Johnny and the G-Rays Live at the Palais Royale
MarPalMac Films, in association with Ngaio Productions, are very pleased to present their first documentary film, “Johnny and the G-Rays Live at the Palais Royale”, completed November, 2018, and produced and directed by Randy Marsh.
Johnny and the G-Rays Live at the Palais Royale is a quintessential concert documentary, featuring a popular “underground” rock band from the late 1970's, playing perhaps their greatest show at the iconic Palais Royale Dance Hall, Toronto. All principal photography was done in 1979 on 16 mm film, and remained “in the can” for 30 years before being lovingly crafted into this significant fixture on a hitherto undocumented, exceptional, Canadian creative musical scene. The Toronto Star called them “the best known of this city´s unknown, underground acts”. The Toronto Sun said that their performances “had earned them” respect as authentic rock and rollers and they commanded the stage “with powerful, unpretentious style”.
Most perfoming rock bands in Toronto in the 1970's were typically “cover bands” playing popular songs of other big acts. They worked more often than not for agents/promoters in a “business” controlled largely by the “suits”. The burgeoning Toronto, Queen Street West, art and music scene in the late 1970's was, amongst other things, a reaction of young artists wanting to make art and play rock and roll music unfettered, the old way, creating their own songs, sound and fan base. The “suits” uptown viewed what was happening down there as little more than “eating their lunch”. This was a big disadvantage for these new artists. Little surprise that much of the mainstream media described them in less than respectful ways at the time. But this only made them work even harder. Looking back now, this opinion has largely changed and many of the original acts that were unfairly held back and negatively criticized in the day are now being embraced as vital parts of rock and roll history.
Johnny and the G-Rays were amongst the best of the best in these creative times. Although they were very highly regarded by their other new rock band cohorts, and fans alike, and the “underground” media, they never really fit properly into the “punk rock” or “new wave” genre that the Queen Street West scene was often “pigeon-holed” into. What they were was an original and exciting live act and this movie captures them near their peak with great sound and excellent images shot in multi-camera 16 mm film, scanned digitally to 4K resolution.
It is important to appreciate that we have made a conscious decision to not adulterate the live sync body of this movie by intercutting interviews. Neither did we want any voice-over narration. The purity of the original vision of this project shines through. This approach is the basis of its strength and power. Nor did we include interviews with the band as old men, looking back with hazy memories, as so many 'music' documentaries do lately. Better to let both old and new generations of music fans experience and enjoy this performance in its pure, honest form.
Credits
John MacLeod
Harri Palm
Robert Macdonald
Bent Rasmussen
Director and Producer: Randy Marsh
Co-Producers: Harri Palm, John MacLeod
Executive Producer Randy Marsh
Original 1979 Editing: Janet Gegan, Randy Marsh
Additional Final Editing: Harri Palm, John MacLeod, Randy Marsh
Sound Editing: John MacLeod, Harri Palm
Consultation: Bent Rasmussen, Robert Macdonald
16mm Camera: Owen Burgess, Peter Grundy, Dean Brasseau
Camera Assistants: Andy Haas, Clark Johnson, Barb Shore, Lauri Towata
Gaffer: Robert Gallant
Continuity: Lisa Neighbour
Palais Location Sound Recording: David Millar
Production Assistants: John Shannon, Jim Wheeler
Montreal Video: Randy Marsh
Live Sound and 4 St. Patrick Recording: Bob Rooney
Photography: Arnold Sprogis, Tom Robe, Phillip Kamin, Steve Rasmussen, Michael Gray, Henry Martinuk, Ralph Alfonso, Chris Buck, Douglas Elford, Rodney Bowes, Chris Terry, Janet Gegan, Peter Noble, Brian Molyneaux, Bill Majesky
G-Rays Gig Poster Design: Janet Gegan, John MacLeod, Steve Rasmussen
Post Production Film and Sound Editing: Harri Palm for Dead Starling Studios, Guelph
Sound Digital Transfers: Pete Hudson for Hallamusic and Ormond Jobin for Reaction Studios, Toronto
Video Digital Transfers: Dave and Sharon Orgel for Digital Improvements, Thornhill
Film Digital Transfers: Justin Lovell for Frame Discreet, Toronto
Still Photo and Slide Digital Transfers: West Camera, Toronto
Digital Scans: Mike Young, Toronto
Legal Services: David Quinton Steinberg, Randy Marsh, Greg Stephens
P.S. Production Services Ltd., Westbury Sound and Lighting, PFA Labs, Magnatron Ltd., Film House, Pathe’ Sound and Post Production Centre, Mirak Film Services Ltd., Mackenzie Equipment Co.
Palais Concert was held in conjunction with 2nd Annual Impulse Magazine International Dance Contest
Special Thanks to: Douglas MacLeod, Gary Cormier and Gary Topp, Kilby P. Cottingham, Molly Kurvink, Sam Stewart, Henk Salmen, David Clarkson, Ian MacKay, Eldon Garnet, The Cads, The Diodes, The Curse, The Dishes, Ralph Alfonso, Martha and the Muffins, Rob Sagar, Neal Pope, Mike Lengyell, Craig McGaulley, Glenn James, Mike Young, Rob Greenaway, Cynthia Ross, David Quentin Steinberg, Gerry Smith, Vince Carlucci, Paul Eknes, Additional Interview Footage: Kire Paputts and Colin Brunton, The Scenics, The Sharks, The B-Girls, Teenage Head, John Coull, Michael Page, Udo Kasmets, Gray Mills, Gus Weisman, Ontario College of Art, The Music Gallery, The Funnel, Stacy Haydon, Mark Jones, Velma Barkwell, Dave Bennell, Peter Boyd, Bill Majesky, Bomp!, Suzy Shaw, Interview Magazine, Impulse Magazine, Shades, Paul Wilson, New York Rocker, Mark Schwartz, CREEM Magazine, JJ Kramer, Jeffrey Morgan, Rock Express, Toronto Star, Peter Goddard, Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, Jonathan Gross, Ottawa Journal, Asylum, The Varsity, Beverley Tavern, Rex Hotel
RIP: Steven Davey, Freddie Pompeii, Tony Vincent, Bill Bryans, Evan Jones, Molly Kurvink
“Trying To Chew My Head”
“Shake A Wild Nest”
“That’s The One”
“Seven Numbers”
“There She Was”
“Desperate Fun”
“Trails Of My Skin”
“Put The Blame On Me”
“Safe From Anger”
“In The Night She Sends Me Rays” written by John MacLeod
“Time Has Made Me Stray” written by John MacLeod and Bob Macdonald
“New Feeling” written by John MacLeod and Harri Palm
All songs performed by Johnny and the G-Rays: Copyright 1979, 2018
“There She Was” dedicated to the memory of Mary Hawkins
Bent, Harri, John and Robert would like to thank Randy Marsh for initiating this film and for his years of friendship and generosity.
www.johnnyandtheg-rays.com
Ngaio Productions
MarPalMac Films
This project was made with the resources of the artists and producer without any grants or crowdsourcing. Please respect our copyright so we can continue to provide quality entertainment.
© 2020 Marpalmac Films
Fin