Tag: Brady Gustafson

The reason I enjoy the weekends so much on the blog is that I try to post new/old music that I like, which isn’t the most well-known. I go out searching for more music I missed real time. If I had heard of Blue Northern in the early 1980s, I would have bought them. The young Max would have connected with these guys, but better late than never. 

This band sounds like the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and some power-pop mixed together. The songs are likable at first listen. They did have some success in Canada in the early eighties, and they recently re-released their first album under the name Tango!. 

I couldn’t decide on which song to pick, so I just flipped a coin and picked one, but I’m featuring both. They were a country rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. They were together between 1977 and 1983. I found this band by following Billy Cowsill around and his different bands. 

The band started out with Gary Comeau, Lee Stephens, Brady Gustafson, and Jimmy Wilson. They were later joined by guitarist Ray O’Toole and Billy Cowsill. Can’t Make No Sense was written by Ray O’Toole. He also wrote Too Late To Turn Back Now. 

They only released one album…Blue Northern in 1980 and an EP called Blue in 1979. Both of these songs were on the Blue Northern album, and both were singles. Too Late To  Turn Back peaked at #15 on the RPM Cancon singles charts, and Can’t Make No Sense peaked at #25 on the RPM Cancon singles charts in 1980-1981.

Can’t Make No Sense

You say we must end it, the feeling is gone
There just ain’t no reason to carry on
I say we should try it a day or two
And I can’t make no sense out of loving you

Wedding bells were ringing in my head
I could not hear what people might have said
You see we have different points of view
And I can’t make no sense out of loving you

You say you must break my heart
And I will understand
The hurt will go away so soon
Like castles in the sand
And it’s crazy crazy crazy what I’ll do
And I can’t make no sense out of loving you

You say you must leave me now
Closing all the doors
Does he mean that much to you
You can’t see me no more
And it’s crazy crazy crazy what I’ll do
And I can’t make no sense out of loving you

No no I said, I can’t make no sense out of loving you
I, I, I can’t make no sense out of loving you

____________________________

Too Late To Turn Back Down

Well your name’s all over town
Since you’ve been laying your favors round
Your reputation is going down down down the drain
I still remember awhile ago
When you had no place to go
Then your smile was just a show
You gave to a friend

Baby it’s too late
Too late to turn back
Well your money’s all gone
Friends are catching on to you

Baby it’s too late
Too late to turn back
You’ve been doing alright
Just fading out of site, baby

Well your name’s all over town
Since you’ve been laying your favors round
Your reputation is going down down down the drain
I still remember awhile ago
When you had no place to go
Then your smile was just a show
You gave to a friend

Baby it’s too late
Too late to turn back
Well your money’s all gone
Friends are catching on to you

Baby it’s too late
Too late to turn back
You’ve been doing alright now
Fading out of site, baby

Ah you’ve been doing alright
Been fading out of site, baby
Oh you’ve been doing alright
You’re fading out of site, baby

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