I was an educator for almost 40 years -- as a
high school teacher in home town Strathclair Collegiate and as a professor
in my alma mater Brandon University. In my geography classes I often designed
interpretation assignments of topographic maps, aerial photos and regular
colour oblique photos. I'm a firm believer that a study of visual media
can create and interest, instill a unique knowledge and leave a lasting
impression. It is with this in mind that I peppered our Music
Memoirs book with many hundreds of photos and a whole section devoted
to photo collage posters
of which this page is a part. It is also with this in mind that I've picked
one of the photos to illustrate how "Every Picture Tells A Story."
The photo chosen is one that revisits a pose in our music
room that we did for CD cover No. 12 -- 20 years before. The original photo
was taken by long-time friend and musician buddy, Jim Atkinson. The re-enactment
was taken by another musician friend Rob Lovett.
THE MEMORIES
Photographer #1: Jim Atkinson was with a Brandon band
- The Challengers - who went on tour as a back-up band to Canadian rock-n-roll
legend, Bobby Curtola.
Previously, our rock band -- The
Dovermen -- backed Bobby on a Western Canada winter tour in 1964/65.
When our band members all decided to further education and business careers
rather than go on the road, Bobby picked up the Challengers that he re-named
the Martells. After many long successful tours Jim returned to Brandon
and eventually became a teacher and professional photographer. We have
fond memories when he joined one of our Saturday night jam session in the
showall of our SOO'S restaurant around the time he took the CD cover photos.
Photographer #2: Musician Rob Lovett is a photographer
for Barry Cullen's Keywest Photos. Barry is also a drummer and has converted
his garage into a practice studio where I was invited to attend a few of
their jam sessions. Barry also played a few times at our weekly jam sessions
in Ken Daniels' Cantina Club.
Location: Hillman
Music Room in basement of our Lindal Cedar home. When we left our
country home near Strathclair to take over SOO'S,
Sue-On's family's restaurant, we were pleased to find a cedar home with
huge windows facing south overlooking Brandon's Assiniboine Valley -- that
possessed so many of the similar features we loved in the home where I
was born and where we had spent the first 25 years of our married lives.
The basement was large enough to house a music studio with our music gear.
Other parts of this lower level contain rooms full of spillover books,
records, photos, etc. from our main library.
Hot Tub: After we move in to this residence we
considered
removing the hot tub since it took up much room and was a bit dangerous
since our kids were young and one had allergies. We soon learned that the
tub had been placed here before the basement walls had been built. We didn't
want to cut a hole in the adjacent garage wall (the house is bermed) to
remove it -- so we planned to put a platform on it to serve as a drum riser.
Still haven't got around to doing this. . . Mañana.
Cedar Tub Platform: I refinished the wood with
Sikkens wood stain finish that we had used on the house exterior. This
recalled memories of putting myself through college with summer painting
jobs: houses, barns, towering elevators, CFB Shilo PMQs and hangars, etc.
Differences in the Original
"Then" Photo
20 years have added a few pounds, wrinkles, grey hair,
etc. to the first photo taken in the '90s.
Decorative Chinese Stools: We imported the Chinese
garden stools from China, but one of the original brown ones was broken
and we replaced it with a larger one in the new photo. It's not unusual
that a few pieces of Chinese furniture have found their way to the studio.
Chinese
furniture is in abundance in every room in the house -- much of it
picked up during our travels in
SE
Asia and China.
The Bear: The bear skin rug on the tub in the original
was a gift from a former student. They raised bees near Swan River and
had "license to kill" bears. This was a special hide that they had kept
in their freezer and eventually found its way to us. When the taxidermist
said that they used felt cloth trimmed with pinking shears as their normal
rug "underlay" we shouted "NO NO NO!". Instead we provided ragged buckskin
for the job -- remnants from some of our custom stage wear and signage.
