The Tragically Hip
Encyclopedia
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian
rock
band
from Kingston, Ontario
, consisting of Gordon Downie
(lead vocals and guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Rob Baker (guitar, known as Bobby Baker until 1994), Gord Sinclair (bass) and Johnny Fay (drums). Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles. Nine of their albums have reached #1 in Canada. They have received numerous Canadian Music awards, including 14 Juno Awards.
movie Elephant Parts
. In the mid 80s they performed in small music venues in Ontario until being discovered by MCA
. They were then signed to a long-term record deal with MCA, and recorded the self-titled EP
The Tragically Hip
.
They followed up with 1989's Up to Here. This album produced four singles, "Blow at High Dough
", "New Orleans Is Sinking
", "Boots or Hearts." and "38 Years Old
". All four of these songs became staples of modern rock radio play lists in Canada. Road Apples followed in 1991, producing three singles ("Little Bones
," "Twist My Arm
" and "Three Pistols
") and reaching #1 on Canadian record charts. During the Road Apples tour, Downie became recognized for ranting and telling fictional stories during songs, such as Highway Girl and New Orleans is Sinking.
The sound on these first two full-length albums is sometimes characterized as "blues-tinged," although there are definite acoustic punctuations throughout both discs. While the band failed to achieve significant international success with these first two albums, their sales and dominance of modern rock radio in Canada gave them license to subsequently explore their sound.
in 1992, which produced the singles "Locked in the Trunk of a Car
", "Courage
" and "The Hundredth Meridian". The Hip created and headlined the first Another Roadside Attraction
tour at this time, both to act as a vehicle for their touring, and to promote other Canadian acts. Many songs from Day For Night were first performed prior to their release during the 1993 Another Roadside Attraction Tour. Nautical Disaster was played frequently in the middle of New Orleans is Sinking, an early version of Thugs was tested, and Downie sung lyrics from many other Day For Night songs, such as Grace, Too, Scared and Emergency, during this tour.
Day for Night was then released in 1994, producing six singles. Trouble at the Henhouse
followed in 1996, producing five singles, including "Butts Wigglin", which would also appear on the soundtrack to the Kids in the Hall
movie Brain Candy
. Live Between Us
, was recorded on the subsequent tour at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan
Many critics and fans consider this the era in which the band defined and explored a unique sound and ethos, leaving behind all earlier blues
influence. Downie's singing became fuller and stronger, while the band experimented with song structures and chord progressions. Songs explored the themes of Canadian geography and history, water and land, all motifs that became heavily associated with the Hip. While Fully Completely began an exploration of deeper themes and is suitably highly revered, many critics consider Day for Night to be the Hip's artistry most fully realized. The sound here is typically called "enigmatic" and "dark", while critic MacKenzie Wilson praises "the minimalism of Downie's poignancy." It was on the follow-up tour for this album that the band made its first and only appearance on Saturday Night Live
, thanks in large part to the finagling of fellow Canadian Dan Aykroyd
.
In July 1996, The Hip headlined Edenfest. This historic three-day concert took place at Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, just a few months after releasing the LP Trouble At The Henouse. The concert sold over 70,000 tickets total for the event, and was attended by another estimated 20,000 people who walked into the concert site after the outside security broke down. The band's overall popularity in their native Canada during this era was very much on par with that of U2
and Pearl Jam
.
, which produced five singles. It won the 1999 Juno Award
s for Best Rock Album
and Best Album Design
. The album has been certified platinum three times over in Canada.
In February 1999, The Hip played the very first concert at the brand new Air Canada Centre
in Toronto, Ontario.
2000 saw the release of Music @ Work. It won the 2001 Juno Award
for Best Rock Album
. The album featured back-up vocals from Julie Doiron
on a number of tracks, and reached #2 on the Canadian Billboard Charts. In spite of its chart success, this album was considered a disappointment by many critics and fans and the band's lofty - even patriotic - popularity began to decline at this point.
