Martin Tielli (guitar, vocals)
Dave Bidini (guitar)
Tim Vesely (bass)
Dave Clark (drums)
Don Kerr (drums; replaced Clark 1997)
Rheostatics formed during the members' high school years (circa 1980) in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Originally they were known as Rheostatics And The Trans Canada Soul Patrol and carried a full horn compliment of horn players. Soon they realized the horn section was too unwieldy and brought in guitarist Tielli to take the place of the horn section.
After several independent singles and the 3 song demo 'Canadian Dream', they released the seminal hit "The Ballad Of Wendel Clark Parts 1 & 2" - originally a 12" single and a favoured track on the "For No Apparent Reason" (X Records) compilation.
Inspired by favourable reaction to the song, they embarked on their debut Canadian tour in the summer of 1987 and returned in the fall for the Fall release of the Tom Atom produced 'Greatest Hits' album. The initial run of 1,000 sold-out over the course of a year (and would be re-mastered and re-issued a decade later on CD).
A four-year hiatus soon followed but was the band was revived with a deal through Stuart Raven-Hill's Intrepid Records and the release of 'Melville' in 1991. The album gained them some notoriety particularly from the inclusion of a U2-ish bonus track on the CD -- "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald".
In 1992, the band released 'Whale Music', a mythical soundtrack to Canadian Paul Quarrington's book of the same name.
In 1993 Quarrington (also a musician previously of Joe Hall And The Continental Drift) took the album and his book to film producer Richard A. Lewis (he also being a lapsed muzoid) who sequestered the band in the studio to create the actual soundtrack for the real film adaptation of the Paul Quarrington book 'Whale Music' (itself spawning the Genie Award-winning radio hit "Claire").
A deal with Sire Records soon followed with led to the 1994 major label debut album 'Introducing Happiness'. A tour of Great Britain followed but, the quirkiness and generally inaccessibility of the group's music led to the release from the Sire contract.
Quarrington also continued to write with guitarist Bidini, himself a regular columnist for the Toronto Star and sports radio personality on CBC radio, and in 1995 began working on a book about the NHL's Original Six hockey teams.
While working on the National Gallery Of Canada commissioned 1996 album, 'Music Inspired By The Group Of Seven', the band was asked to open shows for The Tragically Hip on their headlining tour. The album 'Blue Hysteria' was hastily assembled in time for the band to hit the road.
After the abrupt reality check of playing stadiums with The Tragically Hip to fans that could care less about Rheostatics, the band decided to move as far away as possible from their 'perceived' image of quirky jangly guitar suitors and release a children's album. With the help of Micheal Philip-Wojewoda producing, and the musical assistance of Kevin Hearn on keyboards and Dave Allen on violin, 1998 sees the release of 'The Nightline Session'. A full-length animated feature, plus an illustrated storybook, are also being developed.
Singles
1982 - My Generation/Satellite Dancing (Rheostatics)
1987 - The Ballad Of Wendel Clark Parts 1 & 2 (Rheostatics)
1992 - Torque Torque (DROG)
1994 - Claire (Sire/Warner Music)
1996 - All The Same Eyes (Raise A Little Elf/Cargo)
1997 - Bad Time To Be Poor (Raise A Little Elf/Cargo)
1998 - Fan Letter To Michael Jackson (DROG)
Albums
1984 - The Rheostatics [cassette] (Rheostatics
1986 - Canadian Dream [3 song cassette] (Rheostatics)
1987 - Greatest Hits (Rheostatics)
1991 - Melville (Intrepid/Capitol)
1992 - Whale Music (Sire/Warner Music)
1994 - Music From The Motion Picture 'Whale Music' (Sire/Warner Music)
1994 - Introducing Happiness (Sire/Warner Music)
1995 - Music Inspired by The Group Of Seven (DROG)
1996 - Greatest Hits [re-issue] (DROG)
1997 - The Blue Hysteria (Raise A Little Elf/Cargo)
1998 - Double Live (DROG/Cargo)
1998 - The Nightlines Session (DROG)
1999/12/06 - The Story Of Harmelodia (Perimeter/Universal)
Video
Compilation Tracks
Rheostatics Live Recordings
Official Rheostatics Website
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