Try to think of only one word to describe the music of Doug and the Slugs.

The twelve words listed on the back of the slug on the front cover of Slugcology 101: A Decade of Doug and the Slugs is a good place to start. That said, there is at least one word missing – fun, which, technically, is not the same as frivolity. The word cool would also be applicable.

Doug Bennett formed the band in 1977 in Vancouver. They founded their own record company, Ritdong, two years later. With some distribution help from RCA, they released their debut album, “Cognac and Bologna” in 1979. I still have my copy. As a twenty year old college student, I thought they were “fun” and “cool.” (See above…)

Through the 1980’s, the band released a series of albums and singles and were mainstays on Canadian pop and rock radio. Sadly, Bennett died in 2004. Ted Okos joined the group in 2009 as their new lead singer.

Over the last year or so, there has been a renewed interest in Doug and the Slugs. In 2022, Teresa Alfed’s documentary “Doug and the Slugs and Me” was released. The film explored the legacy of Doug Bennett and the band. If you haven’t seen the film, you can stream it on CBC Gem.

Next month, keyboardist Simon Kendall, a Slug since 1978, will release “Real Enough: The Unlikely Story of Doug and the Slugs.” It’s one of two books about the group. In November 2023, original Slug (which is meant in the best possible connotation) John Burton released “50,000 Slug Fans Can’t Be Wrong.” 

I had the chance to talk with John Burton about the history of the band, their upcoming show with Kim Mitchell at CasinoRama on February 17, tentative plans for a Canadian tour (Symphonic Slugs) for later in 2024, and why he decided to write the book at this time.

This interview originally aired on OldiesWithoutBorders.

Enjoy!

Interview Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.