Kat Harlton
Lead Photo: Provided via Artist
Canadian rock legends Lighthouse are celebrating one of their most beloved and groundbreaking albums of their storied career with the release of One Fine Morning (Anniversary Edition), which arrived November 7 via Anthem Records. Available on stunning limited edition three-colour-splatter vinyl, sun/moon vinyl, double CD and digitally. This is the first-ever fully remixed, remastered and expanded edition of the platinum-selling band’s breakthrough 1971 release. Fans can click here to order vinyl and CDs, or pre-save.
One Fine Morning (Anniversary Edition) reawakens the energy and innovation that made the multi-JUNO Award-winning Lighthouse one of the most adventurous and influential bands of their era. Blending rock, jazz, and classical influences into a sound entirely their own, Lighthouse reshaped the possibilities of progressive rock, and their genre-blending sound and fearless creativity continues to inspire generations of artists. The original One Fine Morning album solidified Lighthouse as one of Canada’s most pioneering musical forces. The album earned the band worldwide attention, with the title track becoming a radio staple and remains one of the most celebrated songs in Canadian rock history.
Highlights of the Anniversary Edition include:
- The fully remixed and remastered One Fine Morning album – now with stunning new clarity;
- “All God’s Children,” a previously unheard song from the original studio recording sessions, co-written by band members Larry Smith and Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore;
- Skip Prokop singing lead vocals on the demo versions of the hit songs “One Fine Morning” and “Sing, Sing, Sing;”
- A CBC live performance of “World’s Biggest Rock & Roll Band” from 1970;
- and previously unreleased demo versions of “Customs Man,” “I Can Find A Way,” “Ralphie’s Tune,” “Show Me The Way,” and “Old Man.”
Each track reflects a band in full flight, channeling the momentum that would carry them to international acclaim.
In recognition of their remarkable contributions to Canadian music, Skip Prokop, Paul Hoffert, Ralph Cole and Bob McBride were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022, and the following year Lighthouse was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. Over 50 years after their breakthrough, Lighthouse continues to share and celebrate their legacy with fans across Canada on tour.
I had the opportunity to chat with Paul Hoffert about the new anniversary edition, their evolving sound and what the album means 50 years later.
Kat: What inspired you to revisit One Fine Morning more than 50 years later, and what did you hope to capture or rediscover through this Anniversary Edition?
Paul: Lighthouse continues to play many live concerts, and we have active websites, so we get feedback from fans. Many of our newer and younger fans are not familiar with our classic rock era albums and only know us from streaming tracks and live concerts. They’ve been asking for re-issues of our albums, many of which were gold and platinum. And they’ve been asking about how and why we recorded and performed our albums, and when they might be re-issued. They’re also keen to get associated material that’s never been available before. When Anthem Records proposed this new anniversary double album commemorating the original One Fine Morning release, we were excited because it answers their requests.
Kat: This release features newly remixed and remastered tracks, along with never-before-heard demos and a rare CBC live recording. What was it like digging through the archives – and did anything unexpected surface in the process?
Paul: As we started going through our archives of original Lighthouse materials, we realized we had ten of the original demos that were submitted to our producer Jimmie Ienner in 1970. He chose to record five of the demo songs for the album and rejected the other five songs. As you might expect, some of these are simple songwriter and guitar or piano, and some are more elaborate, with string and/or horn parts played by bandmates. We even found a few songs that we had performed on a TV show or in a collaboration with a symphony orchestra or dance company but never released on a record. We were encouraged because the process was unearthing Lighthouse stuff that was unexpected and new to us (only producer Jimmie Ienner had listened to the demos) and we think it will also be interesting and exciting for our fans and new listeners.
Kat: Lighthouse has always stood out for blending rock, jazz, and classical influences in a bold, orchestral way. How do you feel One Fine Morning reflects that adventurous spirit, and how does it sound to you through today’s production lens?
Paul: I was surprised at how well the original album mixes have stood the test of time but, of course, the sound technology available half a century ago was much inferior to what’s available today. Lighthouse’s arrangements feature brass, saxes, strings and background vocals, as well as a punchy rock rhythm section. And in 1970, the vinyl records that were pressed for mass markets were poor quality – lightweight with lots of Rice Crispies (snap, crackle and pop) and background noise. The tech back then required compressing and turning down the bass to prevent the turntable stylus from skipping across grooves and scrunching the high frequencies to prevent the record cutting-head from burning out. Anthem agreed that we could use the latest AI digital technology to “un-mix” the songs back to their component tracks of instruments and vocals, up-rez them to the newer and higher fidelity bit rates and frequencies, and then re-mix all the songs while keeping the creative intent of the original mixes intact. If it were possible to have a time machine that could bring the younger versions of ourselves into the present and record One Fine Morning with the best equipment available today, this is what it would sound like.
Kat: The Anniversary Edition includes a previously unheard song, “All God’s Children,” co-written by Larry Smith and Howard Shore. Can you tell us about that track and what it adds to the story of the album?
Paul: In 1970, we were in the midst of the Vietnam War, and most songwriters were trying to capture some of what was happening around us. Because Lighthouse was a Canadian band and because Canada accepted US draft dodgers as immigrants, we became known in the US as the Peace Band. Lighthouse trumpeter Larry Smith and Saxophonist Howard Shore composed “All God’s Children” whose second phrase is “When We Gonna Live in Peace?” to focus attention on wars and societal violence and how each side demonizes the other while glossing over that we are all descended from the same parents (whether biblical or evolutionary). Interestingly, we are currently in the midst of wars in Ukraine and Israel, as well as threats in the US of civil war – very similar social dynamics that make the song particularly relevant now.
Kat: One Fine Morning became a defining moment in Lighthouse’s career. Looking back – and now sharing this reimagined edition with new listeners – what does the album mean to you today?
Paul: Music is part of our culture and, like clothing, goes in and out of fashion. Lighthouse rode the wave of what we now call classic rock. Back then I had no idea what the future might bring except that I was sure Lighthouse’s music would not be relevant half a century later… Go Figure… Who would have thought that the advent of rap, EDM, and other musical styles that should have eradicated singable melodies and comprehensible lyrics would instead have allowed rock to survive into the 21st century? I’m thrilled that Lighthouse’s music continues to be streamed, attracts new audiences, and is being re-issued. ething in the works with us.
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