# Blue Northern

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{{Short description|Canadian country rock band}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name                = Blue Northern
| image               =
| caption             = 
| image_size          =
| background          = group_or_band
| origin              = [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia), Canada
| genre               = [Country rock](/source/Country_rock)
| years_active        = 1977-1982
| label               = [Quintessence Records](/source/Quintessence_Records_(Canadian_label)), [Polydor Records](/source/Polydor_Records)
| associated_acts     = [The Cowsills](/source/The_Cowsills), [The Northwest Company](/source/The_Northwest_Company_(band)), Cement City Cowboys, Alibi, Shakedown, The Rhythm & Blues Allstars, [The Blue Shadows](/source/The_Blue_Shadows), [The Co-Dependents](/source/The_Co-Dependents), [Robbie Robertson](/source/Robbie_Robertson) & The Red Road Ensemble
| website             = 
| current_members     = Jimmy Wilson<br />Gary Comeau<br />Lee Stephens<br />Brady Gustafson<br />Larry McGillivray<br />Ray O'Toole<br />[Billy Cowsill](/source/Billy_Cowsill)
| past_members        = 
}}

'''Blue Northern''' was a [country rock](/source/country_rock) band active between 1977 and 1982. They released four [Top 40](/source/Top_40) singles in Canada; in their final year they were nominated for a [Canadian Country Music Award](/source/Canadian_Country_Music_Awards).

==History==

Blue Northern was formed in [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) in 1977.  Its initial composition was Gary Comeau (lead guitar and violin), Lee Stephens (bass), Brady Gustafson (drums), and Jimmy Wilson (formerly of Cement City Cowboys) on rhythm guitar, [Dobro](/source/Dobro), [pedal steel](/source/pedal_steel) guitar and accordion. They were joined by guitarist Ray O'Toole and vocalist, guitarist and percussionist [Billy Cowsill](/source/Billy_Cowsill).<ref name=canbands>[http://www.canadianbands.com/Blue%20Northern.html Biography of Blue Northern]; canadianbands.com.  Retrieved 2015-01-01.</ref>  O'Toole had been a professional musician and songwriter since 1967, co-founding [The Northwest Company](/source/The_Northwest_Company_(band)) in that year and remaining with the band for various periods between 1967 and 1974.<ref name=nw>[http://pnwbands.com/NWCompany.html Profile of the Northwest Company]; [http://pnwbands.com/ Pacific Northwest Bands].  Retrieved 2015-01-03.</ref><ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/northwest-company-mn0001780132/biography  Biography of Northwest Company]; [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic).  Retrieved 2015-01-04.</ref> Cowsill had been a professional musician for all of his life, and achieved international success with his family, [The Cowsills](/source/The_Cowsills), in the 1960s.

Blue Northern's first release, ''Blue'', was a four-song [EP](/source/extended_play) released in 1979 on [Quintessence Records](/source/Quintessence_Records_(Canadian_label)).<ref>Scott Beadie, [http://www.thepunkmovie.com/articles/records-labels Records & Labels], as referenced to the film "Bloodied But Unbowed", April 24, 2010; www.thepunkmovie.com. Retrieved 2015-01-02.</ref><ref>[http://www.thepunkmovie.com/webisodes/quintessence-records Quintessence Records], September 30, 2010, as referenced to the film "Bloodied But Unbowed"; www.thepunkmovie.com.  Retrieved 2015-01-02.</ref>  Two of the songs were written by O'Toole and two by Cowsill.<ref name=pnw>[http://pnwbands.com/bluenorthern.html Profile of Blue Northern]; [http://pnwbands.com/ Pacific Northwest Bands].  Retrieved 2015-01-02.</ref>  The record was produced by Cowsill.

[Polydor Records](/source/Polydor_Records) signed the band in 1980 and released "Can't Make No Sense", from ''Blue'', as a single.  Written by O'Toole, it did well on radio nationally, spending 9 weeks on the Vancouver charts, peaking at No 10.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGinnis |first1=Ray |title=Can’t Make No Sense by Blue Northern |url=https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/cant-make-no-sense-blue-northern/ |website=vancouversignaturesounds.com |publisher=Vancouver Pop Music |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> This was followed by the release of an eponymous first album in 1981, from which four further singles were released, three of which also were Top 40 singles.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGinnis |first1=Ray |title=Hit Songs by Blue Northern |url=https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/artists/blue-northern/ |website=vancouversignaturesounds.com |publisher=Vancouver Signature Sounds |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref>  All were written by O'Toole.<ref name=pnw/>  The album was co-produced by Cowsill, O'Toole and Wilson.

