Law
Suit:
A hundred times thank you for your support and good wishes! It
means a lot in difficult times. For those who've requested it, click
here to view the
Statement of Claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. It will
likely be amended soon, so you might want to check back for updates. (Free Adobe Acrobat reader and updates for viewing are available at http://www.adobe.com
if required.)
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CD
Update:
FIRST OFFICIAL
RELEASE!!!

Click
here for an Order Form or click Here
to go to the announcement page.
On September 25th, 2002, we went into McClear / Digital recording studios and had
a blast recording
"The Hockey Theme".
Too
bad the word's overused, but it truly was 'awesome' to see so many great
musicians in one place. Everyone had a common objective: to recreate a bit of
history. Nice
article in the National Post by Justin Smallbridge on Oct-8-2002 (posted
below). Here's
a blurb about the recording: Since 1968, fans have wanted their own piece of
Canadiana. Although an official CD release has been in the works for some time
now, we've put a real push on it over the past year. We thank all our friends
out there who've supported us. We've found your requests touching, and do hope
you'll enjoy what we have in store.
Many efforts were made to bring you a performance that remains true to the original version that so many have asked for. Dolores Claman, the original composer, was involved in every step of the recording as
Executive Producer. Flying in from London, England to Toronto, it was inspiring
for everyone to have one of Canada's finest composers with us. Acquaintances
were renewed and... get this... three of the musicians were even on the original
1968 recording sessions! (Click
here for a
more in-depth biography of Dolores Claman.)
John Ciccone (producer) has completed final mixes and mastering. Then it's
off for manufacturing. Distribution is
currently not settled, but people are coming to us with exciting possibilities.
What we'd really like to see is a system where some of the proceeds can also make their way to helping minor hockey and music education in Canada.
Rick Wilkins, one of the foremost arrangers and conductors in this genre was brought on board. Rick pulled together an all-star lineup of
21 of the best musicians around.
Let's face it folks... it's a big, powerful song and it ain't that easy to play.
But leave it to the pro players to nail it. Those trumpets were soaring! With the original band charts
from the 60's nowhere to be found, Rick meticulously transcribed from old recordings. It all came together in fresh, exciting sounds captured at
a studio large enough to facilitate that energy. We've
listened carefully to your requests. Different 'versions' come and go, but it
seems pretty much unanimous that any official release of "The Hockey Theme" should capture the spirit of the original. We agree! To us, that
spirit has always been in the distinctive harmonies and melody lines, exciting
syncopated rhythm, and powerful dynamics. We think you won't be disappointed. Both
the opening and closing arrangements were recorded. The opening is the punchy
one as the show starts that many of us grew up with for decades. The closing is
the march we heard at the end of the game all those years. It's got that very
cool swing bridge that can bring a smile to just about any face... even if their
team lost.
John
Ciccone
Producer
|
Dolores
Claman
Composer;
Executive Producer
|
Rick
Wilkins Conductor;
Arranger
|
CD
Who's Who:
Composer/Executive Producer
- Dolores
Claman |
Producer
- John
Ciccone |
Conductor/Orchestrator/Arranger
- Rick Wilkins
|
Original
Orchestrator/Arranger 1968 - Jerry Toth
|
Bass
Guitar - Scott Alexander |
Bongos
- Peter Appleyard |
Chimes
- Mark Duggan |
Drums/Percussion
- Brian Barlow |
Flute
- Vern Dorge |
French
Horn - Nicole Alexander |
French
Horn - James McDonald |
French
Horn - Gary Pattison |
French
Horn - Joan Watson |
Piccolo
- Les Ault |
Snare
Drum/Claves - Andy Morris |
Timpani
- Roger Flock |
Trombone
- Al Kaye |
Trombone
- Bob Livingston *** |
Trombone
- Rob McConnell *** |
Trombone
- Ernie Pattison |
Trumpet
- Guido Basso *** |
Trumpet
- Dave Dunlop |
Trumpet
- John Macleod |
Trumpet
- Steve McDade |
Tuba
- Scott Irvine |
Copyist
- Martin Loomer |
|
***
indicates musicians who also played on the original 1968 recording! |
|
Remixing
- John Ciccone / Peter Moore |
Mastering
- Peter Moore - The E Room |
McClear
/ Digital Recording Studios (Toronto): |
Engineer
- Michael Banton-Jones |
1st
Assistant Engineer -
Paul
Talbott |
2nd Assistant Engineer -
Shawn
Desmarais |
|

'Dunt-
da-DUNT- da-dunt ... '
Hockey Night theme, Canada's other national anthem, gets an official
recording
Justin
Smallbridge
National Post
Tuesday, October 08, 2002
Players
and sponsors may come and go and the occasional contract dispute
may flare up, but a few things about Hockey Night in Canada remain
constant. Fights, of course. And its theme; it's been called the
country's other national anthem. Even people who don't know the
difference between a puck and a penalty box can sing it. It's such
an integral part of life in this country that many people assume
it's just always been there in the public domain, like air. And
that surprises Dolores Claman, its composer.
