May I have this waltz that takes us through our fabulous land and its people in the most positive Canadian way? This week's release has true north country flavor. Written shortly after I was hired to deliver a drive-away vehicle, a weird pre SUV truck/car to Edmonton from Toronto. It was a hot, exhausting, arduous journey with two guys, a girl and a full drum kit. Drive done and business done, we shipped the drums to Vancouver and flew there on the hairiest, scariest plane ride I've ever been on.
Luckily, I was given an aisle seat so I could stretch out my long, lanky legs, situated about mid-plane for the little over an hour flight. We took off on time, everything seemed peachy but once we reached cruising altitude things began to go terribly wrong. Just as the unbuckle seatbelt light came on we heard a loud bang outside the far window. The plane jerked and bounced like we had just ran over a speed bump. Having a perfect view of all four propeller engines, I saw smoke and flames coming out of one of them. At that moment, the entire group of passengers gasped in collective shock! Seconds later, the engine magically turned itself off as the pilot came on the speaker, announcing, "Don't worry folks, we've lost an engine but this plane is designed to function well on three. Please keep your seatbelts on for safety and stay calm, blah, blah, blah." The news was upsetting to say the least, but we tried not to think about it too much. About ten minutes later, the flight attendants began to serve refreshments when another loud bang happened outside the same window, bouncing the plane, giving us the heebie jeebies. I witnessed more flames and smoke as the other engine blew on that wing. Again, the fire was immediately extinguished and again, we heard the calming voice of our pilot, reassuring us now that the plane could function on only one engine, if it came to that. We were nervous and scared, white-knuckling it at this point as the stewardesses checked passengers for panic and possible health issues. Another excruciating half hour went by...so far so good, I thought. We were beginning our descent near Chilliwack when a third engine caught on fire on my side of the plane, jolting us back to reality with giant shooting flames outside my window. I was shitting myself at this point, knowing that we were only minutes from touching the ground and now there was only one propeller spinning on this giant death trap in the sky. The pilot came on the speaker to warn us that we had been given clearance and the next loud sound we will hear is the landing gear, so stay calm, he had this under control. Of course when we heard the bang, we jumped out of our seats, but he promised he could land this boat and there was going to be emergency vehicles on the tarmac to welcome us to Vancouver. Once the plane touched town in the fastest landing on record, I'm sure, the passengers cheered and clapped with relief and tremendous respect for the pilot. The crews surrounded us like some movie scene and checked out the damage before letting us taxi to the terminal. Somebody in the mechanic's department didn't do their due diligence that day and we escaped death and got the ride of our lives. The pilot probably had a stiff drink after that one, I'm certain I did. I hope this story doesn't scare you from flying; it was a long time ago and I'm positive they have improved upon the big metal beasts in the skies.
This new/old song is a country waltz; radio play ready and requested by many. Freedom of imagery flows through the veins of this track as myriad musicians play exotic instruments. A Nashville pedal steel, a pearl covered accordion and harmonious fiddles elevate this old timey dance into a musical extravaganza. When Stompin' Tom Connors didn't record this song, my heart was broken, but my voice carries on in this timeless recording. I wanted to represent all the different cultures and the beautiful people in Canada. I hired Douglas Schmidt to play accordion, Peter Honychurch for slide guitar, Patricia Conroy to do background vocals, Doug Thordarsen for the fiddles, Vince Ditrich for drums, Rick Kildurn for acoustic bass plus many singers, including my friends, Tom Covernton and Brock Davis who joined in the chorus for pizza and beer. I really lucked out by getting a Nashville harmonica player by the name of Jim Dewrance to play on this song. I overheard him in the back of a venue softy playing along with the band. It was the sweetest harmonica I have ever heard. He was clearly professional but he wouldn't accept any money for his exquisite performance, recorded in 1991 at Fluid Records, downtown Vancouver. It's the ninth track on my first album, 'Love'll Come A Running'. Old folks love to listen and dance to it in the senior centers across the country.
Thank you for supporting homegrown music and local artists. Until next time, may northern lights shine upon you and maple tree magic bring music and love to your door. Mark Sheldan
#YearoftheGreatRelease #ListenToThis #SingerSongwriter #MarkSheldanBlog #CountrySongs #Waltzing #HarmonyFiddles #MusicalExtravaganza #NashvilleSounds #CanadianSong #ScaryPlaneRide
To hear 'Wild North Canadian Waltz right now, click here:
If you have Spotify, click here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0Vzi6gZigs3hdcGW1TcnnS?si=OHiKfw-HR5uu0XqfBelyvw
Sing along with the lyrics below:
Wild North Canadian Waltz
The huge Rocky Mountains are breathing inside me
As freedom flows through my veins
Coyotes are laughing while the winds of the Prairie
Whistle like an old railroad train
Everyone’s dancing while the sweet fiddles are playing
The wild north Canadian waltz
And them old swirling rivers give evergreen shivers
In the wild north Canadian waltz
Everyone’s dancing while the sweet fiddles are playing
The wild north Canadian waltz
And them old swirling rivers give evergreen shivers
In the wild north Canadian waltz
As I gaze at the mountains my heart beats in rhythm
From Atlantic to the Pacific shore
Northern lights melting and maple tree magic
Bring music and love to your door
Everyone’s dancing while the sweet fiddles are playing
The wild north Canadian waltz
And them old swirling rivers give evergreen shivers
In the wild north Canadian waltz
Everyone’s dancing while the sweet fiddles are playing
The wild north Canadian waltz
And them old swirling rivers give evergreen shivers
In the wild north Canadian waltz
The Great Lakes are singing with the St. Lawrence sunrise
While the voices of the Maritimes call
From the cultures of many the Canadian people
Breathe hope and freedom for all
Everyone’s dancing while the sweet fiddles are playing
The wild north Canadian waltz
And them old swirling rivers give evergreen shivers
In the wild north Canadian waltz
Everyone’s dancing while the sweet fiddles are playing
The wild north Canadian waltz
And them old swirling rivers give evergreen shivers
In the wild north Canadian waltz
written by Mark Sheldan
copyright 1991 Socan
Comments