In 2002, In Violet Light
was released, along with three singles from the album. It became certified platinum in Canada.
October 10, 2002, The Tragically Hip performed two songs, "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken", and "Poets", as part of a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II. They also recorded a cover of "Black Day in July", a song about the 1967 12th Street Riot
in Detroit, on Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot
in 2003.
was released in 2004 in the #1 position in Canada. It has since sold over 100,000 copies.
At the 92nd Grey Cup
held November 21, 2004, the band provided the halftime entertainment in front of a packed house at Frank Clair Stadium
in Ottawa.
In October 2005, several radio stations temporarily stopped playing "New Orleans Is Sinking
", out of sensitivity to the victims of Hurricane Katrina
, which had devastated the city in early September of that year.
On November 1, 2005, The Hip released a double CD, double DVD box set, Hipeponymous
, including all of their singles and music videos to date, a backstage documentary called "Macroscopic", an animated Hip-scored short film entitled "The Right Whale", two brand new songs ("No Threat" and "The New Maybe"), a full-length concert from November 2004 That Night in Toronto
, and a 2-CD greatest hits collection Yer Favourites
(selected on-line by 150,000 fans). On November 8, 2005, Yer Favourites and That Night In Toronto were released individually.
In 2006 another studio album, entitled World Container
, was released, being notably produced by Bob Rock
. It produced four singles, and reached the #1 spot on the Canadian rock music charts. The band toured concert dates in major Canadian cities, and then as an opening act for The Who
on several US dates. A tour of Eastern Canada, Europe
, and select cities in the United States occurred late in the year.
On February 23, 2008, The Hip returned to their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, where they were the first live act to perform at the new K-Rock Centre.
In 2009, the band again worked with producer Bob Rock, and We Are the Same
was released in North America on April 7, 2009. It produced three singles. To promote We Are the Same the band invited The Hour's George Stroumboulopoulos
for a live interview at The Bath House Recording Studio in Bath, Ontario (where most of the album was recorded), and they played seven new songs as well as unique versions of five other songs. The interview and performance were broadcast live in more than eighty theatres across Canada.
On January 22, 2010, the band performed "Fiddler's Green" at the "Canada for Haiti" telethon to aid earthquake victims in that country. This was broadcast nationally on all three of Canada's main networks (CBC
, Global
and CTV
).
Downie stated in a 2010 interview that The Tragically Hip are entertaining the idea of keeping the production of their next album "within their family", hinting that Gordon Sinclair is being considered as their next producer.
On June 25th, 2011, The Tragically Hip graced the shores of Pigeon Lake in Bobcaygeon, Ontario, a small town which gained huge popularity when the Hip released the single "Bobcaygeon" off the 1998 album Phantom Power. The song is most popularily known for the lyrics "It was in Bobcaygeon, where i saw the constillations reveal themselves one star at time". The show was attended by more than 25,000 fans, most of them pitching tents on land around the area turned into make-shift campgrounds. Many locals were able to walk down a side road and stand just behind the fences fairly close to the stage to enjoy the show. The day started off rainy and overcast, but by the time the hip hit the stage, the sky was clear, and just as everyone had hoped, the constillations did reveal themselves one star ata time. Videos titled "Bobcaygeon in Bobcaygeon" can be found all over the internet. At this show the Hip released a special edition concert t-shirt depicting a map Ontario in constillations. Also performing at this show were The Trews and Sam Roberts. T
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, consisting of Gordon Downie
Gordon Downie
Gordon Edgar Downie is a Canadian rock musician, writer and occasional actor. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He has released three solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001, Battle of the Nudes in 2003; and The Grand Bounce in 2010...
(lead vocals and guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Rob Baker (guitar, known as Bobby Baker until 1994), Gord Sinclair (bass) and Johnny Fay (drums). Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles. Nine of their albums have reached #1 in Canada. They have received numerous Canadian Music awards, including 14 Juno Awards.
