Jim Clench was the bassist and co-lead vocalist who gave April Wine’s early sound its grit.
He later traded bass lines with Fred Turner in Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Clench wrote and sang “Oowatanite,” one of April Wine’s most enduring hard rock tracks.
This biography traces Clench’s full career, from his 1971 arrival in Montreal’s rock scene through his death in 2010.
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📋 Table of Contents [+]
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Jim Clench played bass and sang co-lead vocals for April Wine from 1971 to 1975, then again from 1992 to 2006.
- Clench wrote and sang lead vocals on April Wine’s “Oowatanite,” released on the 1975 album Stand Back.
- Clench joined Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1978, recording Street Action and Rock n’ Roll Nights before the band split in 1979.
- Clench helped audition and recruit both Jerry Mercer and Gary Moffet into April Wine in 1973.
- Clench died in Montreal on November 3, 2010, at age 61 after a short battle with stage 4 lung cancer.
Who Was Jim Clench?
Jim Clench was a Canadian bassist, vocalist, and songwriter born on May 1, 1949.
He is best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist of Myles Goodwyn‘s band, April Wine.
Clench held that role across two separate tenures, from 1971 to 1975 and again from 1992 to 2006.
Between those two runs, he spent 1978 and 1979 as the bassist for Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
He died in Montreal in 2010 at age 61.
How Did Jim Clench Join April Wine in 1971?
Jim Clench joined April Wine in October 1971 after original bassist Jim Henman left the band.
Henman departed following the release of April Wine’s debut album.
Clench was a Montreal-based bass player with a rougher, bluesier voice than Goodwyn’s smoother lead delivery.
That contrast quickly became one of April Wine’s defining features on record.
Producer Ralph Murphy paired Clench’s grittier vocal takes against Goodwyn’s on the band’s next studio sessions.
The result gave the group two distinct lead voices instead of one.
💡 Did You Know?
Jim Clench briefly filled in with Loverboy in late 1979 before Scott Smith took over the bass chair full time.
What Songs Did Clench Sing Lead On?
Clench sang lead vocals on April Wine’s “Oowatanite,” a song he also wrote himself.
He also took the lead vocal on “Weeping Widow,” another fan favorite from the same era.
Clench co-wrote “Lady Run, Lady Hide” with Goodwyn as well.
That credit added his name to the band’s songwriting catalog beyond his own vocal showcases.
His voice carried a rawer edge than Goodwyn’s.
That grit is a big part of why these tracks still get airplay on classic rock radio.
Clench’s Albums With April Wine, 1972-1975
Clench appears on four April Wine releases from his first tenure with the band.
He debuted on On Record in 1972, the album that introduced “You Could Have Been a Lady” to Canadian rock radio.
On Record was April Wine’s second studio album overall, and Clench’s arrival gave it a tougher edge than the debut.
He followed that with Electric Jewels in 1973.
The live album Live! came out in 1974, and Stand Back followed in 1975.
Stand Back became Clench’s swan song with the band during his first tenure.
It was released the same year he departed.
| Album | Year | Era |
|---|---|---|
| On Record | 1972 | First tenure |
| Electric Jewels | 1973 | First tenure |
| Live! | 1974 | First tenure |
| Stand Back | 1975 | First tenure |
| Attitude | 1993 | Reunion era |
| Frigate | 1994 | Reunion era |
| Back to the Mansion | 2001 | Reunion era |
| Roughly Speaking | 2006 | Reunion era |
How Did Clench Help Recruit Jerry Mercer and Gary Moffet?
In September 1973, drummers David and Ritchie Henman left April Wine after an exhausting touring schedule.
That departure left only Goodwyn and Clench in the band.
The two of them held auditions together.
They brought in drummer Jerry Mercer, formerly of Mashmakhan, along with guitarist Gary Moffet.
Clench and Mercer went on to record three more studio albums together before his first exit in 1975.
Why Did Jim Clench Leave April Wine in 1975?
Jim Clench left April Wine in 1975 after disagreements with the rest of the band over musical direction.
Steve Lang replaced him on bass.
Lang’s playing appears on The Whole World’s Goin’ Crazy the following year.
That 1976 album became the first Canadian album to reach platinum status based on advance orders alone.
Clench had already moved on to session and touring work by the time it was released.
Lang stayed with April Wine until 1984 and died in 2017.
Why Did Jim Clench Join Bachman-Turner Overdrive?
Jim Clench joined Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1978 after founding guitarist Randy Bachman left to pursue a solo career.
Bassist Fred Turner shifted over to rhythm guitar to cover the gap Bachman’s exit created.
That move put Clench on bass.
He shared lead vocal duties with Turner for the first time in Bachman-Turner Overdrive‘s history.
It was a strange fit on paper, a former April Wine frontman joining a Canadian boogie-rock powerhouse.
It worked fine on stage.
Drummer Robbie Bachman and guitarist Blair Thornton stayed in the lineup throughout this period.
What Albums Did Clench Record With BTO?
