100 Can-Pop Classics

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I was going to add Bourben Tabernacle Choir and The Rheostatics cover of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere but wanted to see how long we could stay Neiless.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 12 December 2002 02:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

tuuli are canadian? wow, ... i bet we're more canadian than them, as well!

i'm going to have to step up for tuuli here, kim. jenny used to live down the road from me, here in the mighty oak town - she's an authentic canuk. sorry.

dyson (dyson), Thursday, 12 December 2002 03:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

That wasn't me dyson!

Sundar, Dance Desire? Good grief! I wonder about Downtime too, but if I hear it, I can't help liking it.

I *would* have nominated Anna's a Speed Freak too, but the last Pure album I bought was so traumatising that I couldn't think back without overwhelming pity. The breaking point for me, IIRC was the song about a tennis ball. I haven't heard the album, but I did think Jordy Birch's recent-ish Moola Moola single was kind of cute.

Kim (Kim), Thursday, 12 December 2002 03:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

oops, i typed the wrong name, sorry. i was dystracted by my virgin attempt at using italics on ilx.

dyson (dyson), Thursday, 12 December 2002 04:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

Well, in honesty, I haven't heard "Dance Desire" in at least a decade so it might not be that great. The chorus still gets in my head all the time though.

(Did "Rock You" make the list? Or the Killer Dwarfs? Varga?)

sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 12 December 2002 06:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

no. no helix either.

dyson (dyson), Thursday, 12 December 2002 07:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

No Sunglasses at Night either. I'll leave that to the poppist of the bunch if he wants it ;-)

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 12 December 2002 14:17 (twenty-one years ago) link

147. (Everything I Do) I Do it For You

(Everything I List Here) I Mean It, I Really Do

s woods, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

So we're not following the MAPL system?

Horace Mann, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yeah, we are, far as I can see.

s woods, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

everything i do famously wasn't mapl yo

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oops, you may be right (was that the controversy way back?). Can-Con requires 2 out of the 4. Did Adams not write or produce it?

s woods, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

in the spirit of "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" I nominate...uh..."Hard Times" by Kurtis Blow.

Okay, bad example, but someone should start a new thread of songs you'd swear were Cdn but aren't.
And by someone I mean you Fritz.

Horace Mann, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

you mean like Incredible Bongo Band?

s woods, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

they ARE canadian

you just don't want to have to take back everything bad you ever said about canada, woods

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

I assume you're right (I can't find confirmation) and I'm stunned.

s woods, Thursday, 12 December 2002 15:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

from amazon:

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
UK two-on-one combines two albums from the Canadian rock act, 'Bongo Rock' (1973) & 'Return of Incredible Bongo Band' (1974), together on one CD. 2001.

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 12 December 2002 16:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

Fritz, I don't mean to keep this kinda inconsequential point about IBB going, and feel free to ignore me, but there's some info in Dave Marsh's *The Heart of Rock & Soul* (which lists "Apache" as the 850th best single of all-time!) that still makes me question their Can-con-ness. To quote Marsh: "...the Incredible Bongos were a studio group assembled in Canada by producer Michael Viner, the guy who staged the entertainment for Richard Nixon's second inaugural and a longtime crony of MGM chief and right-wing politician Mike Curb."

Now, I gather from that quote that the musicians are certainly Canadian, but I'm not convinced Viner is. Some other searches on Google don't reveal much, but none associate him with any other Canadian people or organizations (he was heavily involved in the MGM label). (His Nixon connection suggest American as well.) Also, the song "Apache" was wrriten by Jorgen Ingmann, who was European, and many (all?) of their songs are covers of non-Canadian music (i.e., "Let There Be Drums," "Inna Gadda-da-Vida").

Where it gets confusing is in trying to follow the M/A/P/L guide, as there are obviously no lyrics. But from what I gather (and again, I'm not confirmed on Viner) the breakdown is:
Music: not Can-con
Artist: Can-con
Production: not Can-con
Lyrics: n/a

The other possibility is that the records were produced *in* Canada, and maybe that's what matters.