Clavinet: The keyboard in photo 1 is a Hohner
Clavinet that we had used on stage with a Fender
Rhodes piano (not in view) for a few years -- first by Bill, then by
Kevin Pahl, and then by Sue-On. On our first
tour of England in 1976 our Canadian sponsor wasn't able to obtain
a Fender keyboard for us when we picked up our gear at Wing Music in Bromley,
Kent. All they had was a Clavinet. Sue-On was given a good Rogers drum
kit and I picked up a Traynor amp (220 power) for my Telecaster Thinline
that I had brought from Canada. I had brought over a Hohner
Keyboard bass (hidden somewhere under the gear) for our third guy Kevin.
But he was stuck with playing the Clavinet as his right-hand keyboard for
the whole tour. Shades of Stevie Wonder :)
China Silk: Sue-On wore a long blue silk tunic
that we had bought in San Francisco Chinatown. Just one of the many Chinese
tops, dresses and decorations she has accumulated over the years. One of
the many perks from touring through Asia is the abundance of exotic Asian
clothing that we're always on the lookout for. Bill hasn't worn a tradition
Western-style suit for many years. . . preferring high collar Chinese tunics.
Black Leather: Bill's leather jacket is part of
a leather suit that he often wore on stage. It was fun playing up the East
Meets West Costume Theme on our stage shows.
Roland
Synth Guitar: The odd-shaped silver guitar
that was moved to a different wall is a Roland Synthesizer Guitar -- capable
of duplicating hundreds of sounds from other instruments. Bill's main guitar
for many years. The instrument can be played as a regular electric guitar
or plugged into its compatible floor synth unit with many stomp pedals.
Manitoba
Entertainers of the Year sticker: This represents
numerous award nominations from MACA culminating in our receiving the top
award in 1980 -- this led to our being featured on the Canadian
Country Music Awards Show broadcast on CBC network.
Electric Autoharp: Nannie, my wonderful grandmother
bought this instrument for me. She had fond memories of my namesake Bill
Campbell playing one in the Campbell-Christie Orchestra back in
the '30s. My Mom, Louise was on piano and Uncle Don on guitar. We were
great Ian and Sylvia fans and were always intrigued by her autoharp playing
on stage and record.
Hawaiian Ukelele: In the upper left is the instrument
that my sister Bonnie brought back from one of her trips to Hawaii when
she worked for a travel agency. In recent years our daughter China-Li has
become intrigued with the instrument and has added it to the long list
of instruments (harp, piano, bagpipes, guitar) she has mastered.
THE MAIN "NOW" PHOTO
Security Camera and Monitored Alarm System: 24-Hour
Surveillance devices -- monitored alarms and cameras -- hover above and
on every doorway.
Bill's Wardrobe: The black T-shirt with the Chinese
Yin-Yang symbol we bought in Disneyworld's Epcot Centre during one of our
travels. The jacket is a black Chinese tunic bought in a Chinatown somewhere.
The shoes are zippered,
cuban heel "Beatle boots" custom-made of water buffalo hide from our
Viet Nam adventure.
A shoemaker in Hoi-An measured my feet, took my design specs and crafted
the boots overnight from water buffalo hide.
Sue-On's Wardrobe: A Chinese silk top and heirloom
jewelry handed down from her mother, Jade
Choy. After her death at age 100 we worked with MTS videographer
and documentary maker, Graham Street, to create a tribute documentary showcasing
her remarkable years in China and later in Canada. We supplied many photos
and artifacts and information and our daughter China-Li played her grandmother
as a young girl.
Fender
Telecaster Guitar: I am holding one of
my favourite guitars. My parents bought this for me in back in the mid-'60s
to replace by beloved stolen Gretsch
Chet Atkins Nashville (later recovered). It has seen a few changes.
Originally it was of a unique charcoal green colour, but years on the road
resulted in countless chips, scratches and frost cracks on the finish.
I stripped it down to bare wood, planning to re-finish it -- but I liked
the bare wood grain so much that I left it unfinished. Soon after I got
it I designed and built a B-bender bar from the head stock to be worked
with my thumb. Coupled with a volume pedal and other FX I developed an
imitation steel guitar style. Added to this was a Bigsby tremelo tailpiece
kit that I installed soon after getting the guitar.