Clench recorded two studio albums with Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Street Action came out in 1978, followed by Rock n’ Roll Nights in 1979.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive broke up shortly after the second album’s release.
That ended Clench’s run with the band at just under two years.
Randy Bachman eventually returned to the band years later, but Clench had already moved on by then.
💡 Did You Know?
Jim Clench appeared as a guest musician on Bryan Adams‘ self-titled 1980 debut album.
Why Did Clench Rejoin April Wine in 1992?
Clench rejoined April Wine in 1992 when Goodwyn regrouped the band for its first studio album in a decade.
In between, Clench had formed his own band, 451 Degrees, in 1980.
That project released one Canada-only album before it disbanded.
The 1992 reunion brought back the two-lead-vocalist dynamic that defined April Wine’s mid-1970s records.
Guitarist Steve Segal joined around the same time, rounding out the mid-1990s lineup alongside Clench.
Clench stayed with the band for fourteen years this time around, far longer than his original run.
What Albums Did Clench Record During the Reunion Years?
Clench recorded four studio albums during April Wine’s reunion era.
Attitude arrived in 1993, followed by Frigate in 1994.
Back to the Mansion came out in 2001, and Roughly Speaking followed in 2006.
Attitude reached gold certification in Canada, the band’s first studio album to do so in a decade.
He also appears on Greatest Hits Live 2003, a live document of the reunited lineup.
Brian Greenway played guitar alongside Clench throughout this entire second run.
Why Did Clench Leave April Wine a Second Time?
Clench left April Wine again in late 2006, after Roughly Speaking wrapped up the band’s 37th anniversary album cycle.
Bassist Breen LeBoeuf took over the role once Clench departed.
Unlike his first exit, this departure came without any public dispute reported at the time.
Clench largely stepped back from touring life afterward.
How Did Jim Clench Die?
Jim Clench died on November 3, 2010, in a Montreal hospital at age 61.
The cause was complications from stage 4 lung cancer.
According to CBC News, his April Wine bandmates learned of the diagnosis only one day before his death.
That short timeline reflected how private Clench had kept his illness from friends and former bandmates.
What Is Jim Clench’s Legacy in Classic Rock?
Jim Clench’s legacy rests on the two-voice sound he helped build with Goodwyn in April Wine’s classic 1970s lineup.
Myles Goodwyn later called him “a hell of a bass player” with one of the most unique voices in rock.
Clench also stands as one of the few musicians to hold a lead role in two major Canadian rock exports.
Those exports were April Wine and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
His songwriting credit on “Oowatanite” keeps his name on the setlist whenever classic rock radio plays the track today.
The full story of the lineup Clench helped shape is covered in the site’s Members of April Wine hub.
People Also Ask About Jim Clench
Who was Jim Clench the bassist?
Jim Clench was a Canadian bassist and vocalist who played with April Wine from 1971 to 1975 and 1992 to 2006, and with Bachman-Turner Overdrive from 1978 to 1979. He wrote and sang lead on April Wine’s “Oowatanite” and shared lead vocals with Fred Turner in BTO. He died in 2010 at age 61.
What happened to Jim Clench?
Jim Clench died on November 3, 2010, in a Montreal hospital from complications of stage 4 lung cancer. He was 61 years old. His former April Wine bandmates only learned of his illness one day before he died.
Why did Jim Clench leave Bachman-Turner Overdrive?
Jim Clench left Bachman-Turner Overdrive when the band broke up in 1979, shortly after releasing Rock n’ Roll Nights. He had joined in 1978 to cover bass duties after Randy Bachman’s departure. The split ended his run with the band at under two years.
Did Jim Clench write “Oowatanite”?
Yes, Jim Clench wrote “Oowatanite” and sang lead vocals on the track. It appeared on April Wine’s 1975 album Stand Back. The song remains one of the most requested deep cuts from the band’s mid-1970s catalog.
How old was Jim Clench when he died?
Jim Clench was 61 years old when he died on November 3, 2010. He was born on May 1, 1949. Lung cancer was the cause of death, diagnosed only shortly before his passing.
Watch Clench Perform “Oowatanite”
Clench Albums to Own
Stand Back
1975
Clench’s final studio album from his first April Wine run.
Features “Oowatanite,” which he wrote and sang.
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Electric Jewels
1973
Clench’s second album with April Wine.
A harder-edged follow-up to On Record.
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On Record
1972
Clench’s debut album with April Wine.
Includes “You Could Have Been a Lady.”
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Street Action
1978
Clench’s first album with Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
His bass and co-lead vocals appear throughout.
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A bassist whose reputation, like Clench’s, was built on a distinctive tone that defined his band’s records.
Clench never became a household name the way Goodwyn or Bachman did.
His fingerprints are still all over two of Canada’s biggest classic rock exports.
He wrote “Oowatanite,” held down bass and co-lead vocals across nine studio albums, and helped bring both Jerry Mercer and Gary Moffet into April Wine’s lineup.
Jim Clench passed away in 2010, but his voice on those 1970s April Wine records still holds up on classic rock radio today.
Last updated: September 8, 2026.