Single flashback

Innocence - Harlequin [1981]

Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba - aka Winterpeg ManItsColdOut - Harlequin began in the bars in 1975.

The classic lineup was George Belanger vocals, Ralph James bass, Gary Golden keyboards, David Budzak drums, and, Glen Willows guitar.

Belanger and Willows were the principal songwriters.

After a few years of seasoning and meeting some key folks at Toronto’s Gasworks the boys put together a demo before signing with Epic Records.

No, this is the club that inspired the one in Wayne’s World, not the one with the Shitty Beatles or Jolly Green Giants where Meat Loaf is the bouncer…

First album ‘Victim Of A Song’’ produced two low-charting singles, but a change behind the desk and some new songs would soon lead to bigger things.

The new producer? None other than Jack Douglas [Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick and many more].

The new album? ‘Love Crimes’ The lead single? ‘Innocence’.

Harlequin - Innocence - peaked #29

Featuring that always pleasing early 80s combo of a big synth hook plus some crisp guitar chords, the song is a straightforward tale of a young lady that stepped out on her young man.

One dime is all it all it cost me, and
I found out for sure
You know, that you double-crossed me
Just how much can I endure?

Remember carrying a dime in your shoe in case you needed to make an emergency call home on a payphone?

Anyway, there’s only one thing for it. You write a hit song with an arena-ready singalong chorus, because people need to know.

Harlequin - Thinking Of You - peaked #44

Sometimes the follow-up single performs better, sometimes it doesn’t.

Now, I love ‘Innocence’, but genuinely feel this is the better song.

I also confess that the opening reminds me of ‘Closer To The Heart’ by Rush. But only slightly.

Now, here’s a genuine question.

How does a nice Canadian band from the prairies have album art with a right-drive car and an album track called ‘Heaven [Dial 999]’?

This Anglophile needs to know!

PS - Harlequin disbanded in 1985, recorded new music in 2007, and are still playing live with Belanger and Golden as the only original members.