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The Original Caste ★One Tin Soldier(Japan Universal:UCIY−1303)
issued 2005/8 In JAPAN

Isao Sasaki(Tokyo,JAPAN)

The　Original Caste was started as the "North Country Singers" in 1966. They changed their name to "The Original Caste" in 1969. It was a group of five people with the married couple of Bruce and Dixee Lee Innes .

At first,they released two singles through DOT records,but made little success. In 1969,They made contract with T.A of the Bell Record . The single " One Tin Soldier "and the album of same title were released .

These were produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter who became the leaders of the latter Dunhill Records. The group leader, Bruce composed several songs in this album. The excellent pop tunes were fully loaded to this album.

Title song "One Tin Soldier "is more popular in U.S.A. (No.34/Billboard Chart) than the next single "Mr. Monday" which became 460,000 copies selling mega hit in Japan (Gold Disk). Many cover records of "One Tin Soldier" have been issued by now. Especially, The Coven makes this tune appear to the US charts four times and it was used for the Original Sound Track of the Warner's Movie named "Billy Jack" . The person in charge's of this O.S.T. wanted to use the original version of The Original Caste , but the episode that The Coven of The Warner Record was in haste chosen because of the movie and record company's relation remains.

"Mr. Monday" made mega success and kept on NO.1 for six weeks in "All Japan Pop 20" of Japanese Radio , and was chosen as the NO.1 during year of 1970.

"One Tin Soldier" and "Mr.Monday" both tunes became NO.1 hits in Canada of their home country. They came to Japan twice, and two live albums were released, and participated in the Tokyo World Music Festival, and totally six singles were released in Japan and made great success. Afterwards, the solo album of Dixee was issued from the Bell Record, and the Greatest Hit Album was released only in Japan.

Now, Bruce says "We have many wonderful memories of Japan".

The music act of Bruce and Dixie is continuously for about eight years and the album "Back Home" was left after their original member's group were dissolved in1972 through the opposition with the Bell Records where a further pop taste is compelled to them. Their music taste was towards simple human songs.

Bruce and Dixie divorced in 1980. Now, Bruce are married to Wanda living in Idaho State, and keeps music act beside the work of CM Production . He is playing his inspired folk music in local concerts.

I hear Dixie lives in Victoria, British Columbia State of Canada.

The Original Caste was started as the "North Country Singers" I formed it in 1966 and we changed our name to the Original Caste in 1969. We have many wonderful memories of Japan. This homepage is very good.(2001.1.5)

My friend, Steve Binder, was starting a label, TA Records, and asked me to be the head of A&R and a producer/writer. I accepted.At TA Records, we signed a group from Canada called The Original Caste. While they wrote songs as well, we wrote both "One Tin Soldier" and Mr. Monday for them. Shortly after, we produced the records.The Original Caste was a very good group and I remember having such a good time recording them because Dixie Lee Innes was truly a fantastic singer.(2002.12.4)

(USA:Billboard, JP: All JAPAN POP 20, Canada:chum100)

Year	Title	Composer	No.	USASS	JP	Canada
1968	I Can't Make It Anymore/Just Like Tom Thum Blues	G. Lightfoot/Bob Dylan	DOT17071	-	-	-
1968	Snakes And Ladders/I'm So Much In Love	Bruce Innes/Vick Self	DOT17138	-	-	-
1969	One Tin Soldier/Live For Tomorrow	Lambert&Potter	Bell/TA186	34	7	1
1970	Mr. Monday /Highway	Lambert&Potter/Bruce I.	Bell/TA192	119	1	3
1970	Nothing Can Touch Me/Country Song	Lambert&Potter/Bruce I.	Bell/TA197	114	-	-
1970	Leaving It all Behind/A Picture Of Bob Dylan	Lambert&Potter	Bell88632JP	-	8	-
1970	Ain't That Tellin' You People /Watch the Children	Lambert&Potter	Bell/TA204	117	11	-
1971	Come Together/Nothing Can Touch Me	Bruce I./Lambert&Potter	Bell88043JP	-	12	-
1972	When Love Is Near/ Sault Ste. Marie	Roger Nicholls/Bruce I.	Bell/TA211	-	-	-
1973	Don't Stop Now/Overdose Of The Blues	Bruce Innes	Century IICA	-	-	-
1974	Give Me The Good News/We Will Live Together	Dennis Coats/Bruce I.	Century IICA	-	-	-

Japanese Singles(1970~71)

The Original Caste' First Single by Dot Records
I Can't Make It Anymore/Just like Tom Thumbs Blues/DOT17071/1968

(written by # Lambert&Potter *Bruce Innes)

One Tin Soldier	Greatest Hits	Live In Japan.Vol.1	Live In Japan.Vol.2
1970Bell/TA5003	1971Bell68007/JP	1971Bell68003/JP	1971Bell68003/JP
One Tin Soldier# Mr. Monday# Country Song* A Picture Of Bob Dylan# Nothing Can Touch Me# Leaving it All Behind# Watch The Children# Highway* Sweet Chicago* Live For Tomorrow#	Mr.Monday# Leaving It All Behind# Come Together* Sault Ste.Marie* Nothing Can Touch Me# One Tin Soldier# Ain't That Telling You People# When Love Is Near I Just Want To Be Your Friend# Thirsty Boots Mighty Mississippi Mr.Monday#	Mr.Monday# I Just Want To Be Your Friend# I Prithee Do Not Ask For Love Come Together* Simple Song Of Freedom A Hard Loving Loser One Tin Soldier# Me And Bobby McGee Sault Ste.Marie* Ain't That Telling You People# Son Of A Preacher Man Hey Jude Mr.Monday#	I Just Want To Be Your Friend# Leaving On A Jet Plane Early Morning Rain First Train Mighty Mississippi Make It With You Interview Thirsty Boots Seasons In The Sun Country Song* Don't Think Twice Yesterday Highway*
Back Home	Dixie Lee Innes	Chinook(Dixie Lee Innes)	-
1974CenturyII/ST17001	1972Bell 6074	1977PLP R-62941	-
Slide Up Under My Shoulder Underground* We Will Live Together* Give Me Goods News Written All Over Me If He Don't Have No Love* Butte, Montana* Last Highway Song Overdose Of The Blues* Station Wagon Melody*	Pronpinquinty Black Paper Roses Too Much Rain Hymn Friends With You Four Strong Winds Seems Like A Long Time The Dolphins Sing Children Sing Nous Vivons Ensemble	Watch Me Fly* A Little Love* You Gotta Shake It For The People* Spain* Rock and Roll＊ When I First Fell in Love* Queen Of Colby,Kansas* Losers Get The Blues Sea Of City Life* Take It Off* (*Bruce Innes-P.Clarke).	-

Made In Canada , Volume Two1969-1974	One Hit Wonders/K-Tel	One Tin Soldier/Japan Universal

Thanks To:Bruce Innes,Dennis Lambert,Hiroshi Matsumoto,Hiroshi Asada,Aki Ishikawa

（Since 2000.12.29-Updated 2005.11.6)