Personalized Guitar Strap: Draped beside me is
a customized leather guitar strap created by Bob Hibbard, our leather-work
friend from Texas. Bob and his wife are accomplished stage actors/singers
and fellow Edgar Rice Burroughs
fans. He even included a John
Carter of Mars symbol on it.
Drums: Unfortunately, the only evidence of drums
in the photo is a small bongo set -- the rest of Sue-On's drums and percussion
instruments are off-camera and will be featured in Part Two. Sue-On is
holding her beloved 7A Ludwig drumsticks to represent the many decades
that she was featured drummer in our live and TV shows. When our longtime
buddy Kerry Morris became one of our "third men" he took over drums for
half our sets and Sue-On moved to keys for half the show. Even later, our
son Robin took turns backing us on drums and bass -- so the "instrument
switchover" continued on.
CD
Cover: The CD beside Sue-On features the photo
we were trying to duplicate in this 20-year-later photo. It contains 33
songs that we recorded on our Canadian sessions before we recorded a series
of albums during our performance tours
of England.
Albums:
Our nine vinyl LP albums propped up along the
ledge behind us are described in detail, along with lyrics and 100 playable
tracks, in our Album section:
HILLMAN
ALBUM GALLERY and our 3 CDs at:
HILLMAN CD
PAGE
Harp:
Our
daughter Dr. China-Li -- a radiology specialist -- is an accomplished
musician on keys, guitar, bagpipes. . . and harp. This harp is her third
one -- a Japanese import that she bought online at a Vancouver auction.
Our niece Ilym carefuly wrapped and packaged it up -- and Tran, one of
our Soo's cooks who was visiting family on the coast, brought it with her
on a flight back to Brandon as extra baggage. Before she moved for medical
training at a Harvard hospital in Boston and became a full-time specialist
in numerous Winnipeg hospitals, she often played this harp along with piano
and bagpipes at wedding ceremonies. China's performance on these three
instruments were a vital part of our sound when we played Folk Festivals.
Fender
Thin Line Telecaster Guitar: This guitar is
appropriately placed beside Sue-On. It is one of many Christmas guitar
gifts that she has surprised me with over the years. It came with a Bigsby
but I installed my home-made custom B-bender on it. This is the guitar
I took to England on our three music tours and UK recording sessions in
the '70s.
Bill and Sue-On Hillman Sign: We used this leather
sign to drape over the front of Sue-On's keyboards or as a stage sign or
TV prop many times. This was a piece of buckskin leather left over from
one of Sue-On's stage costume making projects. We paid a local sign painter
to paint our names on it. Our original sign we had made during our '76
UK tour in a little sign shop close to our agents' office in Middlesbrough.
It was easily folded/rolled since it was made of canvas. We were really
ticked off when it was stolen by a member of a biker gang after a raucous
Winter Carnival gig we did in Ontario's Kenora Arena.
Yamaha Grand Piano: This instrument has been moved
around. We had originally transported it from a piano store in Brandon
to our country home near Strathclair. Our band buddy Barry Forman's first
car dealership was in his hometown Rivers. The only large vehicle on the
lot that he could lend us at that time was a huge old farm truck
that had just been traded in and hadn't been conditioned yet. There was
still straw and manure remnants in the box and the ceiling of the cab was
drooping, having been torn apart by rodents. We puttered up -- Beverly
Hillbillies-style -- to the piano store-front on Rosser Avenue where
the incredulous store owner helped us load our shiny new, black ebony Grand
Piano into the semi-derelict vehicle. Reaching our home we conscripted
some buddies to help us carry the beast down an outside cement staircase
into our studio. Luckily, the cement floor, under which was a huge 10'
deep cistern full of rain water, was strong enough bear the weight of the
piano. Years later we moved the instrument up to our living room and still
later, we hired a moving van to transport it to its present studio location
in our city home back in Brandon.