If anyone else has insight here, I'd appreciate it. I really need to know whether or not hip-hop was invented in Canada, along with reggae (cf. Trooper).

s woods, Saturday, 14 December 2002 01:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

I thought of two more bracketed classics we missed:

Dream Warriors - My Definition (Of A Boombastic Jazz Style)

and KON KAN - I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You A Rose Garden)

Kim (Kim), Saturday, 14 December 2002 03:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

"I Beg Your Pardon" was genius.

Also, either "I'm a Stranger Here" or "Absolutely Right" by Five Man Electrical Band (but not "Signs").

Can someone recommend a particularly good Buck 65 track? I'm serious about compiling and distributing a CD from some of this list but wouldn't know where to begin with him (them?). Also, Voivod???

s woods, Saturday, 14 December 2002 03:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

I wanted to see if I could put together 100 Canadian Classics (to me anyhow) without repeating any artists. A lot of these have been said already, so this is probably mostly an exercise in DB bloat.

(in no particular order, no artist duplicated)

1. Rheostatics - I Fab Thee
2. Tragically Hip - Grace, Too
3. BTO - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
4. April Wine - Tonight is a Wonderful Night
5. Maestro Fresh Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide
6. Slow - Have Not Been the Same
7. Diodes - Tired of Waking up Tired
8. TPOH - I'm an Adult Now
9. Sloan - Everything You've Done Wrong
10. Grapes of Wrath - All the Things I Wasn't
11. Red Rider - Power
12. Max Webster - Battle Scar
13. Rush - Spirit of Radio
14. Streetheart - Snow White
15. Harlequin - I Did it for Love
16. Northern Pikes - The Things I Do For Money
17. Loverboy - The Kid is Hot Tonight
18. Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Having an Average Weekend
19. Young Canadians - Hawaii
20. Lydia Taylor Band - Bitch
21. Kilowatt - Lovers on the Run
22. Honeymoon Suite - New Girl Now
23. Platinum Blonde - It Doesn't Really Matter
24. Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone
25. Men Without Hats - Where Do the Boys Go?
26. Doughboys - Fix Me
27. Three O'Clock Train - She Said (Be My Baby)
28. Nils - River of Sadness
29. Guess Who - Fiddlin'
30. Rankin Family - Fare Thee Well Love
31. Ian Thomas - Hold On
32. Queen City Kids - Dance
33. Headpins - Turn it Loud
34. Cowboy Junkies - Misguided Angel
35. Dream Warriors - Wash Your Face in My Sink
36. Pukka Orchestra - Listen to the Radio
37. Jane Siberry - One More Colour
38. Toronto - Your Daddy Don't Know
39. Saga - Catwalk
40. Andrew Cash - Boomtown
41. Sweeney Todd - Roxy Roller
42. Payola$ - China Boys
43. SNFU - She's Not on the Menu
44. Crash Test Dummies - Bereft Man's Song
45. Barenaked Ladies - The Old Apartment
46. Aldo Nova - Fantasy
47. Doucette - Mama Let Him Play
48. Box - L'Affaire Dumoutier
49. Coney Hatch - Girl From Last Night's Dream
50. Rational Youth - No More and No Less
51. Klaatu - Calling Occupants
52. Kickaxe - 30 Days in the Hole
53. Helix - Rock You
54. Ron Sexsmith - Strawberry Blonde
55. Bob Snider - A Love to Call My Own
56. Inbreds - You Will Know
57. Great Big Sea - Mari Mac
58. Bryan Adams - Run to You
59. Haywire - Dance Desire
60. Lee Aaron - Whatcha do to My Body
61. Bruce Cockburn - The Trouble With Normal
62. Active Joy - Colourblind
63. Farm Fresh - Space Pts. I and II
64. Deja Voodoo - Monsters in My Garage
65. Dusty Chaps - Yukon Buddy
66. Stan Rogers - Mary Ellen Carter (Rise Again)
67. 54.40 - One Day In Your Life
68. k.d.lang - Turn Me Round
69. Mary Margaret O'Hara - Year in Song
70. Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
71. Leonard Cohen - Dance me to the End of Love
72. Tricy Woo - Fly the Orient
73. Strange Advance - She Controls Me
74. Blue Peter - Don't Walk Past
75. Weakerthans - Watermark
76. DOA - Disco Sucks
77. Odds - Radios of Heaven
78. Martha and the Muffins - Echo Beach
79. Spoons - Arias and Symphonies
80. National Velvet - Flesh Under Skin
81. Eric's Trip - Allergic to Love
82. Spirit of the West - Political
83. Eight Seconds - Where's Beulah?
84. Blue Rodeo - Til I Am Myself Again
85. Daniel Lanois - The Maker
86. Trooper - Three Dressed Up as a Nine
87. Rough Trade - All Touch
88. Sarah Mclachlan - Steaming
89. Skinny Puppy - Assimilate
90. Chilliwack - My Girl
91. Prism - Armageddon
92. FM - Phasors on Stun
93. Shuffle Demons - Out of My House, Roach
94. Triumph - Lay It On the Line
95. Leyden Zar - Backstreet Girl
96. Jeff Healey - See the Light
97. Paul Janz - I Go to Pieces
98. Mystery Machine - Ride
99. Superfriendz - Karate Man
100. Northern Lights - Tears are Not Enough

