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Small World Music
Alan Davis
FYI
Obituaries: Small World Music Founder Alan Davis, Serge Fiori of Quebec Rock Legends Harmonium
This week we also acknowledge the passing of teen pop idol Bobby Sherman, Grammy-winning screen composer Lalo Schifrin and former babyshambles guitarist Patrick Walden.
24s
Serge Fiori, founder of legendary Quebec rock band Harmonium, died on June 24, at the age of 73, after a long illness.
Recognized as one of the most important French-Canadian bands ever, Harmonum was founded in Montreal by lead vocalist and guitarist Fiori and Michel Nomandeau.
They were active between 1972 and 1979 and had a major impact and influence in Quebec. A self-titled debut album was released in 1974 and was a major hit. The song 'Pour un instant' which became a Quebec classic. This first effort comprised songs written by Fiori or co-written with Normandeau; this highly successful writing partnership was to endure throughout the group’s lifespan.
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In a biography on its website, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) says that "one of Quebec’s leading acts of the 1970s, the folk-rock band Harmonium bridged Canada’s two solitudes by achieving commercial and artistic success in French and English Canada alike. Harmonium’s founders Serge Fiori, Michel Normandeau and Louis Valois began performing as a trio in Montreal in 1973, seeking to carve a niche between the intimacy of the chansonniers and the bolder sounds of Franco-American rock. Little did they know that their innovative blend of folk, rock and jazz would rapidly take Harmonium all the way to the top. Harmonium quickly sold 100,000 copies and topped the Quebec charts. Radio stations played the album in its entirety, along with its hit single, 'Pour un instant.' The group rapidly went from playing Montreal’s clubs, campuses and schools – both French and English – to selling out Place des Arts and playing to packed outdoor crowds of over 300,000 fans in Quebec. They also performed, in French, throughout English Canada to appreciative audiences including Toronto (at Massey Hall) and Vancouver."
Their second album,Si on avait besoin d’un cinquième saison, was released in 1975. This Juno-nominated offering began to chart while their first album had not yet faded from the charts. The album featured songs by the Fiori-Normandeau partnership, and the keyboard work of Serge Locat. “Les cinq saisons” has been named by Rolling Stone as one of that magazine’s top progressive-rock album choices. Harmonium’s final studio album was the sophisticated double album L’Heptade, launched in the autumn of 1976. Noteworthy for its masterful blending of rock, folk and jazz with classical orchestral interludes written by Neil Chotem, L’Heptade showcased songwriting contributions from Fiori, Normandeau, Locat, and Valois. This period saw Harmonium receive a Juno nomination for group of the year and they toured London and Europe with Supertramp. The following autumn found Harmonium in California, promoting Quebec music and culture.
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After the band broke up in 1978, a 2-disc live set En Tournee, was released in 1980. It was recorded during a Parti Quebecois government-sponsored tour outside Quebec. 26 years later, the remixed Heptade XL was received enthusiastically, reaching No. 3 on Billboard’s Canadian Albums chart. In December 2020, GSI Musique released Harmonium symphonique – Histoires sans paroles symphonique,a 25-track symphonic interpretation of Harmonium’s three albums. It sold platinum, representing the sale of 80,000 copies that have grossed over $4-million to date.
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David Farrell wrote aBillboard Canada FYI feature on that project, nothing that "it was conceived by Harmonium co-founder Serge Fiori, overseen by GSI Musique president and producer Nicolas Lemieux and led by Simon Leclerc, a well-known conductor, composer, arranger and orchestra leader. Leclerc has composed for film and TV and has credits working with Charles Aznavour, Mika and Simple Plan.
"Impressively, the recording with the full symphony and guest singers was recorded during the pandemic using required protocols in the studio. The creators say they are hopeful that the music can be used in a film project — and are even open to the work being chopped up for that purpose,. 'It’s all still open, because there’s something that floats about the way Simon adapted the songs,' Fiori said."
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The CSHF bio states that "Having achieved iconic status in their home province of Quebec, Harmonium forged an impact far exceeding their modest output. Their L’heptade album has reached quadruple platinum sales, Harmonium double platinum, and Les cinq saisons platinum.
"The band has received several SOCAN Classic awards, and an honorary Félix award, and their songs have been covered by top Quebec acts including Les Respectables, Sylvain Cossette, Eleanor McCain, Boom Desjardins, the cellist Jorane, and Lawrence Gowan.
