Cabbage Towne "Cabbage Towne" (Periwinkle Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Brian Mitchell & Art Snider)
A later edition of the Toronto-based country rock group, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, which changed its name following the death of lead guitarist and founder Gerry Hall, who drowned in 1975. This lineup included Mickey Andrews (dobro and steel guitar), Don Jerrett (drums), Randy Lovely (lead guitar) and Randy McDonald on bass.

Cabbage Towne "Cabbage Towne" (Cynda Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Andrews & Bob Cobban)
The band leaned hard into novelty material on this one, with covers of novelty hits such as Gaye Delorme's "Rodeo Song," Joe Dolce's "Shadup Your Face," and the infamous male-chauvinist anthem, "Put Another Log On The Fire," as well as Sam Weedman's "You Make My Pants Want To Get Up And Dance," which was previously recorded by Dr. Hook. They also play a couple of Stompin' Tom Connors tunes, "Rubberhead" and "Sudbury Saturday Night," affirming their long bond with the iconic Canadian country star. The lineup changed a little, with Albert McDonald as their new lead guitarist, and their former producer Art Snider chining in on keyboards.

The Canadian Nighthawks -- see artist profile

The Calgary Range Riders "The Calgary Range Riders" (Aragon Records, 196-?) (LP)
A rough-and-ready, old-school hillbilly band from Alberta, the Calgary Range Riders was founded in 1947 by yodeler "Dixie" Bill Hilton (1920-1991). Born in Saskatchewan, Hilton started his professional career back in the 1930s, working on a series of radio stations before serving a stint in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War Two. After demobilizing, Hilton resumed his musical career and struck gold with the Range Riders, who stayed together well into the early 1950s. The group included several hotshot musicians, perhaps most notably fiddler Luck Ambo, who went on to have a long career as a session player and solo recording artist, as well as bass player Murray Dunlop, Al Koochin (guitar), Tiny Stolz (accordion), Don Thompson (steel guitar) and of course Bill Hilton on lead vocals. It's also worth noting that Hilton was a prolific composer, and wrote most of the band's repertoire. (Thanks to Hillbilly Music Dawt Com for filling in a few blanks, as well as Binge Disc/Cattle Music for the informative liner notes on the album below...)

The Calgary Range Riders "The Calgary Range Riders" (Aragon Records, 196-?) (LP)
I'm not sure if there's overlap between this disc and the one above, though they have two different catalog numbers, so they probably just came out around the same time and the label figured no one would mind the lack of originality in the titles.

The Calgary Range Riders & Dixie Bill Hilton "Ramblin' Man" (Cattle Records, 1986) (LP)
A swell set of radio transcription discs dating from 1951-52, mostly featuring the band's classic lineup, although fiddler Freddie Long sits in for Lucky Ambo on some of the songs. As always, the Cattle label provides highly informative, well-researched liner notes and excellent sound quality on the remastering of these old archival tracks.

John Allan Cameron "Weddings, Wakes & Other Things/Song For The Mira" (Columbia Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Robbie McNeill)
Anchored in Celtic trad, this album also dips into country and folk material, including a cover of John Prine's classic "Please Don't Bury Me." Not really a country record, though there is some dobro and steel guitar, as well as banjo work by bluegrasser Dennis Lepage. The title track, "Song For The Mira," is a nostalgic, Irish-flavored folk ballad extolling the beauties of Nova Scotia, originally written by Allister MacGillivray back in 1973. It has become an unofficial anthem for the province, and was later recorded by pop star Anne Murray, although Cameron's version was previously one of the most famous renditions. The Canadian Encyclopedia goes into great detail about the tune. This album originally came out in 1976 as Weddings, Wakes & Other Things and was later rebranded as Song For The Mira, to capitalize on the song's continued popularity.

Neal Campbell "The Country Touch" (Maple Grove Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Baker, Barry Hawkins & Joe Kozak)
Original northern twang by Canadian songwriter Neal Campbell, who penned most of the music on here, adding a few cover songs drawing on stuff by Merle Haggard, Bob McDill and Don Williams, and Mel Tillis. This appears to have been his only album, though he also released at least one single on the North Star label, which included two of his own originals, "My Home In The Cariboo" and "Free." The musicians include Neal Campbell on lead vocals, with Rick Brown (keyboards), Jim Hathaway (drums) Joe Kozak (bass), and producer Barry Hawkins playing guitar.

Canadian Zephyr "Bringin' The House Down" (Bronco Records, 1973) (LP)

Canadian Zephyr "In the Zephyr Style" (United Artists, 1974) (LP)

Canadian Zephyr "It Just So Happens" (United Artists, 1976) (LP)

Canadian Zephyr "A Country Mile Better" (RCA-Canada, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Craig Ruhnke & David Peever)

Canadian Zephyr "The Best Of Canadian Zephyr" (RCA-Canada, 1979) (LP)

Canadian Zephyr "Zephyr" (RCA-Canada, 1980) (LP)

Canadian Zephyr "The Songwriters" (Artist's Alliance, 1983) (LP)

Jim Caplette "Got No Mind For Another" (Big Chief Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Bruce Thomson & Joe Kozak)
A nice one by Canadian humorist and author Jim Caplette (1924-2015) who also turned his hand to music in the early 1970s. This is a really nice, low-key album of mellow folk-country... Reminds me quite a bit of George Hamilton IV's music of the same era. Recommended!

