Original Line-up: 1976

   Other Members: 1977

   Other Members: 1979

   Other Members: 1980's

   Rock THe Harbour Line-up: 2024

   The band was formed in 1976 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia by David Roberts while attending Dartmouth High School and spent the first couple of years playing mainly school dances throughout the Canadian Atlantic Provinces. Invested a large portion of revenue back into the band, in time creating the largest light show ever owned by a working band in the area. Band's lighting technician, Peter Hendrickson eventually started renting out the lights and formed Tour Tech East Ltd., still a major local and international force for professional lighting and audio systems. The band prided itself on putting on a major show regardless of the venue. Lighting and effects were second to none.

   Recorded two independent singles, one of which, “Won't You Come with Me”, reached number 9 on the local rock radio station, and then hit #33 in the top 100 songs of 1978. In 1979 the band was featured on the national CBC Radio program, "The Great Canadian Gold Rush" which was focusing on up and coming bands from across Canada. Three songs were recorded for the special: "Light Up The Night", "Stole My Love" and "Hold Me". This session was produced by Claire Lawrence of Chilliwack fame. The program was hosted by Terry David Mulligan, recorded in the Summer of 1979 and aired a few months later. Titan was featured as one of three bands considered to be the next rising stars from the Maritimes.

   In the Summer of 1979, the band opened shows for Moxy and Max Webster (reprising a similar appearance the year before in Welland, Ontario). Along with original material, the band at this time featured what local reviewers said were, "a masterful medley of Queen's music" and, "a superb rendition of Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven". While opening for Max Webster, Titan became the first local act to appear in the newly opened Halifax Metro Centre.

   The Kim Fowley Era:

   Band spent the next few years traveling extensively throughout Central and Western Canada and were discovered by Los Angeles musician/producer/songwriter, Kim Fowley (Byrds, Frank Zappa, Runaways). Fowley read about the band in a magazine article in 1981 and reached out to a Canadian acquaintance, Bob Segarini to find out more about the band. He was eventually able to contact the band while they were touring in St. John’s Newfoundland. A quick demo was prepared but was deemed not good enough to properly represent the band. Instead, a 3 day session with Segarini was set up with the intention to record five songs in a proper studio with a real producer at the helm. This union resulted in the song, "Midnight Romeo" which appeared on the Eastern Alliance album in 1982. This was the only song which made a commercial appearance from these sessions. The band was being referred to in the press at this time as, "the first mainstream rock band from Down East", and "bigger than Loverboy". The future looked bright for the band and they were truly expected to be the next big breakout act from Canada. A production deal with Fowley was signed but ended up not going anywhere. A record deal would have been signed with Elektra Records.

   Titan was very much a victim of the times. RIAA figures show that album sales peaked in America in 1977. Record sales were down and bands weren’t being signed like they had throughout the early to mid 1970s. On the live music front, the disco scene was causing many clubs to cut back on live music, installing mirror balls and hiring disc jockeys. Titan was a couple of years too late for the boom of the 70s but a couple of years too early for the 80s new wave.

   Band underwent a few more lineup changes; the great Moe Lauzon quit as did Ron Mayer. Dana returned, after a few years in Toronto, along with Greg Bennett from Toronto but the band soon broke up and Nelson and Roberts continued working together in Bats In The Belfry, Screaming Trees, The Trees and Fire Rooster. They have since re-united with Titan's original guitarist, Steve Brown and perform under the name Blueberry Grunt.

   John Biggs went on to some local fame as disc jockey and TV host before eventually leaving Halifax for radio work elsewhere.

   Moe Lauzon sadly passed away in 2017 at the age of 58.

   Written By Jim Rice

   Footnote:

   On August 17/2024, after 41 years Titan reformed for a once in a life time performance as part of the "Rock The Harbour" festival held in Dartmouth N.S. They performed their original songs "Light Up The Night", "Hide Your Love Away", "Young And Outta Control", "Won't You Come With Me" and "Icy Highway" along with cover songs, Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose", Deep Purple's "Highway Star", April Wine's "Just Between You And Me", Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down" and The Tubes' "White Punks On Dope". (Info from Steve Marsh)

   Discography:

    Singles:

     197? Play Me/Dreamers(The Great Eastern Production Co.)

     1978 Won't You Come With Me/(Why Are You) Leaving Me(Solar Records)

    Compilations:

     1982 Eastern Alliance(CBS)"Midnight Romeo"

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