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The Raja
Realize / Drifting in the Wind - 7"
Goodgroove - 1968
Michael Panontin
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Brian Russell's musical pedigree stretches all the way back to 1961, when he strummed guitar for the initial version of Vancouver's Classics (or, as they were also known, the CFUN Classics after the Vancouver radio station they helped promote). Russell appeared on the group's first couple of seven-inchers on Jaguar, 1963's 'Aces High' and the following year's 'Till I Met You', before leaving the band and eventually forming the Three to One.
The Three to One made their way out east to Toronto and issued what must certainly have been the first ever cover of a Pink Floyd song, a damn fine redo of Syd Barrett's 'See Emily Play' that also appeared on the CTV After Four compilation (though is curiously mislabelled as 'I've Been a Bad, Bad Boy' by Bob Francis). With such a deep dive into psychedelia, they must have decided that a name change was in order, opting for the more au courant Raja. The Raja - Russell, with John Renton on guitar and organ, Derek Norris on bass and Claudette Skrypnyk on the drum kit - issued just one single, 1968's 'Realize', a weirdly schizophrenic concoction that somehow managed to splice a menacing guitar/vocal intro straight out of the Spooky Tooth playbook onto what is otherwise an innocuous popsike ditty. And since the former most likely scared away fans of the latter, it is no surprise, I guess, that the charts paid little heed at the time.
Still, Ron Scribner, who managed the group, obviously had big plans for the four. RPM reported at the time (the August 19th, 1968 issue) that "the Rajah (sic) will be appearing at the Flick, in Toronto's Village from August 19 through the 21st. Scribner expects to lay aside one of these dates for a press reception. The group will also be appearing at The Scene in the North Toronto Memorial Arena and at the CNE's Time Being from Aug 23 through the 29th. They have been signed for the CFOX Spectacular to be held at the Dorval Arena (Montreal). They'll be sharing the billing with the Mandala for this date."
Alas, little became of the Raja after that, though interestingly a Montreal band called Le 4ieme Volonte recorded a serviceable rendition of 'Realize' en francais called 'Je Ne Pourrai Pas'. As for Russell, he would resurface a couple of years later on Heads of Our Time's whacked-out The Subtle Art of Self Destruction LP and then again in the eighties as an in-demand session musician, sitting in with, among others, Johnny Winter and Dr. John.
(Mintish copies of 'Realize' have sold for upwards of 100 bucks.)
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