Old Enough to Forget

Opus X was a pretty big deal here in Canada when this came out in '82. While Chilliwack had been around for over a decade and was Bill Henderson's band oddly it was as a power trio that the band had it's greatest commercial success. Starting with Wanna Be a Star in 1981 that featured that most irritating and oddly really cool "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)" the band had hoped to capitalize and really break into the lucrative US market. The single would crack the Billboard top 40 peaking at number 22. Opus X a year later was suppose to drive the wedge in even further.  You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. I could tell you more about the rabbits, but I really should try and stay on topic. While the lead single "Whatcha Gonna Do" did really well here at home, it didn't perform as well as hoped in the US market, stalling literally just outside the top 40 at 41. The album was a big hit here, selling over 100,000 copies, and Bi...

Back in '82 Headpins sounded a bit (a lot) like an aggressive offshoot of the band Chilliwack. Chilliwack had been around a long time - but really seemed to take things to another level as a trio comprised of Bill Henderson, Brian MacLeod and Ab Bryant. This line-up was at the top of their game. Brian's blistering guitar added a swagger to the band's sound, most notably on Wanna Be a Star and Opus X that was also released in '82. Whereas Chilliwack was very much Bill Henderson's band, Headpins were the manifestation of Brain "Too Loud" MacLeod. It was his band, although on the album the only credit listed is for Darby Mills as vocalist. Who knows how all this came about. Maybe Brian felt the need to stretch out a little more, so he started Headpins as a side gig to unleash his hard rock side. To that end he eventually discovered a young Darby Mills who would handle the vocals, and the band dropped Turn it Loud in 1982. It was an album that got people'...