"Questions
were arising as to who even wrote it," she said. "It's
hysterical to say, 'I wrote it,' and have people say,
'Are you
sure?' "
But
she is and she did. Dolores Claman was one of the founders of
Toronto jingle house Quartet Productions in the 1960s, following a
graduate fellowship at New York's Juilliard School of Music and
composing music for ballet and musicals (Timber!! was her first,
Mr. Scrooge one of her most acclaimed). She wrote countless hours
of music for commercials, movies and more. In 1967, she wrote the
anthem A Place to Stand for the Ontario government's pavilion in
Expo.
Despite
the Hockey Night in Canada Theme's popularity, it's never been
commercially available. There have been bootlegs and other
unauthorized versions, but nothing legitimate, at least not until
last week. That was when Claman came back to Canada from England,
where she lives now, to record the definitive version of the piece
in its entirety for commercial release.
Like
a lot of important cultural touchstones, the theme began modestly,
as another assignment for a very busy jingle writer.
"We'd
done a lot of work for the MacLaren advertising agency," she
said. "MacLaren was working on the graphics for the opening
for Hockey Night in Canada. They wanted a theme."
Instructions
were minimal. "Just, 'like an adventure theme,' " Claman
recalled being told when she asked what kind of music was
required. "From a composer's perspective, that's the
best."
She
had never played hockey when she got that assignment. She still
hasn't. "I thought of all those guys with all their gear on
-- very macho, very fast, like gladiators. I thought it should be
very grand, with a lot of dynamics and excitement and machismo
attached. I wanted to give that feeling."
The
first thing she got, she said, was that opening riff -- "dunt-da-DUNT-da-dunt"
-- the rhythmic pulse that runs all the way through the
composition. She built the entire piece on that kernel.
"I'm
good at big melody; melodies with big spaces in them, big leaps.
That's what they tell me, anyway." And her heroic swing-time
march has plenty of those.
Trumpeter
Guido Basso showed up to record the new, definitive version. He's
played on every version of the tune, including its inaugural
recording in 1968. "It's not technically demanding," he
said. "It's a pleasure to play."
At
the initial 1968 session, Basso said, most of the musicians
figured the number would last a season or two, not more than three
decades. "But each agency wanted to re-record it with their
own studio and their own people and change it a little." But
the melody stayed the same, and Claman always held the copyright,
which led to this newest version.
Nine
years ago, music copyright specialist John Ciccone tracked her
down for clearance to use the theme. "I had no idea there
were unauthorized versions of it," she said. There have
always been inquiries about the rights to the theme for everything
from wedding marches to graduation ceremonies, bar mitzvahs and
more. One man wanted to play the theme to encourage his wife
during labour.
Initially,
Ciccone and Claman figured they'd meet that demand by tracking
down the 1968 master, sweetening it, cleaning it up sonically and
putting it out on CD. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found.
"It's
in a vault or lost or destroyed," Claman said. "I have a
snippet of tape, John was able to find a few other bits and pieces
of it. But the master can't be found. One morning I woke up and
thought, 'Why don't we just record it again from scratch?' The
original was an eight-track recording. The technology's so much
better now anyway, it just made sense." The arrangement was
pieced together by Rick Wilkins, who reconstructed it by listening
to those snippets of tape and writing new charts.
Once
that decision was made, there was never any question about cutting
the piece anywhere but Canada. "You'd have to have Canadian
musicians," Claman said. "Nobody else would have the
feel or know how it was supposed to sound, no matter how
technically proficient they might be."
The
session was booked for a studio on Mutual Street in Toronto,
coincidentally in the same building that housed one of the first
offices of Claman's jingle company in the 1960s.
"When
I got called for that, I would've done it for free," Joan
Watson, who plays French horn, says of being booked for the new
Hockey Night in Canada recording session. "To me, it was
history-making. I grew up with that tune, and where I grew up in
northern Manitoba, hearing that music linked us to the rest of the
country. So to do that remake with Dolores Claman right there --
it was just incredible. I was thrilled to bits. I wore a hockey
sweater, and all the legends were there -- Guido Basso and some of
the other guys on the original session.
