Canadian Entertainment, Music and Catch All II

[Architype]

Originally Posted by elly63

Brother and sister, Douglas and Norma Shearer from Montreal were nominated for Academy Awards 26 times and won eight. She was nominated for Best Actress five times (the first to do so) winning once.

He was nominated 21 times for Sound and Special Effects, winning seven. He won another seven Technical Academy Awards and was considered to have contributed more to sound on film than any other person.

Norma married the boy wonder movie mogul Irving Thalberg who was considered the most influential person in film making until his early death at 37.

Impressive, and for The Wizard of Oz too, the people behind the movies don't get much press.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Architype

Impressive, and for The Wizard of Oz too, the people behind the movies don't get much press.

That's true, more people know about Norma than Douglas and he was the GOAT of early film sound.

[elly63]

Speaking of being the GOAT, and my line above about the best in entertainment coming from Winnipeg, here is the GOAT of this thread's subject, Canadian Entertainment, Music and Catch All

I am willing to go to war and die on this hill for anyone opposing

(Video is cued or start at 2:00)

Notice in the credits, her husband and wartime band leader Bob Shuttleworth as Executive Producer and the Music Coordinator was Bert Pearl of CBC Radio's famed Happy Gang who were also in their heyday during WWII.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Architype

I'm sure there were more Canadians, like silent star Mary Pickford, and later Raymond Burr

Several of these Canadian pioneers achieved enormous wealth and worldwide fame, such as Louis B. Mayer and Mary Pickford who were, in their day, two of the most powerful personalities in Hollywood. From the late 1920s to the mid-1930s, Canadian female actresses were amongst the greatest box office draws. The Academy Award for Best Actress was won by Canadian women three years in a row:

1929 - Mary Pickford in Coquette
1930 - Norma Shearer in The Divorcee
1931 - Marie Dressler in Min and Bill

Foster recounts the feelings and deep loyalty of Louis B. Mayer. Although he had become a naturalized American citizen, Mayer was known to hire Canadian compatriots on the spot, as Saint John, New Brunswick native Walter Pidgeon later recalled:

Without another word he called his secretary, Ida Koverman. "Ida..." he said, "prepare a contract for this man from Saint John, he will tell you his name, and Ida, add another fifty dollars a week on the contract for a good Canadian." We shook hands and just like that I was under contract to MGM. "You do act, don't you?" he asked. I nodded and left the room.

[elly63]

Wow, I am really diggin' this. Love the set, the shotgun audience mic, the stands where the audience is sitting and the closing credits.

This is the Kreskin pilot from October 13, 1971. This is so retro even his handshake was subdued.

Just put two and two together and figured out that Bushnell Communications (CJOH) was Ernie Bushnell who was one of the big three at early CBC TV along with the brains Davidson Dunton, and the tech Alphonse Ouimet. Bushnell was the showman who was more inclined to the product on American television over the BBC.

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[cranes]

Fireworks fiasco at Kitchener's Victoria Park - Victoria Day 2025

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[Architype]

I was watching a video where they made a list of their top ten Canadian bands. Before I watched it, I made my own list.

Here's my top ten Canadian bands list, at least the ones I could think of, in no particular order (bands, not including solo artists) -

• The Guess Who
• Rush
• BTO
• Meltt
• April Wine
• The Band
• Klaatu
• Strange Advance
• The New Pornographers
• Arcade Fire

This band was on their list, I didn't remember them so I checked them out; a Canadian band from the '80s, from Niagara Falls Ontario, very retro '80s. Does anyone remember them?

Honeymoon Suite - What Does It Take (1986)
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[elly63]

Is your top ten your favourites or who you actually think would be in an actual top ten. How do we characterize "top ten" Is it sales, popularity, influence or everything combined.

A person's age and their immutable characteristics should be considered as they create bias. Sorry to take it that far, but I say all that because selections should have to be justified with a reason. Everybody loves to hate Nickelback but you can't argue with their success.

I find it interesting that you don't know Honeymoon Suite who were all over Much and fairly famous and I don't know Meltt. That could be an age thing on either of our parts.

I'll qualify my ignorance with I couldn't name one song by Arcade Fire or The New Pornographers but I knew they had a large profile and visibility.

And if we're going to get into a chat about music, can we all agree to ban the term "one hit wonder" Boy that pisses me off when I see that on YouTube when it's usually not true.

[elly63]

I'm going to be honest except for the Stampeders, any group I might suggest it's not because they are a favourite of mine but because of the three criteria I laid out (sales, profile and influence)

I like Klaatu and Strange Advance but I wouldn't put them in the Top Ten, nor Meltt. I plead ignorance on Meltt but the fact that I haven't even heard of them isn't so much about my ignorance but their profile in the mainstream. I may not know their songs but I have at least heard of other groups.

