Rawlins Cross: A Brief History

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To trace the arc of the career of East Coast Canadian Celtic-rockers Rawlins Cross is really to follow the rise and ebb of the great Celtic music wave of the 1990s that lit up the imagination of scores of performers and thousands of fans. From the band's first paid engagement at the Grad House in St. John's, Newfoundland almost exactly 20 years ago (mid-October 1988), Rawlins Cross straddled a unique position — one foot in the elegant Celtic traditions of Scots and Irish music, the other boldly planted in the pop and rock world that could electrify live shows and light radio request lines across the country.

The core of the band — highland piper and whistle player Ian McKinnon, guitarist and mandolinist Dave Panting and his brother Geoff on accordion and keyboards — formed in St. John's. The Nova Scotia-born McKinnon was already a championship bagpiper, and had transplanted to Newfoundland for graduate studies in the Folklore Department at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The Panting brothers were well established in the St. John's music scene; Dave was a member of Figgy Duff and Geoff was a mainstay in the vibrant St. John's theatre scene; acting, creating and performing music in the theatre collective, Sheila's Brush.

Cartoon for an early gig poster by Dave Panting (1989)

First called Open Road, the trio plugged into the boisterous folk scene, belting out pub favourites and folk standards in St. John's bars including Bridgett's and The Ship Inn. But with the level of musicianship and creative ambition in the group, they soon set about writing and arranging original material. A name change to Rawlins Cross (after a busy street intersection in St. John's - suggested by band friend Don Walsh) and the addition of drums and bass quickly defined the seminal sound of the band.

McKinnon recognized the commercial potential early. "I think the music business has some big gaps in it," McKinnon mused in a newspaper article. "There's not a lot of new fresh vibrant music coming out. I think Rawlins Cross is different and exciting… and could very easily be an international success story."

That industry began to loosen formats in the early '90s, opening cracks in the rigid playlists that ruled mainstream radio. Country radio began playing the Rankin Family and pop stations were charting another Cape Breton group, the Barra MacNeils . Even rock radio was opening up to Celtic-flavoured tunes.

The early line-up – standing: Lorne Taylor (bass), Pamela Paton (drums), Ian McKinnon (pipes)/ seated: Dave & Geoff Panting (1989)

Rawlins Cross released its debut indie album A Turn of the Wheel in Nov. 1989 with an accompanying video for the pop-gem Colleen. The song and the dynamic sound immediately connected with audiences. Within a few weeks, Colleen was #1 on Newfoundland's largest radio network OZ FM; a few months later it was Top Ten on Toronto's CFNY, one of the most influential radio stations in the country.

From that first album also came Wild Rose, another staple of the band's live set, and a powerful reworking of the Scottish instrumental piece MacPherson's Lament. With the blossoming popularity of the band, the musicians began the ambitious touring regime that would keep them busy for the next 12 years. With Pamela Paton on drums and Lorne Taylor on bass, the quintet took their fresh sound off the Island and across the country. Vicky Gabareau of CBC Radio effused: "Be still my beating heart, that's the best thing I've heard in years".

Early Rawlins Cross performance at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s (1990)

By early February, 1992 the band was set to release its sophomore album, Crossing The Border. The rhythm section in the band had shuffled. Following a stint with Derek Pelley as bassist, McKinnon and the Panting brothers recruited two accomplished Halifax musicians, drummer Tom Roach and bassist Brian Bourne, a master of the Chapman Stick.

As the band's vibrant fusion of traditional Celtic music and rock continued to mature, the band also developed a bold indie music ethos. Under the direction of McKinnon, the band founded its own label and business company Ground Swell, which would go on to release subsequent Rawlins Cross albums and a handful of other projects. From Crossing The Border, came Open Road, Chessboard Dancer and the lovely Memory Waltz. Still balancing traditional tune sets and original pop-rock songs infused with the pipes and whistles, Rawlins Cross was truly establishing its place in the emerging Celtic wave. The band was rewarded at that year's East Coast Music Awards, winning Best Video for Memory Waltz and taking home the pewter trophy for Best Pop/Rock Recording.

