Roy MacCaull "Country Boy" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Bessey & Jack Boswell)
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Chesley Roy MacCaull (1937-2023) was a native of Prince Edward Island, and started his professional career as a teen, eventually moving to the bright lights of Toronto to form his band, The Blue Diamonds, in 1966. The group included the considerable talents of Al Hooper, bassist-fiddler Eddie Poirier and guitarist Doug Watters, who each also had solo careers of their own.
Roy MacCaull & The Blue Diamonds "Country Western Round Up" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Bessey & Jack Boswell)
This one isn't actually listed as a Roy MacCaull album, but rather as a joint effort with all four of the Blue Diamonds listed as separate artists, and each of them showcased as a solo artist on several tracks. I'm adding it to the Roy MacCaull pile, anyway.
Roy MacCaull "This Mighty And Wicked Land" (Paragon Records, 1968-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Bessey & Jack Boswell)
Roy MacCaull "Mandolin -- Country Style" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by William Brassard & Jacques LaFleur)
Part of Roy MacCaull's mystique was that his was a multiple-threat multi-instrumentalist, proficient on banjo, bass, fiddle, guitar, piano and -- of course -- mandolin. Intriguingly, this album was also issued as La Mandoline, with the song titles translated into French, pitching it to the French-Canadian market. Even more mysterious if the producer credits for Mssrs. William Brassard and Jacques LaFleur, who I suspect are the same as Bill Bessey and Jack Boswell, as they are credited on MacCaull's English-market albums. (No idea which versions of their names are the originals, the Anglo, or the Gallic...) This is mostly a set of standards, although it includes one Roy MacCaull original, "My Love For You Has Turned To Hate."
Roy MacCaull "Roy MacCaull" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Bessey & Jack Boswell)
Roy MacCaull "Country Road" (Marathon Records, 197--?) (LP)
I'm not sure if the Blue Diamonds had been disbanded, but there was at least a partial change in the lineup for this album, as the liner notes inform us that multi-instrumentalist Eddie Poirier is joined by guitarist Red Shea (Gordon Lightfoot's accompanist) as featured artists. The rest of the musicians were not, alas, identified, nor does the album include producer credits, or composer credits. Presumably there's plenty of Canadian content, though the title track is indeed a cover of the John Denver song, and there's also a version of Tom Paxton's "Lesson Too Late For The Learning." Oddly, the album was almost immediately reissued and newly retitled When The Sun Goes Down, spotlighting an original from Roy MacCaull's own repertoire.
Roy MacCaull "When The Sun Goes Down" (Marathon Records, 1972--?) (LP)
Kind of a little hiccup here, as this album, previously released as Country Road was renamed When The Sun Goes Down, presumably because the first title was too generic and didn't get Canadian fans running to the stores to pick up a copy, or maybe MacCaull just wanted more credit as a songwriter. Anyway, this has the exact same songs and even the exact same liner notes as the original edition, and -- sadly -- the exact same lack of information about who produced or played on the album, and when it came out.
Roy MacCaull "Drifting Like The Wind" (Marathon Records, 197--?) (LP)
Roy MacCaull "Ballad Of The Hotel Waitress" (Paragon, 1974) (LP)
Hank MacDonald & The Roving Brakemen "One More Ride" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Hank MacDonald "The Bachelor's Train" (Cattle Records, 1986) (LP)
Pete MacDonald & The Country Gentlemen "The New Young Country Sound" (Dart Records) (LP)
Harold MacIntyre "My Country Way" (Cheyenne Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Munro)
A sort of back-to-basics honkytonker from Nova Scotia, Harold MacIntyre is backed here on his first album by a compact band drawn from producer Bobby Munro's stable of studio musicians... The lineup includes Harold MacIntyre on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Larry Dee (steel guitar), Roddy Lee (drums), Albert MacDonald (lead guitar), Bobby Munro (piano), and bass player Dottie Randall. This album came out in several editions, including one version on the Condor label.
