Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000

At #97 the week of July 6 for the first of three weeks, Cliff Edwards with "Love May Be The Answer" b/w "Nursery Rhymes" on Columbia. Neither is on Youtube.



He would reach the pop charts for the final time with "Song For Wendy" b/w "Goodtime Song" (#91 the week of March 6, 1976). It's not on Youtube either. It was from his album Singer Of Songs on A&M Records.



He will appear many times on the Country Chart, and make and appearance on RPM's reconstituted Canadian Content Chart in 1980, maybe we'll hear from him then.

 

At #45 the week of July 13 for the first of two weeks, "If You Go Away" by Terry Jacks on Goldfish Records (#10 on the Pop Music Playlist). It was big on a regional basis, #10 at CHUM, #15 at hometown CKLG and #20 at Windsor's CKLW. In the U.S. it only made it to #68 in Billboard. It was big in the U.K., #8 where it would be his last hit there.



The B-side "Me And You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrj2TH15ZVI

There were picture sleeves all over the world. The first design was used in Germany, Austria, Portugal, Yugoslavia and a cheap black and white version in Turkey



Similar designs in France and the Netherlands




Spain



And Belgium



It had been six months since the release of his ginormous smash, so Terry went to back to the same formula: a Rod McKuen translation of a Jacques Brel song "Ne Me Quitte Pas". But this would have nowhere near the same success, his sales would rebound somewhat but in Canada only.

 

At #64 the week of July 13 for the first of two weeks, The Hood with "Cause We're In Love". It was #19 at CHUM, #25 at CKLW.



"'Cause We're In Love" was a 1960 song by Canada's Beau Marks (#32 at Vancouver's CFUN)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QuFkpii6OA

The B-side "Swing-It"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7syQhQNOWM



The Hood was a side project by Terry Jacks and Tom Baird (ex-Classics, former Motown majordomo), so Jacks was peaking the same week with two different songs, and again the next week at the exact same positions. It was yet another attempt to get in on the 1950s sweepstakes and sell records to all the kids watching The Fonzie on television and drinking A&W Root Beer while listening to Teen Angel and the Rockin' Rebels.

 

And, I might add, #7 in Record World and #13 in Radio & Records. 7E-1001 (the U.S. number of that seminal LP; Canada's prefix was a tad different) was originally intended to be ish'd as SD 5072 if based on the deadwax markings of U.S. pressings as on lacquers cut by A&M's Bernie Grundman, but changed before they got to the biz of label copy preparation.

Anyway, here's the US label, which makes no mention of the LP source:

Canada, as in most cases, was once again behind the 8 ball on label design compared with the U.S. . . .

No doubt my favorite song of hers as a performer.

 

Funny you mention it, I have a very small number of Canadian 45 and LP pressings. Basically either (in terms of pressings):
- RCA, Smiths Falls, ON
- Quality, Scarborough, ON
- Compo / MCA, Cornwall, ON
- Columbia, Don Mills, ON
- and another plant yet to be opened at this juncture in the timeline
(Yeah, I know, this isn't a complete list of plants operated in Canada, but those are the ones that'd be in my collection.)
Would seem RCA's Canadian pressings would have been slightly quieter in terms of vinyl surface noise than those pressed by RCA plants in the U.S.

Not to mention:
- Keel, Ajax, ON

But yeah, compared to US pressing info, for the Canadian side it is kinda' sketchy, no?

 

And here's the U.S. ish' o' this one:

 

It's surprising that "If You Go Away" only reached #45 on the RPM chart. In subsequent decades, I've probably heard it on the radio almost as often as "Seasons In The Sun".

It was indeed a big hit across much of the world. It also reached #8 in The Netherlands on August 3, 1974, coincidentally the same week our family returned to Canada. It was also a pretty big week news-wise south of the border.

 

"Hey, if a Brel/Mckuen song was that huge another one right after is absolutely the right way to go.

 

In the U.S., some 45s of "Save The Last Dance For Me" ran 3:16 like the album version and some only 3:03, but I don't know what the run times of the Canadian 45s were.

"Heartbeat - It's A Lovebeat" and "Abra-Ca-Dabra" were both very well made pop records, but "Save The Last Dance For Me" was a terrible choice for a single, and The DeFranco Family would never have another Top 40 hit on either side of the border.

There ought to be a law against remakes of songs that were done perfectly the first time ("Dock Of The Bay", "Son Of A Preacher Man"). I was at a wedding a couple of years ago, and the wedding singer introduced "Save The Last Dance For Me" as a Michael Buble song. I almost punched him in the face.

 

Let It Ride : One of my favorite BTO songs. Although I prefer the album version, the 45 edit works well also.

Come The Son : This should have a been big hit.

