"Another bayside attraction" with the Beaumonts at their Best... Full Throttle. Mikey's last show, 3D Horns, special guests + Bonus 1988 Tk. with Wes Kane!
Produced by Monte Nordstrom / Engineered by Jim Kent
Track 8 recorded 1988. Remixed by Jeremy Sagar 1998
Cover Art: Toby Nilsson. Graphics: Barry Newman
"Monte & The Beaumonts":
Monte Nordstrom: Vocals & Guitar
Bill Winter: Keyboards
Steve McKinnon: Bass & Vocals
Mike Harney: Drums
Doug Rhodes: Soprano Sax (Bass Guitar On #6)
Wayne Diggins: Alto Sax & Vocals
Dave Rowse: Baritone & Tenor Sax
Special Guest: Ron Kilian: Keys (track #6)
AN EDITED HISTORY OF THE SUNDAY HEALING SERVICE:
by Monte Nordstrom
Monte & the Beaumonts' Sunday Healing Service origins are rooted deeply in Maple Bay. I had played my first gig at the old Maple Bay Inn back in the stoned age, when Ray Woollam owned the place & Lou Else managed the lounge. I remember playing my sensitive folky jazz there as Will Julsing choreographed a bullfight with George Weeks & Gerry Thomson. I knew that I had to get some tougher material to compete with that level of chaos, so I started collecting every kind of song that I came across. Three decades later I'm still working on that.
Just prior to this, around the time that the "ptarmigan" album came out, I met Greg Winter & he introduced me to his brother Billy, a talented pianist. Billy Winter & I started playing music together a couple years later. I admired his country-gospel piano style. We worked on Neil Young's "Broken Arrow"; some Hank Williams tunes & a song by Randy Newman called "Guilty". Our first public appearance was at "Bimini's" in Vancouver. We were there with Gregs & his cronies. At his brother's urging we went over (uninvited) to the Grand Piano & turned in a rendition of our specialty song. The song was "Guilty" & we have been ever since.
The origin of the name, "The Beaumonts" is as multi-faceted as a frozen horse turd. Alot of people think it's because we played on beaumont avenue. Others think that we're named after the automobile. In the coon-ass country of east texas, where alot of our musical influences come from, there is the town of Beaumont. I've been through it on the train. It's not very pretty, so it's an appropriate appellation, but not the reason. It could be a narcissistic play on my name & the french word for "beautiful", but I really don't think so.
Perhaps it had something to do with the little known fabrication that way back in the early days of rock there was a group called "the skyliners" lead by a cat named jimmy beaumontà The way the story goes; billy winter, michael harney, doug rhodes & I were enjoying a float in a hot tub after a particularly grueling jam when we discovered that each of us had the lyrics to "since I fell for you" tattooed on the bottom of our right big toes. Turns out we were all the love children of that curly headed devil, jimmy beaumont & fate had brought us together. But that's not the reason either.
We are actually named after the hardware store in the movie "Blue Velvet" & that's the truth of the beaumonts cryptic name..."hmmm"
There have been a (sometimes literally) staggering 30 different beaumonts on stage at the brig & elsewhere. I remember playing a gig at the harbour house on saltspring with the band. Due to a complicated series of substitutions, the next day when I turned to the boys to count in the first number, I realised that not one of the sunday crew had been with me the previous night. That's when I started referring to the group as the "incredible expanding beaumonts orchestra".
Over the years we have been blessed with hundreds of friends & fans who have supported us through the evolution of "the beaumonts". The myriad of talented musicians who have shared the stage with us & contributed to our jams, have enriched us. The owners, managers & event coordinators of the venues that we have performed in have given us the opportunity to bring our music to the people that we love so much. Thank you all.
This recording engineered by Jim Kent represents the Beaumonts at the top of their game in front of a hot audience. A special bonus track featuring the late great Wes Kane singing "Walking the Dog" is included, as well our good friend Michael Trepanier leading "Flip Flop Fly" with the Beaumonts band. & as our pal Spinko says, "Good ladies, evening & gentlemen. We like you hope our songs!"
