L-R:
Fred Penner, Mike Klym, Al Simmons, Bob
King
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In 1973, Al formed
Kornstock. While rehearsing the new
band he became re-acquainted with an old
Air Cadet buddy. "Fred Penner came
over with his guitar and sat in the
kitchen playing along to every song we
were doing. Finally our guitar
player got fed up and walked out. So
Fred joined the group." It was a
strange mix from the get-go. "Fred
knew all these folk songs and I had al
these comedy songs. It was becoming
Fred's band because he was singing fold
songs. My only comeback was my
comedy. It ended up being like the
Smothers Brothers at first. There
was a competition between Fred and me but
that's partly what made it work. It
had an edge." Eventually joining the
group was Bob King on bass, who later
became a noted children's entertainer in
his own right, and drummer Mike Klym.
"We would sing 'Rudolph the Red-nosed
Reindeer' in July in a bar. Or
Sesame Street songs. The more
outrageous we could be, the better.
And the best route to go was almost more
kids' stuff."
During a week-long bar stand in The Pas,
Manitoba, Kornstock was invited to perform
at an elementary school. "The kids
loved it. The fact that we could
take our bar show and perform it for
kindergarten kids was astounding. We
didn't have to cut out much."
Sensing that their strongest audience
wasn't yet of drinking age, Kornstock
split up, with Fred going on to become
Canada's Premier children's recordings
artist.
John Einarson
Excerpt from Made in
Manitoba, A Musical Legacy published
2005
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The above video is Part 1
of a ½ hour CBC National TV special,
produced in 1976.
Parts 2 and 3 also are available on AL SIMMONS
YOUTUBE CHANNEL. |
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