Great Canadian Musician and Tunes #4 Quiz

Answer: People See Through You

The song, "People See Through You", was an extremely profound anti-governmental and anti-political song. Cockburn (b.May 27, 1945), grew up in the post-WWII years watching the world try to clean up after six years of the worst devastation in history, only to be greeted at age 5 by the Korean conflict.

He was barely out of his teens when television began bringing the world reports of death and the horrors of war from the Vietnam conflict. Bruce makes no bones about his hatred of the political system and its puppeteering leaders and has never been afraid use his music as a vessel for expressing himself.

Answer: Let Go The Line

Canada's Kim Mitchell founded the rock band called Max Webster in Sarnia, Ontario, and was their lead singer and guitarist from 1974-1983. The song "Let Go The Line" came from their 1979 platinum-selling album "A Million Vacations", and still gets regular airplay along with the album's title track of the same name. Mitchell is well-known for his solo career and had big hits with "Go For Soda" and "Patio Lanterns".

Answer: When I'm With You

The rather obscure Canadian band called Sheriff recorded "When I'm With You" in 1983, and it went Number One in Canada, but only hit Number Sixty-Three in the U.S. Interestingly, a DJ in New York played it one day in 1988 as a quick program fill-in, and by 1989 it was Number One on the U.S. Billboard charts.

The belated success of the song prompted original members Freddy Curchi and Steve DeMarchi, to the delight of Sheriff fans, to get back together and form the band Alias, which ended up having more success than Sheriff did.

Answer: Love and Compassion

The Parachute Club was another Toronto formed band that came together in 1982. Their song "Love and Compassion" never gained the popularity of the other songs that were mentioned in the answers section, but their staunchest fans often name it as the band's best song, due to the reflective nature of the lyrics.

The group was best known for having Lorraine Segato as their lead singer and were an extremely upbeat and bunch that combined singing and dancing that made for an energetic stage show. They were forced to break up in 1989 for the fact that despite moderate success, they just weren't making enough money to support everyone on a seven person ensemble.

Answer: 'Til You Love Somebody

Amy Sky, who began her musical career in 1996 at the age of 36, declares that "You're just half of a heart...Til You Love Somebody". Despite having several moderately successful albums of her own, it's her songwriting for other top artists that has brought her musical notoriety. Amy has written hit songs for Anne Murray, Olivia Newton-John(whom she still writes for), Diana Ross, Aaron Neville, and Cyndi Lauper just to name a few, yet it's her work with charities, most notably those that support mental health, that has kept her in the hearts of her fans and all who know her.

Answer: Eyes of a Stranger

From the Payolas 1980 four-song debut album (also known as "Payola$"), came their biggest hit "Eyes of a Stranger". It reached number four in Canada and number twenty-two on the U.S. Billboard chart, yet not until two years after the album's release. The song and the record helped the band's members gather four Juno awards in 1982.

The group's two main members, Paul Hyde and Bob Rock, went on to form the duo called Rock and Hyde and gave the music world a big hit in 1987 called "Dirty Water".

Answer: Moonlight Desires

Lawrence 'Larry' Gowan was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on November 22, 1956, but became a Canadian citizen soon after when his parents emigrated to Canada. "Moonlight Desires" gave Gowan his biggest hit in Canada with a number two showing on the RPM adult contemporary charts in 1987, but it was his song "A Criminal Mind" that made it bigger on RPM's Top One Hundred list.

After replacing Dennis DeYoung as lead singer for the hugely successful rock/pop band Styx, Gowan's songs are often included in the band's live sets, which has given them new life even twenty years after their initial release.

Answer: Sea Of No Cares

Leaving your 'psychological garbage' in the "Sea Of No Cares" is an attractive thought. Great Big Sea started out as Rankin Street in 1989, and like many small town bands, played mostly in pubs and taverns across Canada. Up until 1993, when they became Great Big Sea, they averaged three hundred shows a year.

They became so successful that they requested they be withdrawn from the East Coast Music Awards ceremonies as from 1996 to 2000, they won almost every award, and felt that many good groups were being overlooked, such as Natalie McMaster, The Ennis Sisters, Crush, and the Rankin Family.

Answer: Believe In Me

The song, "Believe In Me", is one of the most profoundly beautiful love ballads ever written. Paul Janz, a theology professor and musician, has a strong Christian faith, and he wrote this piece for his children. It was in response to one of them constantly asking him how they could be sure he was going to return home when he prepared to go on tour, so he tried to assure them by asking them in a song to "Believe In Me".

The video for this has a choir of young children singing the final verses, which really exemplifies the powerfully emotional message Paul is trying to deliver.

Answer: The Unicorn

For almost fifty years, The Irish Rovers have have toured the world, performing their most famous and most requested song, "The Unicorn", and other famous staples such as "The Orange and the Green", "Black Velvet Band", "Here's To The Horses", and "Wasn't That A Party". Over and over they've performed them with the same energy and toe-tapping tempo that fans everywhere have grown to love.

They are, of course, born of Irish roots, but they all emigrated to Canada at a young age to become citizens, and we're happy to call them 'our own'.

Their most famous two members, Will Millar and Jimmy Ferguson are no longer with the band. Jimmy passed away in 1997 at the age of 56 and Will moved on to a solo career in music and acting.