User:Mickstars5/Rapid Tears

"RAPID TEARS" The History of

Submitted: Nov 22/2009

Rapid Tears were a heavy metal rock group from Toronto Canada. The group began its formation in 1977 when "Michael J. Miller" (songwriter/guitarist)moved to Toronto from his home town Goderich Ontario. Michael was encouraged by his friend Duane Wells to move to Toronto and pursue his career. Through checking out classified adds, music store billboards and various agencies Michael met drummer "Rick Nemes". Together, Michael and Rick began formulating what type of group and music they wanted to be the Style of Rapid Tears, Heavy Metal.

Michael came to Toronto armed with an assortment of song ideas so "Mike & Rick" found a rehearsal hall and commenced rehearsing the songs and auditioning singers, guitarists and bass players. After months of labourious meetings and auditions, the Rapid Tears line-up was complete.

Michael J. Miller - Songwriter,Lead guitar, background vocals, Leader Rick Nemes - Drummer Brian Frank - Lead vocalist, lyricist Clayton Bonin - Songwriter, Lead guitar Adam Sherban - Bassist

In 1979 Rapid Tears did their first recording at Comfort Sound in Toronto. They recorded 3 songs, "Androids", "Aftermath" & "Preparation", Engineered by Doug Clements.

The band found management with GWR Productions "George Rivers" who managed "The Hell drivers" a stunt car and crash up derby team that was tearing up the racetracks at community fairgrounds across the land.

With more new songs on the go, Rapid Tears started planning to go back into the recording studio. Michael and Rick had previously met wtih "Black Sabbath" guitarist "Tony Iomi" who at the time was in Toronto recording Sabbath's 7th album "Never say Die" at Toronto's top recording studio "Sounds Interchange". It was at "Sounds Interchange" where Rapid Tears decided to do their next recording. They recorded two songs "Operation airlift" & Tomorrow" and released their first 45 rpm. single on their own label "Guardian Records".

Rapid Tears continued to play gigs In Toronto but in 1980 came to heads with "GWR" their management company. Over the next year Rapid Tears sought out management and placed themselves under the control of a new company (Name withheld). The mangement suggested they learn a bunch of cover tunes (which they did) and were then sent out on a northern Ontario & Quebec tour. It was on the road in Montreal when Michael J. Miller said to the band "being out out here playing cover music is accomplishing nothing, let's get back to Toronto and concentrate on making a whole Rapid Tears album. They returned to Toronto broke and ownig the management and agency money (dues for arranging the bookings).

The band had an existing friendship with Engineer/Producer at "Cottingham Sound" and record company owner Tom Atom and his partner Ken Doidge(Chameleon Records). Chameleon had the band come in to the studio to record a few songs. Chameleon Records was planning to release a compilation album called "the Circuit". The artwork by "Verne" for "The Circuit" was a terrific painting of all the top Toronto rock clubs ie. "The Gasworks, The El Mocambo, Larry's Hideaway, The Horsehoe, The Edge", so on and so on, all joined together on one main street. Chameleon added two Rapid Tears songs to "The Circuit", "Heart of Predestination" and "Discontent intentions".

After completing the release of "The Circuit", Rapid Tears and Chameleon drew up a recording contract and went straight to work on recording the first full length Rapid Tears album. During the recording, bassist Adam Sherban left was replaced by new bass player Jon Wein. After the temporary setback, the band was back on track. Nine songs were recorded and mixed, then "Operation Airlift" & "Tomorrow" were added to the LP. The LP was entitled Rapid Tears "Honestly".

The song titles on Honestly are as follows;

Side A

Survival Headbang Eliminator Actress of Pasion Variations Operation Airlift

Side B Wonderland Down on You Tomorrow Here to Heaven Keep Runnin

The artwork for "Honestly" was done by "Verne". It was the painting of a lady (possibly the Virgin Mary) crying, her tears falling from her eyes and flowing into a pool. She was the color blue and the album background was white. The back of the LP was a grand picture of the group standing in the clouds. The back picture later became the front cover of "Honestly", resulting in making the original white and blue cover a very rare collector item with only 1000 copies in print.

A single 45 rpm record entitled Headbang/Wonderland was released. It was packaged in a fancy paper jacket that was actually a close up photo of a person in a black leather biker jacket. The single was submitted to Q107 radio in Toronto. At this time Q107 had show that featured two new singles by different artists and it aired Monday to Friday at 6:00pm. The show was called Q107 Rock Wars. The Idea of the show was to air one single and then the other back to back and have callers call in to vote on which single he or she preferred. If a single suvived the whole week as being voted the favourite from Monday to Friday, then the song and the artist were inducted into the "Q107 Rock Wars Hall of Fame". On day one "Headbang" was aired against a song by "Streetheart", Headbang was victorious. On day two "Headbang" went up against a song from "Thin Lizzy", again Headbang won the vote. On day three, "Headbang" against a 10 CC song, Headbang again the winner. Day 4 Headbang won, now just one more day to go and "Rapid Tears could be Rock wars Champions. On Friday day 5, Van Halen released their new single, a Roy Orbison cover song "Pretty Woman".  Valen Halen's single was a smash and "Rapid Tears" Headbang was no longer a contender for the Q107 Rock Wars Hall of Fame. Q107 continued to feature some of the song from "Honestly" on their Q107 Metal Hour. Chameleon Records and Cottingham Sound merged with another company Wexford studios (later to become "Enormous Sound Studios"). Chameleon continued their contract with Rapid Tears and brought the band into the new facility to start recording their next release. In 1984 Rapid Tears released their 4 song EP. entitled "Cry for Mercy".

The song titles on "Cry for Mercy" are as follows;

Side A: Tossin Turnin, Eve Of Rock Side B: Electric Shockwave, Cry For Mercy

At this point "Rapid Tears" were gaining momentum and Toronto's "City TV" The "New Music Program" started to take notice. Rapid Tears were headlining a metal bash at "Larry's Hideaway" featuring eight metal bands from Toronto. City TV were there hailing it as Toronto's "Metal Meltdown". Rapid Tears were filmed and clips from the show were aired on the "New Music Program" which was syndicated across Canada being played countless times across Canada. Rapid Tears were scheduled on triple bill at "The Concert Hall" in Toronto with Exciter from Ottawa and an punk band (name unknown). City TV were there to film the event. The "New music program" scheduled a personal interview with Rapid Tears which was hosted by City TV's Daniel Richeleur. The interview was filmed at lead singer Brian Frank's house in Willowdale. This interview featured Brian Frank and Michael J. Miller representing Rapid Tears. The footage from the Concert hall show and the interview in willowdale were edited together and were featured on the "New Music Program". This program was also syndicated across Canada and was aired many times over the next few years. Due to personal conflicts and unreconcilable differences, the band was starting to fall apart. By 1985, members of Rapid Tears were becoming involved with other interests and the group disbanded.