Latest news with #BlueRodeo:LostTogether
CBC
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
'They are really Canada's band.' New doc celebrates 40 years of Blue Rodeo
Social Sharing "When I was in my 20s, I loved them, and now that I'm in my 40s, I don't know what I would do without them," says Canadian media personality George Stroumboulopoulos about one of his favourite bands, Blue Rodeo. "I think that in some ways they are really Canada's band, right? Because they're a little ragged, they're very real and authentic. They're definitely cheeky. They're just like us," says former MuchMusic producer Denise Donlon. High praise indeed. Both celebrities appear in Blue Rodeo: Lost Together, a new documentary now streaming on CBC Gem, which chronicles the journey of one of Canada's longest-running and most beloved bands. A celebration of the band's legacy, their music and the enduring friendship between lead singers Jim Cuddy and Greg Keeler, Lost Together charts their rise from a Queen Street bar band to an integral part of Canada's soundtrack. "I think that they are one of the greatest groups to ever come out of Canada. I love them," says fellow musician Andy Maize (Skydiggers). Blue Rodeo: Lost Together | Trailer | Watch now on CBC Gem 23 days ago Duration 2:42 Here are five things we learned about one of Canada's favourite bands. They were almost dropped from their first record label Blue Rodeo released their debut album, Outskirts, in 1987. Although their live performances in Toronto had been selling out for months, their sound didn't fit in with the high-production, big rock music that was popular then. The record wasn't selling and the reaction from their label was swift. "He basically told us 'if it doesn't pick up, we're going to drop you,'" remembers singer Jim Cuddy in the documentary. "We were having a lot of trouble. It was sort of going down the tubes," agrees bandmate Greg Keelor. They knew their best song, Try, was very popular with live audiences so the band recorded a music video. Record label marketing exec Dave Tollington took the video to John Martin, director of music programming at MuchMusic, who put the song into heavy rotation. "John hated the video, but he loved the song," says Tollington. "It hit a critical mass, and we never looked back, and neither did the band. I mean, it just took off like a rocket." The album went on to sell over 500,000 units and Blue Rodeo began their journey to the top of the charts. Blue Rodeo's drummer quit to go back to his day job — as a postie Drummer Cleave Anderson was already a veteran on the Toronto music scene when Cuddy and Keeler asked him to join their new band in 1984. He'd played with local punk groups like the Battered Wives and the Forgotten Rebels, but had a young family and worked a day job at Canada Post. He wasn't sure he was a good fit, but they convinced him to come on board. After the success of the band's second album, Diamond Mine, Anderson got an ultimatum from the Blue Rodeo's manager, "Cleave, we're going to be on the road, we're getting serious. And you're going to have to quit your postie job." The choice was clear. "I just didn't want to be on the road all the time," remembers Anderson. "The damn guys didn't have to get so popular to make it look shitty on me." So, he went back to his job as a mailman. "The funny thing about Cleave is when he finally retired from the post office, he phoned me up and he said, 'I just retired. So, tell Glenn [longtime drummer for Blue Rodeo] thanks'," remembers Cuddy. Best friends feuded while on The Tonight Show Blue Rodeo's unique dynamic comes from its two frontmen, Cuddy and Keelor, who share both singing and songwriting duties equally. Although they are longtime high school chums, there was sometimes a healthy rivalry. They would alternate TV show appearances, but when The Tonight Show called, the network wanted the band to perform After the Rain, which was Cuddy's song. They were on tour for Casino, trying to break into the U.S. market and it was Keelor's turn to sing. "So I had a little hissy," says Keelor, "and I played so loud at soundcheck that they took me out of the mix." Cuddy got a call and was told 'You need to tell the guitar player to turn his guitar down.' "There's a certain point where you realize you cannot influence your partner's behaviour," he remembers. Blue Rodeo recorded their most successful album — on a farm Exhausted after years of touring, the band members needed a break. Feeling creatively inspired, they decided to record a simple, acoustic album at Keelor's farm, intending it to be a fun, secondary project. "We set up in his living room, and there's people all around," remembers Cuddy, "people are in the pool and we're just doing songs live off the floor." Using sleeping bags and packing blankets to create a makeshift studio, they invited musicians like Sarah McLachlan and Anne Bourne to perform, and captured something truly special."Of all the experiences I had over 25 years in the business, that's kind of the top," remembers Tollington. Music engineer Doug McClement notes, "If you put headphones on, you can hear dogs barking, you can hear birds, you can hear thunder and lightning some nights. That's five guys in a room playing songs." 5 Days in July was released in October 1993 and it was the band's most commercially successful album ever. It was almost over due to Keelor's hearing issues After years in the music business, Keelor began to suffer from tinnitus. "I thought that part of my life was over," he says, "all those things I loved to do was all taken away." The band adapted by reducing the amount of sound on their stage to help Keelor be comfortable. But playing these quiet shows slowly became unbearable too. So, in 2016 he called Cuddy and quit Blue Rodeo. "I was shocked, but I was also wounded, I was wounded that he quit over the phone to me, but I was also kind of tired of the drama," remembers Cuddy. The pandemic gave Keelor the break he needed and he began writing rock songs again. So, in 2021 the band came together virtually to record Many A Mile. Michael Hollett, founder of Toronto's North by Northeast music festival says, "I think Greg came back because he missed it. He missed Blue Rodeo. I think it was hard for him to think of a life without that available to him." "The band has never been better!" says Keelor. "As you get older and you start to appreciate what a rare opportunity it is to make your living playing in a band. I think that your gratitude fuels your will to stay," says Cuddy. And after 40 years, Blue Rodeo's story isn't finished yet.