Harold MacIntyre "Area Code 705" (Diamond Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Coad & Larry Lee)
Harold MacIntyre "Honky Tonk Fever" (Burco Records, 19-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Coad)
Harold MacIntyre "Tragic Romancer" (Audiograph, 1983-?) (LP)
Harold MacIntyre "The Horse And The Rider" (Audiograph Records, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Coad & Bill Anderson, Jr.)
Wayne Mack "I'll Miss You Tomorrow" (Grand Slam Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Dallas Harms & Paul David Mercey)
The MacKay Brothers "Bye Bye Love" (Arc Records, 196--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
The Canadian brother duo of Jim MacKay and Keith MacKay were originally from Sault St. Marie, Ontario, where they worked in Fred Kent's band, The Northernaires, and performed on a weekly TV show hosted by country DJ Don Ramsay. As the album title suggests, they had a classic brother-harmony sound, and packed about half this album with Everly Brothers cover songs. The other tracks, though, were MacKay Brother originals, capitalizing on their previous success composing some of country star Gary Buck's early hits, such as "Nighthawk" and "Suit Of Sorrows." Gary Buck and his band back the brothers on this album, with Bill Bartlett on percussion, Rolly Chambers (rhythm guitar), Neil Flanz (pedal steel), and James Milne on drums, and Buck himself playing bass and contributing glowing liner notes. I'm not sure where Jimmy MacKay went from here, but Keith MacKay landed a gig playing lead guitar in Buck's outfit, and recorded at least one album under his own name.
Keith MacKay "Through Those Swinging Doors" (Arc Records, 196-?) (LP)
Straight-up country covers by Canadian honkytonker Keith MacKay...Plenty of bouncy Bakersfield vibes -- contemporary Merle Haggard and Buck Owens hits along with jaunty novelty numbers such as "I Gotta Call The Law On Me" and "Six Pack To Go." This was MacKay's first solo album; at the time he was working full-time as the lead guitar player in Gary Buck's band. A few tunes are credited as MacKay originals, including "5th Avenue" and "Colour In My Blues"; although uncredited, it seems likely that "I Gotta Call The Law On Me" was also a MacKay original, as he seems to have been the only artist to record it. Alas, the liner notes don't tell us who backed him on this album, though I'd guess it was Gary Buck and his band. MacKay was not a particularly strong vocalist, and he makes a few odd choices in his phrasing... Perhaps his greatest stylistic sympathy is with Nashville's Bill Anderson, heard most clearly on this album's version of "Bright Lights And Country Music," which is the most solid vocal performance on this album. A little wobbly, but worth a spin.
Artie MacLaren & The Mustangs "The Race Is On" (Arc Records, 19--?)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Artie MacLaren & The Mustangs "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Artie MacLaren "The Webb Pierce Songbook" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Artie MacLaren "Shake The Dust" (Paragon Records, 1973) (LP)
Artie MacLaren "Down Home Country" (Broadland Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Dallas Harms)
Artie MacLaren "Songs Of Love And Life" (Broadland, 1978) (LP)
Artie MacLaren "The Entertainer" (Broadland, 1979-?) (LP)
Artie MacLaren "Mornin' Sun On The Rise" (Condor Records, 197-?) (LP)
Pat Maheu "Pat Maheu" (Trans-Canada Records, 19--?) (LP)
Gerry Malley "Fiddlin' For Fun" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Elgin Mann "Elgin Mann" (Quest Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Pennington, Charlie McCoy, Pete Drake & Elgin Mann)
A Canadian singer getting the full Nashville treatment with backing by an all-star studio crew... Hailing from the Medicine Hat area, Elgin Mann started his career during the rockabilly era of the late 1950s, fronting the Mann Brothers band, along with siblings Jimmy and Melvin. By the mid-1960s he shifted his focus onto a solo career, and moved more firmly into the country music world, traveling to Nashville to cut a single for Columbia Records, with more Music City forays to follow. As far as I know, this was his only full LP.
