Chester

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Chester was a Toronto-based pop rock group formed in 1972 by keyboardist and arranger Glen Morrow, vocalist Jim Mancel, guitarist and vocalist Mike Argue, bassist Mel O’Brien, and drummer Glen “Wedge” Monroe. Morrow had already established himself as one of the city’s most skilled Hammond B-3 players through earlier work with the Bluenotes, T.K.’s, and Tarot. Signed to the Celebration label, a Quality Records imprint, the band released its debut single “Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter” b/w “But Maybe the Next Time” (CEL 2078X) in 1973. Written and sung by Argue, the single was produced by Bob Morten, engineered by David Stock at RCA Studios in Toronto, and arranged by the band. The record carried full MAPL Canadian content designation and was published by Axanon and Shediac Music.

“Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter” became one of the most memorable Canadian pop hits of the early 1970s. It entered the RPM 100 national chart in August 1973, peaking at No. 10 the week of September 22, and reached No. 8 on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart a month later. On Vancouver’s CKLG 730 the single climbed to No. 3, also charting in Montreal, Winnipeg, and several U.S. border markets including Ann Arbor, Michigan. Record World described it as “a cutie that could warm up the airwaves,” while Cashbox praised its strong commercial appeal. The band’s easy melodic style, clean harmonies, and bright production suited the emerging CanCon radio landscape perfectly. In 1974 Chester was nominated for a Juno Award as Most Promising Group, losing to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. More than two decades later, SOCAN recognized the song with a Classics Award after surpassing 100,000 Canadian radio plays.

Despite the single’s success, Chester’s career was short-lived. Mike Argue left the group in 1974 to pursue a solo career, releasing “Dancing with Your Lady” (1974) and “Trust in Me” (1975). The remaining members issued a follow-up single, “Start a Dream,” but it failed to chart. Subsequent releases on Quality Records — “Betty Bingo” (1975) and “You Give Me Strength” (1976) — received minimal airplay, and the group dissolved soon after. Morrow later revived the Chester name briefly in 1977 with a different lineup featuring vocalist Fran Cheslo.

After Chester disbanded, Jim Mancel launched a solo career that produced several Canadian singles between 1975 and 1981, including the minor hit “Let the Phone Ring.” Glen Morrow joined Chris DeBurgh’s touring band in 1977 as keyboardist and music director, performing on fourteen world tours and more than a thousand concerts before retiring for health reasons in the mid-1990s. Monroe continued performing locally until his death in 1997. Though Chester’s output was limited to a handful of singles, “Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter” endures as a quintessential example of early-’70s Canadian pop — melodic, optimistic, and unmistakably homegrown — and the original Celebration 45 remains a memorable collectible among CanCon enthusiasts.
-Robert Williston