Calgary band Fosterchild played a mild form of country rock, using American acts such as REO Speedwagon, Firefall, the Eagles and Poco as sign posts, while other Canadian bands were no doubt influential too.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Fosterchild
ALBUM: Fosterchild
LABEL: Columbia
SERIAL: PES 90382
YEAR: 1977
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
LINEUP: Vern Wills – guitar, vocals * Jim Foster – guitar, vocals * Barry Boothman – bass * Peter Sweetzir – keyboards * Gerry Wand – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Magic Is In The Air * 02 I Need Somebody * 03 Christine * 04 Until We Meet Again * 05 Dreams Of You * 06 Are You Ready To Fly * 07 Baby I Love You * 08 Let Me Down Easy * 09 Hot Days – Hot Nights * 10 Think It All Over Again
WEBLINKS: Wikipedia Page
Background
Fosterchild was the mid 70’s collaboration of Vern Wills and Jim Foster. Both men came from Calgary Alberta, though Wills did spend a couple of years in New York trying to break into the scene there. He returned to Calgary in 1976, hooked up with Foster, the rest of the band recruited over the course of the year.
Fosterchild played a mild form of country rock, using American acts such as REO Speedwagon, Firefall, the Eagles and Poco as sign posts, while other Canadian bands were no doubt influential too.
I’m thinking Trooper and Chilliwack here. The band played all over Western Canada, eventually signing to CBS Canada through Bob Gallo, and released a single called ‘Let Me Down Easy’. Their debut album was released in mid 1977, and a good little outing it was too!
The Songs
The band pass on their happy styled brand of countrified AOR/pop rock with the opening bars of ‘Magic Is In The Air’. ‘I Need Somebody’ adds some sharp guitar lines, whereas ‘Christine’ is a plodding sort of ballad which veers in a decidedly pop direction.
‘Until We Meet Again’ is a dreamy affair, pop for the most part and quite expansive too with big keyboard layers. Returning to a snappier sound, ‘Dreams Of You’ though mild and harmless is a sweet little excursion.
The racier ‘Are You Ready To Fly’ is one of the better tracks here, like Ambrosia in a vocal sense, the faster pace really suits Fosterchild, though the overall style is more in keeping with Firefall‘s material. A very nice track nonetheless!
‘Baby I Love You’ is a tough sounding rocker, it’s followed by the aforementioned ‘Let Me Down Easy’, which has Kevin Cronin like vocals, giving it (by default) an REO Speedwagon like sound.
The melodic country love-affair is apparent on ‘Hot Days Hot Nights’, you can imagine this one belted out in the bars across the Prairies back in the day. The album finishes up with the fast tempo of ‘Think It All Over Again’, it’s a bit of a rabble rouser, another great Canadian drinking song perhaps? I think it would sound great live.. loads of energy here.
In Summary
The first single off the album was ‘Until We Meet Again’, it was then followed up by ‘Magic Is In The Air’ and ‘I Need Somebody’. The band went out in tour of the record, and returned with the vastly improved follow up album – 1978’s ‘Troubled Child’.
We’ll complete the Fosterchild discography with reviews of ‘Troubled Child’ and their third and final effort ‘On the Prowl’ in the near future.
Fosterchild on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
