June 3, 1966 was the date of my high school graduation at Carpenter High School in Meadow Lake. The Student Representative Council had to decide what band to book for the graduation dance. My band, the Raiders, was an early favourite, but since three members were graduating, it was decided the band should enjoy the evening off to party like everyone else.
The SRC booked the Mellotones from North Battleford. Excellent move. The Mellotones were rated as the top dance band in Northwestern Saskatchewan and one of the best in the province. Ordinarily, the prospects of booking the Mellotones on short notice for a dance in Meadow Lake were slim. But as luck would have it, the band was free.
The Mellotones did not disappoint. A packed gymnasium of more than 400 enjoyed a great mix of big band, western swing, country, old time and rock and roll tunes – something for everyone. The band had a remarkable ability to read the crowd, so they knew what to play and when to play it. It was a great evening.
The first purpose of this essay is to give a general history of the Mellotones, one of the Battlefords’ truly extraordinary, historic dance bands. The second purpose is to provide an account of the respective musical journeys of three former members of the Mellotones, two of whom still live in the Battlefords (Garnet Speer and Dennis Pidwerbesky) and George Armstong who lives in Vancouver, B.C. He was unquestionably the best singer the Battlefords ever produced.
I thank Garnet Speer and Dennis Pidwerbesky for giving me the Mellotones story. They left no stone unturned. I also appreciate Jack Bouma’s important contribution to this essay. Jack played with the Melody Ranch Boys, who were the Mellotones (same band members) before they changed their name in 1966.
The Mellotones had a rather inauspicious beginning in 1951 at Brada School located six miles East of North Battleford. Mrs. Keenee, a young, musically inclined teacher, organized a dance band with four of her students – Leon Charabin on piano (and later accordion), Russ Iwanchuk on fiddle, Owen Day on banjo and Jack Bouma on guitar. Mrs. Keenee played violin. The aspiring musicians called themselves The Corn Poppers for a time but then dropped this name in favour of The Brada Orchestra. Jack Bouma related that one of the first dances the group played for was at the East Hill School. Each member was paid the princely sum of $1.75.
From these humble beginnings, emerged the highly popular and in demand Melody Ranch Boys. The appeal of the band quickly grew to the point where the boys were featured live on a weekly, half-hour broadcast over CJNB radio. The band also played every Saturday night from May to October at the Melody Ranch Hayloft located on Joe Charabin’s farm. During the winter months, the band played for enthusiastic dance crowds at the local hot spots including Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the Trocadero, the old Co-op Hall and the Ukrainian Hall.
Members of the Melody Ranch Boys from 1950 to 1966 included Russ Iwanchuk on fiddle and clavioline, Leon Charabin on accordion, Gordon Racicot on standup bass, Jack Bouma on guitar, Walter Flyer, Mike Kowerchuk and Joe Finucane as vocalists, Merv Knutson, Al Osborn, and Lawrence Lambert as square dance callers and Eldon Elliot and Lee Sage as radio announcers.
During the mid-1960s, the band was confronted with the reality that musical and dancing styles had changed and that it would be necessary for the Melody Ranch Boys to adjust and align with the times, part of which included coming up with a new, less country and old-time sounding name. Square dance calling had to be ditched, for example. CJNB Radio came on board and ran a name-the-band contest with many enthusiastic participants. The result was that in 1966, the band officially became the Mellotones.
Members of the Mellotones from 1966 to 2002 included Russ Iwanchuk (electric guitar), Leon Charabin (accordion), Gordon Racicot, Bob Hildebrand (bass guitar), Dennis Pidwerbesky (electric bass), Garnet Speer (saxophone, clarinet), Jack Ross, Dave Risling, Don Tatchell, Ross Nykiforuk, Bernie Gantefoer (drums), Ken Magnuson, Wanda Whitwell, Dennis Reesor and George Armstrong (vocals).
It was clear that Russ Iwanchuk and Leon Charabin had anchored both the Melody Ranch Boys and the Mellotones over the years while other musicians joined and left the band.
With a new name, and a refreshing, upbeat approach to their music, the Mellotones became more popular than ever. They played for and entertained at dances — the Governor’s Ball, the RCMP Ball, Beta Sigma Phi Ball, Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve dances. They were solidly booked until they retired in the early 1990s.
— Sources: Battlefords News-Optimist, Jack Bouma, Garnet Speer, Dennis Pidwerbesky and Richard W. Hiebert files on dance bands.
