Tommy Wade & The Country Rebels "Bluegrass Country" (Condor Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Spooner & Ken Freisen)
Les Wagoneers "Pour Toi Les Lumieres S'Allument" (Bonanza Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Menand)
Not to be confused with either the '90s Nashvillers, or with Porter Wagoner's backing band of the same name, the Wagoneers were the Quebeqois husband-wife duo of Lorraine Boisvert and Marcel Boisvert (d. 2014), who sang and composed French-language country music. Several tracks on this album are credited to the Boisverts, notably two instrumentals composed by Marcel Boisvert which end of each side of the disc; there are also two tracks credited to Gaetan Richard, "Que Dieu Protege Notre Amour" and "Unis Devant Dieu Desunis Par Le Juge." As far as I know this album (and its attendant single) was the only record by the Boisverts... Mr. Boisvert was a businessman, running a heating company in Ontario; in later years he performed with a local group called the John Fletcher Band.
Les Wagoneers "Les Wagoneers" (Souvenir Records, 19--?) (LP)
I believe this may have been a reissue of the record above...
Angus Walker & The Birch Mountain Boys "Blue Grass Songs" (1961) (LP)
Angus Walker & The Birch Mountain Boys "Bluegrass Special" (19--?) (LP)
Angus Walker & The Birch Mountain Boys "Let's Sing Blue Grass Songs" (Rodeo Records, 19--?) (LP)
Angus Walker "...Picks 16 Country And Western Hits" (1963) (LP)
Angus Walker "Introducing Canada's Prime Minister Of Country Music" (Cynda Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Angus Walker)
Michael T. Wall "The Singing Newfoundlander" (Banff Records, 1973) (LP)
Michael T. Wall "More Of Canada's Singing Newfoundlander" (Banff Records, 1975) (LP)
Michael T. Wall "On Stage At Molly'N'Me" (Banff Records, 1975) (LP)
Michael T. Wall "King Of The Newfies" (Boot Records, 1978) (LP)
Michael T. Wall "Sing Along With Michael T. Hall" (Canadian Country Music, 1983) (LP)
David Walsh "Somewhere In Canada" (Charta Records, 197-?) (LP)
Roy Warhurst "Country Feelin' " (MCA Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Buck)
Roy Warhurst & Dick Damron "Northwest Rebellion" (Westwood Records, 1976) (LP)
Jerry Warren "Country Blue Boy" (Canadian Talent Library, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Art Snider & Glen Clarke)
A former rockabilly singer from Ontario, Canada, Jerry Warren was a wicked guitar player who "went country" in the late 1960s and released his first LP in '73, starting a hot streak that propelled him to the top of the Canadian charts and established him both as a songwriter and performer. This disc includes several originals by Warren, along with tunes from other Canadian songwriters, including a version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Ten Degrees And Gettin' Colder." He also tips his Strat towards Nashville, covering hits by George Jones, Jerry Reed and Cindy Walker. Augmenting his own career, Warren worked prolifically as a session guitarist and even dabbled in producing other Canadian artists. He died young in 1991 from a heart attack at age fifty-four, but left a bunch of cool music as his legacy.
Jerry Warren "From The Falls To The Coast" (United Artists Records, 1974) (LP)
Warren's rise was truly meteoric, though brief, with his second album producing a #1 hit in Canada, "Big Red Jimmy," part of a flock of original songs in this set. All but two of the songs were Warren originals, including gems such as "I'll Never Write Another Happy Song" and a reprise of one of his old Capitol singles, "Meanest Man." He also covers Marty Robbins ("Don't Worry") and Kris Kristofferson ("Why Me, Lord") but for the most part this is a triumph of northern twang. For whatever reasons, Warren retreated into the background after this: he penned several singles for other Canadian up-and-comers, and produced an album for his brother Lee Warren, but I'm not sure if he released another full LP of his own... There were a few singles in 1990-91, which sadly came out around the time Warren passed away. Love to see a comprehensive collection of his work come out, though!
Lee Warren "Money, Marbles & Chalk" (Grand Slam Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Warren & Ken Friesen)
The brother of rockabilly-turned chart-topper Jerry Warren, Canadian honkytonker Lee Warren kicked off his career with a boost from his sibling, who produced this disc and added a couple of his songs to the mix. Four of the tracks are originals by Lee Warren, however, leavened with classy covers of stuff from the States, by artists such as Wayne Kemp, Willie Nelson and Marty Robbins, as well as another rendition of Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee." Jerry Warren plays guitar on this album, along with backing by Mel Aucoin, Johnny Burke, Roddy Lee, Bobby Lucier, and backing vocals by the Laurie Bowen Singers. Warren later self-released some stuff during the CD era, though I don't have the retails on those discs.
