Abraham's Children | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Abraham's Children

Abraham's Children. Pop group formed in Toronto in the late 1960s with Jimi Bertucci (bass), Ron Bartley (guitar), Bob McPherson (keyboards) and Brian Cotterill (drums), and Shawn O'Shea (guitar) as of 1973.

Abraham's Children

Abraham's Children. Pop group formed in Toronto in the late 1960s with Jimi Bertucci (bass), Ron Bartley (guitar), Bob McPherson (keyboards) and Brian Cotterill (drums), and Shawn O'Shea (guitar) as of 1973. Known first as Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet, and later as Abraham's Children or simply The Children, the band played in Toronto clubs before being signed to Gas Records around 1972, and then to Buddha Records in the US. The band quickly became popular, largely for their energetic performance style, and played for large crowds, eg, at Toronto's Centre Island and Nathan Phillips Square, as well as on Canadian television shows such as Musical Friends and Canadian Bandstand. They began touring widely in Canada and the US. Their sound, initially verging on commercial "bubblegum," later evolved to classic rock. Their first single was the 1968 self-released "Hot Love," followed by "Goodbye Farewell" in 1972 (No. 10 in Canada on RPM's Adult chart) and its Italian equivalent, "Bye Bye Bambino Occhi Blue." Their sole LP, TIME, was released in 1973 (GLP 2001 Gas Records), and the additional singles "Gypsy" in 1973 (No. 5 in Canada, and a hit internationally) and "Goddess of Nature" in 1974. Bertucci (b Vincenzo Donato Bertucci, Calabria, Italy) and Bartley (b Verdun, Man) co-wrote many of the band's songs. Bertucci pursued a solo career after 1975, settling in California, and although the band released more singles and toured, they disbanded in 1976. Almost 30 years later, the original members of Abraham's Children recorded a reunion album (entitled 30) in Toronto. In 2004 Bertucci and replacement members playing under the name Abraham's Children undertook tours in California and Canada.

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