Discography

Original Issues with Punk Sounds

• Don Norman And The Other Four: Low Man/Mustang Sally Sir John A 11/66

• Thee Deuces: You Gotta Try/Hung Up On You Sir John A 11/66



• The Five D: Baby Boy/Good Time Music Sir John A 01/67
• The Eyes Of Dawn: Time To Be Going/Ignorance And Hardship Sir John A 01/67
• Don Norman And The Other Four: Your Place In My Heart/Trae Hymn Sir John A
• Those Naughty Boys: Somebody Told My Girl/Tell Me Why Sir John A 4/67
• The Five D: Running Around In Circles/Get Out Of My Life Woman Sir John A 07/67
• The Heart: Treat Me Bad/Help Me Down Sir John A 07/67
• Don Norman And The Other Four: Low Man/Place In My Heart Sir John A 07/67
• The Eastern Passage: When You Ask About Love/Love Is Gone Sir John A
• The Eyes Of Dawn: Little By Little/Kaliedoscope Sir John A 12/67
• The Five D: She Can't Be My Girl/Freeloader Sir John A 01/68
• The Paper Dream: She's No Good/My Mind's Eye Sir John A 01/69

Reissues

• Ottawa Rocks: The Sir John A Records Story CD

History:

Sir John A. Records isn't one of your better known Canadian indepandant 60's lables like Red Leaf or Yorkville Records, but it should be! It was responsible for issuing some of the finest examples of raw local teen talent. Keep your eyes peeled for "Ottawa Rocks: The Best Of Sir John A Records" CD which features all the above primo works plus a handful of previously unreleased gems, mostly from the mid-60's. Nearly all the tracks are mastered directly from the original tapes, and get this, there's nearly an hours worth of mind-blowing, fuzz wailing garage punk on it! Alex Taylor

John Pozer...

John Pozer was a DJ who became popular with Montreal and Ottawa teens in the late 50's and the mid-60's. He also hosted CJOH's Saturday Date TV show. Then in 1965 he decided to manage some bands. Amongst them where Don Norman And The Other Four, The Eyes Of Dawn, The 5 D, The Bittersweet and the Trippers. In 1966 he left TV and returned to DJ in Ottawa. He started his Sir John A. Records to promote local bands he managed, and to get them some airplay. So on January 1st, 1966 Sir John A. Records was born with two hundred dollars in it's pocket and John Pozer as the president, and Ron Greene acting as a silent partner. Ron was also in a rock 'n roll combo called The Sticks And Stones who played mainly instrumental. Occasionally John Pozer would do vocals for them. In early '65 the band split, and Ron Green and Bill Helman went onto Don Norman And The Other Four.

From unknown to #1...

Pozer had originally worked very hard at trying to get Quality Records to sign Don Norman. It was out of this ordeal (please see the future Don Norman page) that Sir John A became a reality! The plan was to start an idependant record company that produced local bands and released it's records with picture sleeves and retailed them for ninety eight cents. The first two releases saw the light of day on November 29th, 1966. Both "Low Man" by Don Norman And The Other Four and "You Gotta Try" by the Three Deuces became quite popular in the Ottawa area. They were regularly played on CFRC and made it into the CFRC Swingset chart. Then the Five D "Baby Boy" (a cover of the Bossmen's hit) charted at #1 in February! Major labels began to sit up and take notice!

Not Fade Away...

RCA Victor struck a distribution deal with Sir John A. in March of 1967, which would assist with some national sales. Releases began to chart across the country. But Sir John A. was small pickins for RCA and they didn't devote much time or monitary investment in their distribution deal. Publicity was at a minimum, and by 1968, a lot of the bands where beginning to break up. The Five D split, and John Pozer moved to Toronto to become the manager of Variety Artists. The label eventually just faded away. Eventually the two released 14 singles from November 1966-January 1969. Most of these ran at a maximum pressing of 1,000, which makes them some of the most rare records from the Canadian 60's scene!