From the Gazette review by Bill Mann:

 

"...Mahogany Rush was playing perhaps its last local concert for quite a while, as it looks like the band is about to go off on the raid and go after the big US market. The Montreal band's latest album, Child of the Novelty, isn't getting played anywhere in Canada on the radio, but it's reportedly sold 50,000 units since being released two weeks ago. And sources say that the LP's all-important distributer in the States, Twentieth Century Records (Barry White, Love Unlimited) believes the album could become a gold record ultimately, one of the first by a Canadian.

 

Marino is well on his way to international stardom, but the rest of Canada seems oblivious to it, much as it did with other artist like Neil Young. Why are Canadians the last to know, it seems, of major talent in their midst? Why can't a truly talented Canadian make it big in his own country instead of having to go to the States for recognition? This would seem to be the contemporary problem in the arts..."

 

August 9 Friday

[I watched the resignation of Nixon on TV]. Kingsman Park with Heather, Pattie, Rob, Mich, Maggie and Gribbin [the elder]. Had beer in mugs. Went to my place after (no one home).

 

August 12 Monday

Westpark [a park in Pierrefonds, had become a hangout for freaks]. Beer, got pissed off at Maggie [I don't remember why].

 

August 13 Tuesday

Westpark with Rob and Mich. We left and went to Alexander Park [this may have been the park of summer 1973 where Brad lost his lens]. The floodlights were on. Met Danny and Steve McKnight. Smoked hash. [as we were talking the floodlights suddenly went off, a small surprise.]

 

August 14 Wednesday

Went to Place des Nations with Mich, Dave, Joan Osburn and Pat. Before going Mich and I visited CHOM to get the album I'd won [a few days earlier, on the Live Earl Jive's show. I had identified a mystery singer (Judy Garland). I won the 'That's Entertainment' soundtrack. Wow].

 

The show was Randy Bishop [ex of the Wackers] and Babe Ruth. [Pat told us about her bad experience hitchhiking. It's surprising that we didn't have more, as at this time we all hitchhiked. Not so now.]

 

August 16 Friday

At Gillian's all day. Rob, Mich, Abby, Brian, Ernie, Foster, Fred, etc [?]. Smoked weed and Moroccan hash, drank Southern Comfort.

 

Letter written by Ralph August 16, 1974 from Greece.

 

Dear Alan-

 

It's about 9:30 pm here in a campsite about 11 kilometers outside Athens. I'm smoking Greek cigarettes which sell for 14 dragmas (about 42¢) a pack. I know that that isn't particularly interesting but I threw that in to lengthen the letter a bit. Simone + Nicolette are both "out on the town"; Simone with a Greek friend, Costas who she met 2 years ago, and Nicolette with Mark a friend from the boat who she met quite by accident at the American Express office in Athens this afternoon. We got to Athens yesterday after a sleepless night crossing the Adriatic sea by ferry from Brindisi (Italy). I was too tired to go into the city last night and made my first excursion into Athens today. Spent most of my time at the flea market. It's almost impossible to get to sleep around here before 1:00 am. There's an open air Wine fest next door to the campsite and there are three groups playing simoultaniously (forget it, I can't spell) at the same time until about 1:00 am. I was supposed to go down there with Simone + Costas but I guess they're spending the night in Athens. Right now I'm drinking Coke (Greek Coke that is) and eating Italian peanuts. Along with beer, Coke + peanuts have been my mainstay in Europe, which could be why I've been fighting off zits for most of the summer. Might as well tell you what else I've been doing "most of the summer". As you know we drove to New York (got lost in Harlem). Got on the boat and while the voyage lasted I had a great time. Got of at Genoa and slowly made our way along the Mediterranean coast and started heading inland after Nice. Stayed a few days in Paris where Mike gave me a guided tour of the city. Stayed a night at Mike's and then on to the Hague. In Holland we made the usual rounds of visiting relatives and assorted friends. Danielle and I also spent some time with people from the Boat who were moving to Holland for one year. After Holland we [left] for Germany. saw a bit of Nuremburg + Munich.