SUNNY DAYS FINALIST IN CALGARY CBC RADIO SMACKDOWN
This contest was one close horse race. Sunny Days was winning right up until the end, and then, Summertime by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald pulled into the lead!
Summertime is one of the all-time classics songs ever written -winter, spring summer or fall - and we're delighted to have been in the same company.
Our thanks to CBC Calgary for making the end of summer so exciting!!
Summertime is one of the all-time classics songs ever written -winter, spring summer or fall - and we're delighted to have been in the same company.
Our thanks to CBC Calgary for making the end of summer so exciting!!
Prokop reflects on a life well lived and lit by Lighthouse
By Joe Belanger, The London Free Press
Monday, May 23, 2016 10:10:04 EDT PM
Skip Prokop is calling it a day.
The 73-year-old Canadian rock icon who co-founded the rock-jazz fusion orchestra Lighthouse will no longer perform after suffering a series of health issues.
His retirement isn’t news to family and friends — he hasn’t performed with Lighthouse since 2014 — but he made his situation public on a Facebook post this week.
While Prokop, who lives in Aylmer, is best-known for Lighthouse, which achieved international acclaim pushing the boundaries of rock to include brass and string instruments, not many know much more about his career.
Prokop, was also a prolific songwriter and session drummer who has shared studio and stage time with Janis Joplin, Mama Cass Elliott and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few.
He was also the drummer on Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper’s double album, The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, recorded live at Filmore West, one of the first recordings of Carlos Santana and the first featuring Bloomfield on vocals.
“I still practise my rudiments on my electronic drum kit and I bike and play at my church,” said Prokop.
“But I really miss playing with the guys. We were 23 years together.”
Actually, that’s not quite right. Lighthouse was formed in 1968 and became an immediate international act, one of the few Canadian rock bands to make that claim before they disbanded in the mid-1970s. They reformed in 1991.
The 13-member Lighthouse, formed by Prokop, keyboardist Paul Hoffert and guitarist Ralph Cole, played at most major festivals and venues such as Carnegie Hall and Filmore West.
Their hit songs — One Fine Morning, Take It Slow (Out In The Country), Pretty Lady, 1849, Hats Off (To the Stranger) and Little Kind Words — were written or co-written by Prokop.
Lighthouse were invited but turned down a chance to play at Woodstock.
A year later, they played an even bigger festival, the 1970 Isle of Wight music festival that drew 600,000 people to see some of rock’s biggest stars including Hendrix, Miles Davis, Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, Chicago, The Doors, The Who, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Moody Blues, Joan Baez, Free, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson, Donovan and John Sebastian.
“During the festival, they hand out ballots to the audience who vote on which bands they’d like as headliners to perform the final night. They voted for Jimi Hendrix and Lighthouse,” said Prokop.
In a Facebook posting, Prokop explained that in April, 2013, he suffered ventricular tacacardia that sent his heart racing up to 287 beats a minute. He was twice revived by paramedics when his heart stopped on the way to hospital. Doctors implanted a device to regulate the heart.
Prokop changed his lifestyle, quit smoking and played Lighthouse’s full 2013 season, but was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, then suffered more heart trouble requiring surgery.
As the 2014 season approached, Prokop went to a rehearsal with Lighthouse. Band members, frightened by the colour of his face, called his wife Tracy.
“So, I went back to see my cardiologist for some more tests and he said, very frankly, my days of playing two-hour concerts and encores and hanging out to meet your fans after the show and your long days of prep and travel even before you play are over,” he wrote.
Son Jamie Prokop has taken the seat behind the drums for Lighthouse, which is still performing.
Father and son are now putting together a book about Prokop’s life and a crowd funding campaign is under way (kapipal.com/projects/skip-prokop-biography-project/) to help pay some of the costs, especially the transcribing of hours of taped interviews.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Prokop picked up the drum sticks as a member of the local sea cadets. At 17, he won the Canadian National Individual Drumming Competition and finishing third for the American title.
He also plays guitar and piano, using those instruments to write songs.
Prokop was also a founding member of another innovative Canadian band, The Paupers, psychedelic rockers who had modest success and played at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.
After Lighthouse and before it resurfaced in the early 1990s, Prokop continued to make records, but his day job was in production, putting together bands, session work and, eventually, working for London radio stations.
His latest CD, Smoothside, won the 2012 Best Jazz Recording at the Hamilton Music Awards.
Among Prokop’s fans is Peter Brennan, founder of Jeans ’n’ Classics rock symphony, who first watched Prokop perform as a member of The Paupers at Expo ’ 67 in Montreal.