Allan Capson "Long Time Remembering" (Marathon Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Taylor)
This was the first album by Canadian country picker Allan Capson, a songwriter from Moncton, New Brunswick who broke through when his tune, "Alberta Country Soil" was recorded by Marg Osburne and became a regional hit. On his debut, Capson is mostly given hits of the day to record, including a few dreary choices, like "Proud Mary," "Down in the Boondocks" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters." A little more fun are tunes like "Loving Her Was Easier" and the hippiedelic "One Toke Over the Line," by Brewer & Shipley. There's a strong folk-pop tilt to this album, but definitely some twang in there as well, particularly with the sweet, cosmic, Garcia-esque pedal steel prominent in the mix.

Allan Capson "Country Lane In My Mind" (Marathon Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Taylor & Ken Friesen)
This time around, it's mostly self-penned material, although he does sing a few cover songs, such as "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me," "Here Comes The Sun," and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now." Also, it's basically the same group of musicians on both albums, including Steve Smith on steel guitar.

Captain Canada "...And The Legendary Sons Of The Golden West" (RSC/World Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Erickson, Cory Halverson & Garry McDonall)
Wow! Really? Well, yeah, I guess so... Apparently multi-instrumentalist Brian Sklar, who had been recording under his own name since the early 'Seventies, also had a superhero persona where he donned a red-and-white, fringed-leather cowboy suit emblazoned with a maple leaf chest logo -- looking half Vegas-Elvis/half-Captain Canuck -- and blazed away on a repertoire heavy on cajun, bluegrass and western swing fiddle tunes. I suppose this album, which packs in twenty-four separate tracks, is something of an "easy listening" set, although the performances are pretty dynamic and well produced. The compact comb includes Brian Sklar on fiddle and piano, alongwith Ron Jeffrey on bass, Tim Jeffrey (steel guitar), Daltn Rohn (guitar) and Gary Whitman on some rather feroicious drums... Solid music, with kitsch value set aside. (Note: some folks list this album under "Captain Canada," though Sklar's name is right there on the front cover, albeit in relatively small print... But I'm including it here anyway, since it gives me an excuse to steer you towards my Canadian Country section.)

The Caribou Showband & Harry Hibbs "At The Caribou" (Arc Records, 1968-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Originally led by Newfoundland accordionist Harry Hibbs, this was the house band at the Caribou nightclub in Toronto, as well as for the At The Caribou television program which was filmed at the venue, with the band backing a wide swath of Canadian country talent. As leader of the showband, Hibbs provided a view into the seeming contradictions of the old Canadian country scene: while the band's lineup provided a strong hard-country sound, Hibbs himself specialized in piercing instrumentals, often anchored British or Celtic folk roots. Other members included fiddler Brian Barron, drummer Roddy Lee, steel guitarist Bob Lucier, and New Brunswick-born singer/guitarist Johnny Burke who gradually took over as bandleader in the early 'Seventies. Although the "showband" title implies a leaning towards pop music, the Caribou-ers stuck pretty closely to country material. On this album, they backed Johnny Burke and Harry Hibbs, as well as singers Wally Brown, Burt Cuff, George and June Pasher and Cliffy Short. Although Hibbs was ostensibly the headliner, he is only credited on three tracks.

The Caribou Showband/Various Artists "Join Us At The Caribou, v.2" (Arc Records, 1969-?) (LP)
Though this opens on a harsh note, with bandleader Harry Hibbs wailing away on his signature tune, "Fighting 59," a more straightforward country vibe soon takes hold, and the Caribou crew shows some real rough-edged hard-country chops. The house band lineup included instrumentalists Brian Barron (fiddle), Johnny Burke (guitar), Bob Lucier (steel), Roddy Lapierie (drums), supporting strong vocal performances by Johnny Burke, Roddy Lee, George and June Pasher, Ken Rowsell and Cliffy Short, with Hibbs chiming in again at the end on a couple of softer-tones Celtic tunes. Notably, steel player Bob Lucier really sinks his teeth into "Mrs. Robinson," on an instrumental track that is one of the album's most surprising highlights. A swell snapshot of some of the best late 'Sixties country music Toronto had to offer. A few years later, Johnny Burke emerged as the group's nominal leader, recording another album as The Caribou Showband in 1971 before concentrating on a solo career under his own name.

The Caribou Showband/Various Artists "...Featuring Johnny Burke" (Arc/Caribou Records, 1971-?) (LP)
This edition of the band features multi-instrumentalist and ubiquitous session player Mel Aucoin playing banjo, bass, piano and guitars, Brian Barron (on fiddle and mandolin), Roddy Lee (drums), and steel guitarist Bob Lucier along with several vocalists, most notably Johnny Burke, who seems to have been tapped to lead the band, although its original frontman, accordionist Harry Hibbs is still on board, with newcomer Norma Gale rounding things out. Both Burke and Gale also recorded as solo artists, as did Harry Hibbs, of course, with a folk/dance music solo career that outstripped all the others.

Jean Carignan "Jean Carignan: The Folk Fiddler Who Electrified The Newport Folk Festival" (Elektra Records, 1960) (LP)
An irresistibly propulsive set of French Canadian instrumental music from Quebec's Jean Carignan (1916-1988) a regional fiddler who started his career in the Great Depression and was still around to marvel at the 'Sixties folk revival three decades later, and even made an appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, which provided the impetus for this album. This is pretty frisky-sounding stuff -- aggressively paced and definitely made to dance to, with backing by Philip Bruneau on accordion, Rodolphe Garignan (guitar), Jean Ferland (bass) and Marcel Roy on piano. Although these tunes come from a variety of sources, you can really hear the continental French influence: compare these melodies and tempos to French folk revivalists such as Les Menestriers, and you'll hear it. This album was reissued in 1975 under the title French Canadian Fiddle Songs, with all the same tracks but a different play order.

