REWiND are back!

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This article was published 02/05/2022 (1360 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local band well-known for playing hits from years gone by has added one of its own to the mix.

Formed in 2011 by Gord Kudlak and Larry Ruppel, REWiND made a name for itself playing golden oldies and more across Winnipeg and beyond and releasing two albums of recorded material. When Kudlak died in April 2020, Ruppel said there was no question the band would keep it going.

“Gord would be pleased with the song and how the band is still performing,” Ruppel said. “He would be wanting this to continue.”

In the days after Kudlak’s death, during the early days of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ruppel spent time with his guitar, eventually writing a song in memory of his late band mate.

“He was such an integral part of the band,” Ruppel said. “As I was writing it, I had the feeling that he was there. In his fashion, he’d say, ‘What are you up to? What’s it about?’ It’s called When You Lose Somebody You Love. ‘Well, just don’t make it (a) tearjerker!’”

“People will hear this new song and it will hit them immediately if they’ve experienced the loss of somebody,” said singer Linda Burgess, who lost both her father and brother during the early days of the pandemic. “Everybody that goes through that journey of grief, it takes on different colours. The song, even though it’s not a ‘sad song’, the instrumental part, each instrument has a different voice and each vocal is expressing something. It tells a story.”

Featuring Ruppel on lead vocal and rhythm guitar, the bluesy number was arranged with the band’s pianist Rick Hemmerling, lead guitarist Kasey Kurtz, and bass player John Wrublowsky. Chris Wheeler, the band’s drummer, recorded the tracks, adding his own finesse to the tune at his CruHouse Studio. When You Lose Somebody You Love is available on streaming platforms and from the band’s website. When the group starts playing live again, it will be part of its repertoire, along with a number of new tunes it has learned over the past couple years.

“There’s a couple signature tunes Gord had that we’ve decided to retire,” Ruppel said, adding that other numbers have been spread out among members of the band, according to vocal range.

“We decided during the pandemic to expand the repertoire,” Burgess added. “We have two new younger members, so we’re starting to include songs that people are quite aware of. We have a new Queen number (Crazy Little Thing Called Love). Music like that, the Doobie Brothers, that kind of stuff. That’s been exciting.”

Having spent the past two years off stage, working on and recording new material, REWiND has an album ready for release in the fall, and is starting to book gigs. The first, on May 7, is for the RCMP veterans’ association, with a public performance scheduled for August at the Corydon Street Fest.

“I would expect that would be well attended,” Ruppel said. “It has been great turnouts in the past when we’ve performed there. I’m thinking people will want to celebrate.”

For more information, or to hear When You Lose Somebody You Love, visit rewindharmonies.com