Numerous drummers came and went until June of 1986, when Don Schmid joined to make it a permanent quartet. With the help of friend and local booking agent Robert Hodgins, the band cut its teeth on the prairie bar circuit. The combination of exciting live performances, well-received indie albums, and the continuous stream of demos caught the ear of Doug Chappell, President of Virgin Records, Canada, and with the help of managers Fraser Hill and Ed Smeall, The Pikes signed to the label on December 19, 1986.
In January 1987, the band began sessions at Metal Works Studio in Toronto with producers Rick Hutt and Fraser Hill, and they finished mixing at McClear Place Studios for what would become its first Virgin album, titled 'Big Blue Sky'. It was released in June of '87 and featured the singles "Teenland" and "Things I Do For Money", introducing the band to a wider audience and expanding the touring range to all parts of Canada and the USA.
Spring of 1988 saw The Pikes at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, NY. and later in Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec for the recording and mixing of 'Secrets of the Alibi'. The sophomore album had a more "live off the floor" feel, and the heavy airplay of single "Wait For Me" and "Hopes Go Astray" kept the band on the road virtually non-stop across the continent until the summer of '89.
Up to this point, the primary singers and songwriters were Jay and Merl, with the exception of some group compositions and "Hopes" written by Bryan. The Pikes third album Snow In June saw the blossoming of Bryan as a singer and writer, most notably for the hit single "She Ain't Pretty". In addition the album featured other hits, "Girl With A Problem" and "Kiss Me You Fool", and featured a star-studded cast of additional musicians - Garth Hudson, Crystal Taliefero, John Sebastian and Stan Szelest, as well as mixes by acclaimed engineers Bob Clearmountain and Hugh Padgham. Recording again in Bearsville and mixing at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, the Pikes spent almost six months working on the album, considered by many to be their finest.
After almost two years of touring to support Snow In June, the band began work on Neptune in July of '92 at A&M Studios in LA with Rob Jaczko as co-producer. Subsequent sessions continued at Metal Works in Toronto and Blue Jay Studio in Boston. From start to finish the album took exactly two months to record, mix and master¤ the fastest turnaround since their indie days- Released in November, Neptune featured the keyboard work of Ross Nykiforuk, also a native of Saskatoon and an on-stage addition for the Snow In June tour. Also featured were two duets with Margo Timmins of "Cowboy Junkies", one of which¤ "Worlds Away"¤ made its way onto an episode of the TV series "Due South". The album featured the singles "Twister", "Believe" and "Everything", and in December saw the band fly from one end of Canada to the other on a whirlwind tour promoting the record.
The spring of '93 saw the last tour for The Pikes, and the fifth and final album gig, recorded live during concerts in Montreal and Toronto. It featured 13 songs and showcased the raw energy the band always exhibited onstage.
The Northern Pikes played their final concert of this first era on July 2, 1993 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Their unofficial final recording session took place July 9, '93 in Don's "Fresh Vibe North" studio where Jay, Bryan, Don and Ross laid down the original tracks for the theme song to "Due South" written by Jay and Bryan. Shortly afterwards, the band disbanded.
However, in 1999, the band reformed to build a Greatest Hits package, called "Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984-1993." On the subsequent tour to promote this album, the band decided to release a live work in 2000 ("Live"). This was followed by a studio album in 2001 ("Truest Inspiration"), and another in 2003 ("It's a Good Life"). A collaborative album with fellow Canadian artist Les Stroud followed-up in 2008. They've continued to tour over the past few years.
Chain Of Flowers
The Northern Pikes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me know so I don't head again, down that road
Chain of flowers left in memory
It too withers and is gone
From our lives and from our minds
As we move along
Backwards maybe, thought seems crazy
You just don't know
Chain of flowers hangin' 'round her neck
Chain of flowers
I wonder, if you'll pull that trigger and I'll be gone
No remorse and no feelings
Now and onward on
Chain of flowers left in memory
It too withers and is gone
From our lives and from our minds
As we move along
Backwards maybe, thought seems crazy
You just don't know
I'm fading away, I'm tired and I want to go
Backwards maybe, thought seems crazy
You just don't know
I'm fading away
I'm tired and I want to go, backwards maybe
Chain of flowers hangin' round her neck
Chain of flowers
The Northern Pikes's Chain of Flowers is a melancholic reflection on lost love and regret. The singer of the song is questioning where he went wrong with his love interest and expresses his desire to avoid making the same mistakes in future relationships. He compares their relationship to a chain of flowers left as a memory, but even that fades away with time. As he reflects on his past, he considers the possibility of going back and changing the course of events. However, he acknowledges that the thought of going back seems crazy, leaving him with a sense of weariness and a desire to just fade away.
The song's chorus features the repetition of the phrase "chain of flowers" that hangs around the girl's neck, symbolizing the memory and the weight of the past relationship. The lyrics of the song convey a sense of sadness and regret, capturing the feeling of looking back on a past love and wishing things were different. The song is undoubtedly a poignant reminder of the impermanence of things and the fleeting nature of human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder, where I went wrong with you girl
I'm reflecting on what I did that caused our relationship to fall apart.
Let me know so I don't head again, down that road
Please tell me where I made a mistake so I won't repeat it in future relationships.
Chain of flowers left in memory
I remember the beautiful moments we shared together.
It too withers and is gone
Those happy times have passed and won't come back.
From our lives and from our minds
We can't hold onto the past forever, we have to move on.
As we move along
Life goes on and we must keep moving forward.
Backwards maybe, thought seems crazy
Sometimes I feel like turning back time, but I know it's not rational.
You just don't know
Others can't understand my feelings and desires to go back in time.
I'm fading away, I'm tired and I want to go, backwards maybe
I'm losing energy and feel exhausted from moving forward, sometimes I wish I could go back in time.
Chain of flowers hangin' 'round her neck
I remember the woman I loved wearing a chain of flowers around her neck.
I wonder, if you'll pull that trigger and I'll be gone
I'm afraid that my mistakes may lead to the end of our relationship.
No remorse and no feelings
If I lose you, I won't have anyone but myself to blame.
Now and onward on
I have to move past my mistakes and continue on with life.
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.