Ralph Carlson "The Game Is Love" (Banff Records, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Ayoub)
Notable both as a musician and businessman, singer Ralph Carlson (1940-2002) co-founded Snocan Recording Studios in the early 1970s, a combination recording studio and record label that released an undetermined number of albums and singles between roughly 1971-86. Before that, Carlson was known as a member of groups such as early-1960s Country Cousins and his own band The Countrymen, which later was renamed Country Mile. On his solo debut, Carlson covered several US country artists -- Hank Cochran, Tommy Collins, Marty Robbins -- and also contributes a few of his own originals to the country canon: "The Game Was Love," "Here Comes Another Heartache" and "It's Now The Morning After." One track, "Yellow Bandana," was co-written by Winnipeg's Steve Karliski, and had recently been recorded by country star Faron Young. Alas, the musicians backing him on this album are not identified, either as a band or individually.

Ralph Carlson "Ralph Carlson Sings" (Banff Records, 1966) (LP)

Ralph Carlson "Ralph Carlson Sings" (Banff Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Mongeau, George Taylor & Dougal Trineer)

Ralph Carlson & Country Mile "Thanks For The Dance" (Snocan Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Bob Barnhill & Dallas Harms)

Ralph Carlson & Country Mile "Don's Barber Shop" (Snocan Records, 1977) (LP)

Ralph Carlson & Country Mile "Thanks For The Dance" (Snocan Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Bob Barnhill, David Dennison, Dallas Harms & Gene Rice)

Ralph Carlson & Country Mile "Grass 'N' Stuff 'N' Friends" (Icicle Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Ralph Carlson & David Dennison)

Ralph Carlson & Country Mile "Back To The Real Thing" (Snocan Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by David Dennison)

Ralph Carlson & Bytown Bluegrass "Ralph Carlson And Bytown Bluegrass" (Snocan Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Ralph Carlson & David Dennison)

Bob Carpenter "Silent Passage" (Warner Reprise, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Brian Ahern)
An obscura-holics country-folk dream record, this featured Canadian singer-songwriter Bob Carpenter, backed by an all-star cast gathered together by producer Brian Ahern... Rising stars Emmylou Harris and Anne Murray sing harmony, while Lowell George and Bill Payne of Little Feat play on several songs, along with bluegrass banjo whiz Bill Keith, and many other '70s roots music heavy-hitters. The truth of it is, though, that I didn't actually care much for this record... I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't really my cup of tea -- a little too folkie, I guess. But it's certainly a lost gem worth looking for and checking out if you're a tried and true hippiebilly fan... How could you resist??

Wilf Carter "Dynamite Trail -- The Decca Years: 1954-58" (Bear Family, 1990)
Canadian cowpoke Wilf Carter, who also worked under the stage name Montana Slim, mostly recorded for the RCA record company, but in the mid-1950s he took a break and signed with Decca for a four-year stint. This disc gathers his best work for Decca, and it's lively, good-natured stuff. There's some "western"-themed material, plenty of humor-laced heartsongs and even a smidge of gospel, all performed at a galloping pace and all quite entertaining. On a few of the later tracks, Carter even experiments with electrified arrangements, including some fascinating guitar work on songs such as "Let A Little Sunshine In Your Heart." From start to finish, this is a fun, engaging record, well worth checking out.

Wilf Carter "Prairie Legend" (Bear Family, 1994)
A four-CD box set of Carter's work... golly! If you're a fan, this oughta just about do it for you!

Wilf Carter "Cowboy Songs" (Bear Family Records, 1997)
But wait... there's more! Nine whole CDs more!

Neko Case - see artist discography

Cassonade "Cassonade" (Paraluie Records, 1978)
The nom-du-twang of Canadian country-rocker Stephen Faulkner, Cassonade started out in the mid-1970s as part of the rock duo, Plume & Cassonade. Although he had already broken out as a solo performer, in the 1980s Faulkner began recording under his own name, and moved in a more distinctly country direction...

Cal Cavendish - see artist discography

Cedar Creek "After Tonight" (Acclaim Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Andy DiMartino)
One of several bands to use the Cedar Creek name... Looks like this was a mainstream Canadian country band, although the studio crew was packed with Nashville heavies such as Charlie McCoy, Russ Hicks and Ray Edenton, although there are also a bunch of unfamiliar names, presumably some of them were actual bandmembers or Canadian sidemen. One song, Rory Bourke's "Took It Like A Man, Cried Like A Baby," had been a hit for Vern Gosdin and was also released as a single by Cedar Creek. Dunno much more about these guys, though.

The Chaparrals "Ridin' High" (Capitol Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Buck)
A mix of country and a little bit of old-school rock, this trio from Ontario covered hits like "Apartment Number 9," "Snakes Crawl At Night" and the Buddy Holly oldie, "Oh Boy," which came out as a single in '69. The group included lead singer Earl Fries on bass, drummer Fred Emberson, and Carl Kees on lead guitar... Mr. Kees may have been the most accomplished performer in the group: best known as a fiddler, he also played guitar and mandolin and got his professional start at age nine, playing barn dances back in the 1950s, and landed a gig on radio station CKOT in Tillsonburg when he was still in his teens; he later worked in the Good Brothers band and in the Ontario-based Rhythm Masters. This album got relatively wide distribution, both in Canada and the US, and was also released under the title The Chaparrals Sing Your Favorites.

