Music

Quarrington Worthy
After re-meeting in 1973 through a mutual friend, Paul Quarrington and Martin Worthy sat down to co-write a few songs. Last week they did it again.

The feel for one another’s musical gifts was instant; they spent several weeks, after than first meeting, sequestered together writing lyrics, composing tunes and trying out new harmonies. It was the harmonies that gave them their first sniff at success.

Few musical teams have had the staying power that their friendship enabled. Nearly 30 years later they are still friends - living next door to each other in the east side of Toronto - and writing music.

At once a rare combination of animation and subtly, humour and insight, their earlier songs were picked up by a number of successful Canadian artists. Ron Jeffries released “How To Pick Up Girls” while Burton and Honeyman recorded two Quarrington Worthy compositions “Mary Gargill” and “Tryin’ Like The Devil”. They also recorded their own album that contained a 1980 number one single in Canada - “Baby and the Blues”.

Both Quarrington and Worthy are talented singer/songwriters. Proficient and versatile performers on a wide range of instruments - guitar, harmonica, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion and clarinet, they are also proficient composers whose penetrating and beautiful lyrics set to clearly elegant harmonies marked them a major creative force back in the ’70s and early ’80s.

Quarrington and Worthy made up the lion’s share of the  Continental Drift - the backing band for  Joe Hall.

Two albums were recorded with the drift, On The Avenue” (1979) and Rancho Banano” (1980).

They recorded Top Ten Written All Over It” (1978) with Paul Quarrington’s brother - Tony Quarrington.

QuarringtonWorthy” (1979) was the self-titled album that contained Baby and the Blues” and a follow on single Montego Bay”.

A final recording was made in 1980 in Los Angeles with John Capek producing. This project was never completed.