RIP Stompin' Tom

[rsb2]

Canadian folk and country icon Stompin' Tom Connors passed away today, at the age of 77. RIP, Tom!

[JRM]

A very sad day for our country, and my home province of New Brunswick where Stompin' Tom was born. We've lost a national treasure. I saw him in concert in Toronto during the summer of 1991, and will never forget his on stage wit (and also that he was drinking beer the whole time). More recently, his "best of" album has become one of my daughter's favorites. When we're in the car, she routinely asks to hear "Blow your dinner" ("Go and blow your inner-tube"), and sings along. It's also how she learned to spell "C-A-N-A-D-A".

[gh]

He's represented in my iTunes collection with his delightful cover of Nova Scotia Farewell (the best Canadian folk song ever?)

[rsb2]

An amazing outpouring of emotion is taking place across Canada today - so unlike us, eh!
gh, I luv my stompin' tom, but he's in tough company amongst Canadian folk artists. Your comment coincided with a bit of time in my schedule today, so I have scoured the internet searching tunes, and thanks to you, re-educating myself with regards to our musical heritage. Listening to Stompin' Tom, Ian and Sylvia, Neil Young, Stan Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn, The Band, The Hip, k.d.lang, etc. - a wonderful way to spend a few hours, whilst waiting for the Canucks game, and Canadian University Indoors live stream to start.

[gh]

I didn't say he was the best artist (not by far).... I was citing Nova Scotia as best Canadian folk song (and I have covers of it by many of the people on your list).

[rsb2]

Yep, I got that, and you're right, there are so many good "covers" out there. Technology is interesting in that, googling any one of those artists and one of their songs, brings up at least a couple of the others, and so on. I'm going to throw another couple of tunes into the mix, when I get to it. Off the top, I think "Four Strong Winds" by Ian and Sylvia, and "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen must be up there somewhere.

[Bruce Kritzler]

If you enjoy Ian Tyson, you might want to check out Corb Lund (and the Hurtin' Albertans) and Fred Eaglesmith.

[JRM]

Off the top, I think "Four Strong Winds" by Ian and Sylvia, ....

You're taking me WAAAY back here, rsb2! Now playing on iTunes.

[26mi235]

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen has a very large number of covers, including Rufus Wainright in the movie Shrek. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBo-n_17XU0

[gh]

I'm the world's hugest Leonard Cohen fan (I even have a book he wrote before he was a big-time performer), but he's not part this conversation, which was about folk songs.

[rsb2]

Thanks, Bruce, I am familiar with and a big fan of both Corb Lund and Fred Eaglesmith. gh, the topic you allude to, i.e., what is folk and what isn't, is one I have (enjoyably) stuggled with, over the last couple of days. Pure folk is hard to define, where is the intersection with rock or pop or country or roots, not to mention celtic, franco, adult contemporary. I'm having fun with this. A few more that stand out are: Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now, A Case of You, Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown, Early Morning Rain, Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage (many think this should be Canada's National Anthem), Neil Young - Heart of Gold, Buffy Ste. Marie - Universal Soldier, and to really fudge on borders - k.d.lang - Constant Craving, The Band - The Weight.

[bambam]

He's represented in my iTunes collection with his delightful cover of Nova Scotia Farewell (the best Canadian folk song ever?)

There's a lot of them that could be considered - I might vote for Gordon Lightfoot's Canadian Railroad Trilogy, or lots of stuff from Stan Rogers. Ian Tyson's Four Strong Winds is another candidate.

[gh]

hate to go w/ a commercial success rather than something obscure from deep in his oeuvre, but for me Lightfoot's best was Edmund Fitzgerald

[cullman]

Speaking of commercial success...Sylvia Tyson wrote "You Were On My Mind" which may have been the highest charting folk song written by a Canadian. It was covered by We Five and reached #3 on the US Billboard charts in 1965.

[kuha]

I'm the world's hugest Leonard Cohen fan (I even have a book he wrote before he was a big-time performer), but he's not part this conversation, which was about folk songs.

A new book on him:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archive ... tion=false

[gh]

Speaking of commercial success...Sylvia Tyson wrote "You Were On My Mind" which may have been the highest charting folk song written by a Canadian. It was covered by We Five and reached #3 on the US Billboard charts in 1965.

from Wiki (and w/ the definition of "folk" being very much in dispute)

[Ed Fitz] originally appeared on Lightfoot's 1976 album, Summertime Dream, and was later released as a single. The release hit #1 in his native Canada (on the RPM national singles survey) on November 20, 1976, almost exactly one year after the appearance of the article that inspired it.[3] In the U.S., the single was #2 on the Billboard pop chart for two weeks beginning November 20, 1976, making it Lightfoot's second most successful single (in terms of chart position) in that country following "Sundown", which reached #1 in 1974.

[Vault-emort]

hate to go w/ a commercial success rather than something obscure from deep in his oeuvre, but for me Lightfoot's best was Edmund Fitzgerald

What is there to be said about a pop song (still his 3rd biggest single) which includes the refrain 'the big lake they call Gitchee-Goomie' (forgive my Aussie accent lol)?

ETA I am complimenting the artist/song by the way!

[cullman]

Speaking of commercial success...Sylvia Tyson wrote "You Were On My Mind" which may have been the highest charting folk song written by a Canadian. It was covered by We Five and reached #3 on the US Billboard charts in 1965.

from Wiki (and w/ the definition of "folk" being very much in dispute)

...making it Lightfoot's second most successful single (in terms of chart position) in that country following "Sundown", which reached #1 in 1974.

How about that! "Sundown" knocked "Billy Don't Be A Hero" off the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

[bambam]

hate to go w/ a commercial success rather than something obscure from deep in his oeuvre, but for me Lightfoot's best was Edmund Fitzgerald

Actually, my favorite Lightfoot song is another obscure one from an album - don't think it was ever a single - The Patriot's Dream off Don Quixote. Lightfoot is my all-time fav male singer (I'm a folkie) - probably Nanci Griffith among female folkies

[Conor Dary]

I agree The Ed Fitz is a fine ballad. But I think my favorite GL song is Early Mornin' Rain where the poor dude is broke and drunk and trying to figure out a way home. Except for the drunk part it reminds me of my hitchhiking days. You have about 3 dollars in your pocket and trying to get home.

[rsb2]

As part of the determination of which genre a particular song belongs to; Who knew that "Crazy", written by Willie Nelson and performed by Patsy Cline (and dozens of others), is not a country song, but a "jazz-pop ballad with country overtones and complex melodies"? No wonder it's tricky to define a folk song !

[DrJay]

NPR did a piece last week on Stompin' Tom:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2013 ... o-has-died