Members Pierre Sénécal, Brian Edwards, Jim Nuchter and Rayburn Blake first met in 1960 in Montreal, Quebec.

Edwards quit shortly thereafter, but the other three continued to perform on the local scene under names like the Phantoms, Ray Blake's Combo, and the Dominoes.

Edwards rejoined the band and they changed their name to Mashmakhan, after a variety of hashish sold by a local dealer, to appeal to a modern audience.

Their live performances of "Comin' Home Baby" and "As the Years Go By", along with interviews, appear in the "Festival Express" DVD release.

The original group was revived twice in the late 1970s by Aquarius Records with future April Wine members Brian Greenway and, later, Steve Lang.