Blue Rodeo: People Connections Alphabetically by Artist(s)
Joel Anderson
Joel is a drummer who toured with Jim Cuddy on his solo performances to promote All In Time. He has also worked with The Skydiggers, Lori Yates, Lost and Profound, the Patricia Conroy Band, and Moe Berg (Pursuit of Happiness). Dayna told me he's working with the Skydiggers right now so I don't know what happened to Gavin Brown (see below).
Jann Arden's first album was 1993's Time For Mercy. Her next album was 1994's Living Under June which has my favourite song of hers on it, "Insensitive." Her latest album, Happy?, was released in late 1997. On her new album, Blood Red Cherry, which is due out March 14th of 2000, Jim Cuddy sings backup vocals on a song called "Mend". According to Jann Arden, "You'd never ever know it's him. He's singing really low and really high. He just sings beautifully," Arden says. "I sent him a disc of it, and he's never said if he liked it or not. I'm hoping he did."
Anne is an accomplished celloist and vocalist who worked with Blue Rodeo on Five Days In July. She has also worked on the album Music From the Motion Picture Whale Music, released 1994. Anne helps Crash Vegas out on the album Red Earth, she plays keyboards on the song "Red Earth".
Gavin is a drummer who worked with Jim Cuddy on All In Time and also toured with him a bit. He used to be a part of Big Sugar, and they did Heated, 1998, with him. He then left and he played with the Skydiggers for a while. He is now with Danko Jones according to a Chartattack news article from March 1999. The article link is below. Just found out today (December 3, 1999) that Gavin Brown has left Danko Jones in good circumstances. Apparently he doesn't want to tour with them.
Malcolm produced Blue Rodeo's Diamond Mine and also produced Crash Vegas' Red Earth, and he played piano, keyboards, additional guitars, percussion and backing vocals on that album. He played accordian on the Tragically Hip's album Road Apples. He was also part of the group Boys Brigade (link below).
The Cowboy Junkies are Margo Timmins, Michael Timmins, Peter Timmins and Alan Anton. Their first album was in 1990, Whites Off Earth Now!!. Other albums are Southern Rain, 1992, Pale Sun, Crescent Moon, 1993, and 200 More Miles, 1995, which is a collection of their life on the road from 1985-1994. Kim Deschamps plays on some of the songs on 200 More Miles, "Blue Moon Revisited (A Song For Elvis)", "200 More Miles", "Me and the Devil", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Walking After Midnight". Kim plays pedal steel and lap steel guitar. Jim Cuddy took the front cover pictures for the Junkie's Whites Off Earth Now!! Other albums include Lay It Down, 1996, and Miles From Our Home, released 1998. My favourite Cowboy Junkies' songs are "A Common Disaster" and "Miles From Our Home".
Crash Vegas was comprised of Colin Cripps (The Spoons), Michelle McAdorey, Ambrose Pottie and Jocelyne Lanois (Martha and the Muffins). Their first album came out in 1990, Red Earth, which was released on Blue Rodeo's Risque Disque label and their second came out in 1993, Stone. Greg Keelor co-wrote the songs "Red Earth", "Smoke", "I Gave You My Heart", "Moving Too Fast" and "Inside Out". He also played additional guitar on the songs "Red Earth" and "The One That Keeps Me Running". Greg also co-wrote four songs on Crash Vegas' second album. Ambrose Pottie of the group designed the cover design of Diamond Mine. Crash Vegas' third and last album was Aurora released in 1995. In 1996 Crash Vegas split up, with it's members moving on to different things.
Colin played guitar on two songs on the album Tremolo. He co-wrote the song "No Miracle, No Dazzle" on the same album. He played guitar and supplied backup vocals on Jim Cuddy's All In Time. He has also been in four bands that I know of, The Spoons (he played guitar), The Heavenly Brothers, Junkhouse, and Crash Vegas which Michelle McAdorey was also in. He played guitar and wrote songs for Crash Vegas. Colin is thanked in the liner notes of The Skydiggers 1992 album, Restless. On Colin Linden's 1997 album Raised By Wolves, Colin sings harmony vocals on two songs, "Love Everyone" and "Holy Fire". On that same album he also co-wrote "Love Everyone". Colin has also worked with other artists like The Tragically Hip, Big Wreck, Dahmnait Doyle and Corky & The Juice Pigs. He has also appeared in television, on the series John Woo's Once A Thief, Due South and Straight Up, as well as the major motion picture The Boy's Club starring Chris Penn. Dayna gave me some more info on him: Apparently he's touring with Chantal Kreviazuk in her Canadian tour, he's working with Tom Wilson (Junkhouse) again and he's written scores for documentaries.
