Stephen Faulkner "A Cheval Donne On R'garde Pas La Brider" (Kebec-Disc, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Stephen Faulkner & Claude Allard)
Originally recording under the nom-du-twang of Cassonade, Quebecois country-rocker Stephen Faulkner started out in the mid-1970s rock duo, Plume & Cassonade, an eclectic act that had some country influences, but was definitely not a strict twangband. By the late 'Seventies he broken out as a solo performer, recording several singles and at least one LP under the name Cassonade. I think this was his first album recording under his own name, and with a more distinctly country direction and bilingual French-English... There's still a heavy rock flavor, with slick almost glitzy production and an occasionally aggro feel... He comes off as sort of a French-Canadian Vince Gill, with perhaps a hint of Springsteen or John Mellencamp in there as well; definitely in a focussed, commercial orientation. Although this is a little too slick for me, it includes his transliterated French-language version of the Buck Owens classic, "Close Up The Honky Tonks," which is pretty tasty.
Wayne Fehr "Mood Country" (Sunshine Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ness Michaels & John Hildebrand)
Wayne Fehr "Buckskin And Satin" (Sunshine Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Halldorson & John Hildebrand)
An album's worth of all-original country stuff, recorded in Winnipeg, Canada by a twenty-eight year old songwriter... The liner notes include a testimonial from Jim Zeck, the program director of country station CKLQ, in Brandon, Manitoba. No info, alas, about Fehr's backing musicians...
Troy Ferguson "O'Lunney's Presents Troy Ferguson, Sue Smith & The Country Gentlemen" (O'Lunney's Presents, 1975) (LP)
Shirley Field "Two Sides Of Shirley Field" (Banff Records, 1963) (LP)
A Canadian cowgal from Armstrong, British Columbia whose career dates back to the 1940s -- in her early teens Ms. Field was a regional star, playing at rodeos and hosting her own radio show. She landed a gig playing with Evan Kemp's band, then started her own group, the Country Casuals, which she led through the 'Fifties. Later on she and her sister led an all-gal band called the Dartells, while Shirley formed several several long-term duets partnerships over the years. This was her first album, recorded in Ontario after she'd sojourned to Nashville, where she cut a few singles and even played at the Opry the year before. This album featured heartsongs on one side and yodeling on the other... [Many thanks to 45cat.com for their awesome Shirley Field biography, in addition to info about her singles.]
Shirley Field "Yours Sincerely" (Banff Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dougal Trineer & George Taylor)
Shirley Field & Billy G. French "Together" (Vintage Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Art Snider & Glenn Clarke)
First Edition Of The Final Addition "Genuine Country" (19--?) (LP)
Joe Firth "Too Many Memories" (Marathon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Joe Firth "Country" (Boot Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Webster & Curt Allen)
Joe Firth "Me And The Old Promised Land" (Boot Records, 1981) (LP)
Joe Firth "Bottle Of Tears" (Boot Records, 198-?) (LP)
Gary Fjellgaard "No Time To Lose" (Savannah Records, 1986-?) (LP)
(Produced by Howie Vickers)
Neil Flanz "...Et Son Nashville Steel" (Trans-Canada Records, 1962) (LP)
The first solo album by steel player Neil Flanz, who anchored the house band of a Canadian TV show called Star Route, which was hosted by Rod Cameron. Originally from Montreal, Flanz toured with Gary Buck and a number of other Canadian country stars before making the move to Nashville, where he worked with several older, more traditionally-oriented artists. Flanz may be best known to modern country fans as a member of Gram Parson's early-'Seventies band, The Fallen Angels, which backed Parsons and his then-protege, Emmylou Harris, on their fabled 1973 tour.
Neil Flanz "Get On The Star Route" (Arc Music, 1964) (LP)
A pleasant set of pedal steel instrumentals showcasing the steel prowess of Neil Flanz, who was still deeply embedded in the Canadian country scene. Of particular interest on this album are the low notes Flanz delves into, as opposed to the standard higher-end tonalities that typify pedal steel work.
Neil Flanz "Special Instructions Album" (Sho-Bud Records, 1972) (LP)
The Fogartys "Hold Your Head Up Newfoundlander" (Audat Records, 1972) (LP)
Though they were celebrating Newfoundland on this disc, The Fogartys were a family band from Windsor, Nova Scotia. The group centered around siblings Debby, John and Mike Fogarty, with Debby Fogarty often spotlighted as lead singer, and John Fogarty the principal songwriter. They were popular in the Maritimes province, but despite cutting several albums they didn't quite break through to national stardom. Their albums alternated between "family" discs and those that presented Debby Fogarty as a solo artist. The Fogartys also worked with the same set of backing musicians on all these albums -- Walter Alward, Glenn Horton, Danny Murray and Roy Thompson -- though sadly wouldn't say who played which instruments. (Also please note: this is one of those groups that was challenged in its use of punctuation -- they consistently spelled their band name as "The Fogarty's," but they were wrong.)