Synthesizer Floor Console for my Roland Guitars and
Bass: The corner of this unit is just visible under the piano. It displays
a number of pedal switches that are foot controlled to trigger synth sounds
on the guitar controller. It also features slots into which computer cartridges
can be inserted to add many more instruments to the built-in 64 sounds.
Boss Rocker Volume Pedals: These rare units are
stacked on the barely visible Clavinet near the piano. I've been intrigued
by the sustain effect for guitars achieved by a foot volume pedal since
the early '60s when I first saw one used by Ferlin Husky's guitarist during
a show in the old Brandon Arena. The effect has become a vital part of
my guitar playing style. I've used a variety of units over the years: DeArmond
and Fender volume/tone, but finally settled on the Boss. The unit is full
of electronics that provide a clean volume swelling and a unique slight
overdrive to the signal. Used with my home-made B-bender, Bigsby tremelo
unit and echo delay I take joy in imitating pedal steel guitar effects.
I have a real pedal steel guitar but since we've always worked as a trio
I found it impossible to front a band and sing while sitting behind the
real steel.
Angklung: This is a traditional Indonesian musical
instruments made of bamboo. We had imported two of them, one of which we
had on display in our Soo's Restaurant reception area where it was very
popular with kids. It is played by shaking the bamboo tubes by grasping
the sticks near the top. Each set of bamboo tubes is tuned to a different
pitch. If we ever have a chance to record again I would love to build a
song around this instrument. One of the highlights of our month-long tour
of Indonesia
was to attend a show and dance put on by a full Angklung orchestra
with backing band and dancers.
Nunchucks: Someone had hung this martial arts weapon
on the Angklung for some reason. Sue-On and I had been fans of Asian martial
arts since the '80s. We had invited Karate Sensei Bruce Dunning to help
us form a dojo in Strathclair and we eventually earned our black belts
in Wado Kai Karate -- even our kids and grandson Soulin became involved.
Sue-On still regularly attends Tai-Chi and Chi-gong classes. It comes in
handy here to control any of our jam buddies who insist on playing too
loud. I've got bruises :)
GUITARS SHOWN IN THE PHOTO
Silvertone
Guitar: Barely visible to the left of the
photo is my first electric guitar that my Nannie had ordered from a Simpson-Sears
Catalogue in 1960. This was my constant companion in my early Brandon College
years until it was replaced by my Gretsch Nashville guitar. It still plays
and sounds great.
Gibson
Acoustic L-Series Guitar: Brandon University professor Robert Brockway
bought this in a pawnshop in the early '50s. It was in rough shape then
and even rougher when it was dropped off at my BU office by his widow Katy.
This Gibson model is fairly well known since it is similar to the one played
by blues great Robert Johnson. I replaced the frets, keys and bridge, but
didn't touch the finish. It looks sorta beat up but sounds and plays great.
Gibson
CF-100 Acoustic: I bought this cut-away acoustic
from longtime musician Nick Bocker after visiting him in a Seniors' home.
He had run the Sony store on 10th street across from our Soo's restaurant
for many years. I've learned since that it is a much-in-demand collectors
item, but as with all my guitar pals I would never consider selling it.
I had wanted a Gibson for many years and this was my first. A fine vintage
acoustic.
Fender
Malibu Acoustic Guitar: This flat-top guitar
with a pick-up in the sound hole was purchased from another musician friend,
Keith Dodds, when we were livning in Sue-On's brother's basement suite
while attending University. Sue-On and I played in the Brandon pubs every
night, but were always up for 8:30 morning classes. I needed an acoustic
guitar to help us rehearse and this one fit the bill. Later, I wrote a
good many of our original songs on it. We wrote, produced and recorded
almost 50 such originals during our recording years.
