Oliver Klaus (band)

Oliver Klaus
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Origin	Waterloo, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock
Years active	1967–1970, 1991–present
Labels	Capt. Moze Records, No Exit Records
Website	Official website

Oliver Klaus is a Canadian rock band formed in Quebec’s Eastern Townships in 1967 by brothers Maurice and Bryan Singfield with bassist Graham Worden. The group performed locally before entering the Montreal music scene, where they recorded their self‑titled album in a basement studio they built in Waterloo and released it independently in 1970. They continued performing and recording through the early 1970s, working with local producers, releasing several singles, and appearing alongside other emerging Canadian acts.

The band disbanded in the late 1970s and later reunited in the early 1990s, releasing the studio albums Homeless (1996), A Life in the Day (2018), and There’s a Light (2024). Their early track “Here Comes the Sun” was included on the 2019 compilation Sad About the Times, which brought renewed attention to their early work. As of the 2020s, the group has discussed the possibility of a reunion performance.

History

Oliver Klaus began performing in 1967, when brothers Maurice and Bryan Singfield formed a trio with bassist Graham Worden in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.The group played its first shows at local high schools and community venues and appeared at Man and His World during Expo ’67. They played in southern Quebec before moving into the Montreal scene the following year.

By 1969, Oliver Klaus had become active in the Montreal music scene, performing at clubs and community venues while developing new original material. Around this time, bassist Graham Worden was replaced by the Singfields’ high‑school friend Jerry Cushen. In 1970, the band continued to expand its presence in Montreal as they worked toward securing a recording opportunity and broader exposure.

Without access to professional studios or industry support, the band built its own recording space in Waterloo, using second‑hand materials and equipment purchased from a local radio station.They constructed a soundproofing wall from used cement blocks filled with sand and installed a triple‑pane window set at off‑angles to reduce reflections.Working in this basement studio, they recorded the material that would form their self‑titled album, while the B‑side was captured live at the Waterloo, Quebec, arena using a minimal four‑microphone setup.The group also built a homemade plate‑reverb system from a sheet of roofing metal found in a scrapyard and suspended in the studio, which was used during the vocal and instrumental recording sessions.The tapes were later taken to RCA in Montreal for mastering and pressing. The album was released in 1970 and distributed independently in southern Quebec, a release documented in both The Record and the Library and Archives Canada catalogue.

Following the release of their 1970 album, Oliver Klaus continued performing throughout southern Quebec and Montreal. Their early bookings were handled by Pierre Gravel, manager of André‑Philippe Gagnon, and the group expanded its presence in the Montreal music scene. During this period, they met promoter Donald K. Donald (DKD) and were booked alongside emerging Canadian acts such as April Wine, Mashmakhan, and the Rabble. Although offered a record deal by the team behind Mashmakhan’s commercial breakthrough, the band declined due to concerns about artistic control.

The group’s early Montreal recordings included sessions with Studio Six owner and engineer Chuck Grey, who recorded “Here Comes the Sun” and “Feeling Groovy” with producer Ron Dykoff, leading to a single deal featuring “Here Comes the Sun” (side A) and “Feeling Groovy” (side B) on the Trans‑World label. Chappell Music later required the title to be changed to “Good Morning (Here Comes the Sun)” to avoid confusion with the Beatles’ song. Around this time, CHOM‑FM disc jockey Doug Pringle became an early supporter, playing the band’s self‑titled album in full, while DKD booked them to perform “Good Morning (Here Comes the Sun)” and “Walk in the Night” on CFCF‑12’s Like Young television program.

In 1971, Oliver Klaus began working with Mel Younger, manager of the Rabble, who arranged a meeting with producer André Perry. The band prepared new material at Perry’s newly renovated church‑studio in east‑end Montreal, but recording stalled due to delays in the arrival of the studio’s console. With bookings slowing and opportunities limited, the group relocated to Toronto in search of new prospects.

In the early 1970s, Oliver Klaus worked intermittently with independent producer John Stewart, who had previously worked with Elton John and George Harrison, while performing in clubs throughout Ontario. The band also played during several summers at the Terrace Inn music club in Bondville, Quebec, where they served as the house band for the venue’s summer season.During this period, the group expanded to a four‑piece with rotating musicians, including guitarists Earl Jones, Pierre Tremblay, Michael Berke, and John Mines, and bassists Bob Turmel and Brian Blain. In 1974, they signed with EAB Productions and released the single “Rock ’n Roll Heaven” on Aquarius Records, produced by Stewart. The band disbanded in the late 1970s.

