Charlee was a hard‑rock band from Montreal, Quebec, active in the early 1970s. The group is best known for featuring guitarist Walter Rossi, who had previously played with the progressive rock band Influence and later pursued a solo career. Rossi also contributed to Wilson Pickett’s 1979 album I Want You and has been linked—though not conclusively—to session work on the obscure garage‑rock release Pop Up! by Thee Muffins. Charlee emerged in Montreal’s early‑1970s rock scene, with Rossi as the central creative force. Before forming the band, he had already built a reputation as a versatile guitarist, performing with artists such as Buddy Miles, Wilson Pickett, and touring with Influence, who opened for major acts including The Doors and Steppenwolf. Rossi was also known for having declined offers to join Three Dog Night and Janis Joplin, and for informal jam sessions with Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles during the Band of Gypsys era. Charlee released one self‑titled album in the early 1970s. Initially issued in Canada, the record later received a U.S. release on the Mind Dust label several years after its debut. The album is characterized by heavy, guitar‑driven hard rock, with Rossi’s playing serving as its defining feature. The opening instrumental, “Wizard,” establishes the album’s tone with a dense, riff‑oriented sound. Other tracks, such as “Lord Knows I’ve Won,” “Just You and Me,” and “Wheel of Fortune,” continue in a similar vein, combining forceful rhythms with melodic guitar lines. Songs like “Let’s Keep Silent” showcase extensive fuzz‑guitar textures, while “A Way to Die” presents a slower, more atmospheric approach. Most of the material was written by Rossi, with several co‑writing contributions from Danny Ippersiel. Although the album did not achieve major commercial success, it developed a strong reputation among collectors of early hard rock and proto‑metal. Enthusiasts often regard Charlee’s sole release as a lost classic of the era, notable for its intensity, musicianship, and early contribution to the heavier side of 1970s rock.
See for more.
Wizzard
Let’s Keep Silent
Let’s Keep Silent, Pt. 2
A Way to Die
Wheel of Fortune Turning
It Isn’t the First Time
Lord Knows I’ve Won
Char͟l͟e͟e ( Feat Wal͟t͟e͟r Ros͟s͟i͟) Full Album 1972