"From delicate guitar work reminiscent of the best of The Beatles and The Byrds, to elaborate jazz stylings, to classical interludes reminiscent of Debussy and Philip Glass, the music of Harmonium continues to transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries."
When Harmonium disbanded in 1978, Fiori collaborated with Richard Séguin to record Deux cents nuits à l'heure. Most of the musicians from Harmonium appeared on the 1978 LP and again on Neil Chotem's Live au El Casino (1979) which included two new songs by Fiori. After that he moved to Los Angeles to study meditation, computer science, and composition.
He returned to the music business in 1983 as a songwriter for other artists, including Quebec stars Diane Dufresne, Nanette Workman and stand-up comic Yvon Deschamps. A year later, he wrote and sang the theme song for the Montreal comedy festival Just for Laughs.
Fiori released a solo album, Fiori, in 1986, then spent the 1990s writing film scores (André Forcier's An Imaginary Tale (Une histoire inventée) in 1990, Roch Demers Hathi in 2000, and Madame Brouette in 2002, with Mamadou Diabaté and Majoly) and TV music. In 1995, he made a short set of public appearances in 1995 to present Gayatri, Maha Mrityunjaya and Shiva, three CDs of new-age music.
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After a very long gap, he released another solo album, Serge Fiori, in 2014. A tribute to the album was presented by other artists at the Montreal FrancoFolies festival that year.
On news of his death, online tributes to Fiori poured in. As Canadian Press notes in its obituary, Premier François Legault paid tribute on his X account, noting that Fiori left his mark on several generations of Quebecers with songs imbued with poetry, depth and sensitivity. Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, called the founder of Harmonium a “true ambassador of Quebec culture” and said "his lyrics and melodies have withstood 50 years and will continue to do so."
On the Juno Awards website, CARAS posted this tribute: "CARAS joins Canada in mourning the loss of Serge Fiori, the visionary singer‑songwriter and co‑founder of Quebec-based band, Harmonium. As frontman of Harmonium, Fiori led the groundbreaking group behind three seminal albums, which fused folk introspection with progressive rock ambition. These works not only became cornerstones of Canadian music but also garnered multiple Juno Award nominations. We send our condolences to his friends, family and fans."
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Alan Davis, a Toronto concert presenter and founder of Small World Music, died on June 25, at at age 63, of cancer.
His passing was reported by Small World Music, who noted "We are deeply saddened to share that the beloved founder of Small World Music, Alan Davis passed away earlier today. Alan dedicated his life to building bridges through music.
"One of his greatest legacies will remain Small World Music, which he founded in 1997 with a vision to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Toronto through the universal language of music. The heart of Small World, Alan worked tirelessly to bring the beat of the globe to Toronto’s stages big and small. Under his leadership, Small World helped shape one of Canada’s most inclusive and vibrant musical communities."
"Since 1997, Alan has planned and presented concert and festival programming in Toronto, mounting in the order of eight hundred events, supporting the careers of thousands of artists and celebrating with tens of thousands of audience members from diverse communities. From the Small World Centre, to major concert halls and free outdoor stages, a legacy of artistic success and audience engagement continues."
Prior to founding Small World Music, Davis worked at another notable Toronto music organization, The Music Gallery.
Many Toronto musicians and industry figures paid homage to Davis on social media. Here are some selections.
Kurt Swinghammer: "Shocked to hear that Alan Davis of Small World Music, who co-presented Arooj Aftab at Koerner Hall last night, died today. At the show I assumed Alan was in the room and I thought I’d reach out to thank him for the memorable concert. I crossed paths with him back in the mid 80’s through CKLN and a circle of mutual pals. Condolences to family, friends, and co-workers. Respect for his hard work contributing so much to the health and diversity of Toronto’s music scene."
Musician-composer Laurel MacDonald: "I’m shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Davis yesterday. A major figure and contributor in the Toronto music community for over three decades, from his days at the Music Gallery in the mid-nineties when I first met him and worked with him to his many years’ legacy as the founder and director of Small World Music. Godspeed, dear Alan."
Veteran Toronto world music promoter Derek Andrews (to Billboard Canada): "I was board chair at Small World for 7 years when the organization was growing out of Alan’s Parkdale home into an office, staff and ambitions to establish prominence on the Toronto presenting landscape. Alan should be given credit for being a pioneer and advocate spanning decades."
