3's a Crowd (band)
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3's a Crowd was a folk rock band from Vancouver, Canada, in the mid-to-late 1960s. The group was formed in 1964, and was originally called the Bill Schwartz Quartet (though no one named Bill Schwartz was actually in the group.) The group consisted of Donna Warner, Trevor Veitch and Brent Titcomb. In 1966, the group moved to Toronto, released a single, and acquired new members Bruce Cockburn, Richard Patterson, David Wiffen and Comerie Smith. In 1968, they released Christopher's Movie Matinee, their only album, but the band broke up soon after it was released. The album was produced by Cass Elliot and Steve Barri. Bruce Cockburn does not perform on the album, but four songs that he wrote appear on the record. Donna Warner was the primary singer, but other band members also sang. The group wrote most of their own material and were very much on the cusp of beatnik-turned-hippie culture. They did a slow, strident, military rendition of "(Let's) Get Together" by Chet Powers, and had a minor hit with their own song "Bird Without Wings." A signature tune at their concerts was their song "Wasn't It You".
In 1967-68, 3's a Crowd played the folk music clubs in Southern California, including the Ash Grove in West Hollywood and the Ice House in Glendale, sometimes bringing Jim and Jean as an opening act.
Song list from Christopher's Movie Matinee (1968):
1. Overture -- 2. Let's Get Together -- 3. Coat of Colors -- 4. The Way She Smiles -- 5. Wasn't It You -- 6. Gnostic Serenade -- 7. Bird Without Wings -- 8. I Don't Wanna Drive You Away -- 9. View from a Pompous Head -- 10. Messin' Around/Bring It with You When You Come -- 11. Cotton Candy Man -- 12. Christopher's Movie Matinee
- A movie entitled Christopher's Movie Matinee was also released in 1968[1], though its possible relationship with this album is speculative. The film is about 1960s Canadian hippie youth culture.[2]
The band reformed briefly in 1969, and appeared on a Canadian variety television program entitled "One More Time". By this point however, none of the original members remained in the group; the lineup consisted of Bruce Cockburn, Richard Patterson, David Wiffen, Colleen Peterson, Sandy Crawley and Dennis Pendrith. Cockburn soon left to pursue his solo career, and the group disbanded permanently in 1969. Since then, Bruce Cockburn has had success as a solo act, as has Colleen Peterson.
