From Hurtin' Albertan to A Trail of Broken Hearts: You need these tunes on your Calgary Stampede playlist
From k.d. lang to Corb Lund to Garth Brooks to … wait for it! … John Philip Sousa, here are some top musical picks from CBC Calgary personalities to set your pointed toes (or high-top sneakers) a tapping during Stampede.
(And if you've got a favourite song or band on your Stampede playlist, we want to hear it! Please share it in the comments section below.)
Katherine Duncan's playlist picks
When she's not crowding into tiny late-night venues checking out new local bands for the Key of A, singing classical choral music with Spiritus Chamber Choir or hosting Choral Concert and Centre Stage on CBC Music, Katherine serves as jury foreperson for the Polaris Music Prize. In her spare time, you'll find her gliding along cross-country ski trails near Lake Louise or cycling to discover the next great local craft IPA. Tough job, but someone's gotta do it!
Trail of Broken Hearts — k.d. lang
Vintage, homegrown country from before the pride of Consort, Alta., became a household name. It was 1992's Ingenue that made her famous, but k.d. lang had already won a Grammy in 1989 for this one, Absolute Torch and Twang. Let yourself be seduced by her voice, and the fabulous playing of her band, The Reclines. You might be surprised how "of the moment" it sounds for Stampede 2018.
Something to Believe In — JJ Shiplett
If you're tired, but you've still got more to do — whether it's flipping pancakes at your company's Stampede breakfast, or taking the kids to the midway — this song by Calgary's next big country star, and the inspiring story behind it might get you out of your seat, singing along.
Worth the Wait — Lindsay Ell
Lindsay Ell has guitar chops and talent to burn. The Calgary expat — now based in Nashville — works with many other songwriters and producers, but she wrote this song herself. With its catchy guitar riff and Ell's understated vocals, this is a sweet one to doze off to -— or to help you wake up over that first cup of coffee in the morning. Either way, what you're hearing is the sound of a young woman finding her voice.
I Believe in Dancing — Cecil Frena
In case all that yahooing, beer drinking, pancake flipping and rodeo riding gets to be too much, here's art rocker Cecil Frena (formerly of Edmonton's gobble gobble!) to change your perspective with a song you'll want to dance along to, but you'll have to be alert — it's in the unusual tempo of five beats to the bar.
Love is Love Pt. 1&2 - Quantum Tangle
Despite taking place so soon after Pride celebrations in many parts of the world, Stampede hasn't always been seen as welcoming to LGBTQ or Indigenous folks, so here's a Juno-winning duo with a timely vocal reminder in the direction of inclusivity, equality and safer spaces for all.
David Gray's playlist picks
Award-winning journalist David Gray has covered stories around the world for the CBC. He now hosts the number one morning show the Calgary Eyeopener, giving Calgarians their morning information with a teaspoon of wit and a drop of attitude. In his spare time, he plays with local band Sweet Potato, which has been known to cover the odd Johnny Cash tune.
Jolene — Dolly Parton
Simply the greatest song about love and the fear of getting jilted ever written and performed.
Coal Train — Sweet Potato
What can I say? I have a sweet spot for this band.
Going to shine up my boots — Corb Lund
A must listen before any night of Stampeding.
Spookin' the horses — Fred Eaglesmith
A heartfelt tune about a rancher worried he's losing his wife.
Personal Jesus — Johnny Cash version
The great Johnny Cash covers Depeche Mode. What else needs to be said.
Dave Waddell's playlist picks
Dave Waddell is a producer, technician and sports reporter with CBC Radio's The Homestretch in Calgary. He's been a Calgarian since 2011 but still hasn't bothered to buy a cowboy hat.
Liberty Bell March — John Philip Sousa
If you've ever walked by the parade of Stampede posters on the second floor of the BMO Centre, you'll notice some of the unusual guests and attractions that came to Calgary during the early years of the Stampede.
There's one poster that always jumps out at me. It's the 1919 poster advertising a special appearance by "SOUSA AND HIS BAND."
Composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa was as close to a rock star as you would find in 1919, and in a small, prairie outpost like Calgary, I'm sure that a performance from Sousa was the must-see concert event of the summer.
The award-winning Stampede Showband has kept Sousa in their repertoire over the years, and with good reason — a piece like The Liberty Bell March seems to capture the goofy, fun spirit of a day on the midway.
Friends in Low Places — Garth Brooks
I'll be the first to admit that I'm cynical about modern country music — I find it bland and boring — but there's something different about Garth Brooks.
If you've seen him perform live, you instantly understand his appeal — his enthusiasm is infectious and his showmanship is unparalleled.
Like any great Vegas performer (and these days he owes more to Vegas than Nashville), he knows the value of sending a crowd home happy.
Maybe that's why his music seems to be everywhere during Stampede — it's genuine, it's timeless, and it's fun.
Try and find a bar or a party tent this week where this song isn't on the playlist. And try as you might, I'll bet you can't help yourself from belting this song out when you hear the opening notes.
Hurtin' Albertan — Corb Lund and Tim Hus
This is one of the all-time great Alberta country tunes — a good old-fashioned trucking song that takes you across the Prairies.
Alberta songwriters Corb Lund and Tim Hus co-wrote this track, and have both released it separately. (A fun Easter egg: Corb is the CB radio voice on Tim's version, and vice versa.)
If you want Alberta authenticity in your Stampede playlist, you don't need to go much further than these two.
(And the phrase "hurtin' Albertan" is a great way to describe the typical Stampede partygoer on the morning after.)
Dream On — Aerosmith
Whether it's in a parking lot tent or at the Saddledome, there's no shortage of choices for music fans during the Stampede — and every year there are a few strange, surprising acts that come to town.
This year's weirdest booking: a solo show from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith at the Cowboys tent on July 11.
Aerosmith is one of the greatest American bands of all time, but keep in mind that Tyler is now 70 years old. Can he still sing? Is his solo material any good? Will he play the hits?
I'd be incredibly impressed if he can still hit the high notes on Dream On, Aerosmith's first big hit that was released 45 years ago this week.
Simply the Best — Tina Turner
Believe it or not, this is the one song — above all others — that reminds me of the Stampede.
If you've ever been to the rodeo at the Stampede, you'll know what I'm talking about.
When each day's rodeo winners are presented in front of the crowd, the chorus to this song plays ("Simply the best") as the winners take their victory laps in front of the crowd.
By the time the week is done, rodeo fans will have heard this track over and over and over. It will be burned into your brain for weeks afterwards.
It's weird that a Tina Turner track from 1989 has become such an ingrained part of the Stampede rodeo experience, but hey — why mess with tradition?
UPDATE, added July 16: Sadly, as of this year's rodeo, it appears that Simply The Best no longer occupies the prominent spot it once had on the Stampede playlist, replaced as victory music by DJ Khaled's All I Do Is Win and Katy Perry's Roar. It's the end of an era.
What's your favourite song on your Stampede playlist? Share it in the comments below.
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