Music publicist Rebecca Webster: "I'm super sad to read this. What a loss for Toronto. Alan had a huge impact on me when I was first setting out in the music industry. I worked asa publicist via Heather Kelly Marketing and as production coordinator for one of his first Small World Music Festivals. He brought such diverse and vibrant music to the city that made all of us better. Small World & Lula Lounge and Harbourfront Centre were my first steps in the music industry and my safe haven and Alan was always fighting for something amazing to share with Toronto audiences. Rest in Peace Alan."
Juno-winning musician-bandleader Jane Bunnett: "Alan's passing is a tremendous loss for our city.. and his many dear friends and we musicians....sighhhhh."
Veteran world music executive Ian Menzies: "Alan made the world a better place. I can remember going out for drinks with him in early 97 and him telling me about his plans to start Small World. HIs vision and commitment speak for themselves. A profound and far too premature loss. Rest well friend..."
FACTOR posted this tribute on its website: "We at FACTOR are saddened to learn of the loss of Alan Davis, founder of Small World Music. Our relationship with SWM began in 2019 and FACTOR is proud to have partnered in many of their projects, such as Going Global and the SWM Incubator, which celebrate the musical diversity reflective of Canada. Our condolences to Alan’s family and friends, and all at Small World Music.
Toronto artist-composer and artistic director concert presenter Daniela Nardi: "It has taken me a few days to find the words to express my sorrow over the passing of dear colleague Alan Davis, founder of Small World Music. Alan devoted his life to building bridges through music. He was truly the OG—founding Small World Music in 1997 as a visionary expression of our city’s and country’s rich cultural diversity.
"I had the honour of knowing Alan not only as an artist but also as a fellow presenter. I’m deeply grateful that, after more than 20 years, we were finally able to come together—TEMPOFest and Small World Music—to present Mauro Durante and Justin Adams Music. I will always cherish that moment. Not only did I admire Alan, his work, and his unwavering dedication to music in this city and country, but I felt seen by him. He was a mentor, who believed in me and in my ideas—genuinely, wholeheartedly, and without conditions or agendas. It was always about the music. Alan will be profoundly missed by all whose lives he touched. It was a privilege to know him."
Musician Mark Marczyk (Lemon Bucket Orchestra): "This man changed the face of world music in Toronto and Canada. He nurtured a scene for musicians at home and facilitated us hearing unique and important voices from abroad. He did it consistently and thanklessly and leaves behind a legacy that continues to feed and inspires us to grow."
On its website, Small World Music stated that "If you’re looking for a way to honour and continue Alan’s legacy and global impact, we ask that you consider contributing to the new Alan Davis Music Fund. Every gift contributed to this fund will support his commitment to the professional development and career sustainability of newcomer artists in Canada."
Small World Music added that "We are also planning a truly meaningful and joyful celebration of his life with music and dancing, and we invite all of you, our Small World community, to join us. We will share more details in the coming weeks. Thank you, Alan. We hope you’re watching over us while rockin’ out on your drums and dancing to Fela Kuti With love and gratitude, The Small World Music Team."
International
Lalo Schifrin, a Grammy-winning composer of hit TV themes and film scores, died on June 26, at age 93.
ABillboard obituary notes that "if he had only composed the unforgettable instrumental theme from Mission: Impossible, Lalo Schifrin would be fondly remembered. But the Argentine native had a seven-decade career that made him one of the premier composers in both film and television."
Schifrin received 19 Grammy nominations spanning 40 years (1962-2002) and multiple genres (both jazz and pop) and skillsets (composition, arrangement and performance). He won four Grammys.
He received four Primetime Emmy nominations – three for Mission: Impossible and one for his music for David Wolper’s The Making of the President 1964. He received six Oscar nominations, five for scores (Cool Hand Luke, The Fox, Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Sting II) and one for a song, “People Alone” from The Competition (1980), which he co-wrote with lyricist Will Jennings.
Perhaps surprisingly, Schifrin never won a Primetime Emmy or an Oscar in competition, but in 2018 the Motion Picture Academy awarded him an Honorary Oscar “in recognition of his unique musical style, compositional integrity and influential contributions to the art of film scoring.” He was just the third film scorer to receive such an award, following Alex North (1985) and Ennio Morricone (2006). A fourth film scorer, Quincy Jones, was awarded an Honorary Oscar posthumously last year. That Honorary Oscar was presented by Clint Eastwood, for whom Schifrin had scored many films, including the iconic 1971 film Dirty Harry and its four sequels.
