Single flashback

The Jitters - Last Of The Red Hot Fools [1987]

After busting ass in Toronto clubs for a number of years, The Jitters got their big break in 1987.

They had a minor breakthrough in ‘84 with an indie single and video, Take Me As I Am, but couldn’t escape the bar band orbit.

Meanwhile the main songwriting duo of Blair Packham and Danny Levy kept penning new tunes for the band to demo.

One of these songs hit paydirt with a third place finish in the famous Q107 Homegrown Contest, heads started to turn and a number of opening tour slots came their way - including for long lost musical cousins Huey Lewis & The News - followed by a chance to record their self-titled debut LP with producer Paul Gross.

Last Of The Red Hot Fools, peaked #21, 1987

Packham tells the tale that this song came to him while house cleaning, not sure if any other writers can weigh in on how they found unexpected inspiration?

In any event, the boys are now well on their way and would soon be opening for Heart.

The album had legs here in Canada, spawning three more lower chart singles before the cycle was over.

B-Side - Hard As Nails, did not chart

Great little flip side to the 45 in the shape of Hard As Nails. Nothing fancy, just a straight ahead little tune. But damn, wait for the saxophone to come in HARD.

The Jitters would knock out a second LP - Louder Than Words - in 1990 and experience three more hit singles, with two Top 40s. Lead single ‘Til The Fever Breaks almost hit the same heights as Fools, peaking at #23.

No new music has emerged since then, but many of the original members have been known to reunite and play shows around Toronto.