Five Man Electrical Band

about

The Five Man Electrical Band was a rock group from Canada's capital city of Ottawa, best known for their 1971 hit "Signs". The group consisted of Les Emmerson, Brian Rading, Ted Gerow, Mike Belanger and Rick Belanger. Originally recording and touring as The Staccatos, they chose the title of their second album (1969) as the new name for the band. In 1969, the band recorded "Moonshine (Friend of Mine)" for an unsuccessful movie The Moonshine War starring Alan Alda. "Signs" was originally released in 1970 as the B-side to the unsuccessful single "Hello Melinda Goodbye". Re-released in 1971 on the A-side, "Signs" reached number 3 on the Billboard charts. Their second single, "Absolutely Right", reached number 26. Other Canadian hits included "Moneyback Guarantee" and "I'm A Stranger Here". The group disbanded in 1975 to pursue solo careers. Since 1986, they have continued to reunite for several concerts a year. This group was known for its strong harmonic vocals—all five members could sing lead vocals—its solid rhythm and classic rock keyboards/guitar sound. The band would inspire the group Tesla to record a live album in 1990, Five Man Acoustical Jam, which included a cover of "Signs". History Ted Gerow (keyboards) Brian Rading (bass) Rick 'Bell' Belanger (drums) Les Emmerson (vocals, guitar) Mike 'Bell' Belanger (2nd drums) The Staccatos had emerged from the Ottawa scene in the mid-'60's with financial backing from journalist Sandy Gardiner. He helped launch their firs

top songs

albums

Absolutely Right - The Best Of Five Man Electrical Band

Absolutely Right

Absolutely Right: The Best of Five Man Electrical Band

Half Past Midnight: The Staccatos And Beyond

Good-byes and Butterflies

Class Reunion '71: Greatest Hits Of 1971

Good-Byes & Butterflies

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Flower Power

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Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 6

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Billboard Top 100 of 1971

Coming Of Age

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AM Gold 1971

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