Ian, Dave, Geoff with Derek Pelley on bass (1991)

Just a year later, now firing on all cylinders, the band recorded Reel 'n' Roll, perfectly catching the energy and musicality of the group. Another change in the rhythm section brought in A-list St. John's drummer Howie Southwood.

The biggest change in the band's sound came when PEI R&B singer Joey Kitson came on board. The barrel-chested and baby-faced soul singer was the final piece of the puzzle that jelled the definitive Rawlins Cross sound.

With Kitson's powerful lead vocals now pushing the songs harder, the band decided to re-record some of its earlier material. The album sprung the singles Long Night, a revisiting of the early hits Colleen, Turn of the Wheel, and MacPherson's Lament and the rock radio single Reel 'n' Roll, which would be the band's biggest commercial success.

Ian, Geoff and Ian with Brian Bourne with the cool shades and Tom Roach on the far right (1992)

Riding high with the album, Rawlins Cross was nominated for more East Coast Music Awards, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year for Long Night and again won Best Pop/Rock recording of the year. It says much about where the industry was at the time that a band, fueled on bagpipes and accordion, produced the top pop-rock recording of the year.

Later that year, McKinnon's record company, Ground Swell, inked a distribution and marketing deal with industry giant Warner Music, which was getting solidly behind the East Coast scene. During that period, label president Stan Kulin also signed Newfoundland's Irish Descendants and Great Big Sea and Cape Breton's Natalie MacMaster.

Rawlins Cross was a natural fit, a band capable of commercial radio airplay yet with a distinctive Celtic and Atlantic Canadian sound. The Warner-Ground Swell marriage would create a successful partnership for the next decade and beyond.

Some favorable sales stats from Canada’s largest record retailer (1992)

In the summer of 1994, with many of the world's leaders in Halifax for the G-7 economic summit, Rawlins Cross headlined a special concert on Citadel Hill in front of 50,000 people. The band seized the opportunity and filmed a music video for Reel 'n' Roll at the event.

Recognizing the full commercial potential of Reel 'n' Roll hadn't yet been reached, Warner re-released the album and put its considerable marketing influence behind getting the album into stores and into the media across the country. The record-buying public got behind the disc, that went on to sell nearly 50,000 units, a major feat for an East Coast band.

Ian, Dave, Geoff and Brian with new drummer, Howie Southwood (1993)

The mid-'90s were a busy time for the band, touring clubs and concert halls and headlining festivals. On July 1, 1995, Rawlins Cross led the Canada Day mainstage celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa (see the music video of this performance: Chessboard Dancer).

It seemed East Coast trad-influenced music was everywhere that year. The Rankin Family, the Barra MacNeils, Ashley MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond and Natalie MacMaster were taking the rich Cape Breton traditional sound to national and international audiences. Newfoundland's Irish Descendants and Great Big Sea were charming crowds with Irish-influenced sound, re-invigorating old standards and introducing new original material into the canon. PEI's Barachois was revitalizing Acadian traditional music.

Brian welcomes Joey into the band with a formal handshake (1993)

As Rawlins Cross continued to evolve, the songwriting of Dave and Geoff Panting asserted an ever-stronger role in the sound of the band. By the time Rawlins Cross headed to Toronto's Inception Sound Studio in late 1995 to record the next album, the Pantings had become a songwriting tour de force. Between them, the pair wrote a dozen of 13 tracks for the new album, Living River. They rarely co-wrote, preferring to work separately on their craft, then bringing a sheaf of the new tunes to the pre-production sessions.

The band went back to work with Toronto producer and engineer Chad Irschick, the go-to producer for many East Coast artists including the Rankin Family and the Barra MacNeils. With its bold album artwork (which netted the band and designer Doug Aucoin a coveted Juno nomination) and some great songs, Living River marks an artistic high point for Rawlins Cross. The album featured The Long Way Home, When My Ship Comes In, Forever Dancing and the gorgeous A Matter of the Heart.

