When I was 15, I saw a band on TV called Brighton Rock. The song was called “We Came to Rock” and it was cool. Pop rock, not quite metal, but slick. Then I heard the outro! The singer was screaming like nobody I ever heard in my life! Who were these guys? I made sure I taped the video next time I saw it.
Brighton Rock were perhaps one of the best Canadian shoulda-been bands, with a singer who had serious ability, backed by musicians to match. Today, that incredible voice has been silenced.
Rest in Peace, Gerry McGhee, the voice that could have shattered mountains.
I’ll tell you, Motley Crue should have snagged this guy when they had the chance. What a sound that could have been. Brighton Rock made three studio albums, an EP, a live CD and a number of singles and other miscellaneous tracks. They covered “Creatures of the Night” on Mitch Lafon’s A World With Heroes Kiss tribute, and did it justice by going completely different from the original. In 2019, Brighton Rock released what turned out to be their final song “End of Time”, a heavy rocker that now serves as an excellent capstone.
Gerry later went on to found Precision Records, the plant that pressed up my sister’s album Masked. Its reputation in the industry is excellent. Before that, his distributor Isotope Records supplied me at the Record Store with new product to sell. I never had the chance to meet him personally, but I’ve heard only good things. We occasionally spoke on social media, and he was happy to answer one of my vinyl-related questions for an article I was working on.
Rest in peace, Gerry. This one is hitting me very hard. Playing Young, Wild and Free now, I will remember you as “The Rock and Roll Kid”. Scream on Gerry.
Great writeup Mike!
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Really sad Mike.
Did you see Riley Gale from Power Trip has died too? only 34. I got into them through a Top 10 of 2017 on your site. Great band.
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That explains it — it was those guys who were posting about him this morning. I wasn’t really familiar with him but they sure were. Damn.
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God, the year is getting worse. I have also heard that a member of the band Power Trip who I saw at Bloodstock 2018 has also died.
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I wasn’t familiar with him, but yes I saw that early this morning as well!
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Sorry to hear Mike. Nice tribute. Don’t know them but will give them a try.
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BR actually released another song earlier this year. End of Time. RIP Gerry
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Thank you Paul I will fix that pronto.
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Sounds like a band I would be into. Seems like the older we get the more of these sad news we face.
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I got into Brighton Rock recently. I know it’s terrible. But in Oz they didn’t exist and the US mags I purchased didn’t give them any love either. And I like em. I like their whole sound.
Listening to Assault Attack right now on Spotify.
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I didn’t know this guys stuff but this is sad news. Too many cool people dying lately.
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