Canadian Talent Library

Canadian Talent Library

The Canadian Talent Library (CTL) is the manifestation of Lyman Potts' "Canadianization" of Canadian radio broadcasting.

Created primarily to bring a measure of truly Canadian programming to private (commercial) radio stations, CTL became a unique showcase for Canadian singers, musicians and song-writers that especially attracted easy-listening program producers in other English-speaking countries. CTL also served to kick-start a Canadian recording industry.

CTL was conceived by veteran broadcaster J. Lyman Potts and was founded and largely funded as a non-profit trust by Standard Broadcasting Corporation, then the owner of CFRB Toronto and CJAD Montreal, with mounting support that reached 240 radio stations. In a span of 23 years, 1962 to 1985, CTL produced 268 stereo LPs with over 3,000 selections. The first 79 were made as electrical transcriptions, and could be used only by CTL subscribers. Beginning with #5080, they were made under the A F of M's record license and leased to conventional record companies under their labels.

But CTL records were produced originally for broadcasting in Canada where they helped radio stations meet and exceed the CANCON 30% regulation. They were used extensively by the BBC in England and to various degrees on U.S. stations and by radio music suppliers that had discovered them.

After CTL was closed down in 1985, Doug Peck and Derek Au compiled a discography of 268 at: https://www.broadcasting-history.ca/canadian-talent-library-complete-discography

So far, 163 of the 275 CTL albums have been digitally transferred and 118 uploaded here for streaming with many more to follow. keep checking back!

