| Background | group_or_band |
|---|---|
| Alias | Tokyo |
| Origin | Newmarket, Ontario, Canada |
| Genre | |
| Years active | 1983–present (hiatus: 1993–2003) |
| Label | |
| Website | www.glasstiger.ca |
| Current members |
|
| Past members |
|
Glass Tiger is a Canadian rock band from Newmarket, Ontario that formed in 1981. The band has released five studio albums. Its 1986 debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States. Two singles from that album, "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" and "Someday", reached the U.S. Top 10. Glass Tiger has won five Juno Awards and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1987. In 2025, the band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
History
In Newmarket, Ontario, a band called Tokyo formed in 1981.[3][4] The band's members were vocalist Alan Frew and bassist Wayne Parker (both from local band Onyx), along with keyboardist Sam Reid (from River Drive Park band The End) and drummer Michael Hanson. Guitarist Al Connelly joined the band in 1983.[5][6] The band later changed its name to Glass Tiger.[3]
In 1986, Glass Tiger released its first album, The Thin Red Line;[7] it was produced by Jim Vallance (who co-wrote two songs) and Bryan Adams made a memorable vocal cameo on the lead single "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)". This album went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States.[8] Two of its songs, "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" and "Someday", reached the Top 10 in the U.S. charts.[9] Glass Tiger won three 1986 Juno Awards:[8] Album of the Year for The Thin Red Line, Single of the Year for "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)", and Most Promising Group of the Year. The album's producer, Jim Vallance, was named Composer of the Year. The band won two more Juno Awards in 1987[10] and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.[11][12][8] The band performed in the United States as part of Journey’s Raised on Radio Tour and on Tina Turner's European Break Every Rule Tour.[8]
The band released a second album, Diamond Sun, in 1988. The album was certified triple platinum in Canada[13] and featured the single "I'm Still Searching", which peaked at #2 in Canada.[14] Hanson left the band in 1988 following the release of Diamond Sun.[2][15]
Glass Tiger's third album, Simple Mission, was released in 1991 by Capitol Records. The album received radio play in Canada and Europe.[16] It was certified platinum in Canada.[13]
The band went on hiatus in 1993.[11] After pursuing other projects, the band reformed in 2003 with new drummer Chris McNeil[5] and began touring again.[17]
In March 2009, Glass Tiger and members of the NHL alumni visited Canadian Forces stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.[18] The visit included live performances, and footage was shown on an episode of Entertainment Tonight Canada. The band returned to Afghanistan for a second performance in 2010.[19]
In 2012, Glass Tiger toured across Canada with the band Roxette,[20] and performed as part of Penticton, British Columbia's "Rock The Peach Music Fest"[21] On July 1, 2013, Glass Tiger performed a free concert in Leduc, Alberta, as part of a Canada Day Celebration.[22] Glass Tiger performed at a number of festivals in the summer of 2017.[23] On September 23, 2017, Glass Tiger performed at Canada Games Plaza in Prince George, British Columbia. The free concert was held to thank the city for receiving over 11,000 evacuees from the southern interior who had been displaced by various wildfires.[24]
In February 2018, to celebrate 31 years of making music together, the band released an album entitled 31. Produced by Scottish/Canadian country artist Johnny Reid, the album includes special guest contributions from Julian Lennon ("Thin Red Line"), Alan Doyle ("My Song"), Véronic DiCaire ("Someday") and Susan Aglukark and David R. Maracle ("Diamond Sun").[25]
In May 2019, Glass Tiger released their fifth studio album, 33.[26] Following the release of 33, the band joined Corey Hart on his Never Surrender cross-Canada tour in June 2019.[27] The band continued to perform a number of headlining shows throughout the summer and performed as part of the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland.[28]
On May 15, 2025, Glass Tiger was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.[29]
Band members
Current
- Al Connelly – guitar, backing vocals (1983–present)
- Alan Frew – vocals, guitar, tambourine (1983–present)
- Wayne Parker – bass, backing vocals (1983–present)
- Sam Reid – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1983–present)
- Chris McNeill – drums (2003–present)
Former
- Michael Hanson – drums, guitar, backing vocals (1983–1988)
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [30] | AUS[31] | US [32] | |||
| The Thin Red Line | 3 | 77 | 27 | ||
| Diamond Sun |
| 6 | — | 82 |
|
| Simple Mission | 11 | — | — |
| |
| 31 |
| — | — | — | |
| 33 |
| — | — | — | |
| Songs for a Winter's Night |
| — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Live albums
- Live (2006)
Compilation albums
- Air Time: The Best of Glass Tiger (1993)
- No Turning Back: 1985–2005 (2005)
- Then, Now, Next (2012)
Singles
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [33] | US [34] | US Rock [35] | UK [36] | AUS [31] | ||||
| "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" | 1986 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 29 | 9 |
| The Thin Red Line |
| "Thin Red Line" | 19 | — | — | — | 91 | |||
| "Someday" | 14 | 7 | — | 66 | 97 |
| ||
| "You're What I Look For" | 1987 | 11 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Will Be There" | 29 | 34 | 21 | — | — | |||
| "I'm Still Searching" | 1988 | 2 | 31 | 12 | — | — | Diamond Sun | |
| "Diamond Sun"[37] | 5 | — | — | 78 | — | |||
| "My Song" (featuring The Chieftains) | 19 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Far Away From Here" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Send Your Love" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "(Watching) Worlds Crumble" | 1989 | 27 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Blinded" | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | Simple Mission | |
| "Animal Heart" | 4 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Rhythm of Your Love" | 8 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "My Town" (featuring Rod Stewart) | 8 | — | — | 33 | — | |||
| "Rescued (By the Arms of Love)" | 8 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Touch of Your Hand" | 1993 | 34 | — | — | — | — | Air Time: The Best of Glass Tiger | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||
NB: "My Song" (1988) missed the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 71 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart.