Marie "Ma Belle Province, Avec Marie" (Caprice Records)
Marie "La Reine Du Country Et Western" (Caprice, 1979)
Pete Markestein & The Hushpuppies "Ode To A CB Shack And Other Ballads" (ARI/Academy Records International, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Markestein)
Aggressively authentic folk ditties about CB (citizen band, good buddy) radio, which I guess was as big in Ontario, Canada as it was down south in the US. This album is primarily Pete Markestein and acoustic guitar, bashing away in a driving, post-Woody style folk, kinda like early Phil Ochs, seemingly hemmed-in, but with a real drive to break through, and he get's a little intense. He shifts into a twangier, slightly rockabilly mode on later songs, though to be honest, it's hard to listen to it all, as the lyrics are so monomaniacal and so similar from song to song, each of which cycles through the same CB'er lingo, which may have been different in Canada than down here, who knows. Even the band (which was probably all just Mr. Markestein) and its members names are jokes based on the jargon... The Hushpuppies aliases include arranger S. Kip (referring to atmospheric distortions that "skip" transmissions from one region to another, along the same frequency band), lyricist Lynn Near (a pun on linear amps, which boost a CB's signal) as well as cover layout by K.L.O. Watt, and "art" by M.O. Dulation, who were both apparently actually Mr. Markestein, but whose combined names help set forth a few basics of radio. Mr. Markestein had a day job as an art director; he also led a straight country band called The Whipporwills, who made at last one album of straight country stuff in the early 1960s.
Pete Markestein & The Hushpuppies "Return To Skipper's Jail And Other Ballads" (Land Of Enchantment C.B. Club, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Markestein)
Although there seems to be a New Mexico connection here (maybe the Whipporwills played some shows there?) the liner notes confirm Mr. Markestein's Ontarian origins. The music and album art are pretty much the same as on the previous album, though this one has several songs making reference to the FCC, so perhaps this is meant to be a "south of the border" counterpart to the first LP.
Marcel Martel "Mon Coeur Est Comme Un Train" (London Records, 1964) (LP)
Marcel Martel "Ma Belle Prairie" (Carnaval Records, 1965) (LP)
Marcel Martel "Dans Mon Vallon" (Carnaval Records, 1965) (LP)
Marcel Martel/Paul Brunelle "Volume 1" (Bonanza Records, 1965) (LP)
Though pictured together on the front cover, this is actually a split LP, with each singer performing on alternate tracks; it seems likely this is reissue material, though I haven't fully dug into it yet.
Renee Martel "Mon Roman D'Amour" (Spectrum Records, 1971) (LP)
Renee Martel "Un Coin Du Ciel" (Disques #1, 1981) (LP)
Joe Mason "...And His One Man Band" (Westmount Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by P. Bentley)
A mix of country, pop, and polka/dance material by novelty performer Joe Mason, who played six different instruments at once. Mason hailed from Calgary, Alberta and favored Canadian content, with three songs by labelmate Cal Cavendish and two from Ray Griff, along with classic country covers such as "Devil Woman," "Please Release Me," "and Tennessee Waltz." This album includes steel guitar by J. Barge, so apparently it's difficult to work the pedal steel while also playing the kazoo, drums, etc.
Danny Mayer & The Mavericks "Happy Anniversary To Mom And Dad" (Destiny International, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Herman Van Dyk)
This includes several original songs, including the title track, along with covers of Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty and Don Williams...
Patti Mayo & Spade Nielsen & The Gamblers "If Only You Would Notice" (Birchmount Records, 1970) (LP)
Patti Mayo "Patti Mayo" (Dyna-West Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Shaw)
Patti Mayo "Patti Mayo" (Dyna-West Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Cowsill, Al Remple & Jim Wilson)
Roy McCaull & The Blue Diamonds "Mandolin Country Style" (Paragon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Ray McAuley "Sometimes Good, Sometimes Bad" (RCA-Canada, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Laurie Wallace & Ed Molyski)
Just as his star was beginning to rise, Canadian country singer Ray McAuley (1945-1978) passed away unexpectedly from an aneurysm, after releasing this lone album in 1977. McAuley was from an English-speaking family in Douglastown, Gaspe, Quebec, and co-founded the Wild Country band in Montreal with guitar picker Ed Molyski.
Ray McAuley "Memories" (RCA-Canada, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Laurie Wallace)
A posthumous album, made of odds and sods assembled by the guys in Wild Country. Most tracks feature spoken introductions by McAuleys bandmate, Ed Molyski.
