Max Webster - Legacy and Reunions

Legacy and Reunions

Max Webster were close friends of fellow Canadian musicians Rush. In a 1979 interview, Rush bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee commented that he enjoyed their music, and both bands frequently toured together during the 1970s. Rush wrote and recorded the song "I Think I'm Going Bald" in honour of Mitchell.

The band was successful in Canada, with hits such as "A Million Vacations," "Let Go The Line" and "Paradise Skies," although they never made it big outside of Canada. "Paradise Skies" was a minor U.K. hit, reaching No. 43 on the singles chart there. They also appeared on 'Top of the Pops' in 1979, playing to a pre-recorded track that was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Kim Mitchell's subsequent solo career, however, reached a much broader audience and he achieved popularity beyond Canada during the 1980s.

Among the highlights of the band's career were their New Year's Eve shows at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. Geddy Lee joined the band onstage to sing and play his Rickenbacker bass guitar for "Battle Scar" on December 31, 1980, when the band headlined the show.

The band reunited in 1990 for a gig at the Toronto Music Awards, with the Mitchell/Watkinson/Tilka/McCracken line-up. Max Webster then continued to play shows on occasional basis throughout the 1990s, with bassist Peter Fredette joining the band in place of Tilka.

Max Webster later reunited for the Q107 30th Anniversary Concert and Live Radio Special on Thursday, May 24, 2007, at The Docks in Toronto. During the one-off gig, the band played a set of their hits ("Oh War!," "The Party," "Waterline," "Let Go The Line," "Toronto Tontos," "Diamonds Diamonds," "High Class In Borrowed Shoes," "A Million Vacations," "In Context Of The Moon," "Paradise Skies," Charmonium" and "Battle Scar," with "Hangover" as an encore). The classic Max Webster lineup was featured, from the High Class in Borrowed Shoes era: Kim Mitchell, Terry Watkinson, Mike Tilka and Gary McCracken (who sang "A Million Vacations," with drummer Robert Sibony on drums for the tune). Longtime Kim Mitchell bandmate Peter Fredette joined the band onstage to sing Geddy Lee's part on "Battle Scar."

Kim Mitchell currently hosts the weekday afternoon drive slot (2 p.m.-6 p.m.) on Q107 (107.1) in Toronto.

RockCandy Music in England has re-released the first three Max Webster albums as of April 9, 2012.