Information/Write-up
Cal Batchelor (1946–2015) was a Victoria-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter whose career carried him from Vancouver Island dancehalls to the heart of London’s rock scene and back again. Growing up on Vancouver Island, Batchelor cut his teeth in the local R&B and rock clubs before moving to the UK in the late 1960s, where he quickly found himself in the thick of a vibrant musical world.
In London he co-founded Quiver in 1970 with Tim Renwick, Bruce Thomas, and Willie Wilson, a band that would later merge with the Sutherland Brothers to become Sutherland Brothers & Quiver, best known for their hit “Arms of Mary.” Though Batchelor departed before the group’s mainstream success, his guitar work helped shape their early sound. He went on to tour and record with a wide circle of musicians, including a stint in Kevin Ayers’ band (appearing on The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories, 1974) and contributing guitar to Ronnie Lane’s 1980 album See Me, recorded with friends like Eric Clapton.
By the 1980s, Batchelor had returned to Canada and settled in Vancouver, where he became a fixture of the city’s blues and R&B circuit. Fronting the Cal Batchelor Band, he built a reputation for fiery live shows and soulful, guitar-driven songs. His independent releases reflect both grit and craft: Now Playing (1998), a horn-driven set of blues-rock originals, and Roadworthy (2003), a tougher, R&B-leaning outing recorded with longtime collaborators Jim Fergusson (drums) and Mike Wedge (bass and guitar). The album also featured Vancouver Hammond master Robbie King (Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Skylark, Brahman, The Hometown Band, Hans Staymer Band), captured in one of his final sessions, and Helene Duguay, a pioneering bassist and vocalist from New Brunswick who rose to prominence in the 1960s with trailblazing girl groups Les Beatlettes and Les Planètes before establishing herself in Vancouver’s music community. Keyboardist Dale Wallace added further depth to the arrangements, rounding out a lineup that embodied Batchelor’s mix of grit, soul, and blues-rock energy.
Later in life Batchelor resettled in James Bay, Victoria, where he continued to play with friends and local musicians. He passed away in December 2015, just days after the death of his wife Yvonne. Remembered as a passionate guitarist, a generous collaborator, and a musician who bridged continents while staying true to his roots, Cal Batchelor left behind a body of work that still carries the spirit of both London’s rock explosion and Vancouver Island’s enduring blues tradition.
-Robert Williston
Related performers:
Helene Duguay: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/326966-duguay-helene-by-request
Robbie King: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/329309-king-robbie-showtime-in-the-main-lounge
Cal Batchelor: guitar, vocals
Jim Fergusson: drums, percussion
Mike Wedge: bass, rhythm guitar (“Forget the Rest”)
Robbie King: Hammond organ (In loving memory, 1947–2003)
Dale Wallace: keyboards
Helen Duguay: background vocals
Produced by Cal Batchelor and Rick Boulter
Recorded at Cosmic Pig Studio, June 2003
Cover artwork by Ryan Gagné, RGI Solutions Inc
Liner notes:
It's hard to reminisce about 3 plus decades in a few words, but here goes... in the 60's I played all over Vancouver Island and even got a taste of Seattle playing in Take Four. We shared the stage with Seattle bands: The Wailers, Don and The Good Times and opened for Gary Lewis & The Playboys at the Memorial Arena. The 70's found me touring the British Isles, France, Holland, Belgium and Scandinavia. Some of the playbills listed Quiver along with Pink Floyd, The Who, Marc Bolen, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Deep Purple, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Fairport Convention and later Long John Baldry's band with Rod Stewart and the Faces. Musicians who invited me to play on their albums include Al Stewart, Curtis Maldoon, Cochise, Kevin Ayres and Ronnie Lane on his album "See Me" with Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend and Henry McCulloch... I played with Ronnie's band until his illness kept him from touring. I moved to Amsterdam and stayed for a year and a half before taking a short hiatus to Southern Ireland prior to returning to my hometown of Victoria in the early 80's. The present brings me full circle to the Canadian West Coast and into the American Northwest. Another scrapbook is filling up with pictures and this CD is a culmination of the past few years doing what I love... writing, singing and playing my tunes to an appreciative audience. The paparazzi have been kind..."manic & meaty" "slick & slippery" "uptown & upbeat" "precision-tooled roots R&B"... "you'll dig this high-energy, rock-solid belt of blues by veteran soul-surgeons"... have been said of the band and we look forward to playing live every day!
Mike Wedge: bass
This PEI native has toured most of North America with Clyde Roulette, Frankie Lee and also played with Terry Edmunds. Appeared at many major Blues Festivals (Portland, Festival in the Park, Sioux City, Iowa sharing the bill with Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers as well as The House of Blues in Boston, Mass and the Roxy, in LA. He has recorded with Kenny Wayne, with special guest Shuggie Otis. He was also in performance with Michael Coleman (former James Cotton guitarist).
"Mike offers a super, solid foundation…" Andy Grieg, West Coast Blues Review
Jim Ferguson: drums
A young veteran of many Vancouver bar and party bands. Jim has been with Cal since the beginning of the Cal Batchelor band in 1992. "You'll always find a drum or sticks or some other percussion instrument in his able hands" …this band loves him.
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