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Spoons is a Canadian new wave band, formed in Burlington, Ontario in 1979. They released several Canadian chart hits between 1982 and 1989, and in 1983, they were nominated for Most Promising Group of the Year at the Juno Awards. Their most popular songs include "Romantic Traffic", "Nova Heart", "Old Emotions", and "Tell No Lies".

History

Early years and influences (1979–1981)

Spoons was formed in Burlington, Ontario, in 1979. The band initially consisted of Gordon Deppe (lead vocals and guitar), Sandy Horne (vocals and bass), Brett Wickens (keyboards and synthesizers), and Peter Shepherd (drums). Deppe, Horne, and Wickens attended Aldershot High School, and Deppe and Horne (the only constant members of the band) dated in high school. The band got their name as the members were eating alphabet soup at Brett Wickens' home. While tossing around potential names, they all stared at their spoons in union and "there was no turning back."

Early in their history, they would play the work of their European influences. Unfortunately, audiences were not enamored by the styles of Genesis and other progressive rock groups, making the band change course for something more "light, bouncy, and... danceable". The entire band was influenced by OMD, who inspired a greater keyboard presence in the Spoons' sound. Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Simple Minds, and John Foxx's Ultravox were also influential on the band's musical evolution.

Around this time, Spoons' higher profile allowed them to become the opening act for bands such as Culture Club, Simple Minds, and the Police.

Spoons' 1983 studio album, Talkback, was produced by Nile Rodgers.

Following that, the band expanded their sound somewhat, releasing a two-sided hit in 1984 with "Tell No Lies" b/w "Romantic Traffic", both also produced by Rodgers. The upbeat "Tell No Lies" featured a more mainstream pop sound than was customary for Spoons; the song won a CASBY Award for best single. The song also featured a memorable music video that featured the band in a travel adventure gone awry. The caper featured cameos from Toronto radio personality Live Earl Jive and musician Nash the Slash.

"Romantic Traffic" was a downtempo song with adult-oriented radio-friendly leanings that would become the group's most enduring hit. Around this time, the band recorded commercials for Maxell, Pepsi-Cola, and signed a six-figure promotional deal with Thrifty's Clothing Stores, a cross-Canada chain, and were featured in the store's radio, TV, and print ads.

Both "Tell No Lies" and "Romantic Traffic" later found their way onto the soundtrack for the film Listen to the City (1984), The 1986 single "Bridges Over Borders" marked a departure from their characteristic sound and showcased a harder rock orientation, as did later single "Rodeo".

Both singles appeared on the 1986 studio album Bridges Over Borders, but the release was a commercial disaster as it did not chart in the Canadian Top 100, nor did any of the three singles pulled from the album. The follow-up studio album Vertigo Tango reunited the band with Arias & Symphonies producer John Punter, and was a partial return to the band's new wave roots. The album featured the band's final hit singles, the rollicking "When Time Turns Around" and "Waterline" (1989), a languid, introspective ballad. Both videos were in featured rotation on Much Music, the main Canadian music video channel.

Spoons took a break from recording in the 1990s to allow time to focus on family, but Deppe, Horne, and various other players reunited for several Spoons reunion gigs in the 1990s and into the next decade.

Regroup and continued activities (2006–present)

thumb|Spoons performing in [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls, February 2024]]

In 2007 the band released Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party, a collection of previously unreleased material recorded between 1982 and 1985 by the Deppe, Horne, Preuss and Ross line-up.

In 2008, Limited Edition was released. It is a greatest-hits of sorts and was released on the Ready Records Imprint to replace the out of print Collectible Spoons.

In 2010 at the Woodbine Park Summerfest for Vinyl 95.3, the band released its first new studio work in over 20 years - the double A-Side "Imperfekt/Breaking In" which was limited to 100 copies.

In the Spring of 2010, a Spoons line-up of Deppe and Horne, with producer Jeff Carter, began recording their sixth studio album, Static in Transmission. The first single released from these sessions was the limited-edition "Imperfekt" b/w "Breaking In". Only a few hundred CD singles were released with a few being made available for fans. The release date for Static in Transmission was March 29, 2011.

On Canada Day 2012, Spoons once again performed at Woodbine Park for Vinyl 95.3's Red, White, and Vinyl event. Their newest CD EP marking 30 Years of "Nova Heart" was made available.

In August 2012, Spoons headlined the Spirit of the Eighties fundraiser concert in Lewiston, New York. This was the first time the band had played in the United States since 1989. They enjoyed their reception so much that they returned to the festival the following August and shared the headline with Images in Vogue. The two bands would then embark on the Rewind the Tape tour the same year. This tour's Toronto date served as the release party for the remastered CD version of Stick Figure Neighbourhood.

