Townsmen, The - We're Doing Fine: The Anthology

Tracks

Disc 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	The Lion Sleeps Tonight	03:00
	2	We're Doing Fine	02:51
	3	He's in Town	02:52
	4	Back Yards	03:07
	5	Pineland Stomp	02:16
	6	Take a Heart	03:22
	7	I'm Such a Dreamer	01:54
	8	Funny How Love Can Be	01:44
	9	Heaven in the Middle of Town	02:02
	10	He's in Town	02:42
	11	Back Yards	02:59
	12	Rocking Chair	02:41
	13	The Jar	02:22
	14	Harold - Come On Up	02:30
	15	Harold - Afternoon Magic	02:41
	16	Harold - Ode to Linoleum	01:27
	17	Harold - Oh Mayonnaise	04:14
	18	The Wind is Blowing Diamonds Tonight	03:24
	19	I Can't Find My Way Home Tonight Without You	03:09
	20	The Darnels - Every Other Guy	02:16
	21	The Darnels - Day After Lonely Day	03:08
	22	The Continentals - I Want a Dream	02:19
	23	Are You Angry With Me Patty? (Jades)	02:25
	24	Lori & Diane - Mr. Keymaker	01:53
	25	Lori & Diane - It Bothers Me	02:45
	26	Lori & Diane - Billy Brown	02:29
	27	Lori & Diane - Be	02:45

Disc 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Back Yards	03:24
	2	He's in Town (alternate)	02:57
	3	Medley: You Were on My Mind - I Can't Let Go	03:41
	4	Medley: Good Thing - Kicks - Hungry - The Great Airplane Strike	07:32
	5	The Lion Sleeps Tonight (live)	03:11
	6	With a Girl Like You	02:56
	7	Medley: Devil With a Blue Dress - Good Golly Miss Molly	04:01
	8	For What it's Worth	05:57
	9	Hang On Sloopy	04:03
	10	Gimme Some Lovin'	05:48
	11	I'm Such a Dreamer (live)	02:35
	12	Funny How Love Can Be (live)	02:30
	13	Memphis	03:01
	14	We're Doing Fine (Live Wolfman Jack Radio)	02:57
	15	He's in Town (live, alternate)	03:35
	16	The Kids are Alright	03:10
	17	San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)	04:47
	18	The Lion Sleeps Tonight (live - alternate)	04:07
	19	We're Doing Fine (live)	03:17

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

The Townsmen were a mid-1960s Ottawa pop-rock group whose brief but intense run captured the moment when local Canadian bands could translate regional momentum into national chart action. Formed in late 1965, the group emerged from the same tight Ottawa–Hull circuit that had already produced The Esquires, The Darnels, and The Staccatos, and they benefited directly from the experience, ambition, and professional expectations that scene had developed.

The band came together after the breakup of The Esquires, when drummer Paul Huot contacted guitarist Dave Milliken of The Darnels about forming a new, more vocally driven group. Milliken agreed, and early discussions with Huot and singer Andy Legault quickly solidified into a new lineup that also included bassist Wayne Leslie and powerful Nova Scotia–born vocalist Frank Morrison. After an initial meeting in Masson, Quebec, the group committed to several months of intensive rehearsal, often five nights a week, refining a sound built around five-part harmonies, strong lead vocals, and a repertoire that blended British Invasion material with contemporary North American pop and rock.

Local music columnist and promoter Sandy Gardiner, who had previously worked with The Esquires and The Staccatos, recognized the band’s potential and took on management duties. Gardiner’s instinct for repertoire proved crucial: he sourced songs that suited Morrison’s voice and the band’s harmonic strengths, including material written specifically for them by Les Emmerson and Vern Craig of The Staccatos. This partnership led directly to The Townsmen’s debut single, “I’m Such a Dreamer” b/w “Take a Heart,” released on Regency Records in late 1965. The record became an immediate success, climbing to number 18 on the national RPM chart and into the Top 3 locally, transforming the group almost overnight from a promising club act into one of Ottawa’s most in-demand bands.