Ron McLeod "On Top Of The World With Country Music" (Arc Records, 1964-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Singer Ron McLeod (1933-2009) was born in and started his career as a local squaredance caller, later becoming a regular performer on TV-11's "Country Hoedown" musical revue, and also hosted his own Jamboree show on TV station CHCH, in his hometown of Hamilton, backed by The Lincoln County Boys. This debut album includes juicy tunes such as the stalker-delic "I Can't Let You Say Goodbye," "Cigarette Song" "Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart," "Ghost Town" and "Suicide."
Ron McLeod "On The Road With Ron McLeod" (Arc Records, 196-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Ron McLeod "Okeefanokee" (Quality Records Limited, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Buck)
This was his fourth album, mostly covers of songs by other artists -- Bill Anderson, Ray Griff, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers -- with three songs written by McLeod: "Okeefanokee," "Heaven's Special Child" and "Here Stood I." Sadly, no info on the musicians backing him.
Mickey McGivern & Dean Hutchinson "Dobro Mountain Music" (Arc Records, 196-?) (LP)
Although the liner notes extol the wonders of resophonic steel guitars, they don't also pause to take a moment to tell us where dobro player Dean Hutchinson was from... Alas. But Mickey McGivern? Well, glad you asked: the Ontario-born guitar picker was sort of like the Chet Atkins of Canadian country music, doing hundreds and hundreds of sessions for the Arc label in its glory years, and it's kinda cool he finally cut an album under his own name... it's an instrumental set with McGivern playing lead acoustic, paired with dobro player Dean Hutchinson. Also on board are Herb Young on rhythm guitar and bassist John Burke; a subsequent album recorded just under Hutchinson's name also featured McGivern playing acoustic, but with a different backing band.
Mickey McGivern "Twelve String Guitar" (Arc Records, 196-?) (LP)
Mickey McGivern & The Mustangs "Hard Times" (Arc Records, 1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Mickey McGivern "Down East Country Pickin' " (Marathon Records, 197-?) (LP)
Fred McKenna "...Of CBC TV Singalong Jubilee" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Canadian multi-instrumentalist Fred McKenna (1934-1977) was born blind and picked up music as a kid, developing an unusual style based on the Hawaiian lap steel technique, where he placed his guitar flat on his lap, picking and playing the chords palms-down. Other musicians, such as Thumbs Carlisle, have played lap-style guitar, although McKenna also learned several other string instruments this way as well, including the banjo, fiddle and mandolin. Although he died young, McKenna had a very successful career, recording prolifically, playing on CBC radio and TV and producing numerous records for other artists. Towards the end of his life, McKenna was hired by George Hamilton IV as the music director for Hamilton's nationally syndicated TV show. (Thanks to The Canadian Country Music Association for filling in a few blanks on McKenna's career.)
Fred McKenna "Steel Rail Blues" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Fred McKenna "Plain Old Three Chord Hurtin' County Songs" (RCA-Camden, 19--?) (LP)
Ron McLeod "Country Music On Top Of The World" (Arc Records, 1966-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
Ron McLeod "Okeefanokee" (Quality Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Buck)
John McManaman "Five String Banjo Festival" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Joe McMullin "Memories Of Green Fields" (Oxhead Records, 19--?) (LP) 1
Ron McMunn "The Silver Fox Cuts Country" (Banff Records, 1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Mongeau)
To his credit, Canadian honkytonk'n'bluegrass singer Ron McMunn didn't steal Charlie Rich's nickname; if anything it was the other way around, since McMunn was called "the Silver Fox" 'way back in the early 1960s... A veteran of Ontario's "Seaway Valley" country scene, McMunn sang in English and stuck to pretty straightforward twang, playing bouncy barroom ballads and old-fashioned heartsongs. On this early album he pays homage to Buck Owens, covering a bunch of hits either written or recorded by Owens as the Bakersfield Sound broke onto the global stage.