Peter Webb "Melody Trails By The Surrey Cowboy" (19--?) (LP)
Al West "...And Friends" (West Productions, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Murray Fiesel, Dave Harle & Ken Hartfield)
A singer from southern Saskachewan, mostly singing cover tunes, also with some local Canadian content, including one original co-written by Al West and Don Young, called "People With The Power." The individual band members aren't listed, but some of his "friends" include a couple of guys who sing lead on one song each, Andy Elek (covering "Fraulein") and Reg Prince ("Today I Started Loving You Again"). The liner notes inform us that at the time Reg Prince was also in a couple of different bands, Jagged Edge and The Little Brown Jug.
Gordie West "Alberta Bound" (Westwood Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Davies)
The first album by Calgary native Gordie West, a youthful singer with an affinity for older country material. West was no novice: he'd been singing and playing in local bands since the early 1960s, but didn't take it seriously until around 1974, when he quit his day job as a power plant engineer, and started touring across Canada and the UK, including a lot of lounge and pub shows. While his voice wasn't very powerful or varied, he had an appealing presence, and though there's a lot of western and regional material (including three separate songs with "Alberta" in the title) there's also a modern flair with a little hint of rock'n'roll in the mix that positions West as an improbably bridge between old and new, between Hank Snow, say, and someone like Corb Lund... with perhaps a whiff of Slim Whitman in the mix as well. It's worth noting that despite all the Canadian lyrical themes, this was was recorded and released in the UK, with backing by a number of British country enthusiasts -- Stewart Barnes (lead guitar), Billy Bennett (rhythm guitar), Steve Hughes (bass), Gary Thistlewaite (bass and steel guitar) and Slim Pickins (dobro and steel), with Gordie West singing and playing acoustic. Some of this is fun, some of it's a bit thin... maybe best in small doses?
Gordie West "Love And Dreams" (Westwood Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Davies)
This second album on Westwood features mostly the same set of UK pickers... I guess Gordie West only made two albums, both for the Westwood label, although he continued to play shows for decades back in Canada -- most notably at the Calgary Stampede. Eventually he formed The Gordie West Band with bassist Mike Dygert and a floating number of additional musicians.
Honey West "Meet Honey West" (Paragon Records, 1969-?) (LP)
Ontario's answer to Tammy Wynette, Honey West had a pretty good run in the early 1970s, releasing at least a half dozen albums... Does anyone out there know more about this gal?
Honey West "A Touch Of Honey" (Paragon Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Bessey & Jack Boswell)
Honey West "Sweet Dreams" (Paragon Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Bessey & Jack Boswell)
Includes a bunch of Tammy Wynette covers, plus other countrypolitan ballads...
Honey West "The Moods Of My Man" (Paragon Records, 1971) (LP)
Honey West "Country Soul" (Marathon Records, 1972) (LP)
This was her fifth album -- nice breezy stuff, pleasant though a little poppy. Honey West had a similar vibe to Nashville's Connie Smith, though not as much emotional or dynamic range. Still, if you enjoy countrypolitan-era "girl" vocals with a subliminal hint of girl-group pop, you might dig this Canadian cowgal. Most of the songs are "CanCon" (Canadian content) penned by folks like Terry Carisse, Arlene Gordon, Dave Peever, Bruce Rawlins and Wayne Rostad, and a version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Cotton Jenny." There are also some covers of American country hits, and while the liner notes don't include the names of those non-Canadian composers, you'll know the tunes: "Good Lovin'," Susan Raye's "LA International Airport," and (ugh) yet another rendition of "You Gave Me A Mountain." A little fluffy, but nice.
Honey West & Joe Firth "Getting Together" (Marathon Records, 1972) (LP)
Honey West "Silver Bells" (Marathon Records, 1972) (LP)
A straight-up set of Christmas standards; no originals as far as I can tell.
Honey West "In The Shadows Of The Past" (Marathon Records, 1973) (LP)
Carmen Westfall "Talk Around Town" (Reba Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by David C. Burt, Bob Doidge & Carmen Westfall)
Russ Wheeler & The Echo Valley Boys "Tragic Romance" (Banff/Rodeo Records, 1965-?) (LP)
Canadian bandleader Russ Wheeler (1933-2004) was born in Priceville, New Brunswick, but worked all over Canada, starting back in the early 1950s, including radio gigs in Ontario... He started his own band, The Echo Valley Boys, around 1956 when he relocated to Toronto and became a fixture on the East Coast Canadian country scene. This early album features a bunch of sentimental material, the type of tragedy ballads and sentimental songs favored by the Louvin Brothers and other old-school hillbilly artists.