NB: "Don't Forget Me" and "Someday" both reached the Billboard AC chart, peaking at #30 and #4 respectively.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year[a] | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juno Awards | 1986 | The Thin Red Line | Album of the Year | [38] | |
| Glass Tiger | Most Promising Group of the Year | [39] | |||
| "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" | Best Selling Single | [40] | |||
| Best Video | [41] | ||||
| Grammy Award | 1987 | Glass Tiger | Best New Artist | [42] | |
| Juno Awards | 1987 | "Someday" | Single of the Year | [43] | |
| Glass Tiger | Canadian Entertainer of the Year | [44] | |||
| 1989 | Canadian Entertainer of the Year | [45] | |||
| Best Group | [46] | ||||
| "Diamond Sun" | Single of the Year | [47] | |||
| Diamond Sun | Album of the Year | [48] | |||
| 1992 | "Animal Heart" | Single of the Year | [49] | ||
| Glass Tiger | Group of the Year | [50] |
Notes
- ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
References
- ^ Sutton, Michael. "The Best of Glass Tiger: Air Time". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "Glass Tiger". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "Glass Tiger". nac-cna.ca. 10 October 2024.
- ^ Taffs, Craig (March 18, 2025). "Hall of Famers Glass Tiger". ckua.com
- ^ Andrews, Coral (21 July 2017). "Glass Tiger plays Zehr Square". therecord.com
- ^ Allen, Craig (13 April 2013). "Meet Glass Tiger". nj1015.com
- ^ "Glass Tiger, Johnny Reid team up" Archived 2018-01-13 at the Wayback Machine. Brian Kelly, Sault Star, July 6, 2017
- ^ Spitale-Leisk, Maria (9 November 2018). "Glass Tiger ready to roar in Centennial Theatre". North Shore News
- ^ "Glass Tiger". Billboard
- ^ "Nominees and Winners - Glass Tiger". Juno Awards website. Accessed 2018 01 12.
- ^ Artist: Glass Tiger CANOE -- Jam!
- ^ " Glass Tiger Thin Red Line". AllMusic Review by Mike DeGagne
- ^ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
- ^ "Glass Tiger". 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Glass Tiger". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
- ^ "Glass Tiger" Archived 2017-05-04 at the Wayback Machine. The Bulletin, Newmarket, December 2014. Pages 12–14
- ^ Curry, John (September 11, 2014). "Rock band Glass Tiger playing at Richmond Fair". Toronto.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ Persico, Amanda (2009-03-20). "Glass Tiger boosts military spirits". YorkRegion.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ "Glass Tiger gives Canadian soldiers unplugged show". May 6, 2010. Aurora Banner
- ^ "Concert review: Roxette with Glass Tiger at the Bell Centre; Aug. 31, 2012". Montreal Gazette, September 1, 2012
- ^ "Rock the Peach Music Fest - City of Penticton". www.penticton.ca
- ^ Leduc announces double headliners for double celebration Archived March 18, 2014 at the Wayback Machine City of Leduc
- ^ "Happy Alan Frew Talks 1980s Music, New Glass Tiger Album and More!". Music Life Magazine, by Jim Barber, October 29, 2017.
- ^ "Thank You PG celebration rocks Canada Games Plaza". Prince George Citizen. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
- ^ Peake, Jenn (11 February 2018). "Glass Tiger "31""
- ^ Barber, Jim (2019-06-06). "Glass Tiger Release First New Album Since 1991, Hit the Road with Corey Hart". Music Life Magazine. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
- ^ Devlin, Mike (25 June 2019). "'80s phenom Corey Hart wows fans at Victoria concert". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
- ^ "Top of The Top Sopot Festival 2019: Glass Tiger - Someday" (in Polish). www.tvn.pl. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
- ^ "Watch Dan Hill, Glass Tiger, Loreena McKennitt and Ginette Reno be inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame". cbc.ca. 23 October 2025.
- ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Top Albums/CDs". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated ed. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 126. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Glass Tiger Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Canadian peaks RPM Magazine
- ^ "Glass Tiger – Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard
- ^ "Glass Tiger – Chart History: Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th ed. London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 228. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Canadian Content (Cancon)". RPM - Volume 48, No. 17 Aug 13, 1988
- ^ "1986 | Album of the Year (Sponsored by Music Canada) | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1986 | Most Promising Group of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1986 | Single of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1986 | Best Video | Rob Quartly, Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ Montgomery, Zach Laws, Charles Bright, Daniel; Laws, Zach; Bright, Charles; Montgomery, Daniel (2020-01-27). "Grammy Best New Artist: All the Winners in Grammy Awards History". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1987 | Single of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1987 | Canadian Entertainer of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1989 | Canadian Entertainer of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1989 | Group of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1989 | Single of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1989 | Album of the Year (Sponsored by Music Canada) | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1992 | Single of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ "1992 | Group of the Year | Glass Tiger |". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2020-02-12.