Welcome back to MY GENERATION - I'm
your host, John Einarson.
Happy Manitoba Day!
Speaking of Manitoba, I'm thrilled to be able
to play this song because it certainly name checks Manitoba. It's the idea
of coming back to Manitoba after you've been on a 7-week tour of the UK
and you want to come back to Manitoba because you miss it so much.
This song was conceived with that in mind by
two artists who are legends in Manitoba and certainly in WestMan. They
are huge. . .huge. They should be in the Order of Manitoba, I think, as
well.
This is Bill and Sue-On Hillman, and it's a
very rock-a-billy sounding song, but it was written after a tour in the
UK of 7 weeks. Then, a couple of years later they were back in the UK and
they recorded it. . . actually in a village called PITY ME and I love that
name. . . just outside of Durham at a recording studio there (Guardian
Studios).
They were backed by a band called DESPERADO,
who were an English showband, but the guitar player in that band went on
to play in Dire Straits, which is pretty impressive stuff.
(actually our keyboard sideman Alan Clark:
synths, strings, clavinet, acoustic and electric pianos - the original
guitarist in Desperado was Paul Rodgers who had left the band much earlier
to make it in London ~ wh)
This song called SAIL ON 747 was actually played
by Bill and Sue-On at the Manitoba Association of Country Artists Awards
Show. . . and I think it's just a great, great tune.
Here we go with Bill and Sue-On Hillman and
SAIL
ON 747.
. . .
That's Bill and Sue-On Hillman from Brandon,
Manitoba and SAIL ON 747. I love the Manitoba sentiment in that song. The
only artist I can think to follow that would be Chad Allan.
I know that Bill and Sue-On are big Chad
Allan fans and it seems appropriate to follow their great song with
another great song. . . a Guess Who song with Chad Allan on vocals
. . . and yes folks, there was a Guess Who before Burton Cummings.
