April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn from its inception in 1969 until his retirement in 2023, April Wine first experienced success with their second album, On Record (1972), which reached the top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: "Bad Side of the Moon", a top 20 hit in Canada; and "You Could Have Been a Lady", a number 2 song in Canada.
They have experienced only moderate international success, but great popularity in their home country of Canada. Their greatest response internationally throughout the 1970s and early '80s came with songs such as, "You Could Have Been a Lady" (1972), "Tonite Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love" (1975), "Roller" (1979), "I Like to Rock" (1980), "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" (1981), and "Just Between You and Me" (1981). They have released more than 20 studio albums.
History
Early years
Although April Wine officially began in late 1969 in Waverley, Nova Scotia, their roots can be traced to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, in 1967/68, where brothers David and Ritchie Henman grew up playing music together before moving to Nova Scotia.
Three of the founding members - David Henman (guitar), Ritchie Henman (drums), and their cousin Jim Henman (bass) - were originally in a band named Prism (not the famous one). After a brief break to attend university, the trio reformed with Myles Goodwyn on lead vocals and guitar. Goodwyn had previously played with Jim Henman in a group called the Termites. David Henman christened the new group "April Wine". They realized that Halifax did not provide opportunities to play and record, so they sent a demo tape to Aquarius Records in Montreal. Aquarius managers Terry Flood and Donald K. Tarlton returned a rejection letter but the band mistook it for an invitation. On April 1, 1970, April Wine went to Montreal, bringing with them their instruments and $100 in cash; Flood and Tarlton were persuaded to sign the band to a contract. They were set up in a chalet and booked at a local comedy club, Café Andre. They spent the next five months touring eastern Canada with Mashmakhan.
The band recorded and released their self-titled debut album April Wine in September 1971. The album included a single, "Fast Train", which was a top 40 hit in Canada and peaked at #38 on the RPM Singles Chart. It established Miles Goodwyn as April Wine's main songwriter. The album did not sell well, but the success of the single led the band's label to ask for a second album. Jim Henman left the band in the fall of 1971 and was replaced by Jim Clench. In the meantime, the band spent 1971 touring the college circuit, with the exception of July 30th, when they opened at Montreal's Place Des Nations for The Guess Who. 1972 was much the same, although they began to play larger venues and opened for a few more large acts, like Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, Badfinger and Stevie Wonder.
Mainstream success
Under the guidance of producer Ralph Murphy, April Wine recorded their second album, On Record in 1972. The first single was a cover version of the Hot Chocolate song "You Could Have Been a Lady". The record was a commercial success, hitting number two for a single week on the RPM Canadian charts, as well as cracking the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States where it stayed for 11 weeks, peaking at No. 32. A second single, a cover of "Bad Side of the Moon" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, also got much airplay on Canadian radio and was a minor hit in the U.S. Both tracks remain staples on classic rock radio stations in Canada. On Record was certified Gold in Canada and the band, along with Murphy, returned to the studio.