Album / Title
Saskatchewan Lady: Rosetown 75 Years 1909-1984
By: Compilation
Origin: Saskatchewan, 🇨🇦
Insight
'Saskatchewan Lady: Rosetown 75 Years 1909–1984' was made to mark Rosetown's seventy-fifth anniversary, and it works as a portrait of the local music community, gathering singers, songwriters and musicians whose styles run from country and prairie folk through standards, pop and instrumental music.
The project was built around local participation. Ten artists were selected for the anniversary recording, with the organizing committee bringing together performers, studio musicians and the resources of Studio West Canada Ltd. in Saskatoon. The result is a cross-section of what was happening musically in and around Rosetown at the time.
That range gives the record much of its character. Julia Graham opens with 'Shadows of my mind', followed by Charles Birss at the piano with 'Send in the clowns'. Barb Scott-Janke's 'Spring on the prairies' turns the focus toward Saskatchewan, and the sense of place grows stronger with 'Saskatchewan lady' and Earl Russell's 'Lady of the prairies'. Producer Tom Wilson lets each selection keep its own identity.
'Saskatchewan lady' sits at the centre of the record. Written by Wilson and sung by Ron Sommerfield, it carries the album's title and its clearest statement of local pride. Russell's 'Lady of the prairies' covers similar ground from another angle, with Russell on both lead vocal and guitar. Along with Scott-Janke's 'Spring on the prairies', the three songs give the first side a western Canadian character while keeping clear of novelty anniversary material.
The second side widens the range. Midnite Special's 'I would like to see you again' brings in a working country band with electric guitar and pedal steel. Ron Gawletz follows with 'I believe', and Parney & Company move into popular repertoire with 'Spanish eyes/Lady of Spain'. Bill Hodge and Maureen Haddock's 'Seventy five and still alive', which was also used as a fair jingle during the anniversary celebrations, returns the record directly to Rosetown's seventy-fifth year. Guitarist Keith Bartlett closes the album with an extended 'Masquerade'.
The same musicians turn up behind several of the featured performers. Bartlett, Miles Hill, Rod Salloum, Sharon Hills and Dave Tupper appear repeatedly and give continuity to a program that could easily have felt like an assortment of unrelated performances. The arrangements are straightforward and supportive, leaving the individual singers in the foreground.
Hearing musicians from the community perform locally written material gives the record a personal quality. 'Saskatchewan lady', 'Lady of the prairies' and 'Seventy five and still alive' were written inside the community being celebrated. The album documents how Rosetown chose to represent itself in music in 1984, seventy-five years after Rosetown's founding.
It was recorded at Studio West Canada Ltd. in Saskatoon with Mitch Barnett engineering, and it has the polished, plain sound of a regional studio production of the period. The performers, the prairie imagery, the Rosetown 75 Years artwork and the mix of original songs and familiar repertoire all belong to the same project.
-Robert Williston
Gallery
Images
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VA Saskatchewan Lady BACK
Various – Saskatchewan Lady Rosetown 75 Years (4)
Various – Saskatchewan Lady Rosetown 75 Years (5)
Saskatchewan Lady: Rosetown 75 Years 1909-1984
Media
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Credits
Musicians
‘Shadows of my mind’
Julia Graham: lead vocals
Keith Bartlett: guitar
Miles Hill: bass
Rod Salloum: keyboards
Sharon Hills: background vocals
Dave Tupper: drums
‘Send in the clowns’
Charles Birss: piano
Rod Salloum: synthesizer
Sharon Hills: background vocals
‘Spring on the prairies’
Barb Scott-Janke: lead vocals
Keith Bartlett: guitar
Miles Hill: bass
Rod Salloum: keyboards
Dave Tupper: drums
‘Saskatchewan lady’
Ron Sommerfield: lead vocals
Keith Bartlett: guitar
Miles Hill: bass
Rod Salloum: keyboards
Sharon Hills: background vocals
Dave Tupper: drums
‘Lady of the prairies’
Earl Russell: lead vocals, guitar
Miles Hill: bass
Rod Salloum: keyboards
Sharon Hills: background vocals
Lonnie Henderson: drums
‘I would like to see you again’
Midnite Special
Dave Norman: lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Debbie Norman: bass, background vocals
Glen Adair: electric lead guitar, background vocals
Ralph Donahue: pedal steel
Grant McIntyre: background vocals, drums
‘I believe’
Ron Gawletz: lead vocals
Keith Bartlett: guitar
Rod Salloum: keyboards
‘Spanish eyes/Lady of Spain’
Parney & Company
Fred Parney: lead saxophone
Keith Bartlett: guitar
Ed Moyer: bass
Barb Parney: keyboards
Dave Tupper: drums
‘Seventy five and still alive’
Bill Hodge: lead vocals, keyboards, background vocals
Bob Hokness: guitar
Miles Hill: bass
Rod Salloum: keyboards
Sharon Hills: background vocals
Dave Tupper: background vocals
‘Masquerade’
Keith Bartlett: guitar
Miles Hill: bass
Rod Salloum: keyboards
Dave Tupper: drums
Songwriting
‘Shadows of my mind’ written by E. Collins
‘Send in the clowns’ written by Stephen Sondheim
‘Spring on the prairies’ written by Connie Kaldor
‘Saskatchewan lady’ written by Tom Wilson
‘Lady of the prairies’ written by Earl Russell
‘I would like to see you again’ written by C. Craig and L. Atwood
‘I believe’ written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman
‘Spanish eyes/Lady of Spain’: no songwriting credit identified on the jacket or label
‘Seventy five and still alive’ written by Bill Hodge and Maureen Haddock
‘Masquerade’ credited on the jacket to George Benson
Production
Produced by Tom Wilson
Executive producer: Celebrate 75 Committee
Engineered by Mitch Barnett
Recorded at Studio West Canada Ltd., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Continuity by Bob Gardner
Artwork
Cover photograph by Pat Coulter
Celebrate 75 logo by Danny Page, Rosetown Publishing Co. Ltd.
Jacket design by Graeme Steen
Copyright
‘Send in the clowns’: © Beautiful Music Inc. & Revelation Publishing Co.
‘Saskatchewan lady’: © Eagle Creek Recording Co. Ltd., Rosetown, Saskatchewan
‘Lady of the prairies’: © Earl Russell
‘Seventy five and still alive’: © Moe & D. Hodgeduck Ent., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Liner Notes
Every once in awhile, an event occurs that causes people to smile, and perhaps raise an eyebrow or two. Using local talent to commemorate Rosetown’s seventy-fifth anniversary has that effect on some, but when the album is listened to for the first time, it is immediately recognized as an item of rare community performance, and as a favorite that will stand the test of time.
Ten local artists were selected by an independant panel of judges to celebrate our seventy-fifth birthday. The result is an album of diverse but cohesive spirit that challenges our entire community to stand up and be counted, and to participate in giving Rosetown a birthday celebration worthy of the prairie rose she is.
Physical Release
‘Saskatchewan Lady’
Rosetown 75 Years
1909–1984
Vinyl LP
Canadian release
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