CBC
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
40 years of Blue Rodeo: Keelor and Cuddy's friendship is at the heart of the band's success
Blue Rodeo is one of Canada's most beloved bands. At the heart of the group is a songwriting team dubbed the Lennon and McCartney of Canada — lifelong friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. The documentary Blue Rodeo: Lost Together offers a rare peek into the formative days of their friendship. "Our first actual meeting was a bit of a confrontation," Keelor said in the film. "We met on a football field where I was a defensive end and he was a quarterback. [Jim] was throwing the ball, and I was on his blind side. And just as he was about to let go, I creamed him." However, the two were not fated to remain rivals. In the aftermath of a friend's death, Cuddy revealed his previously hidden musical talent, and Keelor began to see him in a new light. "A friend of ours died in a car accident," Keelor said. "At that age — 16, 17 — you had a total loss of how to react and how to be with each other. "We were sitting in Jim's mother's house, and there was a beautiful parlour piano in there. And Jim sat down at the piano.… He wrote a song for [our friend] David Soper. And we're all just, like, dumbfounded. We're all crying. I had never heard Jim sing before." Cuddy remembered that day. "I kept all my musical stuff very private because it was very embarrassing at that age," he said in an interview. "I remember the scene and I don't know why I was nervy enough to play it there." Inspired in part by Cuddy, Keelor would later pick up the guitar. Soon, music would flow through both of them. Though Cuddy and Keelor were a study in contrast, they became friends. Cuddy was disciplined — "a provider," Keelor said. Keelor had a "maverick spirit," said Cuddy. After high school, the two stayed connected. Cuddy was buoyed by Keelor taking music as seriously as he did. "I never thought in the early days that Greg was doing this half-heartedly," Cuddy said. "I always thought that he was fully committed, as was I." When the time was right, they started a band. "When I finished university in the spring of '78, you very kindly came to pick me up," Cuddy told Keelor in the documentary. "And we're driving back, and I was saying to you that I was going to devote a year to music. And you said, 'Why don't we get a band?' And I said 'Yes.' "And we've honestly had a band together ever since that moment." That band took on a variety of guises before it became Blue Rodeo. Blue Rodeo formed in 1984 and ever since, they've been known for their indefatigable work ethic and goodwill. Seminal, stunning records like Outskirts, Five Days in July and The Things We Left Behind would embed them in the nation's fabric. Through it all, Cuddy and Keelor's friendship has remained the foundation of the band. "The relationship between Jim and I is a funny one, of course, and a beautiful one," Keelor said. "It's an uncanny sort of friendship in this sort of storybook. Our social security numbers are eight digits apart, so we sort of have this connection." "We've committed to each other and trust that commitment to each other," Cuddy said. "And obviously it's worked out, but we've also had this crazy shared experience that now we look at each other and think, 'You can't describe this to anybody' — the things that have happened to us, the things we've done, the way we've been treated, good and bad. And so there's a huge love and fondness in that, in our shared lives."
CBC
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
In a new must-see documentary, Blue Rodeo reflects on their 40-year journey. Coming soon to CBC Gem
Watch Blue Rodeo: Lost Together on CBC Gem and YouTube on Feb. 19 Media | Blue Rodeo: Lost Together | Official Trailer Caption: For the first time, Blue Rodeo tells the story of their incredible 40-year journey. A brand new documentary, coming to CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel on Feb. 19, 2025. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage. A new documentary tells the story of how Blue Rodeo, one of Canada's most beloved bands, defied the odds to become legends. Blue Rodeo: Lost Together dives into the band's incredible 40-year journey. Guided by the unmistakable voices of Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, the film delivers an unfiltered, often hilarious and deeply moving account of Blue Rodeo's meteoric rise. WATCH | A first look at Blue Rodeo: Lost Together Media | Documentary Special : Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy on their songwriting process Caption: 'Songs are like little miracles,' says Keelor. In this clip from the documentary Blue Rodeo: Lost Together, he and Cuddy explain how they write songs. Coming to CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel on Feb. 19, 2025. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage. Blue Rodeo: Lost Together takes viewers behind the scenes of the band's extraordinary adventures. It's the ultimate tribute to Blue Rodeo's legacy: a must-see for fans, and a story that will resonate with anyone who believes in the power of music to transform lives. How to watch Blue Rodeo: Lost Together CBC Gem + YouTube Watch Blue Rodeo: Lost Together on CBC Gem and the on Feb. 19, 2025. Watch Blue Rodeo: Lost Together on the documentary Channel on Feb. 11, 2025. Check your local listing for details. CBC TV Watch Blue Rodeo: Lost Together on CBC TV at 7 p.m. (7:30 NT) on Mar. 23, 2025.
