Rock Archeologia

Rich Wamil & Copperpenny - Fuse (1975)

Artist: Copperpenny
Album: Fuse
Label: Capitol Records
Catalog#: ST 6410
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Canada
Released: 1975
Genre: Funk/Soul, Rock, Disco
Duration: 00:33:16

• Consequently, in 1974, Sweet Plum Records, Kenny Hollis, Rich Wamil and the other members of Copperpenny all went their separate ways. Hollis returned to RCA in 1975 for a couple of singles, "Our World Is A Rock 'N' Roll Band" backed with "Saying Goodbye" (written by Wamil) and "Ruby Baby" (a 1963 hit for Dion written by Leiber and Stoller). Although it wouldn't chart, Hollis would be better known for his final single in 1978, "Goin' Hollywood." Hiller formed gospel group, Sonlight, a few years later, while Wamil signed with Capitol Records as Rich Wamil & Copperpenny, backed by studio musicians. Wamil and his new Copperpenny's first release on Capitol was one of his own songs, "Help Your Brother." It barely scraped onto the singles chart, even though the band made an appearance on CBC's Keith Hampshire's Music Machine television show to promote it and its B-side, "Rollin' All Night."
• When it came time to record an LP's worth of songs in Toronto with producer Harry Hinde, no original songs were chosen for what was to be called Fuse. Instead, Wamil, Brian Russell (guitar, had worked with Keith Hampshire and Charity Brown), Al Mix (guitar), Barry Keane (drums), Paul Zaza (bass) and Eric Robertson (keyboards) covered songs like the 1961 Bobby Lewis hit, "Tossin' And Turnin'," "Disco Queen" (a hit the same year for Hot Chocolate), "Suspicious Love," "Good Time Sally" (originally by Rare Earth) and "Going Down To Miami" (another Rare Earth song). "Disco Queen" (#56), "Good Time Sally" (#67) and "Suspicious Love" (#49 in 1976) all made respectable showings as singles, but the album lacked variety. Another single was added for the holiday season in 1975, a cover of Chuck Berry's, "Run Rudolph Run," but it didn't chart. One final single was recorded and released in 1976. "Needing You" had been the first song included on Natalie Cole's debut album in 1975. It had the makings of a bona fide hit, but Hinde's production came up a bit short, and it became Copperpenny's swan song.

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 • Side One:
A1. Disco Queen (Brown-Wilson) 3:00
A2. Suspicious Love (Biddu-Vanderbelt) 3:05
A3. Dancing On The Devil's Doorstep (Murphy) 3:17
A4. You Make It Hard (Murphy) 4:24
A5. Mind Over Matter (Toussaint) 2:51
 • Side Two:
B1. Good Time Sally (Baird) 3:09
B2. Feedback Out On Highway 101 (Morrison) 3:23
B3. Get Myself Back Home (Bridges, Guzman, Monette, Rivera, Olson) 3:11
B4. Going Down To Miami (Zesses-Fekaris) 3:03
B5. Tossin' And Turnin' (Adams-Rene) 3:46

    Arranger: Eric Robertson.
    Recording Engineer: Haywood Parrott.
    Assistant Engineers: Dave Balan & Kevin Fuller.
    Mixing: Don Gooch.
    Recorded at RCA Studios, Toronto.
    Mastered at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood.
    Executive Producer: Paul White
    Producer: Harry Hinde

 

Musicians:
Lead Vocals & Keyboards - Rich Wamil
Drums & Percussion - Barry Keane
Guitar -  Brian Russell
Guitar - Al Mix
Bass - Paul Zaza
Keyboards - Eric Robertson
Sax Solos - Bert Hermisto  

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