Ron McMunn "One More Country Song" (Banff Records, 1967-?) (LP)
Ron McMunn "Country Music With Ron McMunn" (Banff Records, 196-?) (LP)
Ron McMunn "Sing 'M Good 'N Country" (Banff/Rodeo Records, 196-?) (LP)
Ron McMunn "Blue Grass Cannonball" (Banff Records, 196-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Ayoub & Paul Mongeau)
Ron McMunn "Reserve Me A Table" (Fox Land Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Josh Graves)
Ron McMunn "Live From Mississippi Country Hotel" (Fox Land Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Todd)
Jim Medd "Country Comfort" (Homestead Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Harry Busby, Richard Knechtel & Jim Medd)
This fellow seems to have been from Ontario, recording with a home team that included guitarists Ken Ducharme, Richard Knechtel and Jim Nott, bassist Glenn Nott, Evan Ehgoetz on steel, and others. Mostly it's straight up country covers, classics by Don Gibson, Merle Haggard, Willie and Waylon and the boys... There's also one original, credited to producer Knechtel, a tune called "Virginia," which modestly closes the album at the end of Side Two.
Paul Menard "...Plays Don Messer" (Point Records, 19--?) (LP)
A tribute to legendary fiddler Don Messer...
The Mercey Brothers - see artist discography
The Don Messer Quartet "...Plays Country Music" (Apex Records, 19--?) (LP)
The Myers Brothers "...And The Jubilaires" (Vintage Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Friesen)
Despite the gospel-sounding name of their backing band, this is a solidly secular set of Canadian pop-country and honkytonk. The Jubilaires were a country band from Ontario that formed in 1956, featuring guitar picker Oscar Demers, fiddler Roland Lozon, and Ray Trahan on drums; Ray and Roland Myers joined the group in 1960. Previously they had been child stars on the Casey Clarke Jamboree and met the guys in the Jubilaires while performing on the CKNX Barn Dance. This set includes a bunch of standard-issue cover tunes -- stuff like Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee," "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and "Me And Bobby McGee" -- along with several originals by Ray Myers: "Karen," "Once In A While," "People People People," and "Waiting." A re-jiggered edition of the band (without the Myers boys) made its way to Nashville to cut an album as The Jubilaires II.
Ray Meyers "Two Sides Of Oldtime Music" (Audat Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Kozak)
Ray Meyers "Orange Blossom Special" (19--?) (LP)
Mark Middler "On The Rebound" (Black Bear Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Peter D'Amico)
Midnight Express "In Session" (MBS, 1978) (LP)
Ted Miller "...And Those Rodeo Cowboys" (Country Style Records And Tapes, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Engel)
The Minglewood Band "Out On A Limb" (RCA-Canada, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Donald Duck Dunn & Bobby Manuel)
A Canadian boogie-rock'n'twang band led by guitarist Matt Minglewood, who headed down to Memphis, Tennessee to record with producer Donald "Duck" Dunn, and get a little of that Muscle Shoals vibe. It's pretty clompy and dino-rockish, if you ask me. There is one song of interest to twangfans, though, "Hank Williams Said It," one of several tracks written by Mr. Minglewood; Duck Dunn plays on that track. Mostly, though, not really my cup of tea.
Roger Miron "Volume 1: Votre Troubadour" (Rusticana/London Records) (LP)
Roger Miron "Volume 2" (RCA Victor-Canada, 19--?) (LP)
Roger Miron "Dans Ma Vallee" (RCA Victor-Canada, 19--?) (LP)
Roger Miron "Inter..West..Pop... Avec Roger Miron" (Guitare Records, 1973-?) (LP)
Roger Miron "Au Coeur Du Country" (Amical Records, 1986) (LP)
Miss Red Wing "...And The Hackamores" (Plaza Records, 1964-?) (LP)
The somewhat enigmatic Miss Red Wing was (putatively) a first nations artist who was not averse to playing up to the Nashville version of Native American culture... This album includes a version of Johnny Preston's hit, "Running Bear," as well as some Don Gibson songs, and an old Johnny & Jack tune, "One By One." Not much info on the el cheapo Plaza label, which may have been a spinoff of the Point label, which also put out several albums featuring the Hackamores. One of these was an album with a gal named June Davey, which I suspect was a pseudonym of Miss Red Wing. Or vice versa. If I find out, I'll let you know.
