The Paupers

Canadian psychedelic rock band

The Paupers were a Canadian psychedelic rock band from Toronto, Ontario, who recorded between 1965 and 1968. They released two albums for Verve Forecast Records and appeared at the Monterey International Pop Festival.

The group was formed as The Spats in Toronto during 1964 by ex Riverside Three drummer Skip Prokop (born Ronald Harry Prokop; 1943–2017) and rhythm guitarist/vocalist Bill Marion a. k. a. Bill Misener. The other original members comprised lead guitarist Chuck Beal (b. 1944) and bass player Denny Gerrard (b. 1947). According to legend, The Spats rehearsed for 40 hours a week, sometimes on a 13 hour a day shift, and as a result became one of Toronto's tightest acts. After changing their name to The Paupers in early 1965, the group attracted the attention of local manager Duff Roman, who signed them to Toronto's independent label Red Leaf. In March 1965, the label issued Prokop and Marion's "Never Send You Flowers" as the group's debut single and it soon became a modest local hit, as did the follow up "If I Told My Baby". During August, the group appeared at the Canadian National Exhibition's under 21 club with David Clayton Thomas & The Shays. As 1966 dawned, the band signed a new deal with Duff Roman's label Roman Records which issued the group's next single "For What I Am". A cover of "Long Tall Sally" followed in the spring of 1966, by which point the group had parted with Roman (who subsequently became program director of CKFH) and signed up with Bernie Finkelstein (later Bruce Cockburn's longstanding manager). However, shortly after a show at the El Patio on July 24, 1966, Marion left and subsequently recorded a solo single before moving into production work and playing with The Last Words.

In his place, The Paupers recruited Scottish émigré Adam Mitchell (b. 1944) from the CommonFolk (a folk group featuring Doug Bush, Ian Rankin and Bruce Whitehead). Mitchell quickly asserted himself as the group's new lead singer and chief songwriter with Skip Prokop, and debuted with the band at the Broom and Stone in Scarborough on August 14, 1966. Finkelstein signed the new line up to New York City label MGM shortly afterwards and on September 24 the group made an appearance at a 14 hour pop music show held at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, featuring 14 top local bands. The following month, on October 2, the band supported Wilson Pickett at the Club Kingsway in Toronto. On December 11, The Paupers (together with Ottawa band, The Children) supported The Lovin' Spoonful at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. The group's live reputation began to spread and in early 1967, Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman, convinced Finkelstein to sell his interests in the group. The single was followed by a well received appearance at New York's Cafe Au Go Go from February 21 to March 5, 1967, supporting Jefferson Airplane. The group remained in the city to cut its debut album with Rick Shorter, played another concert opening for Jefferson Airplane at Hunter College in New York City, and then set out for a series of concerts on the West Coast including several appearances at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium and the Monterey International Pop Festival on June 16.