Great Speckled Bird

Great Speckled Bird was a country rock group formed in 1969 by the Canadian musical duo Ian & Sylvia. Ian Tyson sang, played guitar and composed. Sylvia Tyson sang, composed and occasionally played piano. The other founding members were Amos Garrett on guitar and occasional vocals, Ben Keith on steel guitar, Ken Kalmusky on bass and Ricky Marcus on drums. They were named after the song, "The Great Speckled Bird", as recorded by Roy Acuff (1936). The group was featured in the film Festival Express, a documentary about the music festival of the same name that took place in 1970. The shows were scheduled, and the performers traveled by train, across Canada. In the film, Great Speckled Bird performs "C.C. Rider", along with Delaney Bramlett and members of the Grateful Dead. A performance of the Dylan/Manuel song "Tears of Rage", without the aforementioned accompaniment, is included in the extra features of the DVD release. In 1970, the group became the house band for the television show Nashville North, produced by the CTV network and filmed at the CFTO-TV studios in Toronto, which, after one season, became the Ian Tyson Show. The show ran until 1975. The group backed Ian & Sylvia until the duo parted ways in 1975. They also backed Ian Tyson as a solo artist, for his 1973 debut solo album and his live performances, until 1976. Music portal Canada portal Country rock Amos Garrett "78 Record: Roy Acuff and His Crazy Tennesseeans - Great Speckle Bird (1936)". J. Einarson, I. Tyson, S. Tyson. 2011. The Cool Groove. The Ian Tyson Show. 2008. retrieved 2011-09-14. Liner notes. Ol' Eon. Ian Tyson. 2004 "Ian's 1st Solo Album Marks Return To Country Roots", Billboard, November 23, 1974, p.66 The Cool Groove. Great Speckled Bird. 2008. retrieved 2011-09-14. J. Einarson, I. Tyson, S. Tyson. Four Strong Winds: Ian and Sylvia. 2011. McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7710-3038-3. retrieved 2011-09-13. The Cool Groove – Great Speckled Bird, website of some former members of the band Great Speckled Bird discography at Discogs Great Speckled Bird at IMDb