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The Robert E. Lee Brigade
Far Enough
Columbia - 1970
Michael Panontin
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Though they managed to issue an entire album for Columbia Canada, not too much is known about the forgotten Robert E. Lee Brigade and that equally scarce LP.
The Toronto-based group revolved around their charismatic singer Frank Lee, whom RPM magazine once described as having a "lively delivery and flashy wardrobe" as well as being "fluent in French and Italian as well as English". The Italian-born Lee (ne Francesco Querci) had only arrived in Canada in 1964, but by '68 he had joined the Mid-Knights, who by then had evolved into a massive Stax/Volt-style soul revue.
His stint there was brief and in 1969 he made the jump over to the rock 'n' roll world, forming the five-piece Robert E. Lee Brigade. Lee was blessed with a powerful set of pipes and was supported by an equally capable bunch of musicians. So when the group - Lee with guitarist Spyros Lagoudontis, keyboardist Gary W. Mertz, bassist Jim Ledgerwood and drummer Edward Shaw - entered Toronto Sound Studios to record, the finished product must have seemed a foregone conclusion.
Far Enough (as it is often referred to, though there is no mention of that name on the label itself) came out at the tail end of 1970. Much of the disc is given over to the sort of hard-assed, organ-driven rock that was filling the charts that year. No surprise, I suppose, that Columbia chose their serviceable rendition of the Stones' 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' as the first single.
But buried amidst all that tough stuff - and the real reason to seek out this record - is a perky slice of sunshine pop called 'Merry-Go-Round' that by rights ought to have been a huge hit. That little earworm, which was wisely picked as follow-up single, sports a simple but positively ebullient organ and some equally catchy lyrics. Both the guys and Columbia must have had high hopes for it, but unfortunately the song was weighed down - or sunk, take your pick - by the curious insertion of a buzz-killing soul snippet midway through.
Sam the Record Man's Bob Sniderman took a liking to the band, showcasing them in a free concert to promote the Sam's location at Newtonbrook Plaza up in the northern suburb of Willowdale. Even as late as 1972, the Robert E. Lee Brigade seemed to still be going strong, with RPM reporting that "one of the most versatile groups in the business" had just returned from a European tour and were busy putting together a second LP for Columbia. That album never materialized, but Lee did get one more kick at the can in '73 when he headlined a VIP concert at the CHIN International Picnic, where he could at least wow the paesani with his language skills.
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