Billy Charne "Billy Charne" (Sussex Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Sam Goldstein & Carl Walden)
An early album by Billy W. Chernoff, aka Billy Charne, a B.C. country singer and former rodeo clown who later became a Christian music artist. Under the patronage of Gary Buck and producer Ronnie Light, Chernoff recorded a string of singles in Canada and Nashville during the late 1960s and early 'Seventies, including "To Ma Ray, Tom O Ray," which topped the Canadian charts, and "Fresno Rodeo," which became one of his best-known tunes. Versions of both songs are on this album, which I believe was his only major-label release. It's a pretty groovy, rootsy record, dancing on the edges of the rock scene, but with a solid country core. Recorded with LA session player Jerry Cole on guitar, this is an underrated hippie-era gem, similar to Bobby Charles's album of the same era. Chernoff worked steadily through the '80s and '90s in a series of partnerships and bands, though in 1998 he switched his focus towards religious songwriting (though still with a country feel) and has self-released numerous albums over the years.

Billy Charne "Fresno Rodeo" (ATI Music, 1995) (LP)
(Produced by Ronny Light)
Oh, but how could I resist...?

Roland Charette "Roland Charette Au Violon" (Trans-Canada/TC Rigodon Records, 19--?) (LP)
French-Canadian fiddler Roland Charette was an accomplished bluegrass and old-timey musician who also did some country music studio work. This album was a regional/old-timey set, released as part of the Trans-Canada label's "Rigodon" series, which focussed on regional artists.

Roland Charette "Roland Charette" (Trans-Canada/TC Records, 19--?) (LP)
Another set showcasing Roland Charette on violin, and a more distinct bluegrass focus. Unfortunately, there are no musician credits... No release date, either, though it looks like a mid-1970s outing.

Roxanne Charette "'Aime Les P'tits Gars" (Marceno Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Andre Sevigny)
A French-Canadian child prodigy, Roxanne Charette was only nine years old when she recorded this debut album, which was a mix of chanson and country-ish material. She went on to record more solo work as a teen, and also did some session work alongside Roland Charette, who was likely her brother. She backed here by an in-house "band" called El Ranchos, which also provided backing for a couple of other albums on the Mareno label.

Roxanne Charette "Roxanne Charette" (Ouesteurne Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Gaetan Richard)

Roxanne (Charette) & Dougie (Trineer) "Country Duets" (His And Hers Productions, 19--?)
(Produced by Roxanne Charette & Dougie Trineer)

The Cheechoo Family "Graham Townsend Presents The Cheechoo Family" (Condor Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Graham Townsend)

Sinclair Cheechoo "Muskeg Fiddling Music: Sinclair Cheechoo, James Bay Cree Fiddler" (Sunshine Records, 1987)
(Produced by Kerry Hannah)

Sinclair Cheechoo "Sinclair Cheechoo Special" (Sunshine Records, 1994)

Thelma Cheechoo "Pa Ma Sei Win" (1996)

Nesbit Chhangur & My Sons "Jo-Anne" (Gretnes Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Nesbit Chhangur)
Well, this album certainly has more backstory than I expected. Although in his cheery liner notes Canadian citizen Nesbit Chhangur says that this was his first album, he neglects to mention that he also had a music career spanning back to the Second World War and that he had been a radio star (and recording artist) in his youth. Though he emigrated to Canada, Chhangur was born and grew up in the Berbice region of what at the time was known as British Guiana (now simply Guyana) on the Caribbean coast of South America. He first encountered country music on the radio, and initially modeled himself after Depression-era icon Jimmie Rodgers, yodeling as a teen on the airwaves of programs beaming out of the regional capitol, New Amsterdam. At night he would tune into distant AM radio signals that -- amazingly -- brought the sounds of country variety shows such as The Grand Ole Opry and the WWVA Jamboree, nearly three thousand miles away(!) His first records were 78s, some of which have been collected on CD and digital-only formats such as Bandcamp. He recorded a string of singles in the 1950s, the most famous of which is an ode to his hometown, "Sunny Corentyne." In the 'Sixties he recorded other regional songs, most notably a single which included the devastating political song "Guianese Lament," which was inspired by the civil unrest of the early 'Sixties which led to British military intervention in 1964 and addressed some of the complex racial politics of Guyana's colonial history. He also sang lighter-hearted material including numerous country love songs and, on a sojourn to Trinidad, topical novelty numbers like "Rock Around The Moon" and "Santa Samba." Chhangur emigrated to Canada in 1967, settling in Ottawa, where he worked as a school teacher and civil servant, and continued to perform, mainly at charitable events, though also on television and other venues. This album was made with backing from this three sons, Brian Chhangur (bass and percussion), Tony Chhangur (drums), Rohan Chhangur (keyboards), and Mr. Chhangur on lead vocals and guitar... It includes one song, "Together Let Us Give" sung by Sean Chhangur, a tribute to Texas called "Fort Worth I Love You," and an Elvis Presley tribute which was also released as a single. All three of his sons pursued musical careers, some in rock, others in jazz, though this humble country LP was where they got their start. A cultural hero in Guyana, Nesbit Chhangur has been the focus of several remarkably detailed online profiles, the most personal of which was the a lengthy Facebook post from around 2002 and a similar but slightly more circumspect profile on a Guyanese cultural website.

Gary Chipman "Down East" (MRR Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Don Dolron & Wayne King)
This is a fiddler's album, with full band backing soloist Gary Chipman, a Prince Edward Islander with a yen for traditional tunes. Chipman grew up as a devotee of fiddler Don Messer, listening to Messer on the radio as a kid, and learning his style so well by ear that the bandleader invited him to play with him on a number of occasions. Chipman stuck to it, and created his own tribute to Messer and his band, and continued to play ceilidh dances and other traditionally-oriented gigs well into the 21st Century.

