In 1967, the Song of the Year was “Canada” by The Young Canada Singers. I was a geeky, gawky Montreal teen with cats eye glasses and a bad perm. My season’s pass to Expo 67 made me feel like a citizen of the world.
But in Toronto, another kind of world was coming together; one of young, talented musicians who’d flocked to Yorkville to find fame, if not fortune.
Grant Fullerton was one of them.
You would have had to be living under a rock to miss the run up to Diane Sawyer’s two hour interview with Bruce Jenner on Friday, April 23. Jenner was dubbed the “world’s greatest athlete” after winning the Olympic Gold Decathlon in 1976, and has been the object of snide insinuations and ridiculing photos in the yellower media (and even the New York Times) for the last several months as he appeared to be transitioning from male to female before our prying eyes.
Music’s a funny thing; sometimes a song will hide in the grooves of an album, unloved and unwanted, until someone uncovers the gem and makes it their own. A struggling songwriter may dream of the day that a megastar covers their work; in the right hands, a number one hit can make the writer a fortune in publishing.
I love album covers! Not the shrunken down versions they use on CDs, I mean those gloriously creative (mostly) 12” vinyl record album covers. I was looking through my vinyl record collection the other day and marvelled at some of the amazing designs of some of the covers. Now, before we start delving into some classic album covers as well as a few personal favourites, a little history is in order, but don’t panic – there will not be a quiz later.
Ten Things (at least!) You Can Now See, and Hear, on The Doors’ new R-Evolution DVD
You’d Be Pretty Hard-Pressed to find Anywhere Else:
A couple of weeks ago I went out with a good friend, David Macmillan, and his wife, Marilyn, (who has also become a good friend), to hear Fraser/Daley and David Celia at a couple of Roncesvalles Avenue hot-spots. David’s love of music is legendary, and he is one of the happiest human beings I know. Why wouldn’t he be? He is over-the-moon in love with Marilyn, (they are the King and Queen of our refrigerator, where their picture lords over the freezer door), and has a dream job any of us would love to have; David is the head honcho of Eagle Rock Entertainment’s Toronto office, (others are located in New York, Paris, Hamburg, and London, England). They are the largest (and best) producers and distributers of music DVDs, Blu Rays, and digital media in the world.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 