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Pictured below, The Grain Bin, Saskatchewan's art contribution (a collaboration between a number of folk and fine artists) to the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
A brief introduction to the true Saskatchewan icon, King Ganam:
King Ganam, born Ameen Sied Ganam on August 9, 1914 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan to an English mother and Syrian father. Picking up the fiddle at an early age and undertaking informal lessons from local old-time performers, by the age of nine Ganam was playing local dances and by 13 was making live appearances on CHWC radio in Regina. He would later undertake more formal training from such fiddle greats as W. Knight Wilson, Jack Thornicroft, and Gregori Garbovitsky.
Relocating to Edmonton, Ganam formed his first band, Sons of the West, in 1942 and went on to perform on CBC Radio's “Alberta Ranch House”, winning the 1950 World Open Western Band Competition in Vancouver. This led to a recording contract with RCA Victor and his nickname, “Canada's King of the Fiddle”. Ganam relocated to Toronto in 1952 where he performed on various CBC Radio and TV shows throughout the decade, including “Holiday Ranch” and “Country Hoedown.” In 1961 came “The King Ganam Show” on CTV, and one year later he moved to southern California for the remainder of his life, though he would regularly return to Canada to perform.
In 1989, King Ganam was one of the original inductees to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. He passed away on April 26, 1994, leaving behind an incredible life and a vibrant recorded legacy, with a dozen or so sides cut throughout the ‘50s, and four later LPs. Ganam always felt an affinity for the nomadic tribes of his ancestry and recognized parallels to cowboy and western swing music. In 1954, a magazine article described Ganam's "dark good looks, flashing brown eyes and Syrian background...King Ganam looks as if he'd be at home dashing across the desert on an Arabian steed. But says he, the only plains he has ever dashed across are those in Southern Saskatchewan where he was born and grew up."
A reminder that the Prairie to Pine radio show airs each and every Wednesday evening at 7pm CST on CFCR Saskatoon, 90.5 FM and online at cfcr.ca. The show's marching towards episode 100, with some real doozies in store.
Ten or so of the most recent episodes can be heard at SoundCloud.com/prairietopine, with the full archive available sometime soon in a better location.
Jim Munro - Riel
Winston Wuttunee - They Hung Him
Jeff Howard - Riel Riel
Phil Boyer - Louis Riel
The Jubilee Folk Singers - Riel Riel
Joseph Gaspard Jeanotte - Chanson de Riel
1980 single from the Pre-Northern Pikes Saskatoon band The Idols. Released by Eagle Creek Records.
Jay Semko - Bass, Vocals
Merl Bryck - Lead Vocal
Nigs - Drums
Neil Morgan - Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals
Robin Billinton - Distorted Guitar
Prairie to Pine is an exploration of the province's near-forgotten musical history, presented alongside with related history and ephemera. It's broadcast weekly on Wednesdays at 7pm CST on CFCR 90.5FM Saskatoon Community Radio. Worldwide at CFCR.ca and archived here within a day or two of its airing: https://soundcloud.com/prairietopine
For the first episode, I was joined in the studio by my pal Clayton Linthicum of Kacy & Clayton. We talked a bit about Saskatchewan music from the past, their summer plans, and he laid down a killer version of my favourite song from this province, Jim Munro's "Snowgoose."
A "Records From Saskatchewan" YouTube channel can now be found here.
Expect miscellaneous uploads, such as this Ernie Valentine and Dorius Dyrland song I haven't been able to get out of my head for months.
Lately, I'm rather taken by this homespun George Harrison cover, as found on the lone album from Kuriakos (Belonging to the Lord).
Twelve young people, "belonging to the Lord", is what KURIAKOS is all about. Selected by auditions from across Canada, they came together in the spring of 1971 to prepare for an intense summer of singing and travel which took them to New Brunswick in the east and VanCouver in the west.
Kuriakos was sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada through its Divison of Congregational Life (based in Saskatoon), and four of its twelve members were from Saskatchewan.
