Blue Rodeo Explained

Blue Rodeo
Origin:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Years Active: - present
Label:WEA, Warner Music Group, Rounder
Current Members:Jim Cuddy
Bazil Donovan
Greg Keelor
Glenn Milchem
Mike Boguski
Colin Cripps
Jimmy Bowskill
Past Members:Cleave Anderson
Bob Wiseman
Mark French
Kim Deschamps
James Gray
Bob Packwood
Bob Egan

Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, and collaborations.[1]

History

High school friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor began playing music professionally together after completing university. They put together several bands without commercial success in the late 1970s, releasing a single as Hi-Fi's in 1980.

Cuddy and Keelor moved to New York City in the early 1980s to further their music careers. There, they met keyboardist and fellow Canadian Bob Wiseman, who, at that time, was working as a producer. Upon returning to Toronto in the summer of 1984, the trio decided to form a band. The name "Blue Rodeo" had already been chosen for the new group when they met former David Wilcox drummer Cleave Anderson and asked him to join. Anderson, in turn, recommended his former bandmate in The Sharks, bassist Bazil Donovan, and the new band's lineup was essentially set.[2] On February 7, 1985, Blue Rodeo played their first show together at The Rivoli in Toronto;[3] one week later, they performed at Handsome Ned's "Honky Tonk Heart."[4]

The band quickly earned a following in Toronto and was subsequently signed to Canadian independent record label Risque Disque. They entered the studio in 1986 with Rush producer Terry Brown and recorded several songs that would comprise Blue Rodeo's debut album, Outskirts. Released in March 1987, Outskirts met with moderate success in Canada until "Try" was released as a single in October of that year. The single was an immediate hit, going to number one on the RPM Country Tracks chart and number six on the RPM Top Singles chart, establishing Blue Rodeo as one of Canada's top new bands and carrying Outskirts to 4× Platinum status in sales. The music video for the single featured Keelor's then-girlfriend Michelle McAdorey, who soon had success with her own band, Crash Vegas.

In 1992, the band's song "After the Rain," written by Cuddy and Keelor, was the most-performed song in Canada.[5] By 1999 the band had sold more than two million albums in Canada.[6]

Cuddy, Keelor, Donovan, Boguski and Cripps have all released solo albums. Glenn Milchem performs his own solo music under the pseudonym "the swallows" and had co-founded, with his twin brother John, the rock duo Starvin Hungry. Keelor has also gone on to produce for other artists, notably alt-country group Cuff the Duke, who have also toured as support for Blue Rodeo.[7]

Blue Rodeo members have collaborated extensively with other notable Canadian artists, including Sarah McLachlan, The Tragically Hip, Burton Cummings, Great Big Sea, Jann Arden, The Sadies, Skydiggers, Cuff the Duke, Crash Vegas, Cowboy Junkies, Sarah Harmer, Jill Barber, and Kathleen Edwards.[8] [9] [10] They have won many Canadian music awards, including twelve Juno Awards and seven SOCAN awards.[11] [12]

On June 16, 2009, it was announced that the band would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony was held on September 12, 2009. They are the fifth band to receive the honour.[13]

Blue Rodeo was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 41st Juno Awards on April 1, 2012,[14] joining other Canadian music icons including Rush, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, The Band, Oscar Peterson, Bruce Cockburn, Daniel Lanois, Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray and Tom Cochrane. According to CARAS, on selecting Blue Rodeo as the 2012 inductee, "Spanning nearly three decades, Blue Rodeo has sold in excess of four million records and won an unprecedented 11 JUNO Awards, establishing themselves as one of the premier groups in Canadian music history."[15]

In May 2014, the band received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.[16] At the Gala honouring GGPAA recipients on May 10, the band delivered the evening's surprise finale.

