The group's origins go back to 1967, with a four-piece North Bay band called The Riffkin.
When Buckstone Hardware came on to do their set, guitarist Jake Thomas broke the high E string of his guitar within the first minute.
[7] For the week of May 19, 1969, the group's single, "Pack It In" entered the RPM Canadian Content Chart at #9.
[12][13] That week the CHUM report had the record as the third voted for simultaneous play by the Maple Leaf System.
A 72-hour event that ran on the Labor Day period from August 29 to September 1, held at Rock Hill, 16 miles north of Orangeville.
[17] Also, that year the group appeared at the Wonderland Pavilion in London, Ontario to open up the show for Muddy Waters.
Other groups to appear were, The Band, Janis Joplin, Delaney, Bonnie & Friends, The Grateful Dead, Cat, Eric Andersen, Ten Years After, Traffic, Ian & Sylvia, The Great Speckled Bird, Sha Na Na, Buddy Guy, Tom Rush, James & The Good Brothers and Sea Train.