Canadian rock band The Northern Pikes hit the big time with their third album, “Snow in June”, released in 1990. It featured three hit songs, including the monster “She Ain’t Pretty”. It’s a perfect album.
What I really like about it that they infused a mix of very listenable songs with emotion and a social conscience. Songs like “Girl With a Problem”, “Tomorrow Never Comes” and “Unimportant” talk about issues like addiction and racism in a subtle but meaningful way.
Thirteen songs, no fillers:
- Dream Away
- Love These Hands
- Kiss Me You Fool
- She Ain’t Pretty
- Tomorrow Never Comes
- Shadow of Doubt
- Shotgun Morning
- Isn’t it Lovely
- Unimportant
- Am I in Your Way
- Girl With a Problem
- Green Fields
- Snow in June
At the time, the Pikes had four people in the band: Merl Bryck, Bryan Potvin, Jay Semko and Don Schmid, with the first three on vocals for different songs.
If I had to pick a favourite from the album, I guess it would be “She Ain’t Pretty”, because it is just so darn clever and catchy, and the video was fun.
“Kiss Me You Fool” is just sweet… as is “Love These Hands”.
I have to say that for the longest time, I thought they were singing “My Ennui” in the chorus of track 10… until I finally looked at the song listing and saw it was “Am I In Your Way”. It’s just the way it’s sung….
The Northern Pikes took a hiatus in 1993, but individual members carried on with various musical projects. Semko and Potvin cowrote the theme song to Due South, the crime drama/comedy TV show featuring Paul Gross that ran for four seasons starting in 1994. Jay Semko also scored much of the first two seasons.
I saw the Pikes play Canada Day one year in Majors Hill Park, next to Parliament Hill in the early oughts. They were true pros. In the wake of the insanity south of our border, I put together a Cancon playlist spanning just about every song and every band I know from Canada. (It’s nearly 600 songs and 40 hours long) I added in the Pikes, but I will check out the songs you mentioned. I definitely need more!