On November 13, 2012, Spoons released the 30th Anniversary Edition of their Arias & Symphonies album on CD and through digital download. This was followed by the band playing a series of shows with Rob Preuss and Derrick Ross, temporarily reuniting the classic 1980s line-up. They would reunite again in 2014 for the 30th anniversary of "Romantic Traffic" and "Tell No Lies".

On January 9, 2020, it was announced that Scott MacDonald had returned to the band on keyboards.

Post-Spoons careers

Gordon Deppe:

  • has a pop rock trio called Five Star Fall.

Sandy Horne:

  • formed the bands Hurricane Jane and Dog Won't Bite
  • performs and tours with Coast Tsimshian singer-songwriter, storyteller, recording artist Shannon Thunderbird, a First Nations artist from Northern British Columbia

Rob Preuss:

  • played with Honeymoon Suite on their Racing After Midnight album.
  • played keyboards for Cats and Miss Saigon
  • worked with a subsidiary record label owned by EMI Music Canada.
  • became Vice President of EMI Music Canada.

Scott MacDonald:

  • taught middle school science in Hamilton, Ontario, from 1998 until 2001.
  • previously lived in Europe with his wife and family, and teaches at the Anglo-American School of Sofia, in Sofia, Bulgaria
  • currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|-

! rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"| Title

! rowspan="2" style="width:19em;"| Release

! colspan="1" | Peak chart<br>positions

! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications

|- style="font-size:smaller;"

! width="40"| CAN

|-

! scope="row"| Stick Figure Neighbourhood

|

  • Release date: February 1981
  • Label: Ready

| —

|

|-

! scope="row"| Arias & Symphonies

|

  • Release date: October 1982
  • Label: Ready/A&M

| 20

|

  • CAN: Gold

|-

! scope="row"| Talkback

|

  • Release date: October 1983
  • Label: Ready

| 29

|

  • CAN: Gold

| align="left"|

|-

! scope="row"| Static in Transmission

|

  • Release date: March 29, 2011
  • Label: Fontana North

| —

| align="left"|

|-

! scope="row"| New Day New World

|

  • Release date: March 22, 2019
  • Label: Sparks Music

| —

|

|-

| colspan="12" style="font-size:8pt" | "—" denotes releases that did not chart.

|}

Soundtrack albums

  • Gordon Deppe – Listen to the City (1984)

Compilation albums

  • Collectible Spoons (1994)
  • Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party (2007)
  • Limited Edition (2008)
  • Repeatable 1980–2020 (2021)
  • Echoes (2021)

DVDs

  • Spoons Live in Concert (Toronto 1982 & Montreal 1984) (2006)

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style=text-align:center;

|-

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Release

! scope="col"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album

|-

! style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"|CAN

|-

! scope="row"| "After the Institution"

| 1980

| —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Nova Heart"

| rowspan="3"| 1982

| 40

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Arias & Symphonies

|-

! scope="row"| "Arias & Symphonies"

| 18

|-

! scope="row"| "Smiling in Winter"

| 30

|-

! scope="row"| "Old Emotions"

| rowspan="2"| 1983

| 28

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Talkback

|-

! scope="row"| "The Rhythm"

| —

|-

! scope="row"| "Talkback"

|rowspan="3"|1984

| —

|-

! scope="row"| "Tell No Lies"

| 34

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Listen to the City

|-

! scope="row"| "Romantic Traffic"

| 55

|-

! scope="row"| "Bridges Over Borders"

|rowspan="2"|1986

| —

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Bridges Over Borders

|-

! scope="row"| "Be Alone Tonight"

| —

|-

! scope="row"| "Rodeo"

| 1987

| —

|-

! scope="row"| "When Time Turns Around"

|1988

| 68

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Vertigo Tango

|-

! scope="row"| "Waterline"

| rowspan="2"| 1989

| 44

|-

! scope="row"| "Sooner or Later"

| —

|-

! scope="row"| "Imperfekt"

| 2010

| —

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Static in Transmission

|-

! scope="row"| "You Light Up"

| 2011

| —

|-

! scope="row"| "Beautiful Trap"

|2017

|—

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| New Day New World

|-

! scope="row" | "All the Wrong Things (In The Right Places)"

| 2019

| —

|-

| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

|}

References

  • The Spoons at The Canadian Encyclopedia
  • Spoons at the Canoe Jam! Canadian Pop Encyclopedia
  • Spoons at the CBC Alternative Walk of Fame