Rawlins Cross

Formation and early history

Rawlins Cross was formed in St. John's in the late 1980s by songwriting brothers Dave Panting (guitar and mandolin) and Geoff Panting (keyboards and accordion) and Ian McKinnon (highland pipes and tin whistle). They also added drummer Pamela Paton and bassist Lorne Taylor to the band.

The band burst onto the East Coast recording scene in late 1989 with its first indie recording, A Turn of the Wheel and a video for the single "Colleen." Just weeks after its release, "Colleen" scored a top ten radio slot on Toronto's influential CFNY station. In 1991, Lorne Taylor left the band, with Derek Pelley briefly replacing Taylor on bass. Prior to the recording of their sophomore album, Crossing The Border, original drummer Pamela Paton left in late 1991, with Tom Roach replacing Paton, and bassist Derek Pelley left in early 1992, and was replaced by Brian Bourne.

Popularity and mainstream success

In 1992, the band released Crossing The Border, which further developed the fusion of highland bagpipes, mandolin and accordion with a rocking rhythm section. A year later, after Rawlins Cross brought in drummer Howie Southwood, the band recorded Reel 'n' Roll, which would be its best-selling album and launch a national radio hit with the title track. At this time, prior to the recording of Reel 'n' Roll, Prince Edward Island singer Joey Kitson joined the band, as the new lead singer. Prior to Kitson joining the band, guitarist Dave Panting sang lead vocals for the band on the albums, A Turn of the Wheel and Crossing The Border.

Rawlins Cross released Living River in 1996, which garnered two Juno Award nominations. The band toured Canada three times that year and signed a licensing deal for its music in Europe.

Rawlins Cross performed live on the nationally-televised East Coast Music Awards and performed at the ninth annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration Festival in Germany and also represented Canada at the Expo Cumbre de las Americas in Santiago, Chile.

Two more albums followed: Celtic Instrumentals in 1997, a retrospective collection, and the 1998 studio album Make It On Time, which would prove to be the band's last album for more than a decade.

Following a six-year hiatus, Rawlins Cross reunited in the fall of 2008 and released its seventh recording, Anthology. The band is once again performing select dates in North America.

Style

Rawlins Cross mixed Scottish, Irish, Celtic, and Rock'n'Roll elements. Their style ranged from Celtic-instrumental to blues to folk, always with a strong rhythmic feeling, and combined contemporary song stylings with traditional instrumentation and story elements. The principal songwriters were brothers Dave and Geoff Panting.

After vocalist Joey Kitson joined the band in 1993, a number of the songs on the first two CDs, including "Turn Of the Wheel", "MacPherson's Lament", "Colleen" and "Open Road" were recorded again with Kitson singing lead, and released on subsequent recordings.

Band members

Former band members

Awards and nominations