Throughout 1966 and 1967, The Townsmen maintained a steady recording and touring schedule, releasing a string of singles that kept them on Canadian radio while they worked relentlessly on the road. Follow-up releases such as “Funny How Love Can Be” b/w “Heaven in the Middle of Town,” the double-sided hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” b/w “We’re Doing Fine,” and “He’s in Town” b/w “Back Yards” reinforced their reputation as a reliable hit-making group with strong vocal arrangements and a confident, contemporary sound. Radio support—particularly from Ottawa stations like CFRA—played a key role in sustaining their profile, and the band toured widely across Ontario, Quebec, and into the northern United States, appearing at dance halls, universities, and major concerts. Highlights included high-profile shows such as Ottawa’s Holiday Hop, where they shared the bill with The Staccatos and Montreal’s MG and the Escorts before thousands of fans.

Like many successful bands of the era, The Townsmen experienced frequent lineup changes as touring pressures, shifting musical tastes, and personal circumstances took their toll. Andy Legault departed for health-related reasons and was later remembered fondly by bandmates, while Paul Huot eventually left citing musical differences. Other musicians passed through the group, including Gary Comeau, Buddy Stanton, John Bacho, Greg McGee, Scott Cushnie, Jim McIntyre, Loch MacFadyen, and Jack Arsenault, each contributing to different phases of the band’s evolution. By the time the group recorded their final single, “Rocking Chair” b/w “The Jar,” leased to Polydor Records in 1968 and recorded on then-new 16-track equipment at RCA Studios in Montreal, the original cohesion that had driven their early success had largely dissipated.

By early 1968, internal strain and changing musical conditions brought The Townsmen’s original run to an end. Members moved on to a wide range of careers, both within and outside music, including later work with groups such as Canada Goose and James Leroy & Denim, as well as professions in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, and media production. Periodic reunions followed, including a 1987 Christmas single and benefit concerts celebrating Ottawa’s rock-and-roll heritage, reaffirming the band’s enduring local significance.

In retrospect, The Townsmen represent a peak moment in Ottawa’s 1960s pop scene: a band that combined professional ambition, strong songwriting support, and relentless live work to achieve genuine national impact. Their recordings, later collected on archival releases, document a group operating at the intersection of British-influenced pop, North American rock, and the uniquely Canadian conditions of the pre-CanCon era, securing their place in the country’s rock-and-roll history.
-Robert Williston

Lineups
1965–1966 (original formation / Regency debut)
Frank Morrison: lead vocals, percussion
Andy Legault: vocals, guitar
Dave Milliken: lead guitar, vocals
Wayne Leslie: bass, vocals
Paul Huot: drums, vocals

1966 (early transition)
Frank Morrison: lead vocals, percussion
Dave Milliken: lead guitar, vocals
Wayne Leslie: bass, vocals
Paul Huot: drums, vocals
Gary Comeau: guitar

1966–1967 (Regency hit period)
Frank Morrison: lead vocals, percussion
Dave Milliken: lead guitar, vocals
Wayne Leslie: bass, vocals
John Bacho: guitar, vocals
Buddy Stanton: keyboards, vocals

1967–1968 (late period / Polydor single)
Frank Morrison: lead vocals, percussion
Wayne Leslie: bass
Greg McGee: drums
Scott Cushnie: keyboards

1968 (final touring lineup)
Frank Morrison: lead vocals
Wayne Leslie: bass
Greg McGee: drums
Jack Arsenault: keyboards
Loch MacFadyen: guitar
Jim McIntyre: guitar

1987 (reunion recording and benefits)
Frank Morrison: vocals
Wayne Leslie: bass
Jim McIntyre: guitar
Phil Bova: guitar
Greg Jeeves: drums

Comments