The band that inspired rock anthem Summer of ’69 is reuniting

It’s been nearly six decades since a small-town British Columbia high school band featuring a young Jim Vallance bought its first six-string guitar — and nearly 40 years since the song Vallance co-wrote, inspired by his earliest musical memories, became a rock classic.

The song was Summer 69, a 1985 Bryan Adams single Reckless album that became a worldwide success and remains a radio staple.

As the song goes, Jimmy quit, Jody got married and the band didn’t go very far.

That band was based on Vallance’s first musical venture, The Tremolones, later known as 4Most — and for the first time in decades, the band founded in Vanderhoof, B.C., population 4,500, is ready to take the stage.

On Saturday, 4Most — including Vallance — will gather at Nechako Valley Secondary School, where they will play a song and share some memories of their time playing together, as part of the launch of a music scholarship in Vallance’s name.

As a bonus, Vallance will donate one of his four Juno Awards to be displayed at the school where his musical career began.

Those were the best days of my life

Vallance wrote hundreds of songs over his decades-spanning career, including Leap by Loverboy, Now and forever (you and me) by Anne Murray and Don’t forget me when I’m gone by Glass Tiger — as well as numerous songs co-written with Adams, including all of the songs on the multi-platinum album Reckless.

“They all start the same way: You’re sitting there with a pencil in your hand and you’re looking at a blank piece of paper,” Vallance told CBC’s The CBC. North Dawn Host Carolina de Ryk talks about the songwriting process.

Media outlets like Fox News and The Daily Mail reported that Adams chose 1969 as the year of the song for reasons of R-rating. But Vallance said there was a much healthier story behind the lyrics.

Summer 69 was written after he and Adams listened strawberry fields The Beatles decided to write a song about their childhood and their dreams of becoming musicians, the best days of their lives.

“I only had Vanderhoof and Terrace in my head,” Vallance said. “First bands, school friends, first girlfriends, first guitar.”

I had a group and we tried really hard

That first group included high school classmates Wayne Deorksen and Gordon Keith, who worked part-time at a Vanderhoof gas station and used their wages to buy guitars and amps.

“Everyone wanted to be involved in music,” Keith said.

One day they heard drumbeats coming from a music room at their school and looked inside to see a red-headed boy named Jim Vallance, whose family had recently moved to Vanderhoof.

They brought in their friend Dave Snell to play bass and formed The Tremolones. The band was renamed 4Most in 1966 after Snell left and another friend, Chuck Davies, joined.

They did a few dances and once they performed in trucks at a rodeo, according to Keith.

“Mostly instrumental tracks. We were fans of The Ventures and The Shadows,” Vallance said.

4Most played together until 1967, when, yes, Jimmy stopped – because the Vallance family were moving.

Vallance continued his musical career in Vancouver, becoming a member of Prism before teaming up with Adams – then a young artist looking to launch a solo career – in the late 1970s.

When Keith and Deorksen, who now live in Grand Forks and Prince George respectively, first heard about Summer 69they felt the connection.

“What Jim (originally) wrote was, ‘Woody resigned and Gordy got married.’ Well, I was the Gordy and I’m still married,” Keith said — for 56 years, in fact.

And that six-string guitar? It was Deorksen’s.

“I bought my first six-string guitar at a nickel store. I played it until my fingers bled,” he said.

Some of those strings are still there. Deorksen said one of them will be displayed in a glass case at the band’s old high school as part of the Jim Vallance Music Scholarship Project.

Look at all that has come and gone

4Most is now set to take the stage at his former high school in Vanderhoof to raise money for the new scholarship. Deorksen, Keith and Vallance plan to perform Walk, don’t run by The Ventures, but Davies will not be able to attend due to a health issue, Deorksen said.

The idea for a scholarship came about when Vallance’s old friends saw him win honors and awards over the years.

“We thought, ‘Wow, he got his start in music at Vanderhoof. We have to honor him,’” Deorksen said. When he pitched the idea to Vallance, he enthusiastically agreed.

Vallance is donating $1,000 to the initiative and one of his Junos will be on display at the school alongside Deorksen’s guitar string and one of 4Most’s setlists.

“When I think of Jim, I always picture him as a young drummer with red hair,” Keith recalls. “But when you look at his accomplishments, I mean, he had a huge impact on a lot of musicians’ lives and it’s almost surreal for me to think about it.”

Vallance said he was happy to be able to reunite with his old friends again to play music and honor his roots.

“Music is a wonderful thing. It is a universal language. Music is uplifting everywhere, in every language and every culture.”