“I was absolutely knocked off the planet, not just by his drumming, but the percussion he’d arrange,” recalled Brennan, noting the guitar and bass players would add a extra beats with timbale-like drums.
“I’d never heard people drum like that and I became a major Skip fan. It was very intricate and nobody else was doing this at that time with the guitar player doing these weird sounds over top.”
In university, Brennan became a fan of Lighthouse and has had Prokop perform with his symphony since.
“Skip could have held his own with any drummer going at the time,” said Brennan. “His style was very different and very, very skillful. He’s an absolutely iconic player. If he’d been from the UK, he’d be a zillionaire today. They had great respect for Lighthouse worldwide, but the Canadian industry just didn’t push for them.”
One-on-one with Skip Prokop
Biggest regret?
Turning down Woodstock. I knew it was going to be one big drugfest. I thought you’re not going to be able to get a glass of water without something in it.
Second biggest regret?
When we reunited to play Ontario Place in 1982, there were close to 40,000 people. What we should have done was said, ‘That’s it, let’s start writing and put out an album.’ That would have kept it all very, very current. Getting back together in ’91 was too big a gap for fans.
Favourite moment?
Probably Carnegie Hall . . . The place wasn’t full and we were playing this really beautiful song that had only orchestral sounds and the people started to boo and throw things . . . But then after we’d released the hits Hats Off To The Stranger and One Fine Morning (1971) and went back to Carnegie Hall, it was a totally different audience. It was sold out. They were fans and they paid a lot for their tickets. When we played 1849, they were . . . giving us a standing ovation . . . It gave me chills up and down my spine. I turned to Paul (co-founder Paul Hoffert) ‘We’ve made it buddy.’
On drugs, alcohol in 60s and 70s.
“I smoked pot and hash, but on pot I’d get so out there, while playing I’d start listening to the guitar player on some solo and I’d stop playing and say, ‘hey, that’s great, man.’ I did drink too much and about 15 years ago had to go into rehab. It’s the first chapter of my book.”
On Janis Joplin, Prokop was recruited to work with the singer to form a new band in 1969 after she left Big Brother and the Holding Company.
“We were very, very close. But the whole deal fell apart. I was trying to put together guys for a Southern rock band and wanted Ralph Cole (who would join Prokop in Lighthouse). All of a sudden, we are arguing and she wanted (Big Brother) guitarist Sam Andrew. That was it. I got on a plane and came home.
The 73-year-old Canadian rock icon who co-founded the rock-jazz fusion orchestra Lighthouse will no longer perform after suffering a series of health issues.
His retirement isn’t news to family and friends — he hasn’t performed with Lighthouse since 2014 — but he made his situation public on a Facebook post this week.
While Prokop, who lives in Aylmer, is best-known for Lighthouse, which achieved international acclaim pushing the boundaries of rock to include brass and string instruments, not many know much more about his career.
Prokop, was also a prolific songwriter and session drummer who has shared studio and stage time with Janis Joplin, Mama Cass Elliott and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few.
He was also the drummer on Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper’s double album, The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, recorded live at Filmore West, one of the first recordings of Carlos Santana and the first featuring Bloomfield on vocals.
“I still practise my rudiments on my electronic drum kit and I bike and play at my church,” said Prokop.
“But I really miss playing with the guys. We were 23 years together.”
Actually, that’s not quite right. Lighthouse was formed in 1968 and became an immediate international act, one of the few Canadian rock bands to make that claim before they disbanded in the mid-1970s. They reformed in 1991.
The 13-member Lighthouse, formed by Prokop, keyboardist Paul Hoffert and guitarist Ralph Cole, played at most major festivals and venues such as Carnegie Hall and Filmore West.
Their hit songs — One Fine Morning, Take It Slow (Out In The Country), Pretty Lady, 1849, Hats Off (To the Stranger) and Little Kind Words — were written or co-written by Prokop.
Lighthouse were invited but turned down a chance to play at Woodstock.
A year later, they played an even bigger festival, the 1970 Isle of Wight music festival that drew 600,000 people to see some of rock’s biggest stars including Hendrix, Miles Davis, Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, Chicago, The Doors, The Who, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Moody Blues, Joan Baez, Free, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson, Donovan and John Sebastian.
“During the festival, they hand out ballots to the audience who vote on which bands they’d like as headliners to perform the final night. They voted for Jimi Hendrix and Lighthouse,” said Prokop.