Peter Chipman "You Girl" (Capcan Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Brooks)

Peter Chipman "I Love The Country In You" (Capcan Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Bruce Innes & Eric Robertson)

Peter Chipman "Romantically Yours" (Capcan Records, 1983) (LP)

Johnny Clark "A Tribute To Johnny Cash" (London Records, 19--?) (LP)

Terri Clark - see artist discography

Stu Clayton & His Trail Riders "The Dynamic, Incomparable Stu Clayton" (Frontier Records, 1966) (LP)

Stew Clayton "The Canadian Country Balladeer" (Cattle Records, 1985) (LP)
These dozen tracks were originally recorded in 1970 at a studio in Winnipeg, with Stew Clayton on rhythm guitar, Bob Marginet (bass, lead guitar and mandolin), Daniel Simoens (bass and mandolin). Almost all the songs are credited as Stew Clayton's own songs, along with a Carson Robison oldie and a version of "The Zebra Dun." The Cattle label liner notes are strictly biographical, don't discuss the circumstances surrounding these sessions, so I'm not sure if these are previously unreleased tracks, or if they'd been on some earlier album. At any rate, a nice slice of old-school Canadian western music.

Stew Clayton "Stew Clayton/My Canadian Home" (Birchmount ‎ Records, 1973) (LP)
Almost all the songs on this album are Stew Clayton originals, including regional pride tunes, such as "My Canadian Home," "The Canadian," "Renfrew Valley" and "New Manitoba Waltz," as well as tracks extolling rural life, and a couple of songs honoring Clayton's country music idols, "Ballad Of Wilf Carter" and "The Johnny Cash Song." The musicians include Stew Clayton on guitar and vocals, along with his wife, Marge Clayton on organ and harmony vocals, bassist Shirley Cabernel and Bob Margnet playing lead guitar. [Note: Due to a manufacturing inconsistency, this album can be considered to have two titles... The back cover dubs it "My Canadian Home," while the inner label only gives Claytons name.]

Stew Clayton "The Manitoba Balladeer" (Cynda Records, 1974-?) (LP)

Stew Clayton "Country" (Sunshine Records, 197-?) (LP)

Stew Clayton & Marge Clayton "Country Memories: Country Pickin' And Singin' " (Sunshine Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Hildebrand)

Stew Clayton "Down Home Country" (Sunshine Records, 19--?) (LP)

Stew Clayton "The Farmer: Songs Of The Earth" (Sunshine Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Ness Michaels, Kerry Hannah & Grant McTaggart)
A salt-of-the-earth themed album, with Stew Clayton digging deeply (and humorously) into the farming life, with songs such as "Nicest Thing About Hogs," "The Farmer's Alphabet," "Farmer's Life," "Lonely Old Farm Building," "Chicken Blues," and more... Mr. Clayton is back by Marge Clayton on piano, along with Gene Bretcher on banjo, fiddler Cline Dutiaume and harp player Robbie Cheswick.

Stew Clayton "The Farmer: Songs Of The Earth, Volume Two" (Sunshine Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ness Michaels & Kerry Hannah)
Worked so well the first time... This second volume of aggie anthems has perhaps a bit more thematic variety, with songs such as "My Boyhood Days On The Farm," "Pat McGinty's Mistake," "The Old Farmer's Song," "My Little Two Acre Farm" and "A Farmer's Conversation With His Mule," as well as a few country chestnuts like "The Old Homeplace," "Red River Valley" and "When The Work's All Done This Fall." The lineup of musicians is largely the same as on the first Farmer album: Stew and Marge Clayton, backed here by fiddler Clint Dutiaume, James W. Flett (guitar), Kerry Hannah (bass) and Gord Kidder on harp.

Stew Clayton "I'm Proud To Be Country" (Sunshine Records, 1981) (LP)

Stew Clayton "Hometown Ballads" (Sunshine Records, 1987) (LP)

Stew Clayton "The Yodeling Turkey" (Sunshine Records, 2002-?) (LP)

Don Cochrane "Don Cochrane" (Snocan Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Barry Brown, Ralph Carlson & Dave Todd)

Don Cochrane "Sweet Clover" (Broadland Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Paul David Murray)

Tex Cochrane "Pickin', Singin' 'N' Yodelin' Canadian Western Style" (Cattle Records, 1985) (LP)
A pioneering figure in the Canadian country music industry, Nova Scotian cowboy singer Gordon D. ("Tex") Cochrane (1914-1995) was from the same generation of twangsters as Hank Snow, although Cochrane never made the leap into wider fame down in the United States. After embarking on a radio career in 1935 and recording these tracks for the Canadian wing of RCA Victor, all sixteen of which are included here. In 1940, at the outbreak of World War Two, Cochrane enlisted and abandoned his musical career, remaining in the Canadian Army for over two decades before moving into civilian life. One of many obscure artists rescued from oblivion by the German reissue label, Cattle Records, Cochrane gave his blessing to this reissue, which was repackaged years later for the CD era.

Tex Cochrane "The Complete Canadian Yodel Song Sessions Of Tex Cochrane: 1937-39" (Cattle Records, 2003) (CD)
The Cattle label revisited Cochrane's career in the digital era, producing this disc which overlaps with the LP above, in a track-for-track reissue.