Maurice Singfield revived the group’s legacy in 1991 with the cassette release In the Woods, a collection of previously unreleased material, and the band reunited in the early 1990s for concerts in Eastern Townships venues. Oliver Klaus later released the studio albums Homeless (1996), A Life in the Day (2018), and There’s a Light (2024).

In 2019, the group’s track “Here Comes the Sun” was included on Anthology Recordings’ compilation Sad About the Times, which brought renewed attention to their early work. As of the 2020s, the band has discussed the possibility of a reunion performance.

Band members

Oliver Klaus was founded in 1967 by brothers Maurice Singfield (guitar, lead vocals, songwriting) and Bryan Singfield (drums, vocals), along with bassist Graham Worden. Worden was replaced in 1969 by Jerry Cushen, who became part of the group’s early Montreal lineup.

Over the 1970s, the band performed with a rotating group of additional musicians, including guitarists Earle Jones, Michael Burke, John Mines, Pierre Tremblay, and Michael Hollenbeck, and bassists Brian Blain and Bob Turmel. During later periods, other contributors included Yvon Grondin, Yves Grondin, Duffy Darling, Jean Wiedrick, and Julian Singfield.

Musical style

In an interview with It’s Psychedelic Baby! Magazine, Maurice Singfield described Oliver Klaus as “a power trio; guitar, bass and drums,” and said that their early recordings made use of distortion, feedback, and improvisation. The interview also notes that the group recorded acoustic material and wrote lyrics based on their own experiences.

Michael Panontin of Canuckistan Music described the band’s 1970 album as a raw, lo‑fi garage‑psych record, pointing to its fuzzed guitar sound and the “primitive” conditions of the basement studio where it was made.

Anthology Recordings, which included “Here Comes the Sun” on the 2019 compilation Sad About the Times, referred to the track as a private‑press psychedelic recording that had been largely overlooked outside its original local circulation.

Critics responding to the Sad About the Times compilation from 2019 also commented on the band’s sound. Jennifer Makowsky of PopMatters called “Here Comes the Sun” “reminiscent of something by the Byrds with its exhilarated harmonies and jangly guitars,” while Joseph Neff of The Vinyl District wrote that the track “ups the psych and adds a current of unforced weirdness.”

Discography

Albums

• Oliver Klaus (1970, Capt. Moze Records).

1995 vinyl reissue – Capt. Moze / No Exit Records.

1995 test pressing – Capt. Moze / No Exit Records.

1996 vinyl reissue – No Exit Records.

2002 CD reissue – Oliver Klaus 1967–70 (No Exit Records).

• In the Woods (1991, Hayfield Productions) – cassette.

• Homeless (1996, Capt. Moze Records) – CD.

• A Life in the Day (2018, Capt. Moze Records) – digital release.

Extended plays

• There’s a Light (2024, Capt. Moze Records) – digital EP.

Singles

• "Good Morning (Here Comes the Sun)" (1970, Trans‑World) – 7".
• "Long Lost Memories" (1976, Capt. Moze Records) – 7".
• "Rock and Roll Heaven" (1976, Aquarius Records).
• "Rock and Roll Heaven" (1977, Capt. Moze Records) – 7".
• "It’s Another Weekend" (2025) – digital single.
• "Half Ass Game" (2025) – digital single.
• "Foster Mountain" (2025) – digital single.

Compilations

• Pique‑nique Sunnymead Picnic (1995, Hayfield Productions) – cassette compilation including "Eastern Townships Land".
• Sad About the Times (2019, Anthology Recordings / Mexican Summer) – compilation curated by Mikey Young and Keith Abrahamsson, featuring Oliver Klaus’s track "Here Comes the Sun," credited to Maurice Singfield Jr.

Legacy

Canuckistan Music profiled the group, emphasizing their independent approach and noting their place in Canadian rock history. The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia likewise highlighted Oliver Klaus’s early use of DIY recording methods and their historical significance. A review in !Earshot described the CD reissue of their 1970 album as “a priceless artefact from a bygone era.”

In 2019, Oliver Klaus’s track “Here Comes the Sun,” taken from the original 1970 album master, was included on Anthology Recordings’ compilation Sad About the Times, a release intended to spotlight overlooked North American soft‑rock and psych‑folk recordings from the 1970s.

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