Origin: Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

EVEREST

Frank Reid - Ric McDonald - Jim MacLellan - Don Gaze

Everest albums:

	st - 1984 (with lyrics)
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	One step away - 1995 (with lyrics)
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Notes about Everest:

 Text in English

- Everest was a melodic rock band from Toronto, formed at the end of the 1970s [1, 2]. It released only one album during the 1980s, *Everest*, in 1984; a second, recorded in 1985, was not issued until 1995 [2, 3, 4].

On the debut, the lineup was Ric McDonald on lead vocals, bass and bass pedals, Don Gaze on guitars, Frank Reid on keyboards and vocals and Jim MacLellan on percussion [3, 5, 6]. Released by CBS Records Canada on the Epic label (PEC-80098), the album was produced by Paul Gross for his production company, Backroads Productions, and recorded at Phase One Studios in Toronto in February and March 1984, with Mick Walsh as engineer and Kevin Markland as assistant engineer; Bob Ludwig mastered it at Masterdisk in New York [3, 7]. Gross had co-founded Phase One with Doug Hill in 1973 and had produced Saga's first three albums there [7, 8].

McDonald wrote eight of the eleven songs on his own, among them the two that open the record, "Right Between The Eyes" and "Hold On". Reid, MacLellan and McDonald wrote "Streetwise", with lyrics by MacLellan, and the closing track, "I Don't Know"; Gaze contributed the brief "Everybody's Nuts At The Palace" [3]. Two singles were taken from the album: "You Make Me Shiver", backed with "I Think It's My Heart", and "Danger Zone", backed with "I Don't Know" [9]. In 2003 a review on the Proggnosis website highlighted the record's symphonic character and the weight of its keyboard arrangements, and compared its sound with that of Saga and of Pallas around the time of *The Wedge* [6].

According to the band's Discogs profile, CBS dropped Everest soon after signing it [1]. In 1985 the group recorded a second album, produced by Paul Gross and by Terry Brown, Rush's producer from *Fly by Night* (1975) to *Signals* (1982), with Mick Walsh and Roger Sleman as engineers; Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson mixed it at Lerxst Manor in Stouffville, Ontario [4, 10]. Apart from a cover of "How Does It Feel", a Steve Lukather song from Toto's *Isolation* (1984), all the material is credited to Everest [4, 11]. The album was not released at the time [2, 4].

In 1986 Andrea Duncan replaced McDonald as lead singer [1]. That year Everest won Q107 Homegrown, the contest run by the Toronto radio station Q107, whose top prize was studio time at Metalworks and a single on MCA Canada [1, 2, 12]; the band's contribution to the contest album, *Q107 Homegrown – Volume 8* (MCA-37277), was "You're The Only One" [13]. In 1987 MCA released "Don't Know What To Do" (MCA-53057) as a single, with an instrumental version on the B-side and the phonographic copyright in Q107's name. Produced by Howard Ayee, it was recorded at Metalworks in Mississauga, Ontario, with Ed Stone as recording engineer, and mixed by Rush bassist and singer Geddy Lee at Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec, with Paul Northfield as mixing engineer. The song is credited to A. Duncan, D. Gaze, J. MacLellan, F. Reid, C. Duncan and D. Garbutt [14]. In 1989 FM Revolver included it on the compilation *Hot Night In The City* (WKFM LP 134) [14, 15].

In 1995 the German label Long Island Records reissued *Everest* on CD in its Rock Classic series (LIRC 00056), in a limited edition of 2,000 numbered copies, digitally remastered by Sondi and Adrian V. Ripka at Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg and with "Don't Know What To Do" added as a bonus track [5]. In the same series it released the second album for the first time, as *One Step Away* (LIRC 00076), also in a limited, numbered edition, with digital mastering by George Graves at The Lacquer Channel in Toronto. The CD credits McDonald with lead vocals, bass and bass pedals, and names Andy Duncan as lead singer and Al Marney as bassist on "Runnin' On" [4]. -

Notas sobre Everest:

 Texto en Español

- Everest fue un grupo de rock melódico de Toronto formado a finales de los setenta [1, 2]. En los años ochenta solo publicó un disco, *Everest*, en 1984; el segundo, grabado en 1985, no se editó hasta 1995 [2, 3, 4].

En el debut, la formación la integraban Ric McDonald a la voz solista, el bajo y los pedales de bajo, Don Gaze a las guitarras, Frank Reid a los teclados y las voces y Jim MacLellan a la percusión [3, 5, 6]. El disco, que CBS Records Canada publicó con el sello Epic (PEC-80098), lo produjo Paul Gross para su productora, Backroads Productions, y se grabó en febrero y marzo de 1984 en los estudios Phase One de Toronto, con Mick Walsh como ingeniero de sonido y Kevin Markland como ayudante; lo masterizó Bob Ludwig en Masterdisk, en Nueva York [3, 7]. Gross había fundado Phase One con Doug Hill en 1973, y allí había producido los tres primeros discos de Saga [7, 8].

McDonald escribió en solitario ocho de las once canciones, entre ellas las dos que abren el disco, «Right Between The Eyes» y «Hold On». Reid, MacLellan y McDonald firmaron «Streetwise», con letra de MacLellan, y la canción de cierre, «I Don't Know»; Gaze aportó la breve «Everybody's Nuts At The Palace» [3]. Del disco se extrajeron dos sencillos: «You Make Me Shiver», con «I Think It's My Heart» en la cara B, y «Danger Zone», con «I Don't Know» [9]. En 2003, una reseña publicada en la web Proggnosis destacó su carácter sinfónico y el peso de los arreglos de teclado, y comparó su sonido con el de Saga y con el de los Pallas de la época de *The Wedge* [6].

