Dee and the Yeomen - Take the First Train Home b/w Why Why Why?

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Take the First Train Home	02:28

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Why Why Why?	02:36

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

When Yorkville Roared: Dee and the Yeomen

Dee and the Yeomen were formed in Toronto in the mid-1960s around British vocalist and bandleader Graham “Dee” Dunnett, whose professional career had begun in the United Kingdom in 1957. Between 1957 and 1961 Dunnett fronted more than twenty working bands on the British club circuit, gaining extensive experience before deciding that England offered too few opportunities for the level of success he sought.

In 1962 Dunnett relocated to Hamburg, Germany, where he led a group called The Starliners during a period of intense musical activity in the city. The Starliners worked in the same orbit as several rising Merseybeat acts, backing both The Beatles and Gerry & the Pacemakers at various points and appearing in a British teen film. This experience placed Dunnett at the center of the early British rock explosion just before it broke internationally.

After six months in France, Dunnett moved to North America in 1963, believing that Canada offered better prospects than the UK. Settling in Toronto, he sought musicians capable of supporting his vision of a professional recording and touring band. In the autumn of 1963 he connected with Terry Watkinson of Fort William (formerly of Sonny & the Sequins) and Toronto drummer Len Lytwyn. Together they recorded their first single, “Say Baby (Who Am I)” b/w “You Should Know It.” The record received sufficient attention that the trio formally adopted the name Dee and the Yeomen in early 1964.

That same year the band secured regular work in Toronto’s burgeoning Yorkville district, becoming a fixture in the city’s coffeehouse scene before landing a coveted residency at the Night Owl, one of the key venues of Yorkville’s mid-60s “free love” era. Their visibility in this scene made them one of the better-known rock acts in Toronto outside of the mainstream nightclub circuit.

Throughout 1965 and 1966 Dee and the Yeomen released a steady run of singles on independent labels, refining a sound rooted in Merseybeat, garage-tinged pop, and early rock. In the spring of 1966 they were signed to REO Records, one of Canada’s higher-profile labels of the period. Their first REO single, “A Love Like Mine,” reached #1 in several regional markets. Another release, “In a Minute or Two,” also achieved #1 status on select West Coast radio stations.

Beyond Toronto, the band worked extensively across Ontario, played high schools and youth clubs, and took bookings in Montreal, Calgary, and the Canadian East Coast, establishing themselves as a reliable touring act during the peak years of the British Invasion.

Over time the group underwent multiple lineup and name changes. Initially known simply as Dee and the Yeomen, they later became Rock Show of the Yeomen after Dunnett’s temporary departure, with Bob Smith replacing him on lead guitar and vocals and Laurie Keller joining on bass to complete the sound. Dunnett eventually returned to form Dee and the Quotum (without Watkinson), while the remaining members continued under variations of the Yeomen name.

By the final phase, billed simply as The Yeomen, none of the original founding members remained in the group.
-Robert Williston (with input from the band)

Musicians
Graham “Dee” Dunnett: vocals, guitar
Terry Watkinson: keyboards
Len Lytwyn: drums

Songwriting
'Take the First Train Home' written by Terry Watkinson
'Why Why Why?' written by Graham Dunnett

second single and only on Cancut

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