The Chart Time Tunnel: Rheostatics

There are times in this business where the lines between one's personal and work life intersect.

I've come to know a number of musicians socially after working in the music business for over 20 years. One of the first dates back to time when only a handful of people knew of Dave Bidini's band, Rheostatics.

Bidini and I both worked at Radio York before the York University radio station was granted its FM license and became CHRY 105.5.

I always remember that the first Rheos release was a seven-inch single consisting of The Who's "My Generation" on one side and The Impressions' "People Get Ready" on the other. It was a simple sky blue label with no label logo. I think the band (Tim Vesely, Dave Clark and Bidini — Martin Tielli hadn't joined yet) didn't think too highly of that release and probably have blotted the memory from their mind.

Ten years ago this week, Rheostatics' The Story Of Harmelodia reached the #1 spot on the campus chart for the week of Jan. 20 to 27. The album jumped five places, pushing the previous week's #1, Beck's Midnite Vultures, down to #2.

The next two albums on the campus chart that week rose from the depths to battle for the top spot. Zoobombs' Let It Bomb jumped nine places to land at #3, followed by Sally Timms' Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments. It rocked up the chart 19 places to land at #4. Both of these releases pushed Danko Jones' My Love Is Bold down two spots to #5 that week.

The highest new entry was Sinclaire's eponymous release, arriving at #8. D.O.A.'s Joey Keithley released a solo album, Beat Trash, which hit the chart at #12 while Baby Namboos' Ancoats 2 Zambia debuted at #14.

It was quite a bumper crop of new entries that week. A total of 22 albums debuted, including Violent Femmes' Viva Wisconsin at #21, Sonic Youth's Goodbye 20th Century at #33 and Destroyer's Thief at #40.

The Rheos had four #1 albums during a six-year span on the weekly campus chart. Of course, the band probably would have scored #1 albums for both 1991's Melville and 1992's Whale Music, which topped the monthly chart published in Chart magazine that pre-dated our weekly charts.

Music Inspired By The Group Of Seven, the Rheo's first release after the commencement of the weekly chart in April 1996, debuted at #5, rising to #3 and remained on the chart for 10 weeks. The quartet released The Blue Hysteria later that year, which debuted in December 1996 at #39, hitting #1 in early 1997 and clocking in 15 weeks on the chart.

A year later, the band's Double Live arrived at #21 and held onto the #1 spot for four weeks during its 14-week run. The Nightline Sessions was the only pre-Harmelodia release not to top the campus chart. Released in September 1998, the live CBC album debuted at #23, peaked at #6 and only lasted nine weeks on the chart.

After Harmelodia's 11-week run, the group returned with Night Of The Shooting Stars in November 2002, which debuted at #50, peaked at #1 in January 2003 and matched Hysteria's longevity mark, surviving on the campus chart for 15 weeks.

In Oct. 2004, Rheostatics released their last studio album, 2067. It entered at #41, peaking at #19 before disappearing off the charts six weeks later.