Copperpenny - Stop (Wait a Minute) (1969)

Copperpenny
Stop (Wait a Minute)
1969
Kitchener

Ken Hollis (vocals)
Laverne McDonald (lead guitar, vocals)
Rich Wamil (keyboards, clavinet, vocals)
Bert Hamer (drums)
Paul Reibling (bass, vocals)
Bill Mononen (guitar; replaced McDonald)
Ron Hiller (bass; replaced Reibling)
Blake Barrett (drums; replaced Hamer)

In 1965 Copperpenny was formed by Hollis and Wamil in Kitchener, Ontario as the Penny Farthings. The flip-side of The Paupers 1966 song "If I Call You By Some Name" was "Copperpenny" and the group soon adopted it as their new moniker.

1968 saw the release of a minor hit called "Nice Girl" on Columbia but they soon switched to RCA and had a bit more success with 1969's "Stop (Wait A Minute)" from their self-titled debut which had been recorded in Chicago, Illinois and produced by Jack Richardson (Guess Who) and arranged by Ben McPeek. The song was initially the flip-side to "I've Been Hurt Before", but was released as a new single and rose to No. 67 on the charts.

But it would be a line-up retooling (only Hollis and Wamil remained) and their relocation to Sweet Plum Records (a London Records subsidiary) where they would strike gold. 1973's "You're Still The One" was the band's first legitimate hit and their follow-up "Sittin' On A Poor Man's Throne" was recorded in Detroit with producer Harry Hinde and engineer Richard Becker to create a more R & B feel to their material. This included the addition of backing vocalists Joyce Vincent Wilson and Thelma Hopkins (of Tony Orlando & Dawn fame).

Copperpenny would continue to record in Detroit as they toured extensively throughout the US with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Bob Seger and Uriah Heep. They made appearances on TV shows such as 'Keith Hampshire's Music Machine' and even briefly had their own variety show that launched the career of an unknown magician named Doug Henning.

By the time of their final release with Capitol Records in 1975, 'Fuse' , Rich Wamil was the only member left. The album of cover tunes was once again produced by Harry Hinde and engineered by Haywood Parrott, this time at RCA Studio in Toronto. Session players became the new Copperpenny: Eric Robertson (string arrangements, keyboards), Barry Keane (drums), Paul Zaza (bass), and guitar duties traded between Al Mix and Brian Russell. Despite some well-placed chart action for the songs "Hey Brother", "Disco Queen" and "Good Time Sally", they and four subsequent singles -- including a Christmas themed single featuring two non-album tracks -- failed to sustain Wamil's bid to keep Copperpenny afloat. The project was officially folded in early 1976.

Kenny Hollis went on to a solo career and had success with the single "Goin' Hollywood". He would later become PR manager at Lulu's Roadhouse in Kitchener with occasional Copperpenny reunions in the 1980's. Hollis died from a massive heart attack on July 19, 2002 after being hit by a truck; Hiller spent 1979-1981 in a Toronto-based contemporary gospel music group called Sonlight (featuring Stuart Russell, Chris Woroch, and Brian McFarlane) playing Hiller's original material and covering songs by The Imperials, Andrus, Blackwood & Company, and BJ Thomas among others. They did the local Toronto church scene, Kitchener-Waterloo, and summer gigs in Muskoka. Later Hiller became a studio musician and records children's projects under the name Ronno And Friends; the other members of Copperpenny all took day jobs.

with notes from Rick Mank, Stuart Russell and Chris Chivers.

Albums:
as COPPERPENNY
1970 Copperpenny (RCA) LSP-4291
1973 Sitting On A Poor Man's Throne (Sweet Plum/London/A & M) SPLP-951

as RICH WAMIL AND COPPERPENNY
1976 Fuse (Capitol) ST-6410

Singles:
as COPPERPENNY
1968 Baby Gives Me Everything/I'm Afraid Of The Cold (Columbia) C4-2797
1968 Nice Girl/Help Me (Columbia) C4-2817
1968 Beezel Bug/I Gotta Go (Columbia) C4-2838
1969 Just A Sweet Little Thing/That Was The Game (Nimbus/RCA) 0263
1969 I've Been Hurt Before/Stop (Wait A Minute) (RCA) 0371
1969 Stop (Wait A Minute)/Just A Sweet Little Thing (RCA) 1031
1973 You're Still The One/Call Me (Sweet Plum/London) SPL-9912
1973 Sittin' On A Poor Man's Thrown/Bad Manners (Sweet Plum/London) SPL-9914
1973 Rock And Roll, Boogie Woogie And Wine/Taking My Heart (Sweet Plum/London) SPL-9919
1974 Where Is The Answer/Bad Manners (Sweet Plum/London) SPL-9921

as RICH WAMIL AND COPPERPENNY
1975 Help Your Brother (Capitol) 72741
1975 Disco Queen/Gonna Have A Good Time (Capitol) 72751
1975 Good Time Sally/Let It Happen (Capitol) 72757
1975 Going Down To Miami/Mind Over Matter (Capitol) 72764
1975 Run Rudolph Run/Hey Now Watcha Gonna Give Me (Capitol) 72765
1976 Suspicious Love/Feedback On Highway 101 (Capitol) 72766
1976 Needing You/I Love You (Capitol) 72774

Category:

Music

Tags:

• copperpenny
• copper penny
• stop wait a minute
• 1969
• 60's
• kitchener
• canadian rock
• music
• canada

[casparus52]

I used to work at the Grand Hotel in Bridgeport where Copperpenny often played way back in round 1972. Things went just went fine until the Henchmen decided to come into the club. They didn't do anything but everybody just freaked. Fun times.

[finnyfae]

i love this track.. i sampled this like 4 different ways in ONE day!

[Cheessa]

Love this song. Great stuff. Great memories when music was good

[AFoggyBrain]

i've the 33t, the last one, "stop the worl" is my best!

[w9x7cv3vg6]

@tmlpg just record it from in here,u don't need a 45

[Gayle4357]

Great memories from my past, that's a fact! A gal from Kitchener and the 70's, provided me with the wonderful opportunity to see Copper Penny at the high school dances, many times. Also enjoyed Major Hoople's, Yukon and Rain! Let the good times roll!!

[ajblanc1]

Copper Penny used to play at Pub dances at St. Jerome's College at the University of Waterloo in the early 70's . They used to cover Three Dog Night to perfection. Eli's Coming etc.

PJM

[eddieviolence1]

@1coty Hi this is EDDIE and my brother Rich still plays in a band called GRAVITY out of KItchener

[tmlpg]

i'm lookimg for the 45s for stop wait a minute the coperpenny and fallen angel yukon any tips on trying to find them

[tom53397]

Sorry, I didn't know any of them that well