On August 5, 2013, former keyboard player James Gray died as the result of a heart attack. He was 52 years old.[17]

Canadian guitarist Colin Cripps joined Blue Rodeo as a full member in 2013 due to Greg Keelor's inability to play electric guitar live anymore because of hearing issues.[18]

In September 2015, Blue Rodeo released the protest song and video "Stealin All My Dreams" which "chronicle the failings of the current government," referring to the government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.[19]

The band is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.[20]

The City of Toronto named Blue Rodeo Drive, a street in the Riverdale neighbourhood near the band's studio, after the band in 2022.[21]

Television and film

Concerts

On August 11, 1988, the band played at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York (a suburb of Buffalo). They were the headliners after a high school battle of the bands competition. The disastrous gig was the inspiration for their 1990 hit, "What Am I Doing Here."

As part of their 20th Anniversary celebrations in 2004, the "original five" lineup of Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor, Bazil Donovan, Bob Wiseman and Cleave Anderson reunited for a live performance of five songs: "Heart Like Mine," "Try," "Diamond Mine," "Love and Understanding," and "Til I Am Myself Again." The set is included on the DVD In Stereovision: Blue Rodeo.

On Canada Day 2008, Blue Rodeo played on Parliament Hill. The band closed the show before the commencement of the fireworks and was joined on stage by several other artists to perform "Lost Together." On November 28, 2009 the band performed at half-time of the 97th Grey Cup. The band also performed live concerts for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Cuddy and Keelor performed at the annual Folk on the Rocks music festival in Yellowknife, NT from July 16 to 18, 2010.[24]

On October 19, 2010, Blue Rodeo played the music viral show BalconyTV for a rare acoustic performance on a small Balcony overlooking Dame Street, Dublin.

On July 1, 2011, Blue Rodeo performed at Trafalgar Square as part of the Canada Day celebrations in London.

Blue Rodeo performed at their induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the Juno Awards of 2012 at Scotiabank Place in the community of Kanata in Ottawa, Ontario on Sunday, April 1, 2012. They took the stage with long-time friend and collaborator Sarah McLachlan and performed their 1992 hit single, "Lost Together." As the performance ended, the audience rose for a spirited standing ovation recognizing Blue Rodeo as "one of Canada's true musical treasures."[25]

On January 1, 2017, Blue Rodeo took part in CBC's The Strombo Show's Hip 30, covering "Bobcaygeon".[26]

Blue Rodeo hosts an annual concert each summer at Budweiser Stage. 2020 was the first time in years the concert did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the band performed on Citytv's Budweiser Stage at Home.[27]

Personnel

Current members

Former members

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bar:Jim Cuddy from:01/01/1985 till:end color:vocals bar:Greg Keelor from:01/01/1985 till:end color:vocals bar:Jim Cuddy from:01/01/1985 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Greg Keelor from:01/01/1985 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Kim Deschamps from:01/01/1992 till:31/12/1999 color:pdlstlin bar:Bob Egan from:01/01/2000 till:20/08/2016 color:pdlstlin bar:Jimmy Bowskill from:01/01/2017 till:end color:pdlstlin bar:Kim Deschamps from:01/01/1992 till:31/12/1999 color:guitar width:3 bar:Bob Egan from:01/01/2000 till:20/08/2016 color:guitar width:3 bar:Jimmy Bowskill from:01/01/2017 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Colin Cripps from:01/01/2012 till:end color:guitar bar:Colin Cripps from:01/01/2012 till:end color:bvox width:3 bar:Bob Wiseman from:01/01/1985 till:31/07/1992 color:keys bar:James Gray from:01/08/1992 till:31/05/2005 color:keys bar:Bob Packwood from:01/06/2005 till:31/08/2008 color:keys bar:Mike Boguski from:01/09/2008 till:end color:keys bar:Bazil Donovan from:01/01/1985 till:end color:bass bar:Cleave Anderson from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1989 color:drums bar:Mark French from:01/01/1989 till:30/11/1991 color:drums bar:Glenn Milchem from:01/12/1991 till:end color:drums

Discography

See main article: Blue Rodeo discography.

