PRISM

In the late 1960's, the Seeds of Time began the basis for what would eventually make up 80% of Prism. The group had a hit single, My Home Town, which was composed by Lindsay Mitchell in 1969 but suffered the fate of no Canadian market thrust. 10 years later, Lindsay Mitchell, Al Harlow, Rocket Norton, and John Hall would find themselves together again climbing the charts around the world.
The original Prism lineup made up a who's who of the Vancouver rock scene.
Ron Tabak - Lead vocals
Lindsay Mitchell - Lead guitar, vocals
Tom Lavin - Rhythm guitar, vocals (later formed the Powder Blues Band)
John Hall - Keyboards
Ab Bryant - Bass (later joined Chilliwack and the Headpins)
Rodney Higgs - Drums, keyboards (Real name: Jim Vallance, later went on to form one of the most successful Canadian songwriting duos in history with Bryan Adams)
Bruce Fairbairn - Horns (later went on to be one the industry's premier producers)
Tom Keenlyside - Horns (later went on to the Powder Blues Band)
In July 1975, Prism went into the studio for their first recording session. In what can be considered the first Prism song, Open Soul Surgery would long stand as a concert favorite showcasing the hard-nosed rock attitude of Ron Tabak and Lindsay Mitchell. It was on the strength of their first recorded song that Prism landed a record contract with the now defunct GRT records. At the time, Jim Vallance was attending UBC and did not want his schoolmates to find out he was heading this new rock band so he went under the pseudoname of Rodney Higgs. Before the band began touring Canada, Jim Vallance was replaced by ex-Seeds of Timer Rocket Norton in September 1977. Vallance didn't want to tour and Prism began doing the gruelling municipal arena tour where they quickly gathered a solid core following of fans.
Desperately seeking direction in their new success, Prism recruited Al Harlow from his own band. Harlow brought a new facet to the powerful rock quintet as they entered the studio in early 1978 to record their second album, See Forever Eyes. The new album would set the stage for a series of releases that would take Prism through a series of harsh high and lows. Despite a continued struggle in the direction of the band, See Forever Eyes was an instant success going platinum nearly overnight. The new album bubbled with 10 tracks full of commercial potential and produced 3 powerful singles. The band had begun to makes its mark as a powerhouse on stage but was straying too far into the lightweight pop field.
The Prism lineup from 1978-1980
Ron Tabak - Lead vocals
Lindsay Mitchell - Lead guitar, vocals
Al Harlow - Rhythm guitar, vocals, bass
John Hall - Keyboards
Rocket Norton - Drums
1979 finally saw Prism take hold of itself and launch the highlight of their careers. However, the Armageddon tour would have a long, difficult haul to keep the momentum that Prism had built the previous year while opening in major U.S. markets for Meatloaf. In it's first month prior to its U.S. release, Armageddon sold 150,000 copies in Canada making it one of the best selling Canadian albums in 1979. Prism started with a quick two-week tour of Eastern Canada which ended with a record-breaking crowd of 18,000 at Ontario Place in Toronto. The first two albums had now sold a combined total of over half a million copies in the U.S. and the market was ready for them. However, gas shortages, rising energy costs, and truck stop violence would make the tour difficult at best.
Armageddon brought the band double-platinum awards for sales in excess of 500,000 copies. At the time, the album set sales records and there is accounting of sales somewhere around 700,000 copies. But as the sales of the album were peaking, GRT went into receivership and the true sales numbers will never be known. Judging by the fact that the album is still in demand and actively sold in music stores, it is entirely likely that sales have exceeded 1 million copies.
Lindsay Mitchell conceived Armageddon in August 1978 in Memphis, when Prism played a concert to the combined backdrop of the sometimes violent Memphis police strike and hoopla surrounding the first anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. One highlight to the new album was contributions by a 19-year-old Vancouver whiz-kid songwriter named Bryan Adams, who had just recently signed a new management contract with Bruce Allen Talent. Night to Remember took the honours for SOCAN's song of the year and the album gave the band a whole new repertoire for their live show.
Following hot on the footsteps of a monster success with Armageddon, the band once again returned to the studio to record their fourth album, Young and Restless. 1980 also saw Prism win 2 Juno Awards for Group of the Year, and Bruce Fairbairn's Producer of the Year for Armageddon. Rumours had begun to circulate that all was not well in the band. They had hammered out a working agreement to maintain stability but creative tensions ensued. Prism had begun to take its toll on its members. The relentless touring schedule, and internal songwriting battles began to fracture the group. A falling out between Ron Tabak and Bruce Allen late in 1980 led to the tenor's suspiciously quiet departure from the band and became a flashpoint for all of the band's tensions.
In June 1981, Prism, with new lead vocalist Henry Small, went into Sunset Sound in Los Angeles to record the band's sixth album, Small Change. At the time, it seemed to signal the end of Prism. Though a sea change from the Tabak vocal sound the band's fan base were accustomed to, the album had its own merits. It produced a couple of singles for the band in Don't Let Him Know and Rain. Don't Let Him Know won Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance Japan's prestigious Yamaha award for Song of The Year, and the opportunity for the duo to perform the song on Japanese TV at the award ceremony. Small Change was a well-rounded album with some good songs but it just wasn't Prism.
The members of Prism decided that they had enough and disbanded in 1982. However, Henry Small, Prism's management and label then recorded 'Beat Street', essentially a solo album. Prism's original fan base had abandoned the band by this time, and the project itself soon disbanded.
In early 1984, the 5 original members of Prism began to collect themselves and put the pieces back together again. The members had begun to discuss the possibility of reforming the band, and Ron Tabak had beaten some personal demons that had nearly destroyed his career.
But disaster struck on Christmas Eve, 1984. Ron Tabak was cycling across Vancouver to visit his friend and fellow bandmember Al Harlow. The two had planned to spend Christmas together. Harlow last saw Tabak on the afternoon of the 24th when he picked up some of his belongings in his car. Tabak decided he would cycle to Harlow's Kitsilano apartment as part of his "fitness program". Tabak was struck on the head as he was brushed by a passing vehicle at about 8pm. He had also been injured in a mugging the week earlier and already had stitches on the back of his head. He was brought to hospital by ambulance but was told there was nothing wrong with him. Tabak became abusive and was arrested by police who happened to be there at the time. Early Christmas Day, Tabak's mother was advised by telephone that he had been found unconscious in the police cells and had been returned to Burnaby Hospital and then transferred to Vancouver General.
Vancouver General told Mrs. Tabak her son's condition was grave: A scan examination had shown a blood clot on the right side of his brain, and a neurosurgeon was preparing to operate. He did not regain consciousness and died December 26, 1984.
With the death of their lead vocalist, Prism remained silent until May, 1988 when Al Harlow, Lindsay Mitchell, and Rocket Norton entered the studio with local artists Darcy Deutsch and Andy Lorimer to record a new single, Good to be Back. The new track, written by Harlow, Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams, outlines the 13 year history of the band including a small tribute to the late Ron Tabak. However, the strength of the new single was not enough to land a new record deal. But the band drove on and finally recorded a new album, Jericho, in 1992.
Prism is still rocking on stage playing outdoor concerts, festivals and clubs. The glory days of 80's Stadium Rock may be gone but Prism continues to deliver on stage wherever they play.