The Five Man Electrical Band is a legendary Ottawa rock band whose history dates back to the 1960s—an era of rapid rock music development across North America. The band faced numerous challenges before their songs gained popularity in Canada and beyond. More details at ottawa-trend.com.
Formation of the Band
The story of the renowned rock band The Five Man Electrical Band began in Canada’s capital. In 1963, four young musicians—Dean Hagopian, Vern Craig, Brian Rading, and Rick Belanger—decided to form their own rock band. Initially, they chose a completely different name for their group: The Staccatos.
Two years after forming, the band released their first single, which was untitled but still impressive enough to attract the attention of several record companies. Following this release, The Staccatos secured a recording contract with Capitol Records. Under their guidance, the Ottawa rock band released their second successful single, Small Town Girl, which reached No. 20 on the Canadian charts.
The band’s first full-length album, Initially, was released in 1966. Every single from the album was outstanding, earning a place among Canada’s top hits of the year. This album brought significant success to the Ottawa rock group and motivated them to continue their musical journey.
In 1966, a fifth member, drummer Mike Belanger, joined the band. With this new addition, the five musicians released a breakthrough hit, Half Past Midnight, which climbed to No. 8 on the Canadian charts.
Despite their initial success, the band’s popularity remained largely confined to Canada. The Staccatos aspired to break into the American market, but they struggled to gain traction. While recording their second album, their producer strongly advised them to change their name, arguing that The Staccatos sounded outdated.
The band had a song titled Five Man Electrical Band, which was symbolic since the group now had five members. Without much hesitation, they adopted this as their official name and, in 1969, released a second album under the new moniker.
For five years, The Staccatos had been one of Canada’s most popular rock bands, but their transformation into The Five Man Electrical Band marked a new chapter in their journey.
The Success of The Five Man Electrical Band
In 1971, the Ottawa rock band finally achieved their long-standing goal: The Five Man Electrical Band gained international recognition. This breakthrough was thanks to the single Hello Melinda, Goodbye, which they recorded in Los Angeles. The song climbed the charts, reaching No. 4 in Canada, No. 3 in the U.S., and No. 1 in Australia. Hello Melinda, Goodbye dominated the charts in these three countries for four months.
During the early 1970s, The Five Man Electrical Band continued to produce new singles and write original songs while actively touring.
In 1972, they released their third studio album, Coming of Age.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the band’s lineup frequently changed. The original members sought to collaborate with new musicians and experimented with different styles. While they continued to release singles, their international success remained limited. However, over the years, The Five Man Electrical Band consistently secured high positions on the charts, both in Canada and internationally, cementing their status as a successful rock group.
However, after their 1975 single only reached No. 69 on the Canadian charts, the band decided to officially disband.
