Details: Canada's contribution to Rock 'n' Roll was pretty minimal on the whole. The continent's biggest exports Paul Anka, the Crew Cuts and the Diamonds were hardly at the cutting edge of R'n'R - but in the Beau-marks they had a young, exciting band with genuine rockin' credentials, who briefly lit up global charts in 1959 with their contagious hit 'Clap Your Hands' followed by several others that also charted internationally. The four piece played their own instruments and wrote their own songs, which gave them an edge over their Canadian peers. They did both things very well, as borne out by both sides of the nine singles and two albums they released between 1959 and the end of 1962 - all of which are featured in this Jasmine compilation, in their entirety. As a group, the Beau-marks moved with the times in a recording career that lasted until 1965. Their versatility can be gauged particularly well from those tracks featured here that made up their 1961 live album, on which they cover everything from 1920s Tin Pan Alley standards to doo wop to Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say', becoming one of the first acts to take on 'The Genius' classic tune. It's really something of a surprise that they were not able to rack up as many international hits as they did locally - but they were indisputably one of the better groups to emerge from their native country, and a big influence on many of those who followed, including The Guess Who in 1964/5 and Steppenwolf, April Wine, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Rush, Barenaked Ladies, Nickelback and so many more besides.

Beau-marks - Clap Your Hands...Once Again! Complete Singles 1959-1962 & More! (CD)