Sharon, Lois & Bram - Group Formation

Group Formation

Sharon Hampson, Lois Lillenstein, and Bram Morrison began their singing careers as individuals, and met while performing for the "Mariposa in the Schools" program. The three performers quickly discovered that they shared a common philosophy about creating quality music for children. In 1978, armed with vision, talent and $20,000 borrowed from family and friends, they recorded their first album One Elephant, Deux Éléphants, released by Elephants Records distributed by A & M. The folk-style album, with its eclectic musical mix, was an instant success, becoming one of the fastest-selling children's albums ever produced in Canada.

The group began touring Canada in 1979, in The Greatest Little Touring Super Show, and then appeared in the United States at the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival in New York in 1980. The group had a diverse musical sound and themed songs. It ranged from folk songs, school yard chants, pop tunes, camp songs, singing games, rounds, and nonsense rhymes that were performed in diverse styles such as jazz, calypso, rock’n roll, country and folk. Their music was for families and leaned heavily towards participation and sing-along styles. This style was further developed in their television show The Elephant Show, which began airing on CBC in 1984.

Their unique singing style can be attributed not only to themselves but also to producer Bill Usher. Usher was looking for a more energetic twist to children’s music and a shift away from the previous traditional folk style. Usher used a technique in which songs were no longer filtered through personalities and trademark sounds of the performer. Instead, songs drew upon various musical styles, such as rock ‘n roll, Broadway or calypso. This sound was regarded as completely new. Sharon, Lois, and Bram's appeal crossed a variety of demographics.