Sundown : It had a vibe that was relaxed yet slightly foreboding but most importantly, it had a memorable hook in the chorus that would draw in even the most casual radio listener.

 

At #85 the week of July 20, "There's Something I Like About That" by Chilliwack (the third consecutive song here produced by Terry Jacks for Goldfish Records). It was a hit on the West Coast, #16 at Vanouver's CKLG, but was not released outside of Canada.



The B-side "In And Out"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU7zd7H9EY0



The A-side was on their latest album Riding High, released in April of 1974 on Goldfish



It was their first recoding with newest member Howard Froese, this first who was not formerly in the Collectors. The album would not chart for another eight months, pulled their by their next single.




There's Something I Like About That by Chilliwack - 1974 Hit Song - Vancouver Pop Music Signature Sounds

 

I love Sundown, probably my favourite Lightfoot tune. It’s so Canadian, though. A very polite threat of violence - “take care!”

 

So I have Anne ready and waiting to go, but I figured I wouldn't post since it's Good Friday. (I figured Anne wouldn't want that.) But then I just didn't mention that, which was a bit silly. Anyway, I'll post on Monday.

 

And with the addition of "There's Something I Like About That", every track on K-Tel's Canadian Mint has now been discussed on this thread

 

Which shares exactly two tracks with the US Dynamic Sound compilation: "Let It Ride" and "Werewolf."

 

I was back in S'toon, driving cab that summer. This was pretty ubiquitous on the radio. Didn't know the backstory then, of course.

 

What I'd love to see is a book of all 45s released in Canada - much like several of the US books from Goldmine magazine and the like. AFAIK, there was never anything like this published. Not sure why. There has to be some very knowledgeable people out there who would have huge collections, know how to approach this and have the information. (I could be a good resource for just about anything '80s!)

I suppose one way to figure it out would be to look at all the charts from RPM magazine and the like. Pretty well everything on those charts was on a 45 up until the end of '89 anyway. During the first quarter of 1990, there were still numerous Canadian-pressed 45s but the labels were starting to be very picky on what they put out. After the first quarter of 1990, it slowed to a trickle until it basically stopped by July. Re. picture sleeves - I remember going into Sam the Record Man in downtown Toronto during the mid-late '80s and being amazed at their wall of current 45s - all with picture sleeves! Having said that, doing it this way is still more cumbersome than having the info alphabetized in a book.

Using several sources, I've actually compiled a hand-written list of pretty well every 45 released in Canada between August 1989 and July 1990. That was around the time several US labels started to cut back on chart 45s and I was curious to see how the Canadian labels handled it. Obviously, the complete elimination was much quicker.

But I digress. It's too bad there wasn't something definitive out there on Canadian-pressed 45s.

 

Does anyone know anything about this publication?
The Capitol 6000 website - David Whatmough: 50 years directory, Canadian 45 RPM and 78 RPM Records

 

In that list of labels I don't see Aragon, 6th Avenue, New Syndrome, Kin-Gar, S.G.M., Jaguar, Arctic, Bulldog, Capilano, Baroka, Coast, Zero, Goodgroove, Power, Remlap, Chain, Montaigne's, Monticana, Melbourne, Click, Tamarac, Plaza, Royal International, Kim, Gig, Sandryon, Barb and Zirkon.

 

Hey, I for one am perfectly capable of drinking A&W Root Beer in the 2020s while not doing any of those other things.

As for the song, I remember hearing it in the '70s. I thought it was weak then, and listening to it now, I can't say my opinion needs to change. It's distinctly lacking in (i) melody, (ii) anything else of musical interest. It does have a false stop near the end, though, for the edification of anyone who would like to list it in a thread about songs with this specific feature ...

 

Electric Jewels : One of my favorite AW songs but I'm curious to hear how the label managed to create a 3:20 edit of a six minute song consisting of two distinct sections. I'm guessing they just faded the song at the beginning of the slow part.


Just As Bad As You : A hidden gem that deserves to be better remembered.


Cause We're In Love : I like this. It sounds like those involved were having a lot fun recording it.


There's Something I Like About That : Decent song. Just not as memorable as the followup.

 

Catching up on a few songs, here's "Lifeline" by John Bennett, #63 back on April 14, 1973, first discussed in Post #2921:
Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000



I was afraid the needle had managed to get stuck near the end of the song, but that's the way the song actually goes.

 

Here's the charting version of "Bit Of Both" by David George, which peaked on June 16, 1973, first discussed in Post #3000:
Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000

 

Here's Marty Butler's "If You Wanna Go To New York City", which peaked on September 29, 1973, first discussed in Post #3129:
Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000



The above three songs were all arranged by the previously mentioned former Motown producer/arranger Dave Van De Pitte.

 

Here's "Liza" by Joey Gregorash, which peaked on November 10, 1973, first discussed in Post #3171:
Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000