Joey Kitson rocks the house (1994)

Rawlins Cross had charted its own course, somewhere between the Scots sound of highland bagpipes and the Irish tradition based around accordion and mandolin. The band also stood apart for eschewing the fiddle, a staple of both Cape Breton and Newfoundland music. (Although Natalie MacMaster did drop by the studio one afternoon to add her fiddle to the traditional instrumental set Mairi Nighean Alasdair and McKinnon's sister Catherine contributed her fiddle to MacPherson's Lament).

Despite the strong songwriting, innovative arrangements and meticulous production, Living River couldn't match the commercial success of Reel 'n' Roll. The album was moving away from the Celtic roots of the band, including only one instrumental piece. Still the band was excited to be nominated as Best Roots/Traditional Group at the Juno Awards that year.

Ian in the centre with Warner Music VP Dave Tollington (left) and President Stan Kulin (right)

At the East Coast Music Awards, the band received four nominations, including Album of the Year for Living River, Group of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. However, the band found itself swimming upriver. Cape Breton fiddle superstar Ashley MacIsaac dominated the event with his block-buster Hi How Are You Today album, which sold in excess of 300,000 units.

It was a high water mark for the Celtic tide, with Natalie MacMaster winning Best Instrumental Recording and Female Artist of the Year. MacIsaac took home the Pop/Rock Recording, Album of the Year and even Urban Artist of the Year!

The band in a photo by Carol Kennedy for the Living River release (1996)

The release of Living River kicked off a busy slate of concert dates, including three Canadian tours and a licensing deal with Magnetic Music for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Perhaps feeling the need to reclaim the "Celtic" of the band, Rawlins Cross went back to the well for its next recording. They pulled together several previously-released tune sets for Celtic Instrumentals, a retrospective collection. To offer some fresh material for fans, the band reconnected with Irschick to record four new pieces for the project.

Released in the spring of 1997, Celtic Instrumentals reestablished the band as one of the great Celtic groups, with world-class musicianship and roof-lifting power and energy. McKinnon's dynamic piping and beautiful tin whistle stepped out front for many of the pieces, including his signature MacPherson's Lament and the high-voltage Little Beggarman set.

That same year, the band performed on the live national television broadcast of the East Coast Music Awards for an audience of more than two million viewers. They continued to broaden their fanbase with performances on CBC television programs, including Rita & Friends and The Country Beat, and national radio programs Morningside, Ear To The Ground, Definitely Not the Opera and PBS in the U.S.

Postcard from Rawlins Cross (1997)

Meanwhile the Panting brothers were continuing to write original material, prompting the band to return to the studio to record Make It On Time, which would prove to be the band's last album release for more than a decade. In some ways, the album is the most satisfying mix of original pop-rock songs and trad instrumental material. With strong tracks including Boogieland, Some People and The Near Dearly Departed, the band again delivered its bold sound, still sounding fresh amid ever-narrowing playlists.

The band continued to tour into new markets, headlining a St. Patrick's Day Celebration Festival in Germany, before heading south to Santiago, Chile to represent Canada in the Expo Cumbre de las Americas.

By the turn of the millennium, the band began to reconsider its future. After more than a dozen years of recording and touring, the members of Rawlins Cross decided to wind down the band. It wasn't the end, just a hiatus so the musicians could pursue other projects.

Publicity photo for the Make It On Time CD (1998)

Flash ahead to the spring of 2008. At the urging of Warner Music, Ian McKinnon steered a reunion of the band to release Rawlins Cross: Anthology, a retrospective of favourite songs culled from the band's five studio albums, with some fresh original material as bonus tracks for the fans.

With two strong new songs from Dave (Look Ahead and The Story), a beautiful new piece from Geoff (Make the Change) and a great instrumental set featuring a lovely air My Eliza from Ian, the band headed into Great Big Studio in St. John's for a week in August.

Rawlins Cross: Anthology is a fitting recap of the impressive recording career of one of Atlantic Canada's most innovative musical groups. It's also a taste of what's yet to come from six musicians still in their creative prime. Stay tuned….

written by Sandy MacDonald, Oct. 2008