"It
probably helped that we all knew it from the original, because
they were trying to get that feel. I think I know that tune in my
cells. It's just part of being Canadian."
After
years of working with often jaded session musicians fazed by
nothing, Claman was surprised by the players at the recording of
the theme's definitive version. "After we were done, I went
into the studio to thank them all -- they were just superb. They
applauded me. That's the first time in my life that's ever
happened. I was so moved."

© Copyright 2002 National Post
|
Click
here for press release issued by Environics.
[
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Cell
Phone Ringtones:
We should have another exciting announcement soon. Our friends in Canada and
the U.S.A. should soon be able to download the ringtone right here on our
website.
If
you like, you can flip us an email by clicking:
Ringernotify@hockeytheme.com
and we'll keep you posted on new developments in this area.
Otherwise,
check with your cell phone
carrier and ask them if they offer the ringtone to their customers.
Our New
CD Release info is here. (Perhaps the
CD could tide you over a bit if you're waiting for the ringtone.)
It
has stood out considerably in number of downloads compared to available song
titles combined, and those Samsung handsets are extremely popular too. Thank you for your support!
Our
emailer award goes to Lawrence 'down under'. He wrote:
"Just read your article...
while searching for the Hockey Night in Canada Theme ringtone! I am ANOTHER homesick Canuck in Australia! If you do manage to convert the song for mobile phones, PLEASE drop me an email!"
-
Lawrence
Australia |
Many
of our Canadian friends have requested this. But we're still surprised by the
number of kind people who take the memory of the song wherever they go. The
technology needed to make it available to our homesick Canadians outside of the
country is unfortunately difficult and expensive at this time, but we're not
giving up!
If
you like, you can send
email to:
Ringernotify@hockeytheme.com
and we'll try to keep everyone posted on new developments in this area.
[
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CBC
School Band Contest (2001):
Congratulations to the winners and a big 'thank you' to all who
participated.
Results of the contest were posted at: www.cbc.ca
It was exciting to hear
Canada's musicians
perform the song so well!

SCHOOL
BAND CATEGORY CHAMP:
Will Sinclair High School,
Rocky Mountain House, AB
RUNNER-UP:
New Westminster Secondary
School, New Westminster, BC |
OPEN
CATEGORY CHAMP:
Mother of Pearl,
Vancouver, BC
RUNNER-UP:
Johnson, Toronto, ON |
SCHOOL
BAND CATEGORY FINALISTS (alphabetically): |
Appleby
College |
Oakville,
ON |
Burnaby
North |
Burnaby,
BC |
Catholic
Central High School |
Windsor,
ON |
Eastview
Middle School |
Red
Deer, AB |
Humberside
C.I. |
Toronto,
ON |
Lawrence
Park C.I. |
Toronto,
ON |
M.M.
Robinson High School |
Burlington,
ON |
Markham
District High School |
Markham,
ON |
Monsignor
Paul Dwyer Band |
Oshawa,
ON |
Nelson
High School |
Burlington,
ON |
New
Westminster |
New
Westminster, BC |
Northern
Secondary |
Toronto,
ON |
Sir
Oliver Mowat |
Scarborough,
ON |
St.
