With Debbie Lori Kaye - You've Got a Flag - Wave It b/w I Wanna Hear That New Sound

In the summer of 1965, Debbie made her national debut at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Grandstand Show, performing in Sights and Sounds of the Sixties - a lavish musical revue produced by Jack Arthur and staged on the world’s largest moveable stage. Debbie had auditioned in Toronto through agent Gerry Lodge, singing Patsy Cline songs on her oversized guitar. Accepted immediately, she was billeted with the Ross family, where daughter Hillary, a “Wildcat” dance troupe member, taught her choreography. Debbie, who had never danced before, recalled being “scared silly,” but embraced the challenge.

She shared the stage with Bob Hope, Victor Borge, and The Liverpool Set, performing in the high-energy “Discotheque” segment backed by the Canadiana Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Howard Cable. With Bob Hope, she also performed “It’s Drexal,” and was part of the patriotic centerpiece, “You’ve Got a Flag – Wave It”, arranged by Cable. Her vocals were recorded for the 1965 45rpm From the CNE Grandstand Spectacular – Sights and Sounds of the Sixties, which also featured her solo “I Wanna Hear That New Sound.” Debbie later described Cable as a “wild man,” but acknowledged that he taught her about interpretation, big-stage presence, and discipline.

Her time with Cable was deeply formative. Debbie described rehearsing with Bob Hope in a Toronto hotel room and learning “so much about big stage performance.” The experience, along with her rising chart success, cemented her as one of Canada’s emerging young stars.
-Robert Williston

Debbie Lori Kaye: vocals (both songs)
Howard Cable
Moe Koffman
Jim O’Driscoll

Written by Stan Daniels