Chimo!

Chimo! (Inuit for “Hello”) was a Canadian rock band of the late '60s and early '70s, evolving from the Georgian People in 1969. The band recorded an album for Revolver Records.

The band played Toronto's Mapleleaf Gardens with sister group Chicago to a full house, opened the second day of the Festival Express with The Band, Janis Joplin, etc. that was held at CNE Stadium on June 28, 1970. They also appeared at the Midsummer Night Rock Festival at Michigan State Fairground in Detroit on July 4 alongside shock-rocker Alice Cooper, The Electric Circus, and others.

Following the release of the band’s album in November 1970, Andy Cree left (later to do sessions for the likes of David Wiffen and spend several years with Anne Murray's band) and was replaced by former member Pat Little, who had spent the interim doing sessions for Van Morrison, Peter, Paul & Mary and playing with a reformed Luke & The Apostles. The new line up was responsible for one lone single, Little’s “In The Sea”and "Mowbray Cross Country Man" written on a flight to Rome to negotiate a European tour and to secure a song writing contract with Chapel Publishing in Milano (Milan) with Mowbray's previous assistant and former drummer Silvino Desemoni,and bass player Franco Deljudich from a 1967 Italian tour with Nicola Di Bari and RCA-Victor/Rome .

After disbanding

However, the group’s career was flagging and in mid-1971 Raby, Johnson and Collocot dropped out, leaving the power trio of Mowbray ,Laboeuf and Little to play at Butchers Arms Yonge Street clubs like Zanzibar Tavern and others. Little departed to join Heaven and Earth for two singles before forming Flag, while LeBoeuf joined a re-formed Motherlode.

Recordings

• 45 Quicksilver Woman c/w Day After Day (Revolver 006) 1969
• 45 Silken Silver Melody c/w Lonely Girl (Revolver 009) 1970
• 45 In The Sea c/w Cross Country Man (Revolver 1070) 1971
• LP Chimo! (Revolver 503) 1970

Relics

A Traynor YBA-3 Custom Special amplifier head, marked with Chimo!'s paint stencil, has been owned and used by bassist Michael Small of The Meligrove Band since late 2006.

Sources

• "1,500 rock groups in search of smash records", Toronto Telegram, September 17 1970, page 33
• Bill Munson’s sleeve for Chimo! CD on Pacemaker
• Interview with Breen LeBoeuf, 2004 I love Chimo!