Gordon Deppe (lead vocals, guitar)
Sandy Horne (bass, vocals)
Peter Shephard (drums)
Brett Wickens (synthesizer)
Derek Ross (drums, percussion; replaced Shephard 1980)
Rob Preuss (keyboards; replaced Wickens 1980)
Steve Kendry (drums; replaced Ross)
Scott Macdonald (keyboards, vocals; replaced Preuss)
Colin Cripps (??)
The Spoons began with the coming of the 1980's; a modest group of four suburban kids from Burlington, Ontario, who became the province's new wave/techno-pop sweethearts.
The four founding members of the band were Gordon Deppe, Sandy Horne, Peter Shepherd and Brett Wickens who formed the band in high school in 1979.
Shepherd left the band before the Spoons recorded their first single "After The Institution/My Job" in 1980. The songs were released on the Mannequin label which was created by Paul Abrahams (the band's manager) and Wickens. Shepherd was quickly replaced by Derek Ross.
The band sooned gained the attention of record labels and after disagreements regarding the pending Ready Records contract, Wickens left the band to form Ceramic Hello with Roger Humphreys. Wickens was replaced by Rob Preuss just prior to the recording their first album for Ready 'Stick Figure Neighbourhood'.
The album attracted the attention of college radio to rave reviews and successful college chart action. Their follow-up was the widely acclaimed 'Arias & Symphonies' (also on Ready and distributed by A & M). The album spawned the single "Nova Heart" which, in turn, prompted the band's first video and major TV exposure.
Though the band was developing a tremendous following, they opted for a 2 year advertising campaign with clothing store chain Thrifty's which restricted all their live and recorded ambitions.
In 1983, Ready decided to pull out all the stops and hire Nile Rogers (Chic, David Bowie) to produce the follow-up called 'Talkback'. Even with extensive touring and a non-LP single "Tell No Lies" riding the charts, the band couldn't generate enough sales to justify the cost of their tour & album.
During this period of indifference, Deppe & Horne recorded the soundtrack to the less than successful movie 'Listen To The City'. By this time Ready Records folded leaving the band without a recording contract and two less members. Derek Ross left to pursue an accounting career in the music field which would then leave him in the enviable position of co-president of FRE Records (Flood-Ross Enterprises) and Rob Preuss went on to work with T.B.A., Perfect World and Honeymoon Suite.
Deppe and Horne continued on with the new line-up of Steve Kendry (drums) and Scott Macdonald (vocals/keyboards) to release 'Bridges Over Borders' on Rush's Anthem label. By 1988 the band was receiving notable airplay with 'Vertigo Tango'. Though they had exorcised their synthetic teeny-bop sound/image, the momentum was lost.
Several official reunions fronted by Deppe and Horne occurred in the 1990's, particularly following the release of MCA/Universal's 'best of' package called 'Collectible Spoons' but for the most part Deppe has worked in his own solo projects (Punch House, Beyond 7) and Horne married, had a child and still plays in classic rock act The Big Chill.
Wickens went on to perform and produce work by Mannequin act Kinetic Ideals. He soon abandoned his share of the label he founded and was living in London designing LP covers with Peter Saville for people like New Order and Peter Gabriel among others. Wickens currently lives in California still working in design.
Singles
1980 After The Institution/My Job (Mannequin)
1982 Nova Heart/Symmetry (Ready)
1982 Arias & Symphonies/Trade Winds (Ready)
1982 Smiling In Winter/South American Vacation (Ready)
1983 Old Emotions/Out OF My Hands (Ready)
1983 The Rhythm/Don't Shoot The Messenger (Ready)
1984 Talkback/Unexpected Guest At A Cancelled Party (Ready)
1984 Tell No Lies/White Lies (Ready)
1984 Tell No Lies/White Lies/Romantic Traffic [12"] (Ready)
1984 Romantic Traffic/Theme For A City (Ready) [b-side is a Gordon Deppe solo tune]
1986 Bridges Over Borders/[unknown] (Anthem)
1986 Be Alone Tonight/Radio Heaven (Anthem)
1986 Rodeo/[unknown] (Anthem)
1988 When Time Turns Around/I've Been Here Before (Anthem)
1988 Sooner Or Later/Bed Of Nails (Anthem)
1989 Waterline
Albums
1981 Stick Figure Neighbourhood (Ready)
1982 Arias & Symphonies (Ready)
1983 Talkback (Ready)
1985 Listen To The City [O.S.T.] (Ready)
1986 Bridges Over Borders (Anthem)
1988 Vertigo Tango (Anthem)
1994 Collectibles (MCA/Universal)
Video
1982 Nova Heart
1984 Romantic Traffic
Compilation Tracks
Spoons Website
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