Cody "Alive... And Still Pickin' " (Boot Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Dougal Trineer)

Roger Collette "Roger Collette Chante" (Guitare Records, 19--?) (LP)
French-Canadian fiddler-singer Roger Collette (1933-2015) was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, and started his career in the early 1950s, touring with various bands, but perhaps most notably with singer Marcel Martel, who he backed in the late 'Fifties.

Roger Collette "Au Violon" (Guitare Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Johnny Comfort Band "Hank, You're Still The King!" (Comfort Records, 1980) (LP)

Stompin' Tom Connors -- see artist profile

E. J. Cooper "Country Cool: Just Call Me EJ" (E. J. Productions, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by John Ham & Gene Rice)
Well, shucks, I've heard of ersatz Elvis imitators, of course... But Willie Nelson imitators? That's a thing? Apparently Canadian country singer E. J. Cooper kept having people tell him how he looked and sounded so much like Willie that eventually he gave in and started a new career as a half-Nelson... That wasn't until the early 1990s, though, and this early album was just a regular old record, with Cooper traveling down to Nashville from Ontario to book a session with a bunch of Music City A-listers... Backing him here are Greg Galbraith on lead guitar, Sonny Garrish (steel guitar), Dave Hausinger (piano), Jerry Kroon (drums), Steve Schaffer (bass) and Bruce Watkins (who might be a little bit of an overachiever) playing banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin... The set is packed with original material, including songs from producer John Ham, as well as Tim Body, Ernie Rowell, and others... (Though nothing from Willie!) As far as I know, this was the only album by Mr. Cooper, who passed away in 2004 at age 72, although I'd like to imagine he did a whole album of Willie Nelson covers... And who knows? Maybe he did!

Copperfields "Copperfields" (Sunstorm Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Leary, Scot Schreckenpost & Zane Rudolph)
Some longhair country-rock stuff recorded in Vancouver... The group centered around the duo of Terry Freund and Jeff Moore, who wrote all the songs and are the lead singers and guitarists. Additional guitars (and overall guidance) come from co-producer Zane Rudolph, with additional pickers on banjo and bass.

Corey & Trina "Songs For Laughing And Dancing" (Quay Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Neil Bishop & Claude Caines)

Ricky Cormier "Canadian Junior Fiddle Champion" (Marathon Records, 1974) (LP)

Cornelia "Cornelia" (Fundy Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Hesler)
This was the debut album of French-Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist Cornelia Boucher Sutherland, who was born in Arichat, Cape Breton, on the diminutive Isle Madame, at Nova Scotia's most remote oceanic edges... She came to fame as a performer on the nationally-televised Tommy Hunter Show, performing under the mononym Cornelia, which she also used on several albums made with her husband, Billy MacLeod. She's backed here by a group called The New Breed, which featured Billy Budd on steel guitar, Paul Gauvin (electric guitar), George Johnstone (bass), and drummer Wayne Thompson (drums) and Cornelia herself playing piano and other instruments she had mastered in her youth. Though there are a few cover songs, notably including a version of Jesse Winchester's "Brand New Tennessee Waltz," most of the songs are her own originals, such as "You're Not Real Pretty But Your Mine" and "Long, Lonely Day." Although an ardent maritime regional artist, Cornelia eventually settled in Calgary, Canada's very-much inland country music capital.

Cornelia & Billy "Here's To John-Willie" (The Great Eastern Production Company, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Parks & Pat Martin)

Cornelia & Billy "Take Me Home" (19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Parks & Pat Martin)

Kim Cote "Road Of Life" (Westmount Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Country Bums "The Country Bums" (Camel Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Pimm)
A bunch of guys from Vancouver Island, probably sometime in the early 1980s... I'm not sure how much of a "band" this actually was, though I'm not entirely sure you could call it a compilation album, either... The songs seem to involve various configurations of over a dozen musicians, including several different guys who sang lead on various songs; some of the musicians seem to have had bands of their own, but the sessions were done as collectively as "The Country Bums." Anyway, these Bums included producer John Pimm on bass and electric guitar, along with Al Bulmer (lead guitar), Thom Cray Croft (vocals and guitar), Jerry Francis (vocals), Dave Gallant (acoustic guitar), Terry Murray (bass), Bill NuGraeff (dobro, steel, and slide guitar), John Payne (vocals and guitar), Frank Terpestra (vocals and guitar) Blaine Waldbauer (fiddle and piano), Bill Weldon (bass), Graham White (drums), and Wayne Wicks on drums... There's also a gal who's pictured in the group photo, who presumably sang harmony or something, but she's not identified by name. Anyone out there with insight into this albums, I'm all ears.

The Country Cougars "The Country Cougars" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)

Country Dream "That Man Of Mine" (Quay Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Neil Bishop & Claude Caines)
An old-fashioned, nostalgia-oriented country band from St. Jacques, Newfoundland, Country Dream was a showcase for singer-composer Marion Fiander who led the group along with her husband Ralph Fiander. Marion Fiander, who passed away in 2013, was perhaps an unlikely candidate to become a regional star -- despite her limited range and muted presentation, she radiated a peculiar brand of self-confidence and authenticity, and the Country Dream albums became quite popular in Newfoundland. The Fianders kept the ensemble going for at least a couple of decades, with a steadily shifting lineup of backing musicians, though usually including their longtime collaborator, multi-instrumentalist and studio owner Sim Savory, who plays accordion on this album. The full lineup also included veteran picker Mel Aucoin (on piano and steel guitar), Neil Bishop (guitar), Claude Caines (bass), Ted MacNeil (drums), along with Sim Savory, and of course the Fianders as lead vocalists. The repertoire is notably heavy on old-school country songs from the likes of Hank Snow, Hank Williams and Lorene Mann, as well as some newer material by the likes of Gayle Barnhill and Harlan Smith, as well as three originals credited to Marion Fiander: "Country Dream," "Sweetheart's Reply" and the title track, "That Man Of Mine."

