Surbey, Patty with The Canadian V.I.P.'s
Websites:
No
Origin:
Burnaby, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:
Burnaby vocalist Patty Surbey emerged briefly but vividly on Vancouver’s early 1960s rock scene, releasing two singles that have since become prized artefacts of the city’s first wave of teen-beat recording. Her debut, ‘(I Want) A Beatle For Christmas’ backed with ‘Christmas All Year ’Round’ (Aragon 402), appeared in late 1964, just three months after the Beatles’ appearance at Empire Stadium. Aragon Records owner Al Reusch later recalled that World Pacific in the United States had planned to issue the single, but a delayed mailing meant the master arrived too close to Christmas for proper promotion. In Vancouver the record became a substantial local hit, including a CFUN “Twin Pick Hit” listing for the week of December 12, 1964.
‘(I Want) A Beatle For Christmas’ was crafted for the young teen audience swept up in Beatlemania. Surbey delivers it with a bright, youthful tone reminiscent of early teen-idol pop, complete with playful squeals, call-backs and a sense of buoyant infatuation. The Canadian V.I.P.’s provide a tight, lively backing built around bass, drums, keyboards and strummed rhythm guitar. The song resurfaced decades later on the Bear Family compilation Real Gone Aragon (2003), drawing renewed attention to Surbey’s spirited performance and the V.I.P.’s musicianship.
The flip side, ‘Christmas All Year ’Round’ is a mid-tempo garage-styled track featuring a strong lead break from guitarist Dave Trainor and a driving rhythm section beneath Surbey’s energetic vocal.
Surbey and the Canadian V.I.P.’s followed the Aragon release with ‘Hey Boy’ backed with ‘Everyone I Know’ in 1965. The single was recorded in Seattle at Audio Recording, the long-running studio operated by engineer Kearney Barton, whose approach shaped much of the Pacific Northwest’s early rock sound. Though ‘Hey Boy’ was initially recorded for Aragon and may have had a short internal pressing, no verified Aragon copies have surfaced. The master was subsequently leased to Sparton for wider distribution. Surbey’s material from this period was co-written with Jeff Aitken, who also managed the Canadian V.I.P.’s and likely oversaw her involvement with the group.
In 1966 Surbey appeared on CBC’s youth-oriented program Let’s Go, joining other young Vancouver performers including Terry Jacks, Howie Vickers and Susan Pesklevits. Her segments on the series featured contemporary British Invasion material and mark one of her last known televised performances before she left the music business. She later resettled in Ontario.
The Canadian V.I.P.’s lineup included Jim Bach on bass, Wayne Dahl on vocals, Louis Petrie on keyboards, Patty Surbey on vocals, Dave Trainor on guitar and Pat Trainor on drums, with Norm Hanson occasionally filling in on bass. Their brief partnership with Surbey documents a small but memorable part of Vancouver’s early rock and roll culture, preserved today through two rare and enduring singles.
-Robert Williston
Patty Surbey: vocals
Dave Trainor: guitar
Pat Trainor: drums
Louis Petrie: keyboards
Wayne Dahl: vocals
Jim Bach: bass
Norm Hanson: bass (occasional substitute)
