We were just finishing a really great summer (possibly 1962 ) at
Round Lake inn near Weir, Quebec, which is not far from Arundel Quebec, when Billy broke the news that we had an audition
on the way back to Montreal. The place was Colford Lodge. I think it's technically
in Mirabel but we all thought of it as Lachute.
We passed the audition and signed up for the next few months to
play Friday and Saturday nights and the occasional Sunday afternoon. Along with a modest stipend we got free room and
board and, as we later learned, lots of free beer from the patrons.
On the left, lead vocalist, John Stanley, now deceased, Centre - Tony
Colford, Owner and proprietor of Colford lodge and on the right, lead guitar and vocalist, Bill Welburn. In front, our
hand-crafted Scimitars banner, a constant source of undisguised pride.
It was a great gig. Dave's music teacher, Richard Ferland sat
in with us a couple of times on tenor sax. We auditioned a singer named Rita Falls who sang like Nancy Wilson.
I think we could have convinced Tony to spring for some extra bucks for her but she disappeared - moved away or something.
Tony, always promotion minded, entered us in a battle of the bands in St. Jerome - just up the road. We actually
won.
Just up the street was a hotel wich had as its feature band a group called the Special Tones. They later
became the Classels, a very successful pop group.
Billy Sings while Dave noodles in the background