Billboard reports that "for all he accomplished, Schifrin’s Mission: Impossible theme is unquestionably his greatest hit. His music for that drama series, which aired on CBS from 1966-73, brought him two Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy nominations and high placements on the Billboard charts. His “Mission-Impossible” theme reached No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1968. It won a Grammy for best instrumental theme in 1968 and was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017.
Schifrin’s M:I score brought him a second Grammy in 1968 – best original score written for a motion picture or a television show. In the latter category, Schifrin bested scores from four feature films, which is highly unusual for a TV project, then or now. Schifrin’s album Music From Mission: Impossible reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200
The theme transferred to the long-running film franchise starring Tom Cruise. ) Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 recorded Schifrin’s composition for the first M:I film in 1996. Their version reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy for best pop instrumental performance – where it competed with Schifrin’s own new rendition of the theme which he recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Schifrin’s highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 was a 1962 studio album, Bossa Nova – New Brazilian Jazz, which reached No. 35.
He won his first two Grammy Awards in 1965 and 1966 for “The Cat” and “Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts,” both of which were voted best original jazz composition. His other TV themes include The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mannix, Medical Center, Starsky & Hutch, T.H.E. Cat and Petrocelli.
Bobby (Robert Cabot) Sherman, a singer and actor who was one of the top teen idols of late 1960s and early ’70s, has died after a battle with kidney cancer, at age 81. His wife, Brigitte Poublon, and actor John Stamos announced the news in an Instagram post on June 24.
“He was a man of service,” she noted. “He traded sold-out concerts and magazine covers for the back of an ambulance, becoming an EMT and a trainer with the LAPD. He saved lives. He showed us what real heroism looks like — quiet, selfless and deeply human.”
In an extensive obituary, Billboard reports that "Sherman was a teen idol just before, and briefly concurrent with, Donny Osmond and the late David Cassidy. But there was a difference: Sherman was much older than those two, being 26 in 1969 when 'Little Woman' became his first smash hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 3. Being older than his rivals may have shortened Sherman’s run at the top. His entire Hot 100 career, from first hit to last, spanned just two and one-half years."
"Sherman first rose to fame playing youngest brother Jeremy Bolt on the TV series Here Come the Brides, which aired on ABC from 1968 to 1970. One of his brothers was played by David Soul, who also went on to become a pop hitmaker."
The singer first recorded for Starcrest Records in 1962. He was a regular on Shindig!, the pop music TV show which aired on ABC from 1964-66. In 1965, he bubbled under the Hot 100 with “It Hurts Me” on Decca Records.
Sherman then broke big with both singles and albums from 1969-71 on Metromedia Records. Sherman’s first smash, “Little Woman” reached No. 3 for two weeks in October 1969. Billboard notes that While they were often classified as bubblegum due to Sherman’s teen appeal, Sherman's hits were not all that different from such other pop hits of the period. Melodic pop songs with catchy choruses have always had an audience.
Sherman had three more top 10 hits in 1969-70 – “La La La (If I Had You),” “Easy Come, Easy Go” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.” All four of these hits were certified gold by the RIAA. Sherman also had three top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 – Bobby Sherman, Here Comes Bobby and With Love, Bobby. All three of these albums were certified gold. Lesser subsequent hit singles included “Waiting at the Bus Stop” and "Jennifer."
Other TV shows Sherman appeared on included Honey West, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, Getting Together, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Murder, She Wroteand Frasier.
In 1974, Sherman guest-starred on an episode of the Jack Webb series Emergency!, which eventually led to a second career — as a paramedic. He volunteered with the Los Angeles Police Department, working with paramedics and giving CPR and first aid classes. Sherman also became a reserve deputy sheriff in 1999 with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California, continuing his CPR and emergency training of new deputy hires. He retired from the sheriff’s department in 2010.
Patrick Walden, former guitarist of British rock babyshambles, has died , at age 46. News of his passing was posted on June 24. A cause has not been reported.
A Billboard feature notes that "Walden joined babyshambles in the band’s early days, co-writing several tracks on [2005 debut album] Down in Albion including fan favourites 'Pipedown,”'' Loyalty Song' and 'F— Forever,' which peaked at No. 4 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
He left the band shortly after the album’s release and was replaced by Mick Whitnall for 2007’s Shotter’s Nation. Despite his departure, Walden occasionally rejoined the group on stage over the years.
In a message posted to social media on June 24, babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty recalled their creative bond and the joy Walden brought to others. “Jesus that’s a shot in the heart. You brought joy to so many f—ing people, mate."
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