In 1982, Blue Northern was nominated for a Canadian Country Music Award.<ref name=canbands/> That year, the band recorded the 1983 album ''Restless Heart'' by the Winnipeg country singer Patti Mayo, which Cowsill produced.<ref>{{cite web |title=Patti Mayo – Restless Heart |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/5920292-Patti-Mayo-Restless-Heart |website=discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> Gustafson left the band and was replaced by Larry McGillivray. But by then, Cowsill's substance abuse had become an issue and he departed in January 1982. Lee Stephens left the group at that time as well, and by March 1982 Ray O'Toole announced his departure. The band took a swift change in musical direction, primarily catering to country bars that they were performing in at the time and incorporated much of Comeau's western swing style originals into the repertoire and also placing him in the forefront on vocals for the last part of 1982.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGinnis |first1=Ray  |title=Can’t Make No Sense by Blue Northern |url=https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/cant-make-no-sense-blue-northern/ |website=vancouversignaturesounds.com |publisher=Vancouver Pop Music |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> Their last performance was as part of a Christmas concert at Vancouver's [Commodore Ballroom](/source/Commodore_Ballroom) on December 23, 1982.

O'Toole then joined the bands Alibi and Shakedown.<ref>[http://pnwbands.com/shakedown.html Profile of Shakedown]; [http://pnwbands.com/ Pacific Northwest Bands]. Retrieved 2015-01-03.</ref> Gustafson joined The Rhythm & Blues Allstars. Comeau became a session musician, and leads several bands in Vancouver, focusing on New Orleans-style music.<ref>https://garycomeau.net/</ref>  Wilson returned to his native Oklahoma, and later appeared as a member of [Robbie Robertson](/source/Robbie_Robertson) & The Red Road Ensemble, on the Grammy-winning album ''Music for The Native Americans''<ref>{{cite web |title=Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble – Music For The Native Americans |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2115844-Robbie-Robertson-The-Red-Road-Ensemble-Music-For-The-Native-Americans |website=discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> (and its accompanying Emmy-winning PBS documentary ''Making A Noise: A Native American Journey'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Blue Northern |url=https://www.canadianbands.com/Blue%20Northern.html |website=canadianbands.com |publisher=Canadian Bands |access-date=13 February 2022 |archive-date=13 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213090654/https://www.canadianbands.com/Blue%20Northern.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cowsill co-founded [The Blue Shadows](/source/The_Blue_Shadows) and [The Co-Dependents](/source/The_Co-Dependents); he died in 2006.

A.V.R.A. Records of California acquired rights to distribute their catalog in 2023. The self-titled album from 1980 was reissued in 2023, followed by a second digital release titled "Tango!" in April 2024. "Sound On Sound", released in June 2025, features the last of unissued studio recordings by the group. "Live In Vancouver 1981" followed in September 2025.<ref>Individual copyright info & release dates viewable at https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/blue-northern/1681340357 </ref>

==Discography==

'''Album and EP'''
*''Blue'' (1979, EP), Quintessence
*''Blue Northern'' (1981), Polydor
*''Tango!'' (2024), A.V.R.A. Records
*''Sound On Sound'' (2025), A.V.R.A. Records
*''Live in Vancouver 1981'' (2025), A.V.R.A. Records

'''Singles'''
*"Can't Make No Sense" / "Live...Dance" (1980), Polydor
*"Too Late To Turn Back" / "Half As Much" (1980), Polydor
*"Can't Stop" / "Be My Girl" (1981), Polydor
*"100%" / "Vagabond" (1981), Polydor
*"You're Not The Same Girl" / "You Got Me Where You Want Me" (1981), Polydor

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Canadian country rock groups
Category:Musical groups from Vancouver

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Blue Northern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Northern) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Northern?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.