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 14 December 2002 03:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

I can't believe you had the nerve to put a National Velvet song in there.

I'd replace that one with Tristian Psionic's Red Dots.

Kim (Kim), Saturday, 14 December 2002 04:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh we also need that Meryn Cadell song about the sweater.

Kim (Kim), Saturday, 14 December 2002 04:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

I can't believe I forgot Meryn...bah! I also can't believe that you scoured that whole list, and that you picked out National Velvet over, say, Kickaxe. I can't believe I forgot Orphan.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 14 December 2002 05:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

Well, I was trying to be nice! But since you mention it, some of your song selections are mad (mad I tell you!) How could you choose THAT Lee Aaron song over say Metal Queen? She even had that one ballad that was better. BNL, you choose "The Old Apartment"? You Crazy!

You know I'm teasing - I agree with most of it, generally. 100 songs really isn't enough to cover everything good.

Question to all - does Steppenwolf count as Canadian?

Kim (Kim), Saturday, 14 December 2002 16:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

Lee Aaron is the only artist on my Power Hour compilation I can't listen to. Although if forced to choose, I suppose I'd have to agree that "Metal Queen" is less painful than "Whatcha Do . . ."

sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 14 December 2002 16:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

Just because you can't listen to it, doesn't mean it's not a classic song (err...). I hear she's a jazz singer now, but people still request Metal Queen. Poor Lee.

Kim (Kim), Saturday, 14 December 2002 16:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

Stephenwolf were indeed Canadian.
Can someone recommend a particularly good Buck 65 track? I'm serious about compiling and distributing a CD from some of this list but wouldn't know where to begin with him (them?).
As I said before:
102. Buck65 - The Cenutar
Its a him. He has another song about an xgf which is even better but the cd didnt have titles.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Saturday, 14 December 2002 18:35 (twenty-one years ago) link

I forgot to mention, in the case of instrumentals...
http://www.ncra.ca/CRTC/PublicNotice/2000-14.html (what is it)
http://www.ncra.ca/CRTC/PublicNotice/1997-42.html (just interesting)

But it is Cancon if...
It is an instrumental performance of a musical composition written or composed by a Canadian.
or
It is a performance of a musical composition that a Canadian has composed for instruments only.
In which cases MAPL be dammed.

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Saturday, 14 December 2002 18:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thanks, Noodles, for your last 2 posts. I scanned the page for Buck 65 but not hard enough obviously.

s woods, Saturday, 14 December 2002 18:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

scott, all I can say is only canadians would have doubts about the verifiable canadianness of a bunch of canadian musicians recording music in canada.

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Saturday, 14 December 2002 21:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

I was just going through my cds (looking for a Styx album.. er) and came across Zuckerbaby. Listening to it now, "Heavy" is a pretty worthy pop rock single. I don't have their album, but I also remember liking the Walton's "Nothing is colder than you".

I found a Watchmen album in there too - I don't even remember buying it! I wonder, is "Stereo" as bad as I remember?

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 03:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Stereo" was godawful. Did the Waltons do "I Like It When You Treat Me Like Dirt"? I remember liking that.

sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 16 December 2002 03:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

Don't know.

