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Big Sugar
Hemi-Vision's single "Open Up Baby" was a notable first for the band, who recorded a French version of that song, "Ouvres-Toi Bébé", for radio stations in Quebec. The song gained widespread airplay in the province, and for their next album, 1998's Heated, the band recorded a French version of each single they released; the French songs were collected on the 1999 EP Chauffe à bloc. Also that year, Johnson and Hoppe performed several acoustic shows under the name "Little Sugar".
Brown subsequently left the band, and Cross returned as drummer. The band also added a new rhythm guitarist, Mojah.
In 2000, the band released a one-off dub album, Extra Long Life, under the name Alkaline.
In 2001, they released Brothers and Sisters, Are You Ready? Taking their interest in writing and performing French material to its logical outcome, a complete track-for-track French version, Frères et sœurs, êtes-vous prêts?, was released the same year. Both albums concluded with a blistering blues-rock rendition of "O Canada".
The two-CD compilation Hit & Run, featuring a greatest hits disc and a live concert performance disc, followed in 2003.
The eclectic Toronto blues-rock outfit Big Sugar was primarily the project of singer/guitarist Gordie Johnson, who teamed with bassist Terry Wilkins and drummer Al Cross to record the group's 1992 self-titled debut LP. By the time of 1993's Five Hundred Pounds, Wilkins was missing from the line-up; a number of guest musicians fleshed out the recording, among them multi-instrumentalist Kelly Hoppe, who (along with new bassist Garry Lowe) was installed as a permanent member by the 1995 EP Dear Mr. Fantasy. Drummer Walter "Crash" Morgan replaced Cross during Big Sugar's subsequent tour of the U.S.; sadly, while playing a date in Iowa, Morgan died onstage, and was replaced by ex-Odds drummer Paul Brennan in time for the 1996 release of Hemi-Vision. Gavin Brown then assumed Brennan's duties on 1998's Heated.
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Artist Biography - Big Sugar
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 Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band. The band, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Gordie Johnson, bassist Terry Wilkins and drummer Al Cross, officially formed in 1991, although the three musicians had already played together for several years as an informal jam band with members of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, and as a supporting band for Molly Johnson's jazz performances. (Molly Johnson and Gordie Johnson are not related.) After Molly Johnson returned to rock music with Infidels, she helped her former bandmates to secure a record deal; their self-titled debut album was released in 1991 on Hypnotic Records.
Wilkins left in 1993, and the band recorded the album Five Hundred Pounds with the help of guest musicians, including Kelly Hoppe and Garry Lowe, who would subsequently become official members of the band.
Big Sugar had slowly built a reputation as an outstanding live band, and Five Hundred Pounds consolidated it: the album sold 10,000 copies in Canada (the equivalent of selling 100,000 copies in the United States) without any real publicity or radio airplay.
Hoppe and Lowe began to bring reggae influences into the band's sound as well.
In 1995, the band released the Dear MF EP, which featured a cover of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy". Cross subsequently left the band and was replaced by Walter "Crash" Morgan, but Morgan wouldn't be with the band for long. During the band's tour that year, Morgan suffered an aneurysm, collapsing and dying on stage during a show in Iowa. Paul Brennan subsequently joined as the band's new drummer, appearing on their most commercially successful album, 1996's Hemi-Vision. Brennan subsequently left in 1997, and was replaced by Gavin Brown.
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For more information , enjoy the official homepage of Big Sugar
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