The Rabble were based in Montreal in the Sixties, and were popular there and in surrounding regions of Quebec; they also had name recognition in other parts of eastern Canada (in Ontario and the Maritime provinces). Beyond that, they were known to “freaks” in underground scenes in other cities across Canada, the US, the British Isles, and Europe, while remaining unknown to the general population internationally – their recordings got little commercial airplay outside of the Montreal area. More recently, The Rabble have become known to collectors of obscure music from the era, generally under the heading of “garage”. By 1980, most of the band members had moved to locations across Canada, but John and Mike developed a way of making recordings by mailing audio cassette tapes back and forth between BC and Ontario, and adding overdubs. In 1985 there was a rebirth of interest in the Sixties, which spurred the two songwriters to finish the home recordings of their new songs, intending them for another Rabble album, but they were unable to get a record deal, maybe because of being mostly unknown internationally and over 30 years of age. Mike recently retrieved some of these cassettes from a box, digitized them, and worked on making the audio balance consistent between one song and the next. A few newer recordings were added to round out this collection. These are home recordings of songs that would have been re-done in a studio with a full band of players if The Rabble had got a deal with a label. Sincere thanks to everyone who encouraged us in this, and we hope you enjoy the music. For details and discography, see The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia (Bullseye Canada, 2012 - also online), or the Facebook page for The Rabble (Canada). - - - About John’s songs: Rumble In My Heart In the early 1980s, on Vancouver Island, John recorded this song on a reel-to-reel 4-track, with space for an extra guitar part, then mixed it to a stereo cassette, which he sent to Mike in Ontario, who copied it to two tracks on his new Fostex 250 4-track cassette recorder and added a stereo guitar part to the remaining two tracks, then mixed it to a stereo cassette as a master, which was used to make a few copies. One of those copies was found in a box years later and a digital copy of it was made for this CD. Sailing Man John’s newer digital recording from 2008 replaces his earlier one from the early 1980s. John played the digital drum sounds live onto the recorder. Shadows On A Screen See Rumble In My Heart for how this recording of John’s early 1980s jazz ballad was done. John added vocals to his acoustic guitar and electric bass, then sent the mix-down to Mike, who added electric jazz guitar fills and chord voicings that enter in the second verse. Simple Things And Quiet Moments This ballad by John is one that he recorded in the early 1980s. - - - About Mike’s songs: Rather Like A Dream Mike’s recording is from the early 1980s, but two lines of the vocals were redone in the early 1990s due to a slight change in the lyrics. 39 Miles Of Bad Road This straight-ahead rock-and-roll song was written in the 1990s and digitally recorded by Mike on a Yamaha MD8, with the vocals redone later on a BOSS 1600. It is a fairly raw version, but is included because The Rabble always featured a few of these types of songs in live performances. Stepping Out Of Line This early 1980s collaborative recording effort was done in a way similar to Rumble In My Heart, but in reverse: Mike recorded a 4-track version of a retro Swing tune he wrote, with spaces for John to add parts, and sent the stereo mix to John in B.C., who added some vocals and a jazz guitar solo (the second of the two). Mike composed the detailed drum parts on the rented Drumulator “drum machine” that he also used on Rather Like A Dream. Cold Winter Morning Mike wrote this song in the mid-1990s and recorded it on his Fostex 250. The MIDI drum parts were composed on the Cubase sequencing program and played through a Nanosynth. - - - Mike’s instrumentals: Dance Anyway This instrumental song was recorded in the late 1990s on a Yamaha MD8, and was built on a bass riff Mike wrote in 1971, with other parts composed in the 1980s. The drum parts, including the stick-clicks, were tapped in live from the MIDI controller to the recorder. Saying Goodbye Mike’s lost and forgotten instrumental from the early 1980s was one of the first songs he recorded on the Fostex 250. It was discovered on a cassette tape and included here.