Sorry for the delay.

I heard about Ian Tyson's passing (Dec 29th/89 years) while I was in the hospital and I just got back yesterday.

No question, Ian Tyson became Canada's most beloved favourite singing/songwriting Cowboy.

And it's heartwarming to know that when Ian Tyson and Sylvia Fricker ("Ian & Sylvia") drove down to New York's Greenwich Village in 1962....
they were so very well received.

Mary Travers, of Peter Paul & Mary, kept ribbing Canada's dynamic duo.....

"It's not enough you two are gorgeous....but how come you gotta be so talented too?"

And then Ian & Sylvia met Bob Dylan who sang "Blowin' In The Wind"....and Ian whispered into Sylvia's ear....

"My God, if this guy who keeps bumming cigarettes from everyone can write songs, then anybody can."

A few hours later, Ian Tyson went into their manager Albert Grossman's apartment and wrote "Four Strong Winds" in about 45 minutes.

FOUR STRONG WINDS has officially been recognized here in Canada as CANADA'S #1 BEST SONG => that's a fact!

But as Ian Tyson always told reporters.....

"It was the Americans who put us on the map.
No matter how talented or how terrific a Canadian artist might be....
without acknowledgement and recognition from the United States, we wouldn't get very far."

RIP: IAN TYSON (1933-2022)

<> Barney

Ian & Sylvia recorded most of their albums on Vanguard Records....but they also did some recordings for MGM and Columbia Records.
In fact, a Canadian label, Stony Plain Records, just released an Ian & Sylvia "Lost Tapes" album available on LP (vinyl) and CD.

In 1971, for their first Columbia Records album, simply entitled: "IAN & SYLVIA" ~ they recorded some pretty good songs.
The LP did not sell well, but some of these songs are grabbers....

- Creators of Rain
- Some Kind of Fool
- More Often Than Not
- Lincoln Freed The Slaves
- Summer Wages
- Last Lonely Eagle
- Barney

The song "Barney" is hardly heard. Too bad because I consider it one of the best songs Ian Tyson ever wrote.

In the words of Sylvia Tyson....

"Barney is an absolutely true song. Ian had acquired this horse, which had already been badly used by its first owner,
and he was really close with it. Eventually, Ian realized that this badly crippled, arthritic horse, would not make another winter;
maybe slipping on ice and breaking a leg, so Ian put him down. He was so broken up, Ian couldn't come up with a melody for the lyric ---
so I came up with the music. It was one of the few occasions when we wrote together."





>>> WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY & HEALTHY & PEACEFUL 2023 <<<

Brucester