In a Facebook posting, Prokop explained that in April, 2013, he suffered ventricular tacacardia that sent his heart racing up to 287 beats a minute. He was twice revived by paramedics when his heart stopped on the way to hospital. Doctors implanted a device to regulate the heart.
Prokop changed his lifestyle, quit smoking and played Lighthouse’s full 2013 season, but was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, then suffered more heart trouble requiring surgery.
As the 2014 season approached, Prokop went to a rehearsal with Lighthouse. Band members, frightened by the colour of his face, called his wife Tracy.
“So, I went back to see my cardiologist for some more tests and he said, very frankly, my days of playing two-hour concerts and encores and hanging out to meet your fans after the show and your long days of prep and travel even before you play are over,” he wrote.
Son Jamie Prokop has taken the seat behind the drums for Lighthouse, which is still performing.
Father and son are now putting together a book about Prokop’s life and a crowd funding campaign is under way (kapipal.com/projects/skip-prokop-biography-project/) to help pay some of the costs, especially the transcribing of hours of taped interviews.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Prokop picked up the drum sticks as a member of the local sea cadets. At 17, he won the Canadian National Individual Drumming Competition and finishing third for the American title.
He also plays guitar and piano, using those instruments to write songs.
Prokop was also a founding member of another innovative Canadian band, The Paupers, psychedelic rockers who had modest success and played at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.
After Lighthouse and before it resurfaced in the early 1990s, Prokop continued to make records, but his day job was in production, putting together bands, session work and, eventually, working for London radio stations.
His latest CD, Smoothside, won the 2012 Best Jazz Recording at the Hamilton Music Awards.
Among Prokop’s fans is Peter Brennan, founder of Jeans ’n’ Classics rock symphony, who first watched Prokop perform as a member of The Paupers at Expo ’ 67 in Montreal.
“I was absolutely knocked off the planet, not just by his drumming, but the percussion he’d arrange,” recalled Brennan, noting the guitar and bass players would add a extra beats with timbale-like drums.
“I’d never heard people drum like that and I became a major Skip fan. It was very intricate and nobody else was doing this at that time with the guitar player doing these weird sounds over top.”
In university, Brennan became a fan of Lighthouse and has had Prokop perform with his symphony since.
“Skip could have held his own with any drummer going at the time,” said Brennan. “His style was very different and very, very skillful. He’s an absolutely iconic player. If he’d been from the UK, he’d be a zillionaire today. They had great respect for Lighthouse worldwide, but the Canadian industry just didn’t push for them.”
One-on-one with Skip Prokop
Biggest regret?
Turning down Woodstock. I knew it was going to be one big drugfest. I thought you’re not going to be able to get a glass of water without something in it.
Second biggest regret?
When we reunited to play Ontario Place in 1982, there were close to 40,000 people. What we should have done was said, ‘That’s it, let’s start writing and put out an album.’ That would have kept it all very, very current. Getting back together in ’91 was too big a gap for fans.
Favourite moment?
Probably Carnegie Hall . . . The place wasn’t full and we were playing this really beautiful song that had only orchestral sounds and the people started to boo and throw things . . . But then after we’d released the hits Hats Off To The Stranger and One Fine Morning (1971) and went back to Carnegie Hall, it was a totally different audience. It was sold out. They were fans and they paid a lot for their tickets. When we played 1849, they were . . . giving us a standing ovation . . . It gave me chills up and down my spine. I turned to Paul (co-founder Paul Hoffert) ‘We’ve made it buddy.’
On drugs, alcohol in 60s and 70s.
“I smoked pot and hash, but on pot I’d get so out there, while playing I’d start listening to the guitar player on some solo and I’d stop playing and say, ‘hey, that’s great, man.’ I did drink too much and about 15 years ago had to go into rehab. It’s the first chapter of my book.”
On Janis Joplin, Prokop was recruited to work with the singer to form a new band in 1969 after she left Big Brother and the Holding Company.
“We were very, very close. But the whole deal fell apart. I was trying to put together guys for a Southern rock band and wanted Ralph Cole (who would join Prokop in Lighthouse). All of a sudden, we are arguing and she wanted (Big Brother) guitarist Sam Andrew. That was it. I got on a plane and came home.
CONGRATS TO DR. HOFFERT
On July 19, 2013 Lighthouse co-founder Paul Hoffert received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from University of Toronto for his outstanding contribution to music and the arts.
After delivering a stirring speech to the Convocation he performed a medley with Don Thompson on bass, Reg Schrager on guitar, and vocalist Jackie Richardson featuring a jazzy new arrangement of One Fine Morning.