A new all-Canadian mix a friend and I compiled is up now on Aquarium Drunkard. Mostly mellow 60s/70s stuff from varying shades of unknowns and featuring a moody instrumental from SK hero Howard.
Ivan passed away in early December at the age of 76. Though he made a CD in recent years, his only other recorded appearance was three excellent Marty Robbins covers from the Saskatchewan Jubilee Vol. 2: Stars From A Gala Night LP. According to the back cover, Ivan "was selected the Diamond Jubilee Star of 1965 and received a trip a trip to Hollywood and an appearance on Bonanza as winner of the Saskatchewan Talent Search." Condolences to family and friends. He will be missed.
In an effort to stay relevant, and since there's a ton of Saskatchewan records in my collection that I haven't listened to (let alone written about), Records From SK can now be found on Instagram: https://instagram.com/prairietopine/.
Expect mostly interesting and bizarre album covers and hopefully some ephemera.
PRINCE ALBERT ROVING GUITARS "Wandering Boy" b/w "Help The Poor Farmers" 19?? Astral-Plains (CS-69G28)
Dating from the late 60s or early 70s, this is a wonderful 45 with
both sides written by Edna Fidyk—her singular voice backed by the
crackshot Prince Albert Roving Guitars.
With her voice front and center, “Wandering Boy” is Fidyk’s appeal
to an absent lover. A buoyant bass line anchors a bright guitar, with some very
subtle percussion and lovely male backing vocals rounding out the sound.
"Help The Poor Farmers" takes side one’s plea, mixes it
with protest, and directs it squarely at Pierre Trudeau. Speaking on behalf of farmers
everywhere, Fidyk’s voice is again at the forefront, sitting here between a
pair of roving guitars and possibly a tiny bit of organ. With genuine lines like
“Please Mr. Trudeau do your share / Treat your farmers fair and square,” what might be misguided or naïve is instead remarkably prescient and entirely
human.
Though I'm not sure if Edna Fidyk was a
fully-fledged member of PARG, she does appear on one—perhaps
two—related 45s. And as far as I know, PARG released only one other 45
("The Changing Scene" can be heard on Prairie To Pine) and appeared on Jim Munro's Roving
Saskatchewan.I believe Munro was a PARG member and his lone
full-length is pretty well my favourite Saskatchewan LP. Astral-Plains was Edna
Fidyk's own label and released at least two other 45s (one by herself, one by
Jim Munro). Sadly, she passed away a few years ago.
BOB BRADBURN/FRANK CALLAGHAN "Saskatoon" b/w "Saskatoon" 1960 (No Label)
Here’s what I think is the earliest record
in my Saskatchewan collection. Two short civic pride anthems recorded by a pair
of CFQC radio announcers.
Bob Bradburn’s “Saskatoon” is little more
than a chorus (with requisite Bessborough and “City of Bridges” mentions), all
swelling organ anchored by his stately voice.
Side 2 is a brighter affair, pitting 2nd
Avenue and CFQC against the world, set against barroom piano and with a guitar
way down in the mix. I prefer Frank Callaghan’s “Saskatoon” for his voice and
turn of phrase, but the songs work well together: A two-sided 1960 Saskatoon coin.
CC "Summer In Saskatchewan" b/w "Morning Rap Song" 1987 (Z99 WRC3-5335)
Not much to say about this one, but in the interest of preserving history, here it is.
"Summer In Saskatchewan" is little more than a rather specific rant set to music, though the female backing vocals, the arena rock guitar, and some bizarre panning of wordless vocals offer a tiny bit of respite. "Morning Rap Song" is CC in "Run DM CC" mode and would be even more unbearable than Side A if it weren't half as long. But if you can hang in for two minutes, you'll hear the single's most ridiculous ten seconds, which is really saying something.
Released by Z99, I can only presume CC or co-writer/producer Dave Lloyd worked for the Regina radio station.
All in all, a great example of why I'm hesitant to steer this ship into the 1980s.