Country Dream "Fisherman's Daughter" (SWC Productions, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Marion Fiander, Ralph Fiander, Nick Flemming & Guy King)
Likewise, this album is a mix of old-time country and newer songs working in the same style... The Fianders cover classics such as "Blue Velvet Band," "Knoxville Girl" and "Streets Of Baltimore," and add some new songs of their own, such as Marion Fiander's "Keep Your Mind On The Band" and "Fisherman's Daughter." The group's lineup includes Marion and Ralph Fiander on vocals, with Paul Canning (accordion), Nick Flemming (bass, guitar and piano), Dave Lush (banjo and steel guitar), and Bob O'Donovan fiddle. This came out on vinyl, but I think all their other records were cassette-only releases, including some solo albums Mrs. Fiander released under her own name in the 1990s.

Country Dream "Just For You" (SWC Productions, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Country Dream & Sim Savory)

Country Dream "Love Of A Sailor" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Marion Fiander, Ralph Fiander, Gerald May & Sim Savory)

The Country Ducats "You Can't Take The Country From The Man" (Marathon Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Hill)
The last album from an intriguing group from Port-Aux-Basques, Newfoundland who showed the steady gravitational pull of US-style country music in Canada during the 1960s and early 'Seventies. The Du-Cats first formed in the early 'Sixties and were one of Newfoundland's first youth bands to cut a full LP of rock-oriented material. They soon shifted gears from greasy kid's stuff, first refashioning themselves into The Ducats Showband, a UK/Irish-style variety act, and finally into the full-on country band heard on this album. About half the songs are Merle Haggard covers: "Every Fool Has A Rainbow," "Okie From Muskogee," "Someday We'll Look Back," and "Today I Started Loving You Again" augmented by a few other US country covers, as well as several originals credited to the band. These songs -- "Book Of Memories," "Heartbroken Fool," and "You Can't Take The Country From The Man" -- split the composer credits between guitarist Lewis Skinner and the band's new vocalist, Edward Rowsell, who later recorded under the stage name Eddie Eastman. Rowsell went solo right after this record came out, and adopted the Eastman person later in the decade, releasing several albums under that name. Also worth noting here is that this album was recorded in Nashville under the auspices of Music City producer Tommy Hill, doubtless with a full slate of (unnamed) Tennessee superpickers boosting the Ducats' country quotient.

The Country Rebels "Bluegrass" (Marathon Records, 1973) (LP)

The Country Troubadours "Live In The Far East" (B-A-B Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by "Flip")
Bob Cammidge and Ben "Smoky" Davidson were a couple of Canadians playing country covers for the US Air Force personnel stationed at Ching Chuan Kang air base, in Taiwan, in October 1970. They called themselves "the cowboy and Indian show," though I think they were both first-nation members, though they never specify in their what their tribal affiliations may have been. Their stage patter touches uncomfortably on the issue, though, slinging around some amiable stereotypes, notably on their intro to Jim Chesnutt's "Running Bare," which was a parody of an already-problematic songs. Anyway, these guys were pretty good -- robust and confident, and backed by a pretty solid band, plunking along in a Bakersfield-y style. They played a lot of recent hits and classics, stuff by Johnny Cash, Creedence Clearwater Revival and a big Buck Owens medley, along with contemporary hits like "Games People Play" and "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone." Not sure where exactly in Ontario these fellas were from, but they were definitely a long way from home when they did this NCO club gig at the height of the Vietnam War. Other than this album, there's no trace of this band online, so I dunno if they made any other records or played any other gigs...

The Countrymen "Musical Memories" (Colly Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by J. G. Clements & B. Meszaros)

Johnny Crago "Just Call Me Lonesome" (Big Chief Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dick Damron & Joe Kozak)

Red Crawford "Fiddlin' Favorites" (Aragon Records, 196-?) (LP)

The Creamcheeze Good-Time Band "Perth County Green" (Dominion Records, 1971) (LP)
A folk/bluegrass band from Perth County, Ontario...

The Creamcheeze Good-Time Band "Perth County Green" (MCA Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Buck & George Semkiw)

Crooked Stovepipe "Newfoundland Bluegrass" (Third Wave Productions, 1993)
(Produced by Neil Rosenberg, Don Ellis & Jim Rillie)
The first album, methinks, from one of Canada's longest-running bluegrass bands. Notable in the lineup is banjo picker and music scholar Neil V. Rosenberg, a Seattle native who emigrated to Canada in the late 'Sixties and formed this band in 1973. He's joined here by Don Randell on fiddle, Jim Rillie (bass), Ted Rowe (lead vocals and guitar), Scott Swinden (mandolin) and accordionist Baxter Wareham.

Crooked Stovepipe "Pickin' On The Rock" (Third Wave Productions, 1997)
(Produced by Neil Rosenberg, Spencer Crewe, Gary O'Driscoll & Jim Rillie)

Crooked Stovepipe "Live 'N' Pickin' " (19--?)

