3's a Crowd | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Article

3's a Crowd

3's a Crowd. Early Canadian folk-rock group, active 1964-9. Initially a folk-comedy trio, it was formed in Vancouver by singer Donna Warner and singer-guitarists Brent Titcomb and Trevor Veitch.

3's a Crowd

3's a Crowd. Early Canadian folk-rock group, active 1964-9. Initially a folk-comedy trio, it was formed in Vancouver by singer Donna Warner and singer-guitarists Brent Titcomb and Trevor Veitch. The trio, originally named The Bill Schwartz Quartet, quickly changed their name and began playing coffeehouses in Western Canada before moving first in 1965 to Toronto, and then to Ottawa in 1967. There, the group added the singer-guitarist David Wiffen, bass guitarist Ken Koblun, and drummer Richard Patterson, further augmented by singer Colleen Peterson for performances at Expo 67 and the Mariposa Folk Festival.

Although the membership in the group changed frequently, Wiffen, Patterson, Peterson, the guitarist Bruce Cockburn, and the bass guitarist Dennis Pendrith performed in many of the folk music venues in Ontario.

Epic Records signed 3's a Crowd and in 1966 they released their debut single "Bound To Fly," followed by "Honey Machine" (Epic 1967), and then "Bird Without Wings" and "Let's Get Together" (1968, Dunhill). In 1968 they released their first and only LP, Christopher's Movie Matinee (Dunhill 1968).

The group appeared on CBC's The Juliette Show, on the CBC special Our Kind Of Crowd (1968), which also featured Joni Mitchell, and on the Montréal-based variety program One More Time.

In 1966 and 1967, 3's a Crowd received RPM Awards (later to become the Juno Awards) as best folk group. The group disbanded in 1969.