Al Deric and The Blue Chips
Country singer Al Deric was born in Timmins, Ontario, where he began his musical career by playing dances and small festivals. After forming The Blue Chips Al moved to Kitchener, where he worked as a disc jockey and had his own show on CKCR. In 1965 Al and The Blue Chips toured Canada and traveled from British Columbia to Quebec, with a stop in Churchill, Manitoba to play for an Inuit audience. Unfortunately this is about all I can dig up on Mr. Deric, although this page states that an incarnation of the group was still active as late as 1981.
This self-titled Paragon LP was produced by Bill Bessey (who also worked on albums by Jenny Reeves and Roy Payne) and Chuck Wilton, with label boss Jack Boswell listed as the executive producer. The other members of The Blue Chips were Al's wife Rose (bass), Vernon Darrington (lead guitar) and Gord Affelot (steel guitar). My favourite song on the album is the first one, a cover of Mel Tillis' "Honky Tonk," the sad tale of a fellow trying to get some sleep in a cheap hotel but being kept up by the band playing on the first floor. Al's singing is at its best, and Darrington turns in some sharp work on guitar. "Great Big Love" is a jaunty, slightly altered version of "Big Big Love" by George Hamilton IV, and "Don't Be Angry" is a plaintive ballad that was a hit for George Jones and Stonewall Jackson.
Great Big Love
Don't Be Angry
Note: These songs have been archived at It Came From Canada.
posted by DJ Bomarc @ 10:38 AM
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Where did you find this album, thats my great uncle and aunts band.
Rose and Al's son Greg (drums) and I (Lyndon Bournon - guitar) were in the last incarnation of Rose and Al Deric with the Blue Chips (1980 to 1982). We put out an album in 1981 (I'll Drink to That) and toured from Ontario to BC. I learned agreat deal from Rose and Al about the music industry.
Sadly, Rose passed away in 1995. Al, however, has remained fairly active over the years, and son Greg had a successful band called Buckshot for a long time. Greg now lives in northern Ontario. Al still lives in Kitchener. As for me, I live near Brandon MB and am still very active in the music business - currently with British Invasion band The UKadians (please see www.ukadians.com).
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