Melanie played violin on the songs "Second Son", "Whistler", "Too Many Hands" & "Making My Way To You" from Jim Cuddy's All In Time. She also has a successful career and a hit single "Adam's Rib". Her album is also entitled Adam's Rib and came out in 1998. She also won Best New Solo Artist for the Juno Awards that took place in March, 1999. Melanie worked with Willie P. Bennett on his album Heartstrings, released 1998, playing fiddle and supplying harmony vocal on the song "Billy and Jenny".
On Stephen's 1997 album Industrial Lullaby, Bazil Donovan plays bass on the songs "Home", "Man O' War", "All The King's Horses" and "When The World Was A Well". Also involved in this album is Colin Linden (he produces it), Tom Wilson, Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) and Bruce Cockburn. Jim Cuddy is thanked in the liner notes of the album.
Great Big Sea is comprised of Alan Doyle, Sean McCann, Bob Hallett and Darrell Power. They performed at the first Stardust Picnic, three years ago when it was called the Stardust Ball. Later they made their own festival, the Great Big Picnic, which they invited Blue Rodeo to be a part of. Also Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy contribute background vocals on the songs "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)", "Haven't Seen You In A Long Time", and "Jolly Roving Tar" from Great Big Sea's 1994 release Play. Great Big Sea's other releases are Turn, that just came out in 1999, and Up, released 1997.
Sarah is a member of the group Weeping Tile and sang background vocals on the songs "Second Son", "Whistler" and "Making My Way To You" on Jim Cuddy's album All In Time. Recently she toured with Oh Susanna and Sarah Slean. She was also at the Kingston and Montreal shows of the Stardust Picnic. She has also sang on the song "Dear Henry" with the Skydiggers on their 1997 album Desmond's Hip City, and live in performance with them. Sarah also sang backup vocals on the song "Bitter Fruit" from Blue Rodeo's album The Days In Between.
On her 1997 album Suas e!, James Gray plays keys on the songs "Spinning Song" and "E Horo" and Glenn Milchem plays drums on the songs "A Love Song". Both play on the song "Stepping Song". Also involved with Suas e! is Anne Bourne. My favourite work by Mary Jane is her beautiful voice on Ashley MacIsaac's song "Sleepy Maggie".
Colin is a succesful blues and rock guitarist who has worked with Blue Rodeo on the album Five Days In July. He has worked with Colin James on the album National Steel, released 1997. His latest album is Raised By Wolves, 1997, which has help from Colin Cripps on background vocals on two tracks. He has also worked with John Whynot. Blue Rodeo is thanked in the liner notes of Raised By Wolves. Colin's other albums are When The Spirit Comes, 1988, South at 8, North at 9, 1993 and Through The Storm, Through The Night, 1995. Colin has been a long time colloborator with Bruce Cockburn, and recently co-produced Bruce's new album Breakfast In New Orleans, Dinner In Timbucktu.
Anne is a successful pianist, violinist, and singer. She has toured as a member of Jim Cuddy's Band, fulfilling the role of Melanie Doane and Adele Armin on All In Time. She has also performed and recorded with such notables as Natalie McMaster, The Chieftains, Led Zeppelin, Roger Daltrey, Dionne Warwick and George Fox. Lately she has been working with John McDermott.
Michelle sang backup vocals on Lost Together, and Jim Cuddy's All In Time, on the songs "Second Son", "Whistler" & "New Year's Eve". Michelle was a member of the group Crash Vegas with Colin Cripps, she was also one of the group's songwriters. I also heard that she was Greg's girlfriend at the time and that they came up with the name Crash Vegas. Naturally Greg couldn't be in the group, being in Blue Rodeo at the time. She also co-wrote the song "No Miracle, No Dazzle" on Tremolo. She worked with Greg Keelor on his solo album Gone, singing on almost every song. McAdorey is currently promoting her 2000 solo CD called Whirl.