Early history (1983-1991)
The Tragically Hip formed in 1983. Guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986; while saxophonist Davis Manning left that same year. They took their name from a skit in the Michael NesmithMichael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
movie Elephant Parts
Elephant Parts
Elephant Parts is a collection of comedy and music videos made in 1981 by Michael Nesmith, former member of the Monkees. Nesmith produced the video through his company Pacific Arts, using money he inherited from his mother, the inventor of Liquid Paper...
. In the mid 80s they performed in small music venues in Ontario until being discovered by MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
. They were then signed to a long-term record deal with MCA, and recorded the self-titled EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip EP
The Tragically Hip is the first release from Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip.The EP was produced by Ken Greer of Red Rider fame.-Track listing:#"Small Town Bringdown" – 3:05#"Last American Exit" – 3:50...
.
They followed up with 1989's Up to Here. This album produced four singles, "Blow at High Dough
Blow at High Dough
"Blow at High Dough" is the first single by The Tragically Hip from their debut studio album, Up to Here. The song was later used in the CBC Television series Made in Canada as the opening theme song. The song reached #1 on the RPM CANCON chart....
", "New Orleans Is Sinking
New Orleans Is Sinking
"New Orleans Is Sinking" is the second single released by The Tragically Hip from the band's debut studio album, Up to Here. The song reached #1 on the RPM Canadian Content chart. The song has since become one of the band's signature songs and still receives consistent radio airplay...
", "Boots or Hearts." and "38 Years Old
38 Years Old
"38 Years Old" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released as a single from the band's debut studio album, Up to Here. The song was written in Memphis during their recording of the album. It is a fictional account of a real-life escape from Millhaven Institution in the band's...
". All four of these songs became staples of modern rock radio play lists in Canada. Road Apples followed in 1991, producing three singles ("Little Bones
Little Bones
"Little Bones" is the first single by The Tragically Hip from the band's second studio album, Road Apples. The song was successful in Canada, peaking at #11 on the Canadian RPM Singles chart. It is one of the band's most popular songs and still receives consistent airplay on Canadian rock radio...
," "Twist My Arm
Twist My Arm
"Twist My Arm" is the third single by The Tragically Hip from the band's second studio album, Road Apples.-Charts:...
" and "Three Pistols
Three Pistols
"Three Pistols" is the second single by The Tragically Hip from the band's second studio album, Road Apples. The song reached #1 on the RPM CANCON chart.-Charts:...
") and reaching #1 on Canadian record charts. During the Road Apples tour, Downie became recognized for ranting and telling fictional stories during songs, such as Highway Girl and New Orleans is Sinking.
The sound on these first two full-length albums is sometimes characterized as "blues-tinged," although there are definite acoustic punctuations throughout both discs. While the band failed to achieve significant international success with these first two albums, their sales and dominance of modern rock radio in Canada gave them license to subsequently explore their sound.
1992-1996
The Hip released another album, Fully CompletelyFully Completely
Fully Completely is the third full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It reached #1 on the RPM Top 100 albums chart, their second album to do so. The album is listed at #5 on The Top 100 Canadian Albums by Bob Mersereau and #9 on The Top 102 Modern Rock Albums of All Time by...
in 1992, which produced the singles "Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Locked in the Trunk of a Car
"Locked in the Trunk of a Car" is the first single by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip from their third studio album, Fully Completely. The song was written from the perspective of late Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte while kidnapped by the FLQ during the October Crisis of 1970.The...
", "Courage
Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
"Courage" is a song by The Tragically Hip, released as the third single from their 1992 album Fully Completely. The song's bracketed title references the late author Hugh MacLennan, particularly his 1959 novel The Watch That Ends the Night which is paraphrased in the song's lyrics.The song was...
