Harlequin

Formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1975, Harlequin established itself in a melodic Canadian rock that crosses hard rock, pop rock and arena rock, with a marked taste for direct choruses, keyboards and taut guitars. The band coalesced around George Belanger on vocals, with early members including Ralph James, Glen Willows, Gary Golden and David Budzak, and then made its mark in the late 1970s during Toronto performances before signing with Epic. Harlequin released Victim of a Song in 1979, followed by Love Crimes in 1980, One False Move in 1982 and Harlequin in 1984, a sequence of albums that established its best known tracks, such as Innocence, Thinking of You, Superstitious Feeling and I Did It for Love. After an initial period marked by several lineup changes and the Radio Romances compilation in 1986, Harlequin continued to perform on stage in Canada with Belanger as the through line. The band returned to the studio with Harlequin II in 2004 and Waking the Jester in 2007, and then documented its live activity on Live On/Q in 2009. In its various incarnations, Harlequin has maintained an accessible rock writing style, centered on the effectiveness of melodies and a band sound tailored for live performance.