Hofner
Beatle Bass: This violin-shaped electric bass
became famous worldwide as Paul McCartney's instrument of choice during
his Beatles and post-Beatles years. Mine is somewhat different in that
it is fretless. During the years when we had Saturday night jam sessions
in our Soo's Showhall our son Robin became a bit frustrated. He is a super
drummer, in fact he now plays drums and percussion in the 50-piece Winnipeg
Orchestra. Every night an over abundance of drummers showed up for the
jams so, to get a chance to play more often, he taught himself to play
bass on this instrument.
Gretsch
Nashville Guitar: This double cutaway, orange
guitar is a Chet Atkins model. In the early '60s during my first stint
at Brandon College I was playing with a multitude of bands of every genre
and even doing a daily TV show on CKX-TV. My grandmother realized that
I needed a more professional guitar and she bought this for me. Calamity
struck a few years later when it was stolen after one of my free-lancing
gigs. I played in the houseband at the Brandon Roller Rink where Chad Allan
and the Reflections (The Guess Who) appeared many times. Randy Bachman
was familiar with my guitar and happened to see it in a Winnipeg pawn shop.
We contacted the RCMP who tracked down the thief, recovered the stolen
insturment and eventually returned it to me.
Yamaha
Acoustic 12-String: This beauty was another
Xmas surprise from Sue-On. My sweetheart has made the giving of such Xmas
gifts an annual event. A great asset for our occasional appearances as
a folk-type duo.
Mosrite
Electric 12-String: The Ventures were a major
influence in early days of my guitar playing. They played Fenders when
they started out. They all had Fenders when I met them in the early '60s
when they played the Brandon Roller Rink where I was in the house band.
The band later endorsed Mosrite guitars for a few years which really brought
about a surge in the Mosrite brand. I never thought I would own one but
a very special one came my way -- a rare 12-string model. I traded some
other instruments for this from local musician Doug Strange.
Ovation
Legend Electric Acoustic: I received an Ovation
wholesale catalogue through my dad's Marshal Wells hardware store. Ovations
with their fibre material round backs were very popular in the '70s - endorsed
for many years by Glenn Campbell. This was a versatile acoustic guitar
with built in electronics.
Roland
G-202 Guitar Synthesizer: This stratocaster-shaped
synth guitar with its '80s technology lay in limbo in the Ted Good Music
storage room for many years. I took it off their hands -- it's found a
good home.
Fender
Stratocaster Plus: In what has become
an annual Xmas event, my lovin' mate surprised me with this gem. Super
guitar that I immediately fitted with my custom B-bender to I could make
full use of it on stage. Sue-On loved the colour -- so she just had to
have it for me.
Vox
Tempest XII Electric 12-String: I've had a fascination with Vox
since the days of the "British Invasion." I was a regular customer at the
Brandon Musical store and when they offered this model on sale I had to
have it.
Link
II Pedal Steel Guitar: I love the sound of
pedal steel guitars and have spent years using pedals, B-benders and Bigsbys
to imitate their sound. Our friend Wayne Link built some excellent models
in his Winnipeg shop -- so we just had to have one. Working as a trio it
was very difficult to sit down and try to MC and sing on stage so it has
seen limited use.
There are many more guitars -- actually my most-used stage
guitars -- on the walls behind the camera man. I move them around occasionally.
Re-stringing and tuning is a bit of a full-time job :) Also out of range
of the camera are a 5-string banjo, an Australian Didgeridoo (a unique
gift from China-Li), Ken Daniels' stand-up dog house bass, Hammond organ,
recording devices and decks, upright piano, countless FX pedals, master
2" recording tapes, many keyboard synths, Fender Rhodes Electric Piano,
plus countless music books, record albums, and scrapbooks full of photos
and clippings . . .
PAGES
ON ALL THE OTHER GUITARS
CHINESE INSTRUMENTS DISPLAYED
ABOVE THE GUITARS
Paixiao - Chinese Pan Pipes: This is the first of
a series of Chinese instruments (L-R) that we have collected over the years.
It's a very ancient wind instrument that has found renewed popularity in
recent times. Some of the types of Chinese instruments on the wall date
back thousands of years in Chinese culture.
