Information/Write-up
Saskatchewan-born fiddler Mike Harris made his mark on the Canadian country and old-time music circuit in the 1960s with his lively, precise playing and a knack for assembling tight, versatile backing groups. Born and raised in Prince Albert, Harris developed a love for the violin at an early age and, after only three years of practice in the basement of his home, entered an Old Time fiddle contest against some of Canada’s top players — and won by unanimous vote. The victory set him on the path to a professional career.
Over the years, Harris built a repertoire numbering in the thousands, spanning Canadian fiddle standards, prairie jigs, waltzes, and breakdowns, as well as southern U.S. tunes from the “Old South” tradition. His versatility and skill earned him a place in events from local dances to international stages, performing across Canada, the United States, and abroad in places such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Greenland. He appeared with acts including Wayne Newton, Art Linkletter, Whovser Hot Shots, and The Lancers, and was a featured fiddler at the world-famous WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia.
One of his under-documented projects from this period was Fiddle Favorites, a 1966 LP credited to Mike Harris and The Charm-Ettes on the Rev label (LP-1005). The album is a pure instrumental showcase, firmly rooted in prairie fiddle tradition and filled with well-loved jigs, waltzes, and breakdowns played with tight, energetic ensemble backing. Harris leads throughout on fiddle, supported by The Charm-Ettes — a trio that, in this incarnation, included his wife Gracie Dee on snare drum alongside two guitarists. The absence of vocals allows Harris’s fiddle tone and phrasing to shine, while the group’s rhythm section keeps the performances lively and danceable.
RPM Magazine took notice of the group during this period, featuring regional coverage of Harris and The Charm-Ettes’ appearances on Western Canadian country shows and community events. The magazine’s listings placed them alongside a wave of mid-’60s prairie performers pressing small-run LPs for local sale, a practice that kept their records in the hands of dance hall audiences and radio DJs rather than in national distribution. Fiddle Favorites was occasionally advertised in RPM’s “Regional Albums” columns, though it never saw widespread chart action, underscoring its status as a collector’s item today.
While details of the Fiddle Favorites session remain scarce, the record captures a moment when Canadian regional acts were often family-driven enterprises. In hindsight, it also offers an early glimpse of Gracie Dee before she became known as a vocalist in her own right. One of the other Charm-Ettes on the cover bears a striking resemblance to Gracie, possibly her twin or a close relative, adding a small layer of mystery to the group’s history.
Harris went on to release additional albums on Rada Records out of Burnaby, B.C., including Orange Blossom Special and On the Road, both of which further showcased his mastery of jigs, hornpipes, and breakdowns, as well as his adaptability in band settings. These LPs underline his enduring commitment to old-time fiddle music while reflecting the mid-century boom in independently pressed Canadian country records — a phenomenon well-documented in RPM’s coverage of the period.
An appealing artifact of mid-’60s prairie country music, Fiddle Favorites stands as both a testament to Mike Harris’s skill as a bandleader and a rare surviving document of The Charm-Ettes’ brief recording career. Original pressings are scarce, and the LP remains a sought-after piece among collectors of Canadian fiddle and regional country music.
-Robert Williston
Related acts:
https://citizenfreak.com/artists/93871-dee-gracie
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