Lively Country

Stew Fargo was a country-rock singer and songwriter from Niagara Falls, Ontario. He recorded for Little Guy Records, a small Niagara Falls label, and worked closely with Toronto composer, arranger and producer Paul J. Zaza through the late 1970s.

His own song ‘Country Gigolo’ was out on Little Guy by 1976, backed with another Fargo original, ‘That’s All Right’. The label ran an ad in the June 12, 1976 issue of RPM billing it as a No. 1 single, and by September Canadian country stations were reporting it to the magazine.

‘Easy Chair’ followed in 1977, backed with ‘I’m Goin’ Home’ (ST-57886). It reached No. 28 on the CJOK Fort McMurray country chart in June and was on the CKEN Annapolis Valley playlist that November.

Both songs ended up on Lively Country, the album Fargo named after his television series. He recorded it at Zaza Sound Productions in Toronto, with Zaza arranging, playing keyboards and co-producing with Mike Lococo. Brian Russell played guitar, David Piltch bass, and Dave Brown and Barry Keane drums. Fargo wrote five of the twelve songs: ‘I Do, I Do’, ‘Wild Woman’, ‘Country Gigolo’, ‘Easy Chair’ and ‘Till Morning Arrives’. Lococo wrote five more, including ‘Devil’s Highway’ and ‘Room 24’, and Doug Wass contributed ‘Ginger’. Little Guy issued the album, manufactured by World Records as WRC1-627.

The Lively Country series was produced by Lionel Shenken’s Visual Productions for CHCH Hamilton, with music by Zaza. By May 1978 Fargo had appeared in four television programs over the previous year, broadcast coast to coast and also shown in California and the United Kingdom. That month RPM reported he had signed to host a 26-week country series, with plans to bring leading Canadian country artists on as guests.

Little Guy also released ‘Room 24’ backed with ‘That Old Ship Lady Luck’ (LGR-011) that May, both Lococo songs recorded at Zaza’s Toronto studio. RPM made ‘Room 24’ one of its country picks in the May 27, 1978 issue.

‘Country Gigolo’ found a new audience in Ghostkeeper, the Canadian horror film Zaza scored. It was shot at the Deer Lodge near Lake Louise, Alberta, in December 1980 and released in 1982.

Fargo later recorded ‘Alone In A Crowded Room’ backed with ‘Come The Light’ for Zaza’s ZSP label, produced by Zaza with Ron Wicken as executive producer. In 1984 Shotgun Records issued his Christmas single, ‘It’s Christmas Time’ backed with ‘A Joyful Spirit’, produced by Bob Loomis.

-Robert Williston