I would offer for consideration and addition (using my own criteria): Stampeders, Prism, Triumph, Blue Rodeo, Loverboy, Trooper, Barenaked Ladies, The Tragically Hip, Chilliwack, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians to name a few. Just by their timespan you can see my bias but I think I could provide justification for all of them. I mean, I love The Spoons but I couldn't put them on there.

I'm also not sure how fair it is to compare groups from today with their mega overnight worldwide exposure and push, to groups from the past.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by elly63

Is your top ten your favourites or who you actually think would be in an actual top ten. How do we characterize "top ten" Is it sales, popularity, influence or everything combined.

A person's age and their immutable characteristics should be considered as they create bias. Sorry to take it that far, but I say all that because selections should have to be justified with a reason. Everybody loves to hate Nickelback but you can't argue with their success.

I find it interesting that you don't know Honeymoon Suite who were all over Much and fairly famous and I don't know Meltt. That could be an age thing on either of our parts.

I'll qualify my ignorance with I couldn't name one song by Arcade Fire or The New Pornographers but I knew they had a large profile and visibility.

And if we're going to get into a chat about music, can we all agree to ban the term "one hit wonder" Boy that pisses me off when I see that on YouTube when it's usually not true.

It's my personal top ten; in other words, music that I can enjoy listening to, whether it's old or new. I've listened to lots of newer bands and artists too, but they are mostly scattered, and if the name doesn't come to me easily, it's not on the list. Meltt (Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock) is an example of a newer band from BC that I happen to think are very good. A top ten list by someone else would be different, but there is one thing to remember; most modern music isn't really by "bands" the way it used to be, now it's mostly solo artists like Drake, or producers like deadmau5.

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[elly63]

Originally Posted by Architype

but there is one thing to remember; most modern music isn't really by "bands" the way it used to be, now it's mostly solo artists like Drake, or producers like deadmau5.

I seem to recall passing by a headline this week that said something to the effect of "where are the bands of today?"

[elly63]

Considering that I hold the title of top ten for the GOATS and that I mostly detest "modern" country music, I think this group would be near the top in terms of their genre in Canada

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[elly63]

I loved these guys back in the day, but blink and you might have missed them

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[Architype]

IDK much about country music, but they might be the prairie equivalent of Great Big Sea in Newfoundland. I mean, Don Messer was pretty good too.

To make a real "historic fame" list, you'd have to add Anne Murray, and Sarah McLaughlin, etc. (but they are not on the list because they are solo artists).

[Architype]

^ Yes, the Razorbacks, never heard of them, but that's not a bad song.

Klaatu - Hope · Toronto Canada 1977
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[elly63]

Originally Posted by Architype

^ Yes, the Razorbacks, never heard of them, but that's not a bad song.

That song and video (almost like a music video version of Speaker's Corner) was in heavy rotation on Much back in the day. I went out and bought their album Go To Town because of that video and was not disappointed, it was a good album.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Architype

IDK much about country music, but they might be the prairie equivalent of Great Big Sea in Newfoundland. I mean, Don Messer was pretty good too.

I wish I could find the clip, it was Joyce Davidson doing an interview for CBC with Don Messer around 1960. These were a skilled bunch of musicians whose musicianship went well beyond old tyme country dance music.

They showed her how they could play one piece of music in four different styles including a Latin rhythm. They had some chops.

It should also be said about the music and TV production that went on down in Halifax back in the 60s. Aside from the Messer show, Anne Murray was able to go from Singalong Jubilee to Glen Campbell at CBS Television City in Hollywood without skipping a beat.

[elly63]

Saw this guy when he was a young college student at a benefit dance for the Friends of Schizophrenia Society (I met everyone twice ) Can still recall him (as a guy) doing a fantastic job on Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine.

I left thinking this kid is gonna do something someday. He did. Great voice.

Wish I could find the original music video (there are cuts of it in this video), I liked it better, but the song version is the same.

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[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

I left thinking this kid is gonna do something someday. He did. Great voice.

Never thought of it, but Joey Kitson's voice has a bit of David Clayton Thomas to it.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by elly63

I wish I could find the clip, it was Joyce Davidson doing an interview for CBC with Don Messer around 1960. These were a skilled bunch of musicians whose musicianship went well beyond old tyme country dance music.

They showed her how they could play one piece of music in four different styles including a Latin rhythm. They had some chops.

It should also be said about the music and TV production that went on down in Halifax back in the 60s. Aside from the Messer show, Anne Murray was able to go from Singalong Jubilee to Glen Campbell at CBS Television City in Hollywood without skipping a beat.

IT should be noted that artists of that vintage traditionally had an inventory of melodies that they would fit to the required figure so the fact that they could on the drop shift between styles on a single melody is not unknown. It's how we get "Log Driver's Waltz" which has a melody that is more familiarly known from a schottische (or at least Don Messer recorded it as a schottische in 1936.)

When your navigating old country music, the inventory of dances that they do are very important in determining the fiddling styles you will hear bandied about. "Prairie" fiddlers will do less schottisches than a "Down East" fiddler while they will do the "butterfly" in an opposite manner.