Billy Whelan "Canadian Country Souvenirs Of The 1950's" (Cattle Records, 1984) (LP)
A Canadian country old-timer, Billy Whelan (1919-1987) started his professional career as a teen in Nova Scotia, and built his career playing on a series of local and regional radio stations in Halifax and throughout the Maritime Provinces. This album is a set of his classic recordings of the 1950s -- the Cattle LP liner notes list all twelve tracks as having been recorded in 1956 -- and though they probably first came out as 78rpm singles, all of these songs were previously included on the Banff Records LPs below... This is basically a reissue of the Country Memories album, with two additional tracks from the gospel collection that followed. Most of the songs were covers of well-known American hits, including standards such as "Anytime," "Bouquet Of Roses," "Letter Edged In Black," and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," with an obvious predilection for softer-style crooners like Eddy Arnold and Hank Locklin. Though long out of print, this '80s collector's edition is probably a lot easier to track down than the Canadian originals.
Billy Whelan "Country Memories With Billy Whelan" (Banff Records, 19--?) (LP)
Billy Whelan "Near The Cross With Billy Whelan" (Banff Records, 19--?) (LP)
Whisky Hollow "We Know Better" (Shotgun Music Corporation, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Beach)
Recorded and produced in Ontario, Canada, this album includes three songs written by lead singer Lew Wilde ("Barroom Devil," "Mason Dixon Line" and "Heart Of Dixie") along with one by lead guitar Guy Wilkes ("Keep On Tryin'") and a cover of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles." Also in the band are fiddler R. J. Nellzy, Pat Brousseau on bass, and Joe Allain on pedal steel.
Tony White "Good Ole Country Music" (RCA-Canada, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Kunkel)
Recorded in Calgary, this album features backing by pianist Ron Barnes, John Burg (steel guitar and dobro), Terry Kruger (banjo), Larry Kunkel (guitar), Lloyd Kunkel (bass), Jim Pepperdine on drums, and others...
Chris Whitely & Caitlin Hanford "Lovin' In Advance" (Troubadour Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Whitely)
Wilf & Doug "The Country Million-Airs" (Hi-Lite Records, 19--?) (LP)
Brent Williams "On The Go" (Paragon Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Boswell & Bill Bessey)
Nova Scotia's Brent Williams started his career in the early 'Sixties, playing in some East Coast bluegrass bands, notably Vic Mullens' group, The Birch Mountain Boys, which included another Nova Scotian, Harry Cromwell, with whom he formed a successful duo act, Brent & Harry. They became Canada's first black country music stars, recording two albums in the late 'Sixties before Williams kicked off his solo career with this fine debut. He's backed by some Canadian studio pros, with Williams playing fiddle and guitar, Al Brisco on steel, Johnny Green (drums) and Ollie Strong (bass), working through a mostly-standards set including covers of "All I Have To Offer You Is Me," "Green, Green Grass Of Home," "Me And Bobby McGee," "Saginaw, Michigan," and others. The original songs include his own "Soft, Soft Shoulders" and "Stand Up Sleeping." The back cover reveals, perhaps unconsciously, the challenges Williams faced as a person of color recording in this era: the liner notes by Rex Glen go on and on about how Williams' career was stalled out, but his plucky spirit kept him going, and Glen hardly seems to notice the annoyance Williams felt when, predictably, he was asked to compare himself to Charley Pride. (" 'Oh well,' says Brent, 'It really doesn't matter. There is still room for negro singers in country music and Charlie (sic) made it before I did, unfortunately for me.' ") It probably doesn't help, keen observers may note, that we are also informed that Williams and his band were sponsored by a fried chicken restaurant in Toronto. Regardless, his career extended well into the 1980s and beyond, with some modest chart success mid-decade, after he switched to the Boot label.
Buddy Williams "Farming" (RCA, 1977) (LP)
Chuck Williams & Wanda Williams "Born To Love You" (Big Chief Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Lawson & Donn Petrak)
Lefty Williams "Country Style" (Canatal Records, 1964-?) (LP)
Tim Williams "It's Enough To Be Remembered" (Dyna-West Records, 19--?) (LP)
Tim Williams "Writin' This Song" (Dyna-West Records, 19--?) (LP)
Hal Willis "Mr. Lumberjack" (Arc Records, 1966-?) (LP)
Hal Willis "Mr. Lumberjack, Volume 2" (Arc Records, 1967-?) (LP)
Hal Willis "Le Lumberjack" (Bonanza Records, 197-?) (LP)
Hal Willis "Santa's Clones" (Pearl International Records, 1998) (LP)
Hal Willis "Coast To Coast" (Pearl International Records, 2000) (LP)
Tom Wilson & Border Bluegrass "Electric Radio" (Rodeo Records, 19--?) (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. 