Michael's College |
Toronto,
ON |
Will
Sinclair |
Rocky
Mountain House, AB |
OPEN
CATEGORY FINALISTS (alphabetically): |
Brockville
Lions Steel Band |
Brockville,
ON |
Bruce
Laing |
Toronto,
ON |
Cedar
& Spruce Guitar |
Maple,
ON |
Citations
2000 |
Trail,
BC |
DJ
Aptitude |
Calgary,
AB |
Dominic
Giovinazzo |
Toronto,
ON |
The
Etobicoke Youth Band |
Etobicoke,
ON |
Jeremy
Gillies |
Ottawa,
ON |
Johnson |
Toronto,
ON |
Mike
Ayotte |
Fort
Macleod, AB |
Mother
of Pearl |
Burnaby,
BC |
Nathalie
Boudreau |
Halifax,
NS |
Powerplay |
Burnaby,
BC |
Steve
Clements |
Vancouver,
BC |
Toby
Carroll |
Vancouver,
BC |
HONOURABLE
MENTIONS (alphabetically): |
School
Band Category |
Open
Category |
Arnprior
District High School
Arnprior, ON
|
4
Sirs and a Miss
Scarborough, ON |
Ascension
of Our Lord
Calgary, AB
|
537
Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron - Gander, NF |
Austin
O'Brien
Edmonton, AB
|
Accordion
Player and Friends - Calgary, AB |
Balmoral
Jr. Secondary School
North Vancouver, BC
|
The
Anatomy Cats
Edmonton, AB |
Beaconsfield
Jr. High School
St. John's, NF
|
Angus
Armstrong
Ottawa, ON |
Beechy
and Lucky Lake Schools - Lucky Lake, SK
|
Barking
Mad Bush Band
Ottawa, ON |
Bellerose
Composite High School - St. Albert, AB
|
Celtic
Puckers
Roberts Creek, BC |
Bluefield
High School
Hampshire, PEI
|
Crystal
Park Drum Ensemble
Grande Prairie, BC |
Bluevale
Collegiate
Waterloo, ON
|
Danny
Jordan
Meadow Lake, SK |
Britannia
Secondary School
Vancouver, BC
|
Darryl
Hillock
King City, ON |
Caledon
East Public School
Caledon East, ON
|
Dave
Ranson/Russ Barton
Victoria, BC |
Chilliwack
Secondary School
Chilliwack, BC
|
Guy
Lafleur's Button Box
Toronto, ON |
Country
Day School
King, ON
|
Hillbilly
Hockey Club
Calgary, AB |
Dakota
Collegiate
Winnipeg, MB
|
Hockey
Hype in Canada
Toronto, ON |
East
Elgin Secondary School
Aylmer, ON
|
I
Tromboni
Vancouver, BC |
Elkford
Secondary School
Elkford, BC
|
Isle
Sisters
St. John's, NF |
H.J.
Cambie Secondary
Richmond, BC
|
Justin
Cassidy
Kitchener, ON |
Hastings
School
Winnipeg, MB
|
Kevin
Ross
Winnipeg, MB |
Holy
Cross Secondary School
Surrey, BC
|
Mary
& Michael Watson
Brampton, ON |
Holy
Rosary High School
Lloydminster, AB
|
Maureen
Desmond
Kelowna, BC |
Hope
Secondary School
Hope, BC
|
Pacific
Sport Aquasonics
Surrey, BC |
Hopewell
Avenue Public School - N/A
|
Pandora's
Vox
Toronto, ON |
Hudson
High School
Hudson Heights, QC
|
Reckless
Abandon
Oshawa, ON |
J.L.
Crowe Secondary School
Trail, BC
|
Rodney
Dean
Edmonton, AB |
J.S.
Woodworth Secondary School - Ottawa, ON
|
Saskatoon
Community Wind Ensemble - Saskatoon, SK |
Kenora
School
Kenora, ON
|
Shaun
Weima
Collingwood, ON |
Maidstone
High School
Maidstone, SK
|
Thursday
Night Jazz
Regina, SK |
Mark
Isfeld Senior Band
Courtenay, BC
|
Woodabeen
Edmonton, AB |
Mayfield
Secondary School
Brampton, ON
|
Woodwind
Quintet
Kitchener, ON |
Milliken
Mills High School
Markham, ON
|
|
Montessori
House of Children
London, ON
|
|
Outlook
High School
Outlook, SK
|
|
Prince
Edward Collegiate
Picton, ON
|
|
Rick
Hansen Secondary School
Mississauga, ON
|
|
Robert
H. Lagerquist Public School - Brampton, ON
|
|
Saskatoon
East School Division #41 - Saskatoon, SK
|
|
Saugeen
District Secondary School - Port Elgin, ON
|
|
Sir
Winston Churchill Public School - Nepean, ON
|
|
South
Central
Saskatoon, SK
|
|
Southwood
Secondary School
Cambridge, ON
|
|
St.
Robert Catholic High School - Thornhill, ON
|
|
Swift
Current Comprehensive High School-Swift Current, SK
|
|
T.A.
Blakelock High School
Oakville, ON
|
|
Trochu
Valley School
Trochu, AB
|
|
University
of Western Ontario
London, ON
|
|
W.C.
Eaket Secondary
Blind River, ON
|
|
William
Armstrong Public School - Markham, ON
|
|
Zion
Heights Junior High School - Toronto, ON
|
|
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|
We've
moved!
As of June 14, 2003 our new address is:
Copyright
Music & Visuals
61 Hoyle Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4S 2X5
Phone
and fax numbers remain the same (contact
info).
|
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