Bamboo Flute: This wind instrument has been used
by Chinese musicians since ancient times. Sue-On's brother Kenny Choy was
quite proficient on the instrument during his younger days in Hong Kong.
Many of his friends were in music and the arts and some went on to become
a well-known actors and directors in Chinese movies.
Hand Drum: This percussion instrument is one of
two African instruments scattered among our Chinese collection. It is made
of clay and is covered with leather.
Kora - African Harp-Lute: Hanging high in the middle.
This heavily decorated instrument is covered in cobra skin and was used
in Voodoo Hoodoo witchcraft rituals. My friend since grade one days, Eugene
Pirie, taught for years in Africa and explored the whole continent during
his teaching breaks. He brought some wonderful African rarities back for
us -- including this amazing instrument.
Pipa Lute: This pear-shaped fretted lute is much
used all across China. While on a boat cruise on China's West Lake a very
talented theatrical singer entertained with songs, while she played the
Pipa. During her break we had a long chat with her and I showed her our
CD that displays the instrument on our music wall. She was impressed to
see that it had found its way to Canada and invited me to play her instrument.
I politely declined as it was a stringed instrument I had never mastered.
Ruan Lutes: We have a pair of these stringed instruments
hanging on either side ot the African Kora.
Chinese Violins - Erhus: We have three styles of
this two-stringed instrument with their accompanying bows. Its history
can be dated back to Tang Dynasty over 1,000 years ago.
Suona - Chinese oboe: This double-reeded brass
instrument is sometimes call a Chinese trumpet. Its use in weddings, parades,
ceremonies, orchestras, and the military dates back to at least the Ming
Dynasty.
Chinese Gong: Just off camera beside the drums
is this large gong-shaped cymbal.
Mixed in with the Chinese instruments is an assortment
of percussion instruments from other countries.
Photo of the SE Wall of Our Music Studio
Notes ready for expansion into a second 1,000 Words
Project
CD 12
Fender Telecaster Thinline Guitar:
Chinese Garden Stool
Epiphone Les Paul Model Guitar
Fender Rhodes Electric Piano
Hammond Organ: Dr. Brockway of BU
Roland Keyboard Synthesizers
Mexican Straw Hat
Digeridoo from Australia: A gift from daughter China-Li
Bohran Drum
Conga Drums
Percussion Strick
Mirror: Roland Synthesizer Bass
Mirror: Guitar
Sue-On's drumsticks of choice: Ludwig 7A
Ludwig Drum Kit from the '60s when Sue-On began.
Standup Snare, Hi-hat, and Ziljian cymbal
Chinese Gong: Drum catalogue ordered a huge Chinese gong
for show behind Sue-On. Ordered too late so settled for this much smaller
one.
Bass, High Toms and Floor Tom: Caught fire and burned
off the vinyl - replace with buckskin
Bass Drumhead: SUE-ON in Chinese style print, promo album
sticker, Flags of countries we've toured: Canada, England and USA., Bill
and Sue-On Hillman in font style used on one of our albums
Chinese tops ~ Sue-On Jewelry ~ Bill Yin-Yang symbol
T-shirt ~ Viet Nam boots (see photo one)
Gretsch '60s Country Club Guitar
Yamaha flat-top acoustic
Gretsch
Fender J-5 Telecaster guitar
4-Channel reel-to-reel tape recorder
1/4" Master Stereo tapes of our albums
2" Master 16 and 24-track tapes for our albums
Stand-up double bass on loan from the Ken Daniels collection
Heinzman Upright Piano handed down from my maternal grandmother
A magazine article from
a while back in BRANDON NOW
Bill and Sue-On Hillman surrounded by musical instruments in their
home studio.
"Still Making Music After All These Years:
Bill and Sue-On Hillman"
www.hillmanweb.com/book/media/08.html
Reprinted in our online music bio
BILL & SUE-ON HILLMAN: A 50-YEAR MUSICAL ODYSSEY
www.hillmanweb.com/book
.
