Sounds of the North - (The Theme from) Axes, Chops & Hot Licks (picture sleeve)

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	The Couch’s Mill Symphony Orchestra - (The Theme from) Axes, Chops & Hot Licks	03:43

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Wild Life Otter Lake (Bates Rayfield/Carter)	02:29

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

This rare single was released in conjunction with Axes, Chops & Hot Licks, the landmark 1971 book by journalist and broadcaster Ritchie Yorke, widely regarded as the first comprehensive history of Canadian rock music. Published by M.G. Hurtig Ltd., the book played a crucial role in establishing the legitimacy and scope of Canada's music scene in the early 1970s.

Issued by Capitol Records (Canada), this 7-inch single served as a musical tribute to the book’s themes, pairing orchestral arrangements by Doug Riley and Bates Rayfield with vibrant compositions that evoke the spirit of Yorke’s chronicle.

Arranged & conducted by Doug Riley ( (The Theme From) Axes, Chops and Hot Licks ); and Bates Rayfield (Wild Life at Otter Lake)
Produced by Campden Manor Productions
Published by Medmenham Abbey Music

About Ritchie Yorke
The Australian Patron Saint of Canadian Music

Born in Brisbane, Ritchie Yorke was an Australian journalist whose passion for rhythm and blues led him to Toronto in 1967, where he became a defining figure in Canadian music journalism. A regular contributor to the Toronto Telegram, Rolling Stone, and Billboard, Yorke was also a CHUM-FM DJ, emcee at The Rock Pile, and a vocal advocate for Canadian content (CanCon) legislation.

Yorke’s work was pivotal in legitimizing the Canadian music industry at home and abroad. His 1971 book Axes, Chops & Hot Licks—published at a time when Canada’s national identity in rock was just forming—documented the emerging "Maple Music" movement and set the tone for decades of scholarship and promotion to follow.

Yorke was also deeply involved in international music scenes. He worked with Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison, and Normie Rowe, and had a long-standing relationship with John and Yoko Lennon, assisting with key peace initiatives in Canada in 1969. He later wrote the authorized Led Zeppelin biography, and his journalism reached audiences across North America, the UK, and Australia.

In 1972, Yorke was awarded Canadian Journalist of the Year at the Juno Awards, despite not being a Canadian citizen—a testament to his towering influence. Canadian Composer magazine dubbed him “the patron saint of Canadian music,” a title still used in retrospective tributes.

Yorke passed away in 2017, leaving behind a legacy that touched nearly every corner of Canadian music history.
-Robert Williston

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