Miss Shirley "A Kitty Wells Songbook" (Arc Records, 1967-?) (LP)
Born in Matepedia, Quebec, "Miss" Shirley Timmins moved to Toronto in the late 1950s and sang in local nightclubs and bars, as well as some radio and tv gigs. This was, I think, her first album, though there's no indication of when it was made, or who the musicians were backing her.
Missiles "More Than A Friend" (Colly Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Clements & Al Gain)
Donna Moon "Bittersweet" (Marathon Records, 1973) (LP)
The debut album by Donna Moon, a singer from Madoc, Ontario who had a huge hit with her first single, "Bittersweet," and went on to become a nationally known figure, charting regularly and appearing on various television shows. She later married singer Gary Fairburn, who she met in 1974, and became a show promoter, as well as performing regularly in the United States in the late '70s and '80s.
Donna Moon "Donna Moon" (Marathon Records, 1974) (LP)
Donna Moon "My America: Songs Of God And Country" (Moon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Earl Morin & The Western Ramblers "Restless One" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Originally from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Earl Morin started out playing music over the radio in his hometown while also dabbling as a radio announcer. After moving to Edmonton, he pursued broadcasting as a career, while also forming his own band, the Western Ramblers, who back him on this disc. Sadly, as with many of the Arc LPs, this doesn't provide the musicians' names or tell us when the album came out. There are some partial songwriting credits, though, which reveal Morin as the composer of four songs: "Crazy Little Whistle," "Dreamsville Train," "You Can Call Me Sweetheart" and "You Walked On My Heart." Mr. Morin seems to have been into trains, as he also cover the country golden odlie, "Wreck Of The Old 97."
Earl Morin "Wheels Of Love" (Arc Records, 1968-?) (LP)
Oddly, this album exactly duplicates the liner notes of his previous LP, including the lack of release date and information about the session musicians. Oh, well. As on his Restless One album, this showcases four new songs penned by Earl Morin, including "Alberta Lady," "Molly Mary, Marry Me", "Wheels Of Love" and "Whispering Trade Winds." He also plays songs by Johnny Cash, Leroy Van Dyke, Jim Reeves and covers three Hank Snow classics.
Earl Morin "Wheels Of Love" (Earl Records, 19--?) (LP)
This appears to be a self-released souvenir album, with Morin's picture on the front and a blank, white back cover. I agree: that's a little discouraging. Anyway, I'm not sure if this came out before his Arc albums, or after, but there's a lot of overlap, with over half the songs here also appearing on his Restless One album, possibly the same recordings, though possibly they are different takes. I dunno. There are also two Earl Morin compositions that don't appear on either of the albums above, "Train To Nowhere" and "You Loved My Friend" (which is certainly a promising song title!) He also covers "Love Letter In The Sand" and once called "Heap Big Smoke," which apparently comes to us via Louis Prima, way back when. Again, no indication when this came out, or who was in the backing band(s).
Morn'n Sun "On The Rise" (Condor Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Coad & Gene Rice)
Leon Morris "Walkin' Home To Pittsburg" (Folly Records/Musical Markets, Inc., 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Morris, Marvin Myrtle & R. N. Drevo)
Bluegrass with country touches... Originally from Toronto, Canada, Leon Morris played guitar on Geordie Tapp's "Saturday Night Jamboree" show before moving to the US in the late 1950s, where he got into the East Coast bluegrass scene. This album was recorded in Silver Spring, Maryland with a band that included Leon Morris on guitar, Mike Auldridge (dobro), Bob Wilkerson (banjo), mandolin by Frankie Short and Smiley Hobbs; bass by Ray Griffin and Gary Henderson. There are versions of "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Sugarfoot Rag," as well as more mainstream bluegrass fare, such as "Banks Of The Ohio" and "Old Joe Clark."
Leon Morris "Places And Friends I Once Knew" (19--?) (LP)
Mike Mulhern "Hello Country Singer" (Phonodisc Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Noubarian)
Vic Mullen "Blue Grass Banjo" (Banff Records, 19--?) (LP)
Yvonne Murray "Yvonne Murray" (MCG Records, 1983) (LP)
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. 
