The Northern Pikes

2025-07-01T20:01:02Z

2001:56A:7E29:D500:657A:DE47:D5B1:AC73:

{{Short description|Canadian rock band formed 1984}}
{{for|the fish|Northern Pike}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist|
| name = The Northern Pikes
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| alias =
| origin = [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]], Canada
| instrument =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| occupation =
| years_active = 1984–1993 1999–present
| label = [[Virgin Records|Virgin]], [[Scotti Bros.]]
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|thenorthernpikes.com}}
| current_members = [[Jay Semko]] [[Bryan Potvin]] Don Schmid [[Kevin Kane (musician)|Kevin Kane]]
| past_members = Merl Bryck Glen Hollingshead Rob Esch Ross Nykiforuk
}}

'''The Northern Pikes''' are a Canadian [[Rock music|rock]] band formed in [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]], in 1984. The original members are [[Jay Semko]], [[Bryan Potvin]], Merl Bryck and Glen Hollingshead, who left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Jay Semko in June 1986. Rob Esch left after the second independent EP, Scene In North America.

The band was active until 1993 and toured and recorded again from 1999 through to the present.

The Northern Pikes were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, September 30, 2012, in Regina, Saskatchewan.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/life/bridges/swimming-upstream-jay-semkos-musical-journey |title=Swimming upstream: Jay Semko's musical journey |last=Trembath |first=Sean |work=[[The StarPhoenix]] |date=2017-09-22 |access-date=2020-01-18}}</ref>

The band released its ninth record of original material, ''Forest of Love'', on June 7, 2019.

==History==
The Northern Pikes released two independent [[Extended play|EP]]s before being signed to Virgin Records in 1986, ''The Northern Pikes'' (1984) and ''Scene in North America'' (1985). They also recorded a song for ''Saskatchewan After Dark'', a 1985 compilation of Saskatchewan-based artists sponsored by the provincial government. Their first album for Virgin, ''[[Big Blue Sky (The Northern Pikes album)|Big Blue Sky]]'', included the Semko-penned "Teenland", the band's first significant hit. The follow-up album ''[[Secrets of the Alibi]]'' contained three Canadian hits, "Wait for Me", "Let's Pretend" & "Hopes Go Astray".

Their 1990 album ''[[Snow in June]]'' became their biggest seller in Canada and the [[United States|US]]. That album's lead single, "[[She Ain't Pretty]]", was the band's biggest hit, and was written by Potvin. An innovative [[music video]] for that song received heavy play on [[MuchMusic]] and was nominated for a [[Juno Award]] in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Nominees 1991| work = The JUNO Awards| accessdate = 2017-02-09| url = http://junoawards.ca/nominees/?nomination-year=1991}}</ref> Overall, the band has been nominated for five Juno Awards, but have yet to record a win.

In early 1992, the band released the single "Everyone's a Hero" for the Canadian [[Special Olympics]]. Later that year, the band released their next album, ''[[Neptune (Northern Pikes album)|Neptune]]''. The album's biggest hit, "Believe", was written by Potvin. After touring to support the album, they announced their retirement as a group in July 1993.

In 1999, Virgin Records asked the band members for their input on a "greatest hits" package. The band decided to do a short promotional tour following the release of ''[[Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984-1993]]'', but found themselves enjoying the more relaxed independence of making their own schedule that they continued touring. They have since released three independent albums, including ''[[Truest Inspiration]]'' (2001) and ''[[It's a Good Life (Northern Pikes album)|It's a Good Life]]'' (2003), as well as the aptly titled ''[[Live (Northern Pikes album)|Live]]'' (2000).

In 2005, the band struck up a musical collaboration with [[Les Stroud]]. Throughout 2005 and 2006 they performed together live several times. A six-song EP born from this collaboration entitled ''Long Walk Home'' was released in the spring of 2007, and was credited to "Les Stroud & The Pikes".<ref name="PS">{{cite news
|title = Survivorman a catch for the Northern Pikes
|work = Entertainment
|publisher = Parry Sound North Star
|date = 2006-03-22
|url = http://www.parrysound.com/fun/1143060631/
|accessdate = 2007-08-14
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928120613/http://www.parrysound.com/fun/1143060631/
|archivedate = 2007-09-28
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thedesignfirm.ca/the-work/les-stroud-the-pikes |title=Les Stroud & the Pikes | Luke Despatie & the Design Firm |accessdate=2013-08-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225516/http://thedesignfirm.ca/the-work/les-stroud-the-pikes |archivedate=2014-05-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| author-link =
| title =News
| publisher =The Northern Pikes – Official Website
| date =
| url =http://www.thepikes.com/news.htm
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-08-14 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070627004534/http://www.thepikes.com/news.htm  |archivedate = 2007-06-27}}</ref>

In 2006, Merl Bryck made the decision to curtail his touring schedule, and left the Northern Pikes. Long-time sideman Ross Nykiforuk joined the band on keyboards as the fourth member onstage from 2006 to 2011. Since then, Semko, Potvin and Schmid have continued touring under the Northern Pikes banner as, in their own words, a "power trio". In 2017, [[The Grapes of Wrath (band)|Grapes of Wrath]] guitarist [[Kevin Kane (musician)|Kevin Kane]] joined them for their 30th Anniversary of "Big Blue Sky" Tour, becoming a full-time member of the band in 2018 for the recording of ''Forest Of Love''. The 10-track record is the band's first in 16 years and also features original members Semko, Schmid and Potvin. BlueFrog Studios hosted the band for two official pre-release concerts on June 6, 2019, which were viewed via Facebook Live and YouTube Live. The band began working on a new album in early 2020, which Jay Semko described as a "tribute to ''Snow in June'''" but postponed finishing it due to travel restrictions and difficulty getting together in studio due to the Covid pandemic. They plan to finish it and have it out by 2022.

