for a Mynah Birds album. Neil Young and Bruce Palmer bought a hearse, drove to L.A., and helped form Buffalo Springfield, whose tribute to that period of their career was the Neil Young song, “Mr. Soul.” (“It’s My Time” became one of the great lost Motown singles. It made its first official appearance in a Motown boxed set released in 2006, and recently appeared in its originally intended form, with its b-side “Go On and Cry," for 2012's 'Record Store Day.') As the Motown contract stipulated that the group must fulfill six months of work, Rickman Mason and John Taylor drafted in former guitarist Tom Morgan and two new musicians, singer Mark Smith and former Bunkies bass player John Klassen (b. Brantford, Ontario). The Mynah Birds resumed gigging, appearing at numerous venues throughout Ontario, including a return to the El Patio in Toronto (8–10 August), a performance at the Whitby Arena (31 August) and a show at Peggy's Pavilion in Stroud (10 September) by which point Robert Benedict had replaced Morgan on guitar. After some months in the navy brig, Matthews was released and returned to Toronto in May 1967 to assemble a new group of Mynah Birds and returned to Motown to record. The new lineup, which included Neil Lillie (aka Merryweather) on bass, Al Morrison on drums, Vernon Wayne Pickell on organ and Bill Ross on guitar, was short-lived, but did record a new version of "It's My Time" (and likely other songs) for Motown. Sessions ended following a strong disagreement between Matthews and Ross; Ross left and the others returned to Toronto where Matthews was arrested and spent time in the Don Jail. Matthews later returned to Motown in Detroit and produced Bobby Taylor's "Taylor Made Soul" album. Possibly because there was no longer any need to hide behind the borrowed Toronto surname, Ricky James Matthews became simply Rick James. 1966: Motown Records The Mynah Birds signed a seven-year deal with Motown Records in 1966. They recorded a number of tracks, and their first album was in the works when James was arrested, having deserted the United States Navy prior to forming the Sailorboys. Motown subsequently shelved their recordings. (James would later re-sign with Motown and have a successful career there.) A planned single, "It's My Time" b/w "Go On And Cry", assigned the catalog number V.I.P. 25033, was withdrawn just prior to its scheduled release by