Ian & Sylvia - Biography
By J Poet
Ian & Sylvia came from Canada to conquer the US during the folk revival of the 1960s. With their combination of good looks, strong harmonies and an ability to choose top-notch material, they became one of the most successful acts on the folk circuit. They introduced the US to the work of Gordon Lightfoot on their album Early Morning Rain (1965 Vanguard) and although they didn’t write much original material, the tunes they did compose became folk and pop standards including Ian’s “Four Strong Winds” and “Someday Soon” and Sylvia’s “You Were On My Mind.” They sang together for about ten years then, as the folk boom faded, they morphed into a country rock act with their band Great Speckled Bird. Speckled Bird was more successful in Canada than the US but eventually disbanded. The couple had married in 1964 and they stopped singing together shortly before they divorced in 1974. Ian started a new career as a cowboy/country singer in 1973 and has become an iconic presence on the folk circuit. Sylvia also remained active, mainly in Canada, as a solo artist and with her group Quartette.
Ian Tyson was born in Victoria, BC in 1933 and decided to become a rodeo cowboy in his teens. He was thrown from a bronco in 1956 and the fall shattered his ankle. While recuperating in the hospital he picked up a guitar and by the time he was walking again he’d decided to become a cowboy singer. In 1958 he moved to Toronto and started played clubs; within a year he was making his living as a folk singer. Sylvia Fricker grew up just outside of Toronto and was hanging out in folk clubs when she met Ian. They started singing together and moved to New York City in 1962, hoping to make a living as folk singers. They met super folk impresario Albert Grossman and he became their manager and got them a deal with Vanguard Records. Ian & Sylvia (1962 Vanguard, 1995 Vanguard) was highlighted by the duo’s forceful harmonies and Sylvia’s bluesy rendition of “Got No More Home Than a Dog.” The album did well, got them a gig at the Newport Folk Festival of 1963. Four Strong Winds (1964 Vanguard, 1991 Vanguard) did better and included an obscure Dylan tune “Tomorrow Is a Long Time.” Ian & Sylvia had a major hit single in Canada with the title track and The Seekers got a US and UK hit with it. Later that year Northern Journey (1964 Vanguard) scored with “Someday Soon” and Sylvia’s “You Were On My Mind,” which became a #1 pop hit when the San Francisco folk rock band We Five covered it. Early Morning Rain (1965 Vanguard) had four solid Tyson originals and two Gordon Lightfoot tunes including the title track.
Folk rock was coming in and Ian & Sylvia tried to adapt with Play One More (1966 Vanguard, 1994 Vanguard) and Lovin’ Sound (1966 MGM). The single “Lovin’ Sound” became a minor pop hit, but the folk rock backing didn’t really suit their style. They began moving more toward country rock and cut albums for MGM, Vanguard, Columbia and the short lived Ampex label. The Ampex record was called Great Speckled Bird (1970 Ampex) after their country flavored band, and was produced by Todd Rundgren but the company went belly up soon afterwards making Bird the most collectable album in the duo’s catalogue. The best cuts from the early 70s albums came out years later as Long Time Gone (1994 Vanguard).
In Canada, they hosted a weekly CBC country music show from 1970 to 1975. The couple divorced in 1974, but Ian had already started his solo career as a cowboy singer with Ol’Eon (1973 Stony Plain). In 1992 they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In 1994 they became members of the Order of Canada and in 2005 a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation poll selected “Four Strong Winds” as the most essential Canadian song ever written.