Cross Country Grass "Tribute To Bluegrass" (Boot Records, 1981) (LP)
A Ontario-based bluegrass band featuring Eddie LeBlanc on guitar and mandolin, Amon Savoie (dobro), Charlie Street (bass and mandolin), Kevin Sullivan (guitar and mandolin) and Czech emigre Buddy Weston (ne Vladimir Cech) on banjo. The album is mostly cover tunes, a mix of classics from the likes of Charlie Moore, Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe along with a smidge of country material -- a Carter Family oldie, a Kris Kristofferson tune and the like. Surprisingly little Canadian content, outside of a traditional folk tune, "Femme Aux Veux Bleu" and one original from Eddie LeBlanc, the title track, "Tribute To Bluegrass." LeBlanc may have been the driving force behind this band; several years later he also released a solo album, Changes..

Cross Country Grass "Papa's Wagon" (Boot Records, 1986) (LP)

Burt Cuff "From Newfoundland To Memphis" (Arc Records, 1966-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
A gruff-voiced singer from Carmanville, Newfoundland, Wilbert Stanley Cuff conjures comparisons to monotone moaners such as Johnny Cash, Dave Dudley and Dick Curless, with maybe a hint of Hank Snow in there for good measure. He made a name for himself with his first single, "Island Of Newfoundland," a regional pride anthem that was a minor hit in '66, prompting the Arc label to commission this album, which includes that tune, as well as his version of Charlie Rich's "Muddy Water," which cracked into the Canadian country Top Ten. Impressively, eight of the songs on this LP were Burt Cuff originals, and while not a powerful singer, Cuff certainly had his charms. The house band back him mostly seems like they're going through the motions -- although they sound good and project plenty of twang, they never really catch fire. A decent record with some great songs on it; as far as I know, this was his only full album.

The Cumberland Valley Clan "Great Country Hits" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
This album was part of Arc's "international" country series, and the group may actually have been from Nashville, with the disc relicensed for release in Canada. Includes covers of hits such as "BJ The DJ," "Saginaw, Michigan" and a bunch of older, more sentimental material such as "There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder," "You Are My Sunshine" and "I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes."

The Cumberland Valley Clan "Country Hits" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Apparently these were just hits, but not great hits?

Chris Cummings "Chris Cummings" (Warner Brothers, 1998)
(Produced by Ray Scott & Jim Ed Norman)
Fairly generic, though not overtly icky, commercial country from this Canadian chart-topper. I guess this one's actually a best-of set that's meant to introduce him to a US audience. Cummings has an adequate voice, combined with a command of the various pop-country formulae of the time. (Indeed, he's a bit on the twangy side, all things considered... ) Too many note-heavy lead guitar riffs, but plenty of fiddle and acoustic pickin' underneath it all... Cummings wrote most of the songs on here, along with producer Rick Scott... For what it's worth, songwriter Jim Lauderdale sings backup on here, somewhere in the mix...

Chris Cummings "Somewhere Inside" (Warner Brothers, 1996)

Chris Cummings "The Kind Of Heart That Breaks" (EP) (Warner Brothers, 1997)
A 5-song EP that includes "Lonesomeville" and the title track...

Chris Cummings "Lonesomeville" (Warner Brothers, 2000)
Not entirely sure what's going on here, but I think that this is an album that was shelved by the label and never really came out, though they might have tried a few tracks on radio. Anyway, some copies seem to be floating around, so if you're a fan, maybe you can track one down.

Chris Cummings "Ooh, That Could Cost Him the Gold, Bob!" (Warner Brothers, 2002)

Chris Cummings "Who Says You Can't?" (Koch Music, 2006)

Chris Cummings "Give Me Tonight" (Royalty Records, 2010)

Chris Cummings "Greatest Hits" (Warner Brothers, 2008)

Clint Curtiss "Sweet, Sweet Feeling" (RCA Camden, 1969) (LP)

Clint Curtiss "Clint Curtiss" (Dominion Records, 1971) (LP)

Clint Curtiss "Ode To Newfoundland" (Paragon Records, 1971) (LP)

Clint Curtiss & The Clintsmen "Nobody's Foolin' Me" (Dominion Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jury Krytiuk & Peter Houston)
A singer from Toronto, Canada... This is mostly cover tunes, with a perceptible Bakersfield bent -- stuff by Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and Tommy Collins -- as well as some Canadian regional pride from songwriter Roy Payne. There are also two originals by Clint Curtiss: the title track, "Nobody's Foolin' Me" and "Stand By Me Your Man," a rather awkwardly phrased answer to the Tammy Wynette hit, "Stand By Your Man." The album also includes "The Lady Let Her Hair Down," a song by Nevada bar owner Lenny Nast, who was a colorful but obscure figure in the country music demimonde. The Clintsmen included lead guitar and steel player Peter James, Bruce Easter on bass, and Mike Shane playing drums.

Clint Curtiss "I'm A Newfie Now" (Marathon Records, 1973) (LP)

Clint Curtiss "A Breed Of His Own" (Marathon Records, 1974) (LP)

Clint Curtiss "The Wayward Boy" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)

The C-Weed Band "The Finest You Can Buy" (Hawk Records, 1980) (LP)
This country-oriented Canadian jam-band from Winnipeg was led by singer Errol Ranville, who played in garage bands since the early 1960s, and finally struck gold with his chart-topping 1980 hit version of Robbie Robertson's "Evangeline," which established him as a bona fide country star. A Native American, Ranville also became a prominent first nations activist. In 2010, after decades of touring and recording, Ranville survived a horrific car crash which killed his wife... He recuperated and returned to the studio -- Ranville and The C-Weed Band have made about twenty albums, racking up numerous hits in Canada's Aboriginal and Country music charts.

The C-Weed Band "High & Dry" (Hawk Records, 1982) (LP)

The C-Weed Band "Going The Distance" (Hawk Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Craig Fotheringham & Errol Ranville)

Hick Music Index
Global Twang