Grant Fullerton Band

Did You Know?

• Manager William Tenn stated the new band had a new image and was heading in a direction of straight-ahead rock.
• The band released a single "Let Her Go" and a four-track 12" EP called Killers on the Freedom label.
• Drummer Rob Blacker had previously been with Hellfield, and bassist Steve Campbell had been with Wednesday.
• Gary McCracken from Max Webster had been a temporary drummer for the Madcats between Glen Gratto and Rob Blacker.

Background

The Madcats formed in 1977 after the breakup of Fullerton Dam, when Grant Fullerton and Brad MacDonald started a new group. Fullerton had previously fronted Stytch in Time and played on the first two Lighthouse albums. Bobby Blake also served as a frontman. Their debut album appeared on the Skyline label. According to a 1978 issue of Music Scene, the songs "Freewheeling", "Teenage Valentino", "She's Got It", and "Woman's Got the Power Over Me" helped establish the band as an up-and-coming act, and radio exposure supported a tour across most of Canada. The lineup at that time consisted of Grant Fullerton on guitar and vocals, Brad MacDonald on keyboards and vocals, John Erdman on bass, Glen Gratto on drums and vocals, and Bobby Blake on lead vocals. Gratto had been a member of The Kidds, Bullrush, and played with Frank Soda.

Career

The self-titled album was released in 1978 on Skyline SKY 10166, produced by John Driscoll. RPM Weekly reviewed it positively on 4 March, calling it "Top fare for the AOR crowd." It debuted at No. 100 on the RPM 100 Albums chart for the week of 15 April and peaked at No. 47 for the week of 24 June. Quality Records launched a "Madcats Go Gold" promotional campaign, issuing a limited edition of the album on gold-colored vinyl.

At the campaign's start, album sales were 6000; by the time of the 9 May report, sales had quadrupled. Album designers Alan Gee and Greg Lawson won a Juno Award in 1979 in the Best Graphics category. The US release on Buddah SOS 5718 was reviewed in the 23 April 1979 issue of Walrus, noting the strong voices of Fullerton and Blake but standard arranging and room for improvement in Fullerton's lyrics. The debut single "Too Late for Love" b/w "Take All the Love" was released on Skyline, produced by John Dee Driscoll, with both sides written by Fullerton; it was an RPM Rock Pick.

A promotional tour included Montreal and Toronto, tied to a five-day appearance from 22 to 26 February at El Casino in Montreal, and a guest spot on CFCF-TV's Feel Like Dancing. The album received airplay at CHUM-FM and Q107 in Toronto, CKOI and CHOM in Montreal, and CHED in Edmonton. On 4 April 1978, the Madcats opened for Rush at the War Memorial Auditorium in Rochester, New York, playing to 13,000 people and being well received by an audience that included radio station personnel.