Según su ficha en Discogs, CBS prescindió del grupo poco después de ficharlo [1]. En 1985, Everest grabó un segundo disco, producido por Paul Gross y por Terry Brown, productor de Rush desde *Fly by Night* (1975) hasta *Signals* (1982), con Mick Walsh y Roger Sleman como ingenieros; lo mezcló Alex Lifeson, guitarrista de Rush, en Lerxst Manor, en Stouffville (Ontario) [4, 10]. Salvo una versión de «How Does It Feel», canción de Steve Lukather incluida en el álbum de Toto *Isolation* (1984), todo el material figura a nombre de Everest [4, 11]. El disco no llegó a publicarse entonces [2, 4].

En 1986, Andrea Duncan sustituyó a McDonald como voz solista [1]. Ese mismo año, Everest ganó el concurso Q107 Homegrown, que organizaba la emisora de Toronto Q107 y cuyo primer premio consistía en tiempo de grabación en los estudios Metalworks y un sencillo con MCA Canada [1, 2, 12]; su aportación al recopilatorio del concurso, *Q107 Homegrown – Volume 8* (MCA-37277), fue «You're The Only One» [13]. En 1987, MCA publicó como sencillo «Don't Know What To Do» (MCA-53057), con una versión instrumental en la cara B y los derechos fonográficos a nombre de Q107. Producido por Howard Ayee, se grabó en Metalworks, en Mississauga (Ontario), con Ed Stone como ingeniero de grabación, y lo mezcló Geddy Lee, bajista y cantante de Rush, en Le Studio de Morin Heights (Quebec), con Paul Northfield como ingeniero de mezcla. La canción figura a nombre de A. Duncan, D. Gaze, J. MacLellan, F. Reid, C. Duncan y D. Garbutt [14]. En 1989, el sello FM Revolver la incluyó en el recopilatorio *Hot Night In The City* (WKFM LP 134) [14, 15].

En 1995, el sello alemán Long Island Records reeditó *Everest* en CD dentro de su serie Rock Classic (LIRC 00056), en una edición limitada de 2000 copias numeradas, con remasterización digital de Sondi y Adrian V. Ripka en los Bauer Studios de Ludwigsburg y «Don't Know What To Do» como pista adicional [5]. En la misma serie publicó por primera vez el segundo disco, con el título *One Step Away* (LIRC 00076), también en edición limitada y numerada y con masterización digital de George Graves en The Lacquer Channel, en Toronto. Los créditos del CD atribuyen a McDonald la voz solista, el bajo y los pedales de bajo, y a Andy Duncan y Al Marney la voz y el bajo de «Runnin' On» [4]. -

Sources/Fuentes

1. Discogs, artist profiles of Everest (5) and Andrea Duncan (2), consulted 19 October 2026: https://www.discogs.com/artist/492071-Everest-5 ; https://www.discogs.com/artist/7658760-Andrea-Duncan-2

2. Museum of Canadian Music, "Everest", artist page, consulted 19 October 2026: https://citizenfreak.com/artists/109870-everest

3. Everest, *Everest*, LP, Epic PEC-80098, CBS Records Canada, Canada, 1984. Sleeve and label credits as transcribed in Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/4294427-Everest-Everest

4. Everest, *One Step Away*, CD, Long Island Records LIRC 00076 (Rock Classic series), Germany, 1995. Credits as transcribed in Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/6208176-Everest-One-Step-Away ; and by the Museum of Canadian Music, consulted 19 October 2026: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/325843-everest-one-step-away

5. Everest, *Everest*, CD, Long Island Records LIRC 00056 (Rock Classic series), Germany, 1995. Credits as transcribed in Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/6208132-Everest-Everest ; and in La Bible de la Westcoast Music (Cool Night), "Everest 'Everest' (1984) -Melodic Rock-": https://labibledelawestcoast.blogspot.com/2018/09/everest-everest-1984-aor.html

6. Proggnosis, Everest, *Everest* (1984): performer credits and review by Eric, 4 September 2003: https://www.proggnosis.com/Release/9149

7. Toronto AES, "Paul Gross", 2008 Toronto Sound series: https://www.torontoaes.org/paul-gross/ ; Discogs, Paul Gross, artist profile, consulted 19 October 2026: https://www.discogs.com/artist/405752-Paul-Gross

8. Wikipedia, "Saga (album)", "Images at Twilight" and "Silent Knight (album)", consulted 19 October 2026: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_(album) ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Images_at_Twilight ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Knight_(album)

9. Everest, "You Make Me Shiver" / "I Think It's My Heart", 7" single, Epic E4-7038, Canada, 1984; "Danger Zone" / "I Don't Know", 7" single, Epic E4-7050, Canada, 1984. Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/14827377-Everest-5-You-Make-Me-Shiver ; https://www.discogs.com/release/14198209-Everest-5-Danger-Zone

10. Wikipedia, "Terry Brown (music producer)" and "Alex Lifeson", consulted 19 October 2026: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Brown_(music_producer) ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lifeson

11. Wikipedia, "Isolation (Toto album)", consulted 19 October 2026: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolation_(Toto_album)

12. RPM, vol. 44, no. 22, Toronto, 23 August 1986: https://www.worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/RPM/80s/1986/RPM-1986-08-23.pdf

13. Various artists, *Q107 Homegrown – Volume 8*, LP, MCA-37277, Canada, 1986: https://www.discogs.com/release/664393-Various-Q107-Homegrown-Volume-8

14. Everest, "Don't Know What To Do" / "Don't Know What To Do (Instrumental)", 7" single, MCA-53057, Canada, 1987. Release credits as transcribed in Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/13713454-Everest-5-Dont-Know-What-To-Do

15. Various artists, *Hot Night In The City*, LP, FM WKFM LP 134, 1989. Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/7489233-Various-Hot-Night-In-The-City