Can-Con 45 Of The Day - April 4

Can-Con 45 Of The Day - April 4

Postby radiofan » Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:53 pm

Today's Can-Con 45 is from 1981 ... the first hit single for Carole Pope and Rough Trade ... "Fashion Victim" ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXIwQ_AKqDQ

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Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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Re: Can-Con 45 Of The Day - April 4

Postby jon » Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:34 pm

Seeing the label reminds me that True North was the only record label that actually sent a representative to regularly visit UBC Radio (CYVR) when I was there in 1970-72. As I recall, as Record Librarian for the first few months that I was there, we got "service" (i.e. - free singles) from all the Canadian labels.

Amazing to me, looking back, that a Canadian label that was only 9-20 months old when I arrived at UBC Radio, was well enough funded to be sending reps to campus stations.

Just for interest, I looked at the RPM Top 50 Canadian Chart for October 3, 1970, and there was exactly one True North single on it: #7 was "You Make Me High" by Luke & The Apostles
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Re: Can-Con 45 Of The Day - April 4

Postby Richard Skelly » Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:40 am

Jon and I missed each other at CYVR by mere months. Between ‘72–76, I saw the UBC student-run station become CITR. But only grabbing records for my weekly show from the library, I had no idea that record promo reps dropped by from any labels, let alone True North. Impressive, though, that the indie firm took an interest.

I do remember, a few years after graduating summa cum Rock, giving a lift to Murray McLauchlan after interviewing him for his stellar Whispering Rain album. (Still think it’s criminal that Whispering Rain didn’t propel Murray to the stature of, say, Jackson Browne.) I remember joking that, by giving him a ride, I was leaving True North more money for PR.

A fine label from its inception, True North was created by Bernie Finkelstein. Initially home to primarily Murray and Bruce Cockburn, it expanded to include actual punk-rock artists like Rough Trade. In more recent times, the label has been home to Blackie And The Rodeo Kings, Buffy Sainte-Marie and even, for a time, Randy Bachman. As a British Columbian, I appreciated their investing in the late John Bottomley.

If I had to bet on True North reaping a windfall from a newer artist, I’d lay the money down on Matt Andersen. But you never know...Gordon Lightfoot is on the roster and may surprise by bringing out one last-hurrah recording. Surprise us, Gord.

A few years back, True North was absorbed into Linus Entertainment. But Bernie Finkelstein is apparently still involved in a senior-executive capacity. The label also reportedly continues to distribute recordings by such legacy artists as Richard Thompson and has a division to stage and promote concerts. To survive in Internet times, labels big and small need to keep fingers in many pies.
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