| Background: | person |
| Lisa Hartt | |
| Birth Name: | Lisa Eisenhardt |
| Alias: | Lisa Hartt Spillane |
| Origin: | Montreal |
| Genre: | Rock, jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Vocals, guitar |
| Years Active: | 1960 to present |
| Label: | Polydor, Rising Records, Music For World Peace Records |
| Past Member Of: | The Lisa Hartt Band |
| Spouse: | Michael Spillaine |
Lisa Hartt is a Canadian singer and Juno Award nominee. She was the lead singer of The Lisa Hartt Band during the 1970s. They had a hit with "Old Time Movies". As a solo artist, she also had a radio hit with the single "Touch Me".
Lisa Hartt was born in Montreal in 1946 and grew up in La Tuque and Dorval, Quebec. She ventured into music at the age of ten.[1] She started her career in Montreal. At the age of 15 she was working as a backing singer for artists. Some years later, she was singing backup for Gino Vannelli.[2] In addition to Vanelli, she has worked with April Wine, Rayburn Blake of the group Mashmakhan, Natalie Cole, David Foster, Ralph Murphy, Anne Murray, Phil Ramone, Brenda Russell, Ken Tobias, and Maurice White.[3]
Her international career has seen her performing in various parts of the world.[4] She was nominated for a Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 1976.[5]
Her first band included musicians, Wayne Pilon on bass and Brian Wray on Keyboards.[6] Wray had been a member of 70s groups, Natural Gas, Motherlode and Truck.[7] [8]
In 1976, she was an artist in the Rockabye Hamlet production. It also featured, Rory Dodd, Cal Dodd, Cliff Jones and The Irish Rovers.[14] She performed the songs, "If My Morning Begins", "The Last Blues I'll Ever Sing", and "Denmark Is Still".[15]
In 1975, the Lisa Hartt Band released the single, "The Last Blues I’ll Ever Sing" bw "Let’s Live Together" on Rising RI-001X.[16]
They followed up that year with "Old Time Movie" bw "Starwatcher" on Rising RR-003.[16] In late May, RPM Weekly reported that Rising Records were promoting three singles, "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" by Rockgarden, "Old Time Movie" by The Lisa Hartt Band, and "Let The Games Begin" by Kidstuff.[22] In June, the single peaked at #12 on Vancouver's CKLG chart and spent a total of eight weeks in the chart.[1] The band released "Dream Me Away" bw "Sweet Serenade" on Rising RR-010 in 1977.[16]
In mid-July 1977, RPM Weekly wrote that it was confirmed the band would tour with Aquarius Records recording act, April Wine and open for them. At that time the band consisted of Hartt on guitar and vocals, Rayburn Blake on guitar, Richard Yuen on keyboards, Marty Cordrey on drums, and their newest member Ray Hands on bass who had replaced Denny Gerrard.[23]
In the February 18, 1978, issue of Billboard, there was a report of a suggestion by an earlier article that the group had left the Rising Records label and were in negotiations with other companies. Robert Hahn of Champlain Productions was not impressed and claimed that the band had a "subsisting agreement" with the label.[24]
In 2022, she recorded a 4-track EP titled Arival which includes the song "Don’t Tell Me How I Feel" which is a tribute to her late brother, Christopher who died in 2015. Joan Prowse of Cinefocus created, produced and directed the video for the song.[26] The single was released on November 11. The EP is due for release in January, 2023.[27] It contains another song "Wasted" which is an account of her life on the road and the toll it took.[28]
| Act | Release | Catalogue | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa | "Touch Me" bw "Aftermath" | Polydor 2065 182 | 1973 | |
| Lisa Hartt | "Don’t Tell Me How I Feel" | Music For World Peace Records | 2022 | |
| Act | Release | Catalogue | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lisa Hartt Band | "The Last Blues I'll Ever Sing" / "Let's Live Together" | Rising Records RI 001X | 1975 | |
| The Lisa Hartt Band | "All Over the World" / "Didn't You Know" | Rising Records RR. 008 | 1976 | |
| The Lisa Hartt Band | "Old Time Movie" / "Starwatcher" | Rising Records RI 003X | 1976 | |
| The Lisa Hartt Band | "Easy Come, Easy Go" / "Dream Me Away" | Rising Records RR. 006 | 1976 | |
| The Lisa Hartt Band | "Dream Me Away" / "Sweet Serenade" | Rising Records RR. 010 | 1977 | |