In 2019, Semko recorded a new version of the band's 1987 single "The Things I Do for Money", in collaboration with cellists Theodor and Maximilian Aoki, for the soundtrack to [[Warren P. Sonoda]]'s feature film ''[[Things I Do for Money]]''.<ref>Matt Olson, [https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/creative-isolation-jay-semko-steps-toward-the-silver-screen "Creative Isolation: Jay Semko steps toward the silver screen"]. ''[[Saskatoon Star-Phoenix]]'', August 17, 2020.</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
* 1987 – ''[[Big Blue Sky (The Northern Pikes album)|Big Blue Sky]]''
* 1988 – ''[[Secrets of the Alibi]]''
* 1990 – ''[[Snow in June]]''
* 1992 – ''[[Neptune (Northern Pikes album)|Neptune]]''
* 2001 – ''[[Truest Inspiration]]''
* 2003 – ''[[It's a Good Life (Northern Pikes album)|It's a Good Life]]''
* 2019 – ''[[Forest of Love (Northern Pikes album)|Forest of Love]]''
* 2023 - ''[[Time to Time (Northern Pikes album)|Time to Time]]''

===Independently-released EPs===
* 1984 – ''The Northern Pikes''
* 1985 – ''Scene in North America''

===Collaborative EP===
* 2007 – [[Les Stroud]] & the Pikes: ''Long Walk Home''

===Live albums===
* 1993 – ''[[Gig (Northern Pikes album)|Gig]]''
* 2000 – ''[[Live (Northern Pikes album)|Live]]''

===Compilations===
* 1999 – ''[[Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984-1993]]''
* 2007 – ''Platinum''

===Appearances===
* 1985 – ''Saskatchewan After Dark'' (track "Working in My Head")

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2" | Release date
!rowspan="2" | Title
!colspan="2" | Chart peak
!rowspan="2" | Album
|-
! width="45"| [[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN]]
! width="45"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]
|-
| June 1987
| "Teenland" (Semko)
| align="center"|29
| align="center"|
| rowspan="3"| ''[[Big Blue Sky (The Northern Pikes album)|Big Blue Sky]]''
|-
| October 1987
| "Things I Do for Money" (Semko)
| align="center"|85
| align="center"|
|-
| January 1988
| "Dancing in a Dance Club" (Semko)
| align="center"|
| align="center"|
|-
| August 1988
| "Wait for Me" (Semko)
| align="center"|58
| align="center"|
| rowspan="3"|''[[Secrets of the Alibi]]''
|-
| November 1988
| "Hopes Go Astray" (Potvin)
| align="center"|45
| align="center"|
|-
| April 1989
| "Let's Pretend" (Semko)
| align="center"|66
| align="center"|
|-
| May 1990
| "[[She Ain't Pretty]]" (Potvin)
| align="center"| 6
| align="center"| 86
| rowspan="4"|''[[Snow in June]]''
|-
| August 1990
| "Girl with a Problem" (Semko)
| align="center"| 8
| align="center"|
|-
| November 1990
| "Kiss Me You Fool" (Bryck/Semko)
| align="center"| 12
| align="center"|
|-
| March 1991
| "Dream Away" (Potvin)
| align="center"|47
| align="center"|
|-
| February 1992
| "Everyone's a Hero" (Bryck/Schmid/Semko/Potvin/Nykiforuk)
| align="center"|
| align="center"|
| rowspan="1"|Non-album single
|-
| October 1992
| "Twister" (Semko/Potvin)
| align="center"|25
| align="center"|
| rowspan="3"|''[[Neptune (Northern Pikes album)|Neptune]]''
|-
| February 1993
| "Believe" (Potvin)
| align="center"|17
| align="center"|
|-
| April 1993
| "Worlds Away" (Semko)
| align="center"| 40
| align="center"|
|-
| 2001
| "Echo Off the Beach" (Potvin)
| align="center"|
| align="center"|
| rowspan="2"|''[[Truest Inspiration]]''
|-
| 2001
| "Colour into Colour" (Bryck)
| align="center"|
| align="center"|
|-
| 2003
| "It's a Good Life" (Semko)
| align="center"|
| align="center"|
| rowspan="2"|''[[It's a Good Life (Northern Pikes album)|It's a Good Life]]''
|-
| 2003
| "Underwater" (Bryck)
| align="center"|
| align="center"|
|-
|}

==References==
;Citations
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.thenorthernpikes.com The Northern Pikes] Official Site
* [https://canadianbands.com/northern-pikes/ Northern Pikes] CanConRox entry
* [http://myspace.com/npikes The Northern Pikes] at [[MySpace]]
* {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115104016/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/N/Northern_Pikes.html The Northern Pikes]}} entry at [[JAM!]] The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia
* {{discogs artist|The Northern Pikes}}
* {{IMDb name|3162974}}
* [http://www.innerviews.org/inner/semko.html Jay Semko] interview discussing The Northern Pikes

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Pikes, The}}
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1984]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1993]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Saskatoon]]
[[Category:Canadian alternative rock groups]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:1993 disestablishments in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Virgin Records artists]]
[[Category:Scotti Brothers Records artists]]

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The Northern Pikes