Canada’s Birthday Present To The World: Great Music!

Well, it wouldn’t be Canada Day if I didn’t post a playlist to celebrate the grand occasion so here is your third installment of Canadian Eh? music.

Medley of tunes by the RCMP Pipes & Drum Corps and Scottish Dancers.  RCMP stands for Royal Canadian Mounted Police or also known here as our Mounties.

“The Weight”   ∼   The Band.  I think you might recognize the song, but did you know they were from Canada?

“Somewhere Down The Crazy River”   ∼   Robbie Robertson.  The guy who wrote “The Weight”, above.  World-renowned in his own right too.

“Hallelujah”   ∼   Leonard Cohen.  One of my favourite writers of song.  So many great covers of this out there too.  Bon Jovi’s is my pick.

“Button Box”   ∼   Walter Ostanek.  Canada’s Grammy award-winning Polka King.

Aye B’y, I Got Some More Canajun Music There Hosers

Last week, in response to a Daily Prompt, I posted a Canadian music playlist.  Well, I have so much great Canadian music in my library, I thought I’d share some more with you.

But first, a note about this picture.  It’s Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario.  Those infamous red doors have been welcoming concert-goers since 1894.

Picture by Danielle Scott on flickr.com  (public domain)

 

Now, onto your Canadian Eh? playlist #2 …

“This Beat Goes On / Switchin’ To Glide”   ∼   The Kings.  This song is from the first cassette that I owned (that didn’t come with a story book that is).  Wore several of these cassettes out I’m sure.

“We’re Here For A Good Time”   ∼   Trooper.  First live band I saw.  This song and others by Trooper were played at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

“Making It Work”   ∼   Doug & The Slugs.  Saw them a few times at a bar one of my high school friend’s dad owned in London, Ontario.

“Voodoo Boogie”   ∼   Jack de Keyzer.  Bar-hopped to see this guy perform his blues and even ran into him a few times in our neighbourhood (he lived near me) during my time in Toronto.

“Let’s Shout”   ∼   Colin James.  And yet another great Canadian blues player and rock, pop, and even swing too.  Saw him in his early years a few times.

I Am Canadian Eh?

In response to today’s Daily Prompt along with Canada Day nearing, I’ll share my love of and pride in being Canadian with you through song.  I already have 50 or so songs in my “Canadian Eh?” playlist on my laptop so naming some is easy, it’s narrowing them down to what would actually fit on a cassette that’s the difficult part.

But alas I was able to pick some that will likely get played somewhere in my wonderful country on Canada Day next week.  Only linked the first one for you to keep the post size smaller.  Happy YouTubing, iTuning, Spotifying, or wherever you go to find music.

1. “The Hockey Song”   ∼   Stompin’ Tom Connors.  If you watch hockey just about anywhere in the world then there’s a good chance you’ve heard this song before.  [NOTE:  go to about 1:42 in this video to get right to the song]
2. “Sudbury Saturday Night”   ∼   Stompin’ Tom Connors.  This is the song that created the Stompin’ in this Canadian legend’s name and is about a town in Northern Ontario, a few hours from where I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
3. “Fireworks”   ∼   The Tragically Hip.  Another hockey song, this one about the 1972 Summit Series with Canada vs The Soviet Union in the playoffs.  We won of course.  Canada owns hockey don’t you know?  [NOTE:  some explicit lyrics]
4. “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”   ∼   Gordon Lightfoot.  This freighter sank on Nov 10 75 about 90 mins from Sault Ste. Marie.  I was 6 at the time and remember hearing all of the adults talk of the tragedy and my family and many others gathering at church to pray.
5. “Summer of ’69”   ∼   Bryan Adams.  Not about Canada per se but many consider it a national theme song of sorts.  Plus, it’s about the year I was born so it’s gotta be on this list.  Also, I saw him in concert in my teens.
6. “Helpless”   ∼   Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.  Song credit is to Neil Young of this amazing band and who also happens to be Canadian.  The song references a town in north Ontario, “with dream, comfort, and memory to spare”.  Doesn’t specify which town but mine is St. Joseph’s Island – “I still need a place to go” as the song says.
7. “Running Back to Saskatoon”   ∼   The Guess Who.  Saskatoon is one of the larger cities in our Province of Saskatchewan.
8. “Oh Canada”   ∼   Classified.  Just a fun song about the country, its people, the stereotypes, etc.  We know how to laugh at ourselves bye.  [NOTE:  two versions of the song can be found, one is a clean edit]
9. “This Land Is Your Land”   ∼   The Travellers.  The Canadian version of American singer & songwriter Woody Guthrie’s massive hit.
10. “The Maple Leaf Forever”  ∼   Michael Bublé.  Sung by one of our countries heart-melting and soul-lifting crooners.
11. “Four Strong Winds”   ∼   Ian & Sylvia.  Covered by many other Canadian artists such as Neil Young and Blue Rodeo, and internationally too including the one and only man in black, Johnny Cash.
12. “Northwest Passage”   ∼   Stan Rogers.  An oldie but a goody.
13. “Montreal”   ∼   Blue Rodeo.  One of my all-time favourite bands.  Had the pleasure of seeing them two years ago with my middle child.  Song’s namesake is a city in our Province of Quebec and one of Canada’s largest metropolitan areas.  It’s on my travels bucket list.
14. “Spadina Bus”   ∼   The Shuffle Demons.  A mid-80’s hit, in this country at least.  About a certain bus for a large street in Toronto that I used to take when I lived there, and one of my kids rides living there now too.  Great jazz/funk band still on the circuit.
15. “Take Off”   ∼   Bob & Doug feat Geddy Lee of Rush.  You might already know Bob & Doug’s humourous take on “The Twelve Days Of Christmas”.  You should have heard of Rush too – if not, they were just featured on the cover of “Rolling Stone” magazine to celebrate their 40th anniversary as an iconic rock band.
16. “The Canadian Dream”   ∼   Sam Roberts.  By multi-Juno award-winning newer/alternative rock band.  A Juno is our version of a Grammy in the US.  It’s also the title of one of Canada’s best movies, winning 1 of the 4 Oscars it was nominated for in 2008.

Photo source:   ClkerFreeVectorImages user on pixabay.com