Sarah sang backup vocals and supplied her skill with the piano on Five Days In July, and sang backup on Nowhere To Here. Sarah's debut album was Touch, released 1989. Her next album was Solace, 1991. Her third was Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, 1993. After that she released The Freedom Sessions and Rarities, B-Sides & Other Stuff. She performed the song "I Will Remember You" from The Brothers McMullen, original movie soundtrack, 1995. Her next album of totally new material was Surfacing, released 1997. In 1999, the album Mirrorball was released, a live concert performance of some of her greatest songs. Sarah contributed a song to the Pine Ridge album, and made a major contribution to Greg Keelor's solo album, Gone.
The Rheostatics opened for Blue Rodeo at the Bottom Line, which I think was around 1991. Dave Bidini of the group has played hockey with Jim Cuddy at Bill Bolton Arena in Toronto. The Rheostatics are also thanked in the liner notes of Nowhere To Here. They have put out nine albums, one of their songs is the terrific "Claire".
Andy Maize of The Skydiggers sang backup vocals on the song "Trouble" for Jim Cuddy's All In Time. The Skydiggers performed at the Stardust Picnic '99 with Blue Rodeo. They have also won a 1993 Juno for Most Promising Group. In Nowhere To Here the Skydiggers are thanked in the liner notes. Other members of the group are Josh Finlayson, Ronnie Von Johnnie, Paul MacLeod and Gavin Brown. Andy and Josh Finlayson (former member) are thanked in the liner notes of Lost Together and Five Days In July. The Skydiggers have also worked with John Whynot. In their 1993 album, Just Over This Mountain, Blue Rodeo, Bazil Donovan, and Jim & Greg are thanked in the liner notes. In their 1992 album, Restless, Greg Keelor and Blue Rodeo are thanked in the liner notes. On the Skydiggers latest album, Desmond's Hip City, 1997, Jim Cuddy plays piano and Sarah Harmer sings background vocals on the song "Dear Henry".
Jim Cuddy sang male vocals on Casandra's song "Almost Like You Cared" from her 1993 album, Feels Like Home. Cassandra sings backing vocals on Phil Dwyer's album Road Stories, released 1999. She has also done a vocal collaboration with Prairie Oyster's Russell de Carle and has won a Juno Award for it in 1993. I believe she also has a new album coming out in 2000. Her first album was Wildflowers, released in 1991.
John has worked with Blue Rodeo many times over the years. He was the Mixing Engineer on Five Days In July. He played six string Fender bass on "Girl In Green", "Brown-Eyed Dog"; piano on "Get Through To You"; farfisa on "Train" on the album Nowhere To Here also doing double work as co-producer and recording & mixing engineer of the same album. He co-produces All In Time with Jim Cuddy, and on the same album he played guitar, percussion, & piano on "Making My Way To You". On Tremolo he lent his voice to background vocals on "Moon & Tree", "Fallen From Grace" & "Brother Andre's Heart" also playing guitar on "I Could Never Be That Man" & "Fallen From Grace". All this and co-producer and Mixing engineer on the same album. John has also worked with Colin Linden and Colin James.
Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett of Wilco help Jim Cuddy out on a track on his album All In Time. Wilco's albums include A.M., 1995, Being There, 1996, Mermaid Avenue, 1998 and Summer Teeth, released 1999. On Tuesday, August 24, 1999, they were special guests of R.E.M. at the Molson Amphitheatre. The other members of the group are John Stirratt and Ken Coomer.
In her 1994 release, Breaking Point, Bazil Donovan, Cleave Anderson and James Gray play on a lot of tracks, and Jim Cuddy sings background vocals on "Make A Liar Out Of Me" and (aptly enough), "Blue Confession". Other friends of Blue Rodeo on this album are Colin Linden, John Whynot and Anne Bourne. On Lori's 1997 album Untogether, Bazil Donovan plays bass on the song "Free Me". I liked the album Breaking Point, it's full of good music, if you like Blue Rodeo you'll probably like this album. Lori is now part of the band(?) Hey Stella and performs weekly every Thursday at the Barcode in Toronto.
