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.
Kiss Me You Fool
The Northern Pikes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But when I try to speak the words slip away
Without you by my side, I don't want to face the world
It's much too cold for me without your warm embrace
This bottle in front of me, it slowly disappears
It doesn't scratch my memory of you, my dear
Sad hours alone but I keep on standing by
Me, I've been in love and I am
And there's so much to understand
Kiss me, you fool
Kiss me, you fool
Kiss me, you fool
Before I must turn away from your heart
I crack my hand against the wall
I curse myself and curse them all
For making me the way I am
And the way you are
I'm now shaking my head wondering what went wrong
You used to be smiling and elated with what we had going on
You'd say, "God I feel good inside, haven't felt like this in a while"
It hasn't happened in sometime and I guess that's it for the ride
Me, I've been in love and I am
And there's so much to understand
Kiss me, you fool
Kiss me, you fool
Kiss me, you fool
Before I must turn away from your heart
You fool, kiss me, you fool
Kiss me, you fool
Before I must turn away from your heart
(From your heart, from your heart)
The Northern Pikes's song Kiss Me You Fool is a love song that explores the struggles and complexities of a romantic relationship. The lyrics express the singer's frustration and confusion as they struggle to articulate their feelings to their partner. The opening lines, "I know what I want to say to you, my love / But when I try to speak the words slip away," illustrate the difficulty in expressing oneself fully in a relationship. The singer also reveals their dependence on their partner, stating that without them, they don't want to face the world.
The second verse describes the singer's attempt to cope with their feelings of loneliness and longing by drinking. However, despite their attempts to forget about their lover, they find themselves unable to let go. The chorus, "Kiss me, you fool / Before I must turn away from your heart," expresses the singer's desire for their partner's affection and the fear of losing them. The final verse sees the singer reflecting on the changes in their relationship and questioning what went wrong. The song ends with a plea to their partner to kiss them before they must turn away from their heart.
Overall, the lyrics of Kiss Me You Fool serve as a poignant reminder of the complexities and challenges of romantic relationships. The song explores themes of dependence, fear, and confusion, and ends on a note of uncertainty and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
I know what I want to say to you, my love
I am aware of my feelings towards you
But when I try to speak the words slip away
I find it difficult to express myself to you verbally
Without you by my side, I don't want to face the world
I feel vulnerable and incomplete without you
It's much too cold for me without your warm embrace
Your physical presence provides comfort and warmth to me
This bottle in front of me, it slowly disappears
I drink to numb the pain of missing you
It doesn't scratch my memory of you, my dear
Drinking doesn't erase my feelings for you
Sad hours alone but I keep on standing by
I spend lonely moments without you but remain loyal
You keep me hanging on and hope that I won't leave you
You cling to me and worry that I'll abandon you
Me, I've been in love and I am
I am currently in love and have had previous experiences with it
And there's so much to understand
Love is complex and difficult to comprehend
Kiss me, you fool
Express your love physically and passionately
Before I must turn away from your heart
Before I am forced to distance myself from you emotionally
I crack my hand against the wall
I feel frustrated with myself and my circumstances
I curse myself and curse them all
I am angry and resentful towards myself and others
For making me the way I am
I blame my current state on external factors
And the way you are
I also blame our situation on your behavior
You'd say, "God I feel good inside, haven't felt like this in a while"
You used to express happiness and contentment with me
It hasn't happened in sometime and I guess that's it for the ride
We have lost the spark and our relationship is over
You fool, kiss me, you fool
Express your love to me despite the circumstances
Before I must turn away from your heart
Before we are forced to emotionally separate
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jillmac2137
Saw them in concert and snuck backstage tomeet them. So sweet and kind!
@peterdarbyshire8765
Never knew about Garth. Just adds to the joy! Love this song!!
@johnwitkowski8462
Garth Hudson playing with the Pikes on the Snow in June album. Fabulous.
@jayjoejeanz
Such a nice song. I miss all the awesome Canadian bands of the 80s/90s
@The.squirrelwhisperer
Such brillant,melodic, creative genius is the PIKES, Canadiana at its best, .,no weak songs any LP by them!
@NihongoWill
Such beautiful music. You guys are the best
@2uconner
❤❤❤❤awwwwww😊
@ingridr8917
What a great song. Love the vocals so much!
@dbailey62
It's just so cool to see the legendary John Sebastion playing Autoharp and the even more legendary Garth Hudson playing accordion on this video.
@chrave1956
I missed them first time round , thanks David Bailey - you old man, like me !