I'd like to note here - not everything I've nominated here equates with my favourite songs by said bands. Especially that Blue Rodeo one. I guess I'm trying to interpret 'classics' at least partially in the context of 'had impact and importance', hence why I feel like I can't ignore something as archetypal as "Try".

Incidentally, last night when I said that "The Flag" was my favourite BNL song I actually meant "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" - blame the beer!

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 03:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

Wait, you have a Styx album? I don't have any Styx!

sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 16 December 2002 04:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

You can HAVE it.

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 04:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

Didn't you claim "Brian Wilson" or at least someone did?

Dind't they?

Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 16 December 2002 14:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

dishrags - past is past
the hidden cameras - day is dawning
propagandhi - fuck the border

michie moi, Monday, 16 December 2002 18:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yeah, I think I said "Brian Wilson". That was just because I don't think the other one was ever released as a single. I have a semi-soft spot for the Bruce Cockburn cover too. That's such a great song - Bruce's version sounds so dated though. If only the Rheos had covered it instead!

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 23:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

Bruce Cockburn covered "Brian Wilson"? WEIRD WITH A BEARD, man.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 16 December 2002 23:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

NOOOOOoooo I meant the BNL Bruce Cockburn cover silly!

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 23:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

Crap - I didn't make much sense though did I? I meant that the BNL version of "lovers in a..." is nice enough, and I really love the original, but it sounds dated, so if only the Rheos had blah blah ablahhh! Better?

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 23:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'll actually go on record here and say that I thought that BNL's cover of "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" was appalling. I thought it robbed the original version of much of the sense of danger it was meant to convey by turning into a cutesy and boppy number instead.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 16 December 2002 23:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

Well, the video was a lot of that. The first half of the actual recording is pretty restrained, and is the part I like. The other reason I like it is because I never really *heard* the lyrics until it was quieted down like that, and I should also say that they're some of my favourite lyrics ever - hence the semi-soft spot.

Kim (Kim), Monday, 16 December 2002 23:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

Anyway, I don't know why I'm justifying myself to someone who picked "The Old Apartment" instead!

Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 00:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

Because "The Old Apartment" is GREBT and you know it!

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 00:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

two months pass...
Revive in honour of Canadian Music Week! Er, sort of. Way at the top of the thread I said I was going to make a comp using some of this stuff and it's done and it's great and I'd be happy to send a copy to anyone who made a suggestion here (well, let's say I can afford right now to send out about five or six). Send me an e-mail if you want one--first come, first served.

s woods, Saturday, 1 March 2003 06:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

D'oh! Canada -

Track Listing:
1 - Intro
2 - New York City (Demics)
3 - From New York to L.A. (Patsy Gallant)
4 - Africa (Thundermug)
5 - Hollywood (Streetheart)
6 - Get Up, Get Out, Move On (Fludd)
7 - Bye Bye Mon Cowboy (Mitsou)
8 - Nyet Nyet Soviet (BB Gabor)
9 - Je Cherche (Les Lutins)
10 - All the Things I Wasn't (Grapes of Wrath)
11 - Beautiful Second Hand Man (Ginette Reno)
12 - Big Town Boy (Shirley Matthews)
13 - Your Daddy Don't Know (Toronto)
14 - Tonite is a Wonderful Time (April Wine)
15 - Some Sing, Some Dance (Pagliaro)
16 - Sweet Thing (Goddo)
17 - Jack Hammer (Odds)
18 - Anna (Pure)
19 - I Beg Your Pardon (Kon-Kan)
20 - Even Grable (Treble Charger)
21 - Roxy Roller (Sweeney Todd)
22 - Rain Dance (Guess Who)
23 - Trees Lounge theme (Hayden)
24 - Surfin' on Heroin (Forgotten Rebels)

(I used a lot of the suggestions so thanks everyone...there's plenty for a part 2 someday.)

s woods, Saturday, 1 March 2003 06:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

I want one! I do, I do, I do! (email sent)

Kim (Kim), Saturday, 1 March 2003 07:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

I can't believe we've gone this far without any mention of GINO VANELLI!

hey, and Chilliwack, Doug and the Slugs, DOA, Plumtree, Cowboy Junkies, Subhumans, Holly Cole, Kashtin...

derrick (derrick), Saturday, 1 March 2003 07:22 (twenty-one years ago) link


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