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New stamp celebrates Blue Rodeo
New stamp celebrates Blue Rodeo

Yahoo

time04-04-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

New stamp celebrates Blue Rodeo

Since the band's formation in 1984, its unique mix of country, folk and rock has helped shape Canadian music TORONTO, April 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Canada Post unveiled a new stamp to celebrate one of Canada's most beloved bands, Blue Rodeo. From the time it formed in 1984, the iconic group and its signature blend of country, folk and rock have helped define Canada's musical identity – and 40 years on, Blue Rodeo continues to resonate deeply with loyal fans. Led by the soaring harmonies and endearing melodies of principal singer-songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, Blue Rodeo performed a first live gig in February 1985. The band – known for rootsy eclecticism and superb musicianship – quickly became a fixture in Toronto's epic Queen Street West music scene. In 1987, the group released a debut album, Outskirts, with the first single "Try" becoming an instant hit. The song helped certify the record double platinum the following year and was the driving force behind Blue Rodeo's five 1989 JUNO Award nominations – the band won Group of the Year, while "Try" won Single of the Year as well as Best Video. Building on this initial success, Blue Rodeo went on to release more than a dozen albums. Classic songs such as "Lost Together," "5 Days in May" and "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" propelled the band's work to multi-platinum status and turned the group, along with its members, into Canadian legends. Among countless accolades, Blue Rodeo has won 12 JUNO Awards, including induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and earned a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. The band, which continues to tour and record, has sold more than four million albums and performed over 2,500 live shows, including more concerts at Toronto's venerated Massey Hall than any other rock band. About the stamp The stamp features a collage of studio portraits of the seven current members of Blue Rodeo. From left to right, Mike Boguski, Jimmy Bowskill, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor appear in the front row, with Colin Cripps, Bazil Donovan and Glenn Milchem in the back row. The stamp was designed by Jim Ryce. It features photography by Luis Mora and illustration work by Katy Lemay, along with flower illustrations from It was printed by Colour Innovations. The issue includes a booklet of six Permanent™ stamps and an Official First Day Cover. The cancel site is Toronto, Ontario, where the band is based; the cancel mark is a guitar pick with a flower at its centre, reminiscent of the floral details that appear on the band's western-style shirts. Stamps and collectibles are available at and postal outlets across Canada. For links to images of the stamp and other resources: External folder with high-resolution images (click here). Video and magazine article about Blue Rodeo (click here) Social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn TM Trademark of Canada Post Corporation. SOURCE Canada Post View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio

'They are really Canada's band.' New doc celebrates 40 years of Blue Rodeo
'They are really Canada's band.' New doc celebrates 40 years of Blue Rodeo

CBC

time21-02-2025

  • 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.

40 years of Blue Rodeo: Keelor and Cuddy's friendship is at the heart of the band's success
40 years of Blue Rodeo: Keelor and Cuddy's friendship is at the heart of the band's success

CBC

time19-02-2025

  • 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."

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