The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame has just inducted two vintage rock songs as the latest entries into the Hall of Fame.
They are “As the Years Go By” by the Montreal group Mashmakhan, and Câline de Blues- by the Montreal Francophone group, Offenbach, featuring keyboards and singing by the late Gerry Boulet.
Pierre Senecal, who was French-speaking wrote the song for Mashmakhan in English, as his band mates were all Anglophones. He said it took him 15 minutes.
It was a late addition to their debut album in 1970, recorded in New York for Columbia records and it became popular as it talked about the meaning of love throughout a lifetime.
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The song quickly went from a hit, to gold, to platinum in Canada (100,000), then moved up the US charts to #31, but in Japan it became the third best selling single in that country’s history to that point. World sales in 1970-71 also helped CBS International sales in Japan and Europe have their best year to that point.
Quoted in a news release this week, Sénécal says, “To have ‘As The Years Go By’ inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is truly a prestigious accolade”.
Mashmakhan as a group however did not last, as it broke up the following year.
Offenbach is a legendary rock group of the 1970’s in the mostly French-speaking province of Quebec.
In 1971, while waiting to rehearse for an evening performance at a small inn north of Montreal. Band member Michel (Willie) Lamother began playing a walking blues, Gerry started with a melody and began singing a refrain “That’s why, that’s why I’m singing the blues..” When Pierre Harel showed up, he felt it would be easier for the group to sing in French, and decided to use colloquial Quebec French thus the opening became Câline de doux blues Câline de blues Faut que j’te jouse” (roughly translated- damn sweet blues, damn blues, I have to play you) with the refrain ““L’aut’soir, l’aut’soir, j’ai chanté du blues”
It’s about a musician for whom playing the blues is an obsession, and seeminbly more important than his girlfriend who is jealous of his blues need and leaves him.
Offenbach, with Boulet’s often gravelly vocals singing in the accented slang “joual” of Quebec French, became an iconic rock group in the province from 1969 into the 80’s. Boulet also recorded a well received solo album a year before the band broke up in 1985.
OFFENBACH FAREWELL PERFORMANCE NOV 1985- “Caline de blues”
In 1987 he was diagnosed with colon cancer and recorded a second solo album that included songs referencing his fight to stay alive. Rendez-vous doux” was exceptionally well-received winning three “Felix” Quebec provincial song awards.
Boulet succumbed to his cancer on July 18 1990 at age 44
Earlier this year, the pop song “To Sir With Love” was inducted. It became a big hit for Scottish signer Lulu and was named after the movie starring Sidney Poitier as a teacher who inspired disaffected teens in a tough inner city London school. Few realize it was composed by Mark London, a Montrealer, with lyrics co-written by Don Black of the UK.
Last Song by Larry Evoy was also inducted. He released a number of love songs under the group name Edward Bear (Winnie the Pooh’s proper name). The group was originally formed in 1966 and had a number of successes in the early 70’s including “You, Me, and Mexico” and “Close Your Eyes”. In 1972 Last Song was a number 1 hit in Canada and was given a gold record in the US in 1973. Larry Evoy currently runs a small recording studio
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Also inducted earlier this year, Frank Sinatra’s hit “Put your dreams Away (for Another Day)” written by Toronto’s Ruth Lowe in 1942.
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