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.
Walk Away
The Northern Pikes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More angry than sad
More hopeless than bad
Hurt - more lonesome than pain
More ruthless than pride
That builds up inside
You can't just walk away
You can't just walk away from love
You controlling my life
Believe what you want
I'm wishing you well
And you're leaving me now
You can't just walk away
You can't just leave your past behind
You can't just walk away from love
Tears sting more than sweat
Tear out at your heart
The face that you knew
And will not forget
You can't just walk away
You can't just leave your past behind
You can't just walk away from love
You can't just walk away from love
The lyrics to The Northern Pikes's song "Walk Away" convey the complexity and pain that come with trying to let go of a past love. The opening lines set the tone by stating that hate can be more thoughtless, angry, and hopeless than love. The following lines continue this theme by describing hurt as more lonesome and ruthless than pain or pride. The emotions described in the song are intense and overwhelming; even tears are said to sting more than sweat.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the difficulty of walking away from love. The repetition of the phrase "you can't just walk away" emphasizes the importance of confronting and dealing with one's feelings. The line "you're controlling my life" suggests that the singer feels trapped by their emotions and unable to move on. Despite this, the singer acknowledges that they must let go, even if it's painful. The final lines of the song emphasize that love is not something that can be easily forgotten or left behind.
Overall, the lyrics to "Walk Away" are a poignant exploration of the emotional toll of letting go of a past love. The song is a reminder that, even though it's difficult, it's important to confront and process one's emotions instead of ignoring them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hate - more thoughtless than love
Hate is an emotion that is often fueled without reflection, unlike love which requires deep thought and consideration.
More angry than sad
Hate breeds more anger compared to sadness, which is a less intense emotion.
More hopeless than bad
Hate creates more of a feeling of hopelessness compared to just being bad or immoral.
Hurt - more lonesome than pain
Hurt is often accompanied by feelings of loneliness, unlike physical pain which can be shared and treated.
More ruthless than pride that builds up inside
The pain of hurt can be more severe than one's own pride, which is often internalized and self-inflicted.
You can't just walk away
Leaving a situation or relationship behind isn't always the easy solution, as it may have lasting emotional effects.
You can't just leave your past behind
The past can shape an individual's present and future, and it can be difficult to move on without addressing it properly.
You can't just walk away from love
Love can have a powerful hold on people's lives, and simply walking away from it may not be as simple as it seems.
You controlling my life
One person's love for another can sometimes result in feelings of control and loss of freedom.
Believe what you want, I'm wishing you well
When leaving a relationship behind, one can accept that the other person may have a different perspective or belief, but still wish them happiness.
And you're leaving me now
Being left by someone, regardless of the reason, can be painful and difficult to accept.
Tears sting more than sweat
Crying and expressing emotion can hurt more than physical exertion or hard work.
Tear out at your heart
Emotional pain can be intense and feel like it is physically affecting the body.
The face that you knew and will not forget
Memories of someone can be powerful and difficult to let go of, even after they have left your life.
You can't just walk away
The chorus is repeated to emphasize the difficulty and complexity of leaving love behind.
You can't just leave your past behind
The past can continue to affect the present and future, even when one is trying to move on.
You can't just walk away from love
Once again, the chorus is repeated to emphasize the emotional hold that love can have on people's lives.
Contributed by Arianna N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.