Studio albums

Videography

Video albums
Video singles
Soundtrack appearances

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Discography. Official Community of Blue Rodeo. November 20, 2015.
  2. Web site: Jim Cuddy Biography. Official Community of Blue Rodeo. May 14, 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080512092840/http://www.bluerodeo.com/people/biography/JimCuddy.aspx. May 12, 2008. mdy-all.
  3. Schneider, Jason Timeline: Blue Rodeo: Better Off as We Are at Exclaim! December 2009.
  4. "The birth of Blue Rodeo." The Globe and Mail, November 16, 2004.
  5. Larry LeBlanc. 'Do it for you' does it at the SOCAN Awards. Billboard. 14 November 1992. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 48–. 0006-2510.
  6. Bettsy Powell. There's no place like home. Billboard. January 16, 1999. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 50 and 58. 0006-2510.
  7. Web site: Blue Rodeo Timeline. https://archive.today/20120709190255/http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=139&csid2=9&fid1=42671. dead. July 9, 2012. Exclaim Magazine. July 5, 2010.
  8. Web site: Bluesfest review: Blue Rodeo vs Naughty By Nature . Ottawa Citizen. Lynn. Saxberg. 2018-07-13. en. 2019-03-12.
  9. Web site: Blue Rodeo ft. Sarah McLachlan. en-US. 2019-03-12.
  10. News: Gord Downie makes surprise appearance at Blue Rodeo show for 'Lost Together'. The Toronto Star. February 3, 2017. en. 2019-03-12.
  11. Web site: Top Winners. The JUNO Awards. 2019-03-12.
  12. Web site: SOCAN Awards. June 18, 2018 . en-US. 2019-03-12.
  13. Web site: The Stars Align at the 12th Annual Canada's Walk of Fame. June 16, 2009. Canada's Walk of Fame. June 16, 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090620081814/http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/news/the-stars-align-12th-annual-canadas-walk-fame. June 20, 2009. mdy-all.
  14. https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Blue+Rodeo+taking+well+deserved+place+Canada+cultural+history/6374354/story.html "Blue Rodeo taking a well-deserved place Canada's cultural history"
  15. http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductees/blue-rodeo/ "Canadian Hall of Fame Inductees: Blue Rodeo 2012"
  16. Web site: Blue Rodeo. Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation. July 25, 2014.
  17. Web site: Schneider . Jason . Former Blue Rodeo Keyboardist James Gray Dies at 52. Exclaim.ca . December 8, 1960 . August 9, 2013.
  18. News: Blue Rodeo: the complete conversation . Montreal Gazette. November 1, 2013. August 13, 2023.
  19. Web site: Stealin' All My Dreams . BlueRodeo.com . October 5, 2015.
  20. Web site: Artists - Artists Against Racism.
  21. News: Friend . David . Blue Rodeo Drive: Toronto country-rock act gets Toronto street named after them . 8 February 2024 . Toronto Star . The Canadian Press . 31 May 2022 . en.
  22. Web site: Full Cast and Crew for Postcards from the Edge (1990). IMDb. May 14, 2008.
  23. Web site: Gunless (The Official Motion Picture Soundtrack. Official Community of Blue Rodeo.. July 5, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110725184124/http://www.bluerodeo.com/music/discography/cd/gunless.aspx?albumid=e391bd9b-8567-44c8-b546-f2db07f26b19&album=6#title_discography. July 25, 2011. dead. mdy-all.
  24. Web site: Folk on the Rocks » 2010 Lineup. www.folkontherocks.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20100507020441/http://www.folkontherocks.com/festival/2010-lineup-2/ . May 7, 2010.
  25. Web site: Stanisci . Grace . Juno Awards 2012: Notable performances from Dallas Green, Blue Rodeo Up Beat. Ca.music.yahoo.com . April 2, 2012 . August 9, 2013.
  26. News: The Strombo Show presents Hip 30. CBC Music. December 21, 2016.
  27. Web site: Budweiser Stage Brings Summer Concerts to Fans' Homes with "Budweiser Stage at Home". May 25, 2020.