its time During 1969, The MRQ supported The Who and Procol Harum and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The MRQ's shows were highly ambitious and Jermyn's keyboard skills were reportedly a big influence on Keith Emerson. The bulk of the group's material consisted of concertos by Jermyn and Bruce Cockburn songs, which the songwriter chose not to record himself. Jermyn's pieces included “Opening Jam” and the live favourites “Happiness Is Majority” and “Cities Are Tight”. Martin left after the single to be replaced by Bob Blyth, who was succeeded in turn by former Esquires singer Brian Lewicki. The group also added former 1910 Fruitgum Company guitarist Pat Karwan, who soon left to form TCB. Peter Jermyn leaves Jermyn lost interest with Lewicki's arrival and following a prestigious appearance at Expo’ 70 in Japan, he left the band. (Jermyn didn't want to play the bar scene as he thought it was a regressive move.) Drew King from the group, White, replaced Jermyn but the band split up a short while later. The Sackbut In the early Seventies Jermyn helped to design a new musical instrument, the Electronic Sackbut, with Dr Hugh LeCaine from the National Research Council. He spent several years doing lecture tours demonstrating the instrument and did the theme tune for NBC TV's children's science programme, “Dr Wizard” using the Sackbut. During the Eighties and Nineties he did freelance TV work and wrote soundtracks for films, including the special effects for “Heavy Metal”. In recent years, he has joined The Apostles for a series of shows at Toronto bar, Blues on Bellair. Aftermath The remaining trio of Lewicki, Orr and Coulthart spent a few years playing in a bar called Chez Henri in Hull on the Quebec side of the river, outside Ottawa before breaking up. They reunited in 1974 with Rod Phillips on keyboards, and recorded one 45 for the Aquarius label. Trivia The group's first live date was at Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's official residence. Discography 45 "Plastic Street" c/w "Games" (RCA Victor 1002) 1968 Footnotes Citations References Peter Jermyn, interview with Bill Munson, 1983. Peter Jermyn, interview with Nick Warburton, 2000. The Toronto Telegram's After Four Section listed live dates every Thursday. “The Freedom of MRQ” article in RPM Weekly magazine, page 3, circa January 1969. Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1970 Musical groups from Ottawa Canadian rock music groups 1968 establishments