The Dave Howard Singers is a cult Canadian alternative rock band/project originally formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The project is based around the talents of singer-songwriter Dave Howard (the only consistent member) and the signature sound of his Ace Tone organ. During the second half of the 1980s, the band were resident in (and drew many members from) Britain, where they were a cult act making several appearances on nationwide television.
Howard's work is noted for its mixture of eccentric humour and sincerity, and its persistent attempts to marry extremely disparate and clashing elements of light popular music (lounge-pop tunes, crooner vocals) and industrial/electronic avant-garde music (rapid electronic rhythms, noise, screaming). Howard’s vigorous stagecraft and highly emotional performance style has led him to be described as a "surreal revolutionary", "a vaudeville entertainer for the post-apocalyptic age" and "damned irresponsible and depraved". His songs have been described as "evoking a singular world both comforting and cruel." Howard himself has admitted “I've always had a passion for exploring extreme emotions, especially in my work. Extremely deranged, delighted, demented, deluded, you name it.”
Early years (1979-1984)
An ex-student of the Royal Conservatory of Ontario, Dave Howard started his musical career in Toronto in 1979, as part of a post-punk band called The Diner’s Club (also featuring drummer Boris Rosych and guitarist Brian Ruryk). Howard noted later “we were into all that stuff out of New York like Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, DNA, The Contortions and of course Suicide. I also liked the clean minimalism of groups like Young Marble Giants. And just to totally confuse you, a tiny portion from my list of early influences would be Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, John Barry, early Genesis, Bernard Hermann, Holst, Debussy and Dean Martin.”
Striking out as a solo act in 1981 (accompanied by a drum machine called “Max”), Howard took on the ironic project name of The Dave Howard Singers - despite the fact that not only was he the only singer in the group, but also the only member. Drawing principally on his Suicide and Burt Bacharach influences, he performed song-sets mingling rapid electronic rhythms and noise with lounge-friendly pop tunes and crooner vocals. Audiences confused by this mixture – apart from those who were implacably hostile - were won over by Howard’s sense of humour and encouragement of audience participation (he would invite them to sing along, heckle and tell stories as part of his concert experience). While Toronto-based, he supported international music acts such as James Chance and the Contortions, The Psychedelic Furs and Jah Wobble. The debut Dave Howard Singers release was the 8-song cassette album Alone And Gone in 1983, followed by the cassette EP A Loan And A Yawn.
The London years (late 1984-1986)
In October 1984, British keyboard player and producer Dave Formula (Magazine, Visage) was brought in by Howard’s manager Peter Noble to produce Howard’s recordings. Formula persuaded Howard and Noble that if Howard was serious about a musical career, he should relocate to Britain. Following Formula's advice, Howard moved to London and was teamed up with ex-Howard Devoto sidemen Pat Aherne (drums) and Martin Heath (bass, formerly of The Poison Girls) to form a live trio. This line-up recorded the Whoishe? EP, including the live favourite (and Mad Max tribute) “Road Warrior”, which was released on Howard’s own label Hallelujah! Records (via Rough Trade). However, Howard soon became dissatisfied with the musical direction he was being groomed for. Following a WOMAD gig in 1985 at which he had been presented (semi-ironically) as Canada’s musical representative, Howard parted company with Formula, Aherne and Heath.
The day after WOMAD, Howard teamed up with fellow Canadian Nick Smash, a stand-up drummer and “heavy percussionist” who'd previously worked with Rent Boys Inc. The new-look Dave Howard Singers made an appearance on The Tube, toured with Shock Headed Peters and supported Sonic Youth in Amsterdam.