More than one Canadian rock band has attempted to recapture the magic of its glory years, and more than one, for whatever reason, has come up short of the mark.
But there have been success stories of bands that re-formed after a lengthy hiatus, subsequently discovering there remains an undiminished appetite for their original music and stage presence.
On Saturday, July 13th, Peterborough Musicfest brings I Mother Earth back to Del Crary Park, eight years after brothers Christian (drums) and Jagori Tanna (guitar) — both of whom went to high school in Peterborough after their family moved from Hamilton — reunited with original lead singer Edwin and performed at Musicfest on July 2, 2016.
The timing of that reunion was right, as the stars aligned perfectly with 2016 marking the 20th anniversary of Scenery and Fish, I Mother Earth’s Juno Award-nominated double platinum album. While the band hasn’t released any new music since reuniting, its continued popularity proves you can turn back the clock and effectively recapture the magic of what was a pretty special time.
That clock goes back to 1990 when the Tanna brothers shared a rehearsal space with Edwin (born Edwin Ghazal), who ultimately ask the siblings to form a band with him. Come 1992, the trio found itself in Los Angeles to record its debut album, 1993’s Dig.
As far as debut albums go, it proved very successful, spawning the singles “Rain Will Fall,” “Sonic,” “Levitate,” and “So Gently We Go” on its way to a 1994 Juno Award for Best Hard Rock Album. Certified gold early on based on sales, Dig has since been elevated to platinum status.
VIDEO: “One More Astronaut” – I Mother Earth
Four years passed before I Mother Earth — now a quartet with bassist Bruce Gordon onside — released its much-anticipated second album. The aforementioned Fish and Scenery didn’t disappoint.
Still the band’s most commercially successful album, largely due to the success of the singles “One More Astronaut” and “Another Sunday,” the album earned I Mother Earth two 1997 Juno Award nominations for Group of the Year and Rock Album of Year. Both honours were won by The Tragically Hip, which was winning most everything a Canadian band could win at that time.
All was good, and promising to get much better, when Edwin announced he was leaving I Mother Earth in April 1997. Creative differences were widely mentioned as the culprit, with the Tanna brothers agreeing it was best to part ways with Edwin before pledging to find a new front man.
Enter Newfoundland native Brian Byrne and new music from I Mother Earth in 1999 in the form of Blue Green Orange, the band’s third studio album. It too was certified gold in Canada, propped up by the singles “Summertime in the Void,” “All Awake,” and “When Did You Get Back From Mars?,” with Rush’s Geddy Lee playing bass on “Good for Sule.”
Come 2002, I Mother Earth was back in the studio, the result this time around being 2003’s The Quicksilver Meat Dream. Billed as a concept album, with a heavier and more progressive sound than earlier work, the album didn’t match the commercial success of the band’s three prior albums, its lead single “Like The Sun” not enough to increase sales. In November 2003, a live show in Barrie was thought to be I Mother Earth’s swan song.
With Byrne off on a solo career and Gordon doing his thing with Blue Man Group, Jagori Tanna founded a new studio, record label, and production company, while Christian Tanna organized concerts in the Toronto area and managed The Venue in downtown Peterborough (both Tanna brothers and Byrne were living in Peterborough at the time).
VIDEO: “Another Sunday” – I Mother Earth
There things sat until early 2012, when the quartet made plans to again come together and revive I Mother Earth. That they did, although Gordon left later that same year, citing professional and personal commitments. With Chuck Dailey now in as bassist, I Mother Earth went back on the road and released two new singles in 2015: “The Devil’s Engine” and “Blossom.”
That was it for this iteration of the band, with Byrne leaving in early 2016. Not wanting to call it quits, the Tanna brothers reached out to Edwin and here we are with the original trio returning for Musicfest.
In an August 2016 interview with Jim Barber of Music Life Magazine, Jagori Tanna reflected on what was a key benchmark in I Mother Earth’s continuity — the reunion with Edwin.
“The idea wasn’t something that we were pursuing on either side,” Jagori admitted, adding “It was more of an opportunity thing.”
“It was literally within a day that Brian (Byrne) said he was going to try and join another band. We had a whole bunch of touring planned. Instead, things got cancelled. But I said that I couldn’t just sit on the sofa and do nothing. It (2016) is a really special year for us, for me and my brother especially.”
“We had a mutual friend between us and Ed, and his name popped up and it was just at the right time in our lives where it was like, ‘OK enough of the bullshit. We just want to play.’ I think Ed was feeling the same way. Someone said give him a call. Initially I thought of involving him in the little documentary I was working on for the anniversary (of Scenery and Fish). The idea of doing shows wasn’t really on the radar.”
VIDEO: “Like the Sun” – I Mother Earth
With a mutual friend of Jagori and Edwin acting as the go-between, the idea of a reunion was broached.
“This person put us in contact to see if he would be up to talking about doing this documentary. It had nothing to do with shows, it had nothing to do with music or anything. I called and he said ‘Yes’ within about five minutes. We set up a meeting for the next day. That’s how it started.”
While I Mother Earth has indicated it has enough material together for a new album, nothing firm has been announced as of yet. But if history has taught fans of the band anything, the unexpected is just around the corner.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 37th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until August 17th.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2024 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2024 season.
