Knights of the Mystic Sea - Pretty Woman and Ugly Men b/w Harpoon

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Pretty Woman and Ugly Men	03:37

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Harpoon	03:37

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Information/Write-up

At first glance, the Knights of the Mystic Sea might not look like a blues band — and that was entirely by design.

By 1974, Morgan Davis had already immersed himself in Toronto’s blues circuit, jamming with legends and absorbing the electric and country blues traditions that shaped his sound. But with the disco era on the rise, the word "blues" was increasingly a liability on the Ontario club scene. Booking agents wanted glossy, radio-friendly bands — not juke-joint throwbacks — and being labeled a blues act could mean empty calendars. Davis, ever the pragmatist, adapted.

The second lineup of the Knights — Fraser Finlayson on harp and vocals, Jimmy Reed on bass, and Danny Haugh on drums — suited up in crushed velvet tuxedos and posed for a rare full-colour promo shot. When club owners asked what kind of music they played, the answer was simple: "Dance music." But once on stage, the band delivered nothing but the blues — raw, swinging, and steeped in tradition.

Their lone single, Pretty Woman and Ugly Men b/w Harpoon, was pressed privately on Gyp Records in an edition of just 100 copies, handed out at gigs and quickly vanishing into collector folklore. The A-side (labeled “Side B”) is a swaggering Davis original, showcasing his wry lyricism and snarling guitar tone. The B-side (“Side C”) gives Fraser Finlayson room to shine, unleashing sharp harp leads over a deep shuffle groove.

Lo-fi, under-the-radar, and fiercely authentic, the Knights of the Mystic Sea are a fascinating footnote in Morgan Davis’s storied career — a band that beat the disco era at its own game by dressing the part while never once compromising the music.
-Robert Williston

Morgan Davis: guitar, lead vocals
Fraser Finlayson: blues harp, vocals
Jimmy Reed: bass
Danny Haugh: drums

Written by Morgan Davis (Pretty Woman and Ugly Men); and Fraser Finlayson (Harpoon)
Engineered by Rodney W. Curry
Recording supervisor: Clare Burt

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