yorkville bar Blues On Bel-Air where some of Toronto's Yorkville veterans make regular appearances with Jermyn's reformed house band 'Luke And The Apostles'; Pat Karwin lives in New Jersey.
with notes from Peter Jermyn, Larry Impellizeri and Richard Patterson.
Singles
1968 Plastic Street/Games (RCA-Victor) 57-1002
[first pressing was mislabelled 'MQR']
1968 Plastic Street/Games [french versions] (RCA-Victor) RCA 57-5839
196? Bus Driver/Woman (Aquarius) AQ-5053
Albums
Video
Compilation Tracks
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