Tag: News

Canada’s All-Time Top Songs – #100

I’m revisiting a few old posts to kickstart a series I never finished. As a lover of Canadian music, I found a list of the top 100 Canadian hits. The song holding down the 100 spot is by Honeymoon Suite. The original post continues with a few tweaks below.

Back in the hair band days of the 1980s, Honeymoon Suite was a card-carrying member of the genre. Formed in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1981, they had a string of hits on Canadian radio and had some success in the USA market. The band’s name and the place they formed share a connection, which is very witty. Their big highlight was performing the title track for the movie Lethal Weapon.

Love Changes Everything was released in 1988 and is on their album Racing After Midnight. The song reached number 9 in Canada, 13 on the US Rock and 91 on the US chart, all by Billboard. The band is still recording, and its latest release was in 2019, with a new album coming on February 16, 2024. The album title is “Alive”.

Get ready to rock to a live version of the tune; live is always the best.

Remember to support independent artists; you never know what you will find.

To see and learn more about this icon of Canadian rock, hit the link. https://honeymoonsuiteband.com/

The Best Canadian Bands 147 – Thor

I decided to start a new series, sort of. I did something similar a few years back, but my urge to put stuff on paper (paper?) dissipated. Now, I am once more giving it a go. I have a sense of music patriotism and tend to want to highlight Canadian music. Might it be because I’m a Canadian?

To begin, I found a list. It is a living document with additions and deletions, so the rank number is a moving target, more of a placeholder for now. The point is that they are bands from Canada. You may end up surprised that some of your favourites are here and are from Canada. 

First up is Thor. I am unfamiliar with them, but I’m going with the list and will likely find some bands I will love and some, maybe not so much.

Thor is a heavy metal band from Vancouver, BC. They have been recording since 1973 and have released 28 albums and 6 EPs. Their most recent release was in 2021.

As you can imagine, the band has undergone many changes in 50 years. Their Wiki page contains a full listing of past and present members. Lovers of the genre will likely know of many of them and the long list of guest artists appearing on their recordings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(band)

I added the song “The Ultimate Alliance” from their most recent album, “Alliance.” I may not be their biggest fan, but I always enjoy and respect the talent it takes to become a recorded artist with a strong following.

Remembering Melanie

Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk, professionally known as Melanie Sakfa and widely known as singer Melanie, passed away on January 23, 2024. She was born on February 3, 1947, in New York City.

She began her career singing in coffee shops, as many did then. After spending time in college, she began singing in various NYC clubs, eventually signing her first recording contract with Columbia Records. After some releases, she signed with Buddha Records and a string of hits started.

Her first major success was “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” in 1970. This was followed by a great version of the Rolling Stones hit “Ruby Tuesday” in 1970. In 1971, she recorded her most successful tune, which went global, “Brand New Key.”

She continued to record over the years, with several charted songs and albums, her last being recorded in 2010. A pioneer of today’s music, she performed at Woodstock and many other major events of the period. Another talent that will be missed but will live on through music.

Have a listen to the song “Brand New Key” and live as always. Please support live music and also patronize independent artists.

Remembering Myles Goodwyn

Myles Goodwyn. (2023, December 14). By Tabercil – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4449811In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Goodwyn

Myles Goodwyn, a blast from my past, passed away on December 3, 2023, at 75.  I say a blast from the past as the band he basically led, April Wine, was a big part of my life’s soundtrack. Not well known internationally, April Wine is a Canadian treasure.

He formed Apil Wine in 1969 with David Henman , Ritchie Henman , and Jim Henman. The band underwent many personnel changes over the years with Myles being there through it all until late 2022 when he retired from touring due to health issues. He left the band in March 2023.

His accomplishments were many and included the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canada’s Walk of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The band has recorded 16 albums, 15 compilations and 9 live albums. To my detriment, I never saw them live even though I had many opportunities. A regret for sure.

The memories attached to their volume of work are huge and plentiful. Their heyday was perfectly placed in my music timeline. He will be missed. I leave you with one of my favourites, and as always, a live version.

What I Learned Last Week

 

 

A very educational week, I learned lots and am really looking forward to sharing.  As usual, there are some potentially life saving tips for you.

 

Camel
Camel (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

 

For example, did you know that crocodiles can climb trees.

 

 

People not familiar with snow, should not play with snow.  800 pound snowball slams into a dormitory in Portland, Oregon.

 

A camel escaped in Los Angeles, terrorizing residents for 30 minutes.  Story here.

 

Have a great week, and remember, if you being chased by a camel, or a runaway snowball for that matter, don’t climb a tree.  A crocodile may be waiting for you.  The world is getting more dangerous every day.

 

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What I Learned Last Week

Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I love learning stuff.  I didn’t learn much last week, except these nuggets.

Apparently Homer Simpson is the first Earthling on Mars.  He dropped a jelly doughnut in front of a rover.

Tim Horton’s on Mars?

Canada’s most embarrassing export  goes for the “Lindsay Lohan Award”. Nice job Biebs, don’t call home.

Why the f–k are you doing this?

Vegas is going to make a lot of money.  The football picking camel passed on.

Camel rolls snake eyes

28 Days is becoming a real possibility for England.

Invasion of the cannibal rats

Perhaps fining people for taking children on airplanes is the next logical step?

End the madness!!

 

 

 

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What I Learned Last Week

Let’s see, what struck me this week.  Struck me and will, perhaps, stick with me.

 

Ian Fleming's image of James Bond; commissione...
Ian Fleming’s image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

1. It is freaking cold in Antarctica.  Like minus 135.8 degrees (F) cold.  Story here

 

2. James Bond drinks enough to be an alcoholic.  Some doctors, with way to much time on their hands, read all the Bond novels and measured his alcohol intake.  Story here

 

3. Winter driving is dangerous

 

 

What I Learned Last Week

news of the weird
news of the weird (Photo credit: massdistraction)

 

A great week for learning stuff.

 

1. A children’s TV show in Sweden has characters dressed as “poo-poo” and “wee-wee”. (Biss ock Kajs)

 

 

2. The pope used to work as a bouncer.

 

3. The hardest tongue twister is “pad kid poured curd pulled cold”.  Read about it here

 

.All in all, a successful week.

 

The Sky Is Falling

Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulati...
Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another day, another satellite falling to Earth (they know not where).  This one is the size of a SUV, and weighs approximately 2,000 lbs.  The guess is that 25 to 45 pieces, maybe as large as 200 lbs will survive.  The satellite is a European Space Agency craft called GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) which had been launched to study the earth’s gravitational field.  Kind of ironic that gravity will destroy it.  Best guess for reëntry is sometime Sunday.  Heads up!  A real-time tracker can be found at the link.

Real Time Tracking Link

Related articles

Yeah, This Makes Perfect Sense

P: Hey Quentin

Q: Whut Patricia

P: You remember Falon don’t you

Q: Yup, aw shore do

P: Well. she done pissed me off some

Q: Let us do something bout that

P: Whut y’all suggist Quentin

Q: Lets find her and blow er up, lets blow er up real good

P: K, I’ll grab some tampons and we’ll use them as fuses and blow up her car real good

Q: Great plan, bur first lets get real drunk and fool around and stuff

P: K, and can we smoke crack to

Q: shorr

 

The results at the link below:

Tampons as weapons of mass destruction!!

As a bonus, here is SCTV blowing up stuff, real good.  PS – Eugene Levy as Neil Sedaka is hilarious.