Tracks

Artist Track Title
Yorkville Avenue Band All of You "Moving Day"
Dave Woods Orchestra I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing Dave Woods Brass - Countri-fied
Vic Franklyn (Lyn Evans) Close Your Eyes Leave Tenderly
Milan Kymlicka Siamese In the Evening
Mary Collins Lou Old Devil Moon ST
Al Baculis Singers The More I See You ST
Shirley Harmer I Get Along Without You Very Well Shirley Harmer Sings
Donna Ramsay Reason to Believe The World Needs a Melody
Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass I'll Be Your Baby Tonight Boss Brass 4
The Laurie Bower Singers American Music Laurie Bower
Al Baculis Singers Somebody Groovy Back to Baculis
Rick Wilkins Without Your Love Discovery
Don Thompson Circles Circles
Denny Vaughan Let a Smile be Your Umbrella Music To Help Disc Jockeys Get People Out Of Bed By
Howard Cable Orchestra Body & Soul Howard Cable & His Orchestra
Paul Hann Ballad of Betty Jean Hometown Hero
Vic Centro Sextet It's Only a Paper Moon ST
John Arpin Cotton Jenny Love and Maple Syrup: John Arpin Plays Lightfoot
Vic Franklyn (Lyn Evans) Got No Time Friends
Jerry Toth Here's That Rainy Day The Music Of
Vic Franklyn (Lyn Evans) Again Friends
Guido Basso Sweet Gingerbread Man Love Talk
Cathie Stewart Wild About My Lovin` Springhill
Steamer Later ST
Ben McPeek Peace Train Peace Train
Bob Lucier You and Me Nerves of Steel
Denny Vaughan Dolores Girls I Knew
Rick Wilkins Together My Heart Belongs to Me
The Laurie Bower Singers It Goes Like It Goes It Goes Like It Goes
Bobby Edwards You're a Cutie With Your Slippers On Rainbow
Phil Sykes Woman Smile With Your Eyes
Milan Kymlicka Love and Love Again In the Evening
Lynn Jones (aka Marilyn Jones) Where is My Home They Don’t Play Our Love Songs Anymore
Jackie Mittoo Wintergreen Reggae Magic
Don Thompson Royal Blue Circles
Ed Bickert You're Right As Rain I Like To Recognize the Tune
Ben McPeek Fascinating Rhythm His Voices and His Orchestra
Donna Ramsay I'll be a Rover (Shirley Eikhard) The World Needs a Melody
The Laurie Bower Singers Circle Round The Sky Back Home Again
Johnny Burt Spring Beautiful Spring Strings of Johnny Burt
Mike Graham Step Into the Darkness Here I Am Again
Mario Castro-Neves Open Up (Try Understanding) Stop, Look, and Listen
Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass Monday Morning Choo Choo Monday Morning Choo Choo b/w Canadian Pie
Shirley Harmer He's Funny that Way Shirley Harmer Sings
The Laurie Bower Singers Love and Maple Syrup (Gordon Lightfoot) Love and Maple Syrup b/w Everybody's Reachin' Out for Someone
Bob Lucier Too High Nerves of Steel
Cécile Frenette Are You Holding Me (D. Ippersiel-D. Barbe) ST
Eugene Amaro Midnight Blue Twilight Time
Tommy Ambrose This Old Song Sweet Times
Bill Badgley Music to Watch Girls By Blue-Ribbon Badgley
Gary Guthman Flash Moonchild
Gordon Lightfoot Malka and Joso - Cosita Linda Folk Songs by Malka & Joso with Adam Timoon & Gordon Lightfoot comp
Vic Centro Sextet Serenata ST
Shirley Harmer Deed I Do Shirley Harmer Sings
Moe Koffman Quartet Four ST
Eugene Amaro Another Time Warm
Al Baculis Singers Happy Together Back to Baculis
Bill Badgley Wednesday's Child Blue-Ribbon Badgley
Jimmy Davidson 'Trump' Medley #1: Rose of Washington Square; Yes Sir, That's My Baby; Sweet Georgia Brown (featuring Alexander "Ragtime" Read) Jimmy Trump Davidson and His Dixieland Band with Guest Alexander "Ragtime" Read
The Laurie Bower Singers Take Me Home Country Roads Take Me Home Country Roads
Mario Castro-Neves Feelings Stop, Look, and Listen
Steamer Summer Night in the City ST
Al Harris Al's Bells With the Rhythm Pals and Wally Traugott
Yorkville Avenue Band St. Louis Blues "Moving Day"
Jim Pirie Rainbow Warrior Love The World Away
Denny Vaughan Yesterday When I Was Young Denny Vaughan & His Orchestra
Bobby Edwards Electric Rainbow Rainbow
Henry Cuesta Fate Clarinet With Strings
The Laurie Bower Singers Country Comfort Take Me Home Country Roads
Lucio Agostini Black Rose (Lucio Agostini) Cold Shoulder and Hot Brass
Vic Centro Sextet Moonlight Serenade ST
Peter Appleyard What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? The Lincolnshire Poacher
Guido Basso Canada It's Happening
Jackie Mittoo Ebb Tide Let's Put It all Together
Bobby Edwards with the Shufflebabies Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree Featuring Eugene Amaro and Bill Richards
Karen Marklinger You Can Never Go Home Colours of the Rainbow
Bill Badgley Theme from the Sand Pebbles At the Ports of Call
Jimmy Namaro Bossa Nova Para Que Jaime featured on Vibraphone, Marimba, and Piano With his Trio and String Orchestra
Lucio Agostini Guadalajara Mucho Lucio: Latin American Music Arranged And Conducted by Lucio Agostini
Phil Sykes You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine Smile With Your Eyes
Judy Loman Fly Me to the Moon Harmonics for Harp (split with Francis Chaplin)
Johnny Burt It's a Big Wide Wonderful World Strings of Johnny Burt
Vic Franklyn (Lyn Evans) Happy to Know You Shangri-La
Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass Take Me Boss Brass 4
The Laurie Bower Singers Rock With You When You Say Goodbye
Gordon Lightfoot Malka and Joso - Cirbiribela Folk Songs by Malka & Joso with Adam Timoon & Gordon Lightfoot comp
Peter Appleyard Caravan Vibraphone of Peter Appleyard
Debbie Fleming Should Have Known Better Let Me In
Keath Barrie Wagon Wheels Only Talkin' to the Wind
The Laurie Bower Singers Epilogue Morning Has Broken
Mart Kenney Christmas Is A-Comin' Songs of Norma Locke
Peter Appleyard Early Autumn Vibraphone of Peter Appleyard
Debbie Fleming Drift Away Let Me In
Keath Barrie Love Has Made a Woman Out of You Only Talkin' to the Wind
Chad Allan & Expressions (Allan Kowbel) Curtains Looking Through Crystal Glass
The Laurie Bower Singers Boney Fingers Back Home Again
Rhythm Pals Jean Tennessee Birdwalk
Judy Loman Bambalina Harmonics for Harp (split with Francis Chaplin)
Paul Hann Racing in the Street Hometown Hero
Compilation Frank Wright Trio - Bluesette Canadian Talent at Work

Compilation

Feel It

My Heart Belongs to Me

Girls I Knew

Music To Help Disc Jockeys Get People Out Of Bed By

Denny Vaughan And His Queen Elizabeth Hotel Orchestra – Music To Help Disc Jockeys Get People Out Of Bed By (3)

Denny Vaughan And His Queen Elizabeth Hotel Orchestra – Music To Help Disc Jockeys Get People Out Of Bed By (2)

Denny Vaughan And His Queen Elizabeth Hotel Orchestra – Music To Help Disc Jockeys Get People Out Of Bed By (1)

Denny Vaughn Girls I Knew (4)

Denny Vaughn Girls I Knew (3)

Denny Vaughn Girls I Knew (2)

Denny Piano circa 1949b

Denny Vaughn

ST

Ray St. Germain - With the Hames Sisters CTL LABEL 02

Ray St. Germain - With the Hames Sisters CTL LABEL 01

Ray St Germain-ST BACK

Gentle in the Wind

The Songs of Joyce Sullivan

ST

Sweet Times

Six People - Gentle In The Wind BACK

Six People

Six People - Gentle In The Wind LABEL 02

Six People - Gentle In The Wind LABEL 01

I Like To Recognize the Tune

Bickert, Ed

"Moving Day"

Yorkville Avenue Band / "Moving Day" LABELS

Yorkville Avenue Band / "Moving Day" BACK

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