It’s not every day that an artist equally versed in genres as expansive as punk, glam rock, pop and disco comes along. And, rarer yet when they’re unearthed from a sleepy, lakeside town known more for its desert climate and wine, than its musical icons.
But, Kelowna is exactly where Brooklyn-based Mighty Mouth Records found Laurice Daniels back in 2011 when they called to ask if they could release his material on vinyl.
“I thought, are they kidding? Vinyl? It’s 2011,” he chuckles, still entertained at the thought.
For an artist who’s survived six decades of the music business writing, recording, composing and even managing other acts, the call came as a shock.
Laurice was born in North Wales toward the end of the Second World War, to a mother who was a professional singer before giving it up to marry his father.
“She was very supportive of my songwriting,” he says. “My father didn’t think I could sing, but he thought I could write.”
It was while studying at Leeds University that Laurice decided to pursue his dream of the music biz. Working for Pie Records in London, he wrote and recorded a slew of rock material as a session singer and producer at Abbey Road Studios, eventually working as a talent scout and publisher.
In 1973, his pre-punk hits “When Christine Comes Around / I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In” were released under the band name Grudge. In those days, music wasn’t ready for an out gay man, let alone in rock, and Laurice says getting ahead at home was difficult with BBC 1 favouring American artists.
“If you weren’t Elton John it was unlikely you’d get a British record played on British radio.”
“Many record companies were homophobic and xenophobic and they did not want to play the record, or promote me,” Laurice explains. “We made some marvelous other tracks that were never released.”
Laurice immigrated to Toronto in the late ‘70s where he says he was finally able to do music his way. He was voted the No. 1 Canadian Male Dance Vocalist and his 1977 record, Disco Spaceship, outsold every disco record in Toronto the week it was released.
But with his songs banned from mainstream radio, Laurice’s music failed to find a broader audience, and soon faded into obscurity.
Laurice moved on, leaving his musical aspirations behind to pursue a career in Hollywood as an artist manager, before retiring with his partner Larry in Kelowna. He still wrote songs, but only as a form of therapy after falling ill.
“I felt that no one was interested in my work anymore,” he says.
However, unbeknownst to him, Laurice’s music had quietly developed a cult following in the underground music scene. Music bloggers and record nerds who stumbled across Laurice’s records recognized them for the undiscovered gems that they were, and gushed about them online.
Local music promoter Josh Nickel first discovered Laurice’s music when Mighty Mouth’s Harry Howes visited him at work at Neptoon Records and played him Laurice’s records. He knew immediately he had to share Laurice’s music. "Laurice epitomizes everything that I like about music,” says Nickel. “Uninhibited, uncompromising, passionate and raw. The fact that so much of his music remains unheard is criminal.”
Nickel is bringing Laurice – now 72 years old – back to the stage for one night at The Emerald on Aug. 5.
“There is a charm to his songs that is undeniable and a humility to his character that is truly stunning – especially when considering his storied history and just how bold his music is,” says Nickel. “I just can't think of many artists deserving of the acclaim I would give him that remain as humble and unpretentious as he has.
“How could I not reach out to help him share his talent with others?"
The renewed interest in his work prompted Laurice to release the new LP G.A.Y.D.A.R. on Mighty Mouth Records this past February. He says he was originally asked to write songs for a “popular punk band” but when they passed on the material, he decided to record the tracks himself at home in Kelowna on his computer. G.A.Y.D.A.R. is Laurice’s most racy, in-your-face record yet, saturated in steamy, sensual tales of life as an aging gay man. He calls it his “international sexual calling card.”
So, what’s next for a musical pioneer, when most people his age are settling into their golden years? First, he’ll release an album of ballads next year, material written and sung throughout his career.
After that, “I’m investigating hip hop,” he says with a laugh. “I like to challenge myself.”
