The Jades

Infobox musical artist
Background = group_or_band
Name = The Jades


Img_capt =
Years_active = 1960 - 1961
Origin = flagicon|CAN Fort Rouge, Manitoba
Associated_acts = The Squires
Genre = Rock and roll
Instrumental rock
Label = Unknown
Current_members = Neil Young
Ken Koblun
John Daniel
David Gregg
Jim Atkin

The Jades were a rock band formed in late 1960, and consisted of musicians Neil Young, Ken Koblun, John Daniel, David Gregg, and Jim Atkin. The band formed out of Earl Grey Junior High School in Winnipeg.

History

When the 14 year old Neil Young arrived in Winnipeg from Toronto in the summer of 1960, he already knew what it was like to be uprooted, since his family had gone wherever his father's career in journalism had taken him. But after the break up of his parents' marriage, Neil and his mother Rassy settled into the working class suburb of Fort Rouge where the shy, dry humoured youth enrolled at Earl Grey Junior High School. It was there that he met Ken Koblun, later to join him in the Squires, and there that he formed his first band the Jades.

"I knew when I was 14 that music was all I wanted to do," he has said although he did manage to trade his skills on the links for a few guitar lessons from classmate John Daniel. Daniel—in due course—joined The Jades, whose one and only performance came in early January 1961 at the Earl Grey Community Club, but he soon fell out with Neil's single minded determination. "I had to go to hockey practice when Young wanted to play guitar, and he told me I had to choose one or the other, hockey or music. I guess I wanted to play hockey."

Young's next move was to form a band to play Winnipeg's booming community club circuit. By 1963 he and his mother had moved to the more well-situated Crescentwood area, where he attended the illustrious Kelvin High School and formed the Squires, who specialised in instrumentals by their idols the Shadows. Young was particularly taken by melodic guitar style of Hank Marvin and the use of the tremolo arm, both of which remain a trademark of his playing today. "The Shadows became the major portion of our repertoire, "he recalled. "We did "Apache", "Wonderful Land", "FBI", "Shindig" and another one called "SpringIs Nearly Here".

Young and Ken Koblun ultimately went on to join the Stardusters and the Squires. The Squires eventually became more of a folk rock group.

ee also

*Canadian rock
*Music of Canada
*List of musicians from Canada