The light still refracts through one of Canada's premier classic rock bands. Prism was one of the first rock beams that ever shot out of the nation's radios. Today, core member Al Harlow can look back at the band's early years when there was no Canadian music scene to speak of, they had to take on the whole world to get any recognition. They had to write, perform and tour at the same levels as their British and American peers, or the disc jockeys would toss their singles in the junk.
Today they are still spaceship superstars because the songs stood up to those tests back then. They shouldered their way into the same room on the international charts as Tom Petty, B.J. Thomas, The Kendalls and Dave Mason. Those were the artists they were sandwiched between when their first two American singles - Spaceship Superstar and Take Me To The Kaptin - peaked on Billboard in 1977-78. They were only a few notches away from Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton, all in their prime. That was the company they were keeping on the radio.
Six of their 21 singles over the years broke into the Hot 100 in the United States, two of them into the Top 40 heavy rotation.
Two of those six hit songs didn't even chart in Canada (Turn On Your Radar and their highest U.S. mark I Don't Want To Want You Anymore). That's how widespread their music was in the world music scene.
Of the ones that were embraced in their home country, some of them wore out the radio dial (modern translation: broke the internet).
Young & Restless is a gritty youth anthem and it got up to No. 14 on the Canadian charts.
Night To Remember was one of the world's definitive slow-dance ballads and got to No. 33. It still induces fits of karaoke to this day.
And no band this side of Pink Floyd could close a show with the drama packed into the punch of Armageddon. That showstopper still strikes epic awe in any listener, with its artful pop-culture commentary and the full power of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra burning like a coal-fired locomotive in the background.
The power of Prism was in their formative business development, too. Consider that early members of the band - some official and some unofficial - included Tom Lavin who went on to front The Powder Blues Band, Bruce Fairburn who went on to produce some of the best rock records in history (Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, AC/DC, all at the peak of their powers), backup vocals provided once upon a time by Eagle Timothy B. Schmit and Toto frontman Bobby Kimball, horn arrangements by jazz-rock star Tom Keenlyside, bass by Ab Bryant who was later with Headpins and Chilliwack, and don't forget their manager by the name of Bruce Allen.
An original member billed himself at first by the nom de guerre Rodney Higgs but was none other than international songwriting megastar Jim Vallance who had only recently, at that time, moved down to Vancouver from his northern town of Vanderhoof.
Al Harlow, the member of Prism who has been there the longest, wrote or co-wrote so many of their best singles, and now covers lead vocal duties as well, knows that local legacy applies to the band whenever they perform in the greater Prince George area. Prism is back in P.G. on Aug. 10, as the special opening act for the three-day Cariboo Rocks The North festival.
"We were all these wild, young rock 'n' roll guys but Jim was a studio guy," Harlow said, telling The Citizen how Prism evolved out of bands like Seeds Of Time and Sunshyn. "He was a lot more focused than we were. He was officially the drummer in the studio for the first recording sessions that largely ended up being the first album, and he was the chief songwriter. I mean, the rest of us quickly jumped on board and we fancied ourselves writers, and we were in the lottery, in the game, but Jim wrote Spaceship Superstar, Take Me To The Kaptin, It's Over, that whole first burst of hits was all Jim's writing."
On the personal side, Harlow considers Vallance to be on of the biggest human gifts he's ever received, a true lifelong friend.
"He's just a dream. He lives in England now, he and Bryan are back together, and I miss Jim. We used to get together and have our once per month lunch, he would lecture for me at Capilano University (where Harlow held a teaching position in later years) once in awhile, so yeah, we remained friends and he's just the sweetest guy in the whole wide world. That kind of mega-success, well it can change some, or cause some to just have to be aloof, but Jim always maintained the common touch."
That "Bryan" would be another Vancouver rocker on the cusp of stardom, with the last name of Adams. Vallance and Adams would form arguably the most successful songwriting duo in Canadian history.
Harlow said Prism played an interesting part in Adams' first rise up the music charts. He also, at the same time in the same act, played an interesting part in the bounce-back of Prism after a parting of ways with talented by volatile lead vocalist Ron Tabak. (Not long afterwards, Tabak was killed while riding a bicycle over to see Harlow for some songwriting and Bible study together. A passing motorist stuck and killed the acclaimed singer).
Tabak was replaced by up-and-coming vocalist Henry Small who would only be on the Prism roster a short time before moving on to collaborate with John Entwistle on that superstar's solo project. (Small is now a popular radio personality in Kamloops.)
During Prism's recording sessions in Los Angeles with Small, their record company informed the group that the new album (it's punny title Small Change) couldn't go ahead without one criterion being satisfied.
"We said 'OK, the record's done, we're proud of it, here it is' and they said great, but we don't hear the magic, platinum first single. Go back and try again," Harlow recalled. "Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams were up in Vancouver and we made that phone call because they were part of Prism. And Jim was busy, he was busy doing something else, and Bryan actually jumped on an airplane and came down to L.A. and delivered us Don't Let Him Know, which I think, worldwide, ended up being our biggest single."
It was also the victory Adams needed to kick off his solo career. It reached No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart, made it to No. 39 on the Hot 100 chart that counts all genres together, but oddly in Canada made it to the lesser mark of No. 49. In Japan it won the Yamaha Award for Song Of The Year, a Grammy/Juno equivalent of that era.
"People forget, Bryan Adams was a struggling young artist at that time," said Harlow. "Jim and Bryan both told us that song was their biggest success up to that moment. Bryan had just signed with A&M Records and he hadn't really done anything yet."
Adams would also be involved as a co-writer with longtime Prism member Lindsay Mitchell on a tune called Cover Girl that didn't chart at the time of its release but has nonetheless become a favourite among Prism fans.
The glory days were indeed brilliant, but the past isn't the only thing Prism has going for it. Harlow recently moved from the thick of the Vancouver area up the map aways to the Sunshine Coast.
"In the move I found all my old studio tapes," he said. "A lot of the songs Prism took, like Take Me Away and Flying and Nickels & Dimes, and ended up on Prism albums. But my own studio versions were sitting there on the shelf. So I've re-mastered all of that stuff."
He is working on a lot of new material, too, including some modern rock and some gospel recordings.
Some of the solo stuff might show up on Aug. 10 when Cariboo Rocks The North, starting with one of Canada's catalytic rock bands Prism. That first night also includes Headpins and Honeymoon Suite followed by Nick Gilder & Sweeney Todd, Toronto, Little River Band, Kim Mitchell (Saturday's lineup), Harlequin, Platinum Blonde, 54-40 and Randy Bachman (Sunday's lineup).
Weekend pass sale ends next Friday
Time is ticking to get the discounted price for Cariboo Rocks The North passes. Purchase the early-bird package and get in on a chance to win an all-access VIP experience with these stars of rock.
The winner receives an upgrade to two full-festival passes that get both of you backstage and into personal contact with the artists, plus dinner each night, preferential seats, and other perks of the event.
You have to buy the Cariboo Kick-Ass Pass before July 27 to be eligible. That gets you into all shows for one $149.50 ticket, saves you money and gets you into the draw for that massive VIP upgrade.
After July 27, the weekend pass will be offered no more.
Tickets are available at the TicketsNorth website or at the CN Centre box office.