It was also a proud day for Lighthouse trumpet player Chris Howells, whose daughter Jenna received her degree with honours at the same Convocation.
After delivering a stirring speech to the Convocation he performed a medley with Don Thompson on bass, Reg Schrager on guitar, and vocalist Jackie Richardson featuring a jazzy new arrangement of One Fine Morning.
It was also a proud day for Lighthouse trumpet player Chris Howells, whose daughter Jenna received her degree with honours at the same Convocation.
VICTOR 'PINKY' DAUVIN 1946 - 2013 RIP
We were all saddened to hear about the death of Pinky Dauvin, Lighthouse's first lead vocalist. He was a terrific musician and he really shone on the first three Lighthouse albums. Please click on the audio player to hear Pinky sing If There Ever Was a Time.
CONGRATS TO SKIP FOR HMA LIFETIME AWARD
Skip Prokop was honoured on November 21, 2010 at the Hamilton Music Awards where he received the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Lifetime Achievement Award..
The Conference began on November 18th with Graham Rockingham of the Hamilton Spectator interviewing Skip. That evening, a performance by Lighthouse at the McIntyre Theatre, kicked off the Music Festival which featured over 70 performers.
The event culminated with the Awards Show on November 21st with Lighthouse performing a three song set in celebration of Skip's award.
The Conference began on November 18th with Graham Rockingham of the Hamilton Spectator interviewing Skip. That evening, a performance by Lighthouse at the McIntyre Theatre, kicked off the Music Festival which featured over 70 performers.
The event culminated with the Awards Show on November 21st with Lighthouse performing a three song set in celebration of Skip's award.
SKIP'S 'SMOOTHSIDE' WINS HMA AWARD
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Skip Prokop's new Jazz Album - SMOOTHSIDE - received a Hammy for the Best Jazz Album of 2012 at the Hamilton Music Awards held Dec 15, 2012. To get a taste of SMOOTHSIDE check out this YOUTUBE video of Skip's smooth jazz version of PRETTY LADY.
LH DOC ONLINEIf you missed the excellent CBC radio doc 'Lighthouse Revisited' you can hear it online. When you're on the site scroll down to the bottom of the page and hit the 'play' button. Be patient - it will take a few seconds to load.
Click here to be redirected to the 'Inside the Music' site. |
WEBSITE OPTIMIZED FOR MOBILE DEVICES
Now it's easier to view Lighthouse's website on any mobile device. When you go to the site the content will be sized to your device in a list format that makes it easier to see, If you'd rather see the site as it appears on your computer, just scroll down to the bottom of the page and select 'Fill Site.'
TWO LIGHTHOUSE HITS IN TOP 100 LIST
One Fine Morning and Sunny Days are two of the top 1oo hit songs in Bob Mersereaus's new book, 'The Top 100 Canadian Singles.' Mersereau recruited 8oo industry professionals and 'just plain music fans' to select their top 10 Canadian hits and compiled his list from their results. To view the complete list click here.
40 YEARS OF SUNNY DAYS
Lighthouse is proud to announce the release of its new DVD/CD, 40 Years of Sunny Days.
It started with a phone call from former Lighthouse keyboardist Donald Quan. He had just installed a new state-of-the-art 5.1 Surround System in his recording studio, Q Music, and he was looking to record a group to show off the new equipment. Donald's concept was to record the band live off the floor with no overdubs. His goal was to let the audience experience as unmediated as possible, the sound that envelopes the members of Lighthouse onstage. It would be as if the listener was sitting on Skip's drum throne.
This was a very exciting and innovative project and it didn't take long before the recording session turned into a video shoot as well. David Hoffert, an award-winning Documentary film-maker, came on board to produce, direct and edit the DVD. Quan produced the sound recording. The DVD features sixteen of the most requested Lighthouse songs over the last forty years and includes anecdotes and song introductions by various band members. The accompanying CD contains a digitally re-mastered collection of the same classic tracks as performed on the DVD.
The DVD/CD set is beautifully packaged. It includes a twenty-four-page booklet with archival and recent photographs and liner notes by Grammy Award® winning musicologist Rob Bowman.
Bowman sums up the DVD as follows: "The result is a lovingly shot and edited film with a surround sound mix that is spectacular, brilliant and luxuriant beyond belief. Those who have kept up with the band will surely agree that the film faithfully captures Lighthouse in its full glory including, in David Hoffert’s words, “the hits, extended jams, intricate arrangements and the intuitive interplay that only comes from playing together for several decades.” For those who just remember the AM hits, 40 Years of Sunny Days should be a revelation."