Debby Fogarty & The Fogartys "Since I Met You" (Audat Records, 1972) (LP)
Debby Fogarty "Leavin' Caroline" (Audat Records, 19--?) (LP)
The Fogartys "Canadian" (Audat Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Al Feeney)
A pretty satifying hard-country set with John Fogarty writing most of the songs, and showing a strong debt to Merle Haggard, mostly in tone, though a few songs clearly mimic specific Haggard hits. The title track, "Canadian," is a grouchy patriotic tune modeled after "Okie From Muskogee" (did hippie-era Canada really have a crisis in waning national pride??) while "Dad And Doctor Dave" was almost a straight rip-off of "Daddy Frank." Don't get me wrong: I'm not criticizing them for copying Merle; I think it's kind of neat, and besides they were hardly the only ones. In addition to the deluge of songs credited to John Fogarty, there are also a couple of tracks contributed by their sidemen, including Glenn Horton's "Show Off" and "Rajau Cajun," from Roy Thompson. A solid album, overall.
The Foggy River Band "Foggy River Band" (FRB Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Garry McDonall)
A rootsy band from Kingman, Alberta which was formed in 1984 by some veteran country bar-banders. The group included Rudy Famulak (fiddle), Zigmund Famulak (lead guitar), Lee Penman (drums), Ray Peterson (bass), Vern Peterson (rhythm guitar), and Bobby Wilson (piano). The songs seem to be mostly original material, with the Petersons writing songs, and the Famulaks specializing in instrumentals. Standouts include the Peterson-penned "The Radio Song," and "Beside Me Forever," and regional-pride songs such as "Ballad Of Foggy River," "Edmonton" and "Johnny Canuck And Uncle Sam."
Willie Forbes "Oak Island Story" (The Great Eastern Production Company, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Al Feeney)
George Fox "George Fox" (WEA Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Lowe & Jerry Martin)
George Fox "With All My Might" (WEA Records, 19--?) (LP)
Dave Francey "Jolson Songs Country Style" (Canatal Records, 19--) (LP)
(Produced by Art Snider)
Ray Francis & The Whipporwhills "Country Jamboree" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Ray Francis & The Whipporwhills "Two Sides Of Country" (Condor Records, 19--?) (LP)
Ray Francis "Good Old Days" (Condor Records, 1975) (LP)
Fraser & DeBolt "...With Ian Guenther" (Columbia Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Craig Allen)
The Canadian folk duo of Allan Fraser and Daisy DeBolt (1945–2011) along with fiddler Ian Guenther...
Fraser & DeBolt "With Pleasure" (Columbia Records, 1973) (LP)
Les Freres Boulianne "Western Evangelique" (Bonanza Records, 197-?) (LP)
The Frontiersmen "A Little More Line" (Cascade Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Stone)
Bryan Fustukian "Fustukian" (Vera Cruz Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bryan Fustukian & Wes Dakus)
Canadian country singer Bryan Fustukian started his career as '60s pop singer Vik Armen, though he found even greater success as a radio deejay and concert promoter. In the '70s he "went country," and went back to his birth name for a while. This was his first country album, and he sure had a love for the oldies -- real oldies from the honky tonk and pre-honkytonk eras of Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. Amid cover songs such as "Honky Tonk Women," "Red River Valley," "Long Black Veil" and "California Blues," he adds a few tunes of his own, such as "Sing Me A Jimmie Roders Song," "Lonesome Cowboy Song" and "Phyllis (Wait For The Wagon)." Backing him on this disc is his longtime collaborator Wes Dakus, whose 'Sixties band the Rebels was kind of Canada's answer to Cliff Richards & The Shadows... Dakus also went country in the 'Seventies, releasing a string of rootsy records on his Vera Cruz label.
Bryan Fustukian "Always" (Battle River Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bryan Fustukian & Laurence Pugh)
Bryan Fustukian & The Battle River Band "Live At The Cook County Saloon" (Battle River Records) (LP)
(Produced by Bryan Fustukian)
Canada has long had a vibrant love of country music, often tinged with strong regional pride and songs extolling the great Northern expanse. Some artists, of course, became well-known down south, but for every Hank Snow there are literally thousands of other musicians who never made it to Nashville, or never even tried. At any rate, the Canadian country scene is huge, and deserves to be celebrated in its own right. I'm pretty sure I'm only scratching the surface here, and welcome any recommendations, additions or corrections. 