" and "The Hundredth Meridian". The Hip created and headlined the first Another Roadside Attraction
Another Roadside Attraction (festival)
Another Roadside Attraction is a now-defunct travelling music-and-arts summer festival developed by The Tragically Hip, the first of which took place in 1993. It promoted little-known bands and traveled all across Canada...
tour at this time, both to act as a vehicle for their touring, and to promote other Canadian acts. Many songs from Day For Night were first performed prior to their release during the 1993 Another Roadside Attraction Tour. Nautical Disaster was played frequently in the middle of New Orleans is Sinking, an early version of Thugs was tested, and Downie sung lyrics from many other Day For Night songs, such as Grace, Too, Scared and Emergency, during this tour.
Day for Night was then released in 1994, producing six singles. Trouble at the Henhouse
Trouble at the Henhouse
Trouble at the Henhouse is the fifth full-length album from Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released on May 7, 1996. Produced by the band and Mark Vreeken, the album was mixed by Steven Drake, guitarist for Canadian band Odds, which had toured with the Hip the previous year...
followed in 1996, producing five singles, including "Butts Wigglin", which would also appear on the soundtrack to the Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
movie Brain Candy
Brain Candy
Brain Candy is a feature film by The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy troupe. Directed by Kelly Makin, filmed in Toronto, and released in 1996, it followed the five season run of their television series, which had been successful in both Canada and the United States.The five man team plays all...
. Live Between Us
Live Between Us
Live Between Us is the first full-length live album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in May 1997.The album was recorded in Detroit, Michigan in 1996, during the tour supporting Trouble at the Henhouse....
, was recorded on the subsequent tour at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Many critics and fans consider this the era in which the band defined and explored a unique sound and ethos, leaving behind all earlier blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
influence. Downie's singing became fuller and stronger, while the band experimented with song structures and chord progressions. Songs explored the themes of Canadian geography and history, water and land, all motifs that became heavily associated with the Hip. While Fully Completely began an exploration of deeper themes and is suitably highly revered, many critics consider Day for Night to be the Hip's artistry most fully realized. The sound here is typically called "enigmatic" and "dark", while critic MacKenzie Wilson praises "the minimalism of Downie's poignancy." It was on the follow-up tour for this album that the band made its first and only appearance on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, thanks in large part to the finagling of fellow Canadian Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
.
In July 1996, The Hip headlined Edenfest. This historic three-day concert took place at Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, just a few months after releasing the LP Trouble At The Henouse. The concert sold over 70,000 tickets total for the event, and was attended by another estimated 20,000 people who walked into the concert site after the outside security broke down. The band's overall popularity in their native Canada during this era was very much on par with that of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
.
1998-2003
In 1998, the band released their seventh full-length album, Phantom PowerPhantom Power (The Tragically Hip album)
Phantom Power is the sixth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was released in 1998. It won the 1999 Juno Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Album Design. The song "Bobcaygeon" won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000...
, which produced five singles. It won the 1999 Juno Award
Juno Awards of 1999
The Juno Awards of 1999 honouring Canadian music industry achievements were held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The primary ceremonies at Copps Coliseum on 7 March 1999 were broadcast by CBC Television and hosted by Mike Bullard....
s for Best Rock Album
Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "Rock Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1991, as recognition each year for the best rock album in Canada. The award was previously called a number of other names, including the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" and "Best Rock Album"....
and Best Album Design
Juno Award for CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year
The Juno Award for "CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year" has been awarded since 1975, as recognition each year for the best album art for a music recording in Canada...
. The album has been certified platinum three times over in Canada.
In February 1999, The Hip played the very first concert at the brand new Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
in Toronto, Ontario.
2000 saw the release of Music @ Work. It won the 2001 Juno Award
Juno Awards of 2001
The Juno Awards of 2001 were held in Hamilton, Ontario Canada during the weekend of 3-4 March 2001.The primary ceremonies were hosted by Rick Mercer at Copps Coliseum on 4 March 2001 and broadcast on CBC Television...
for Best Rock Album
Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "Rock Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1991, as recognition each year for the best rock album in Canada. The award was previously called a number of other names, including the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" and "Best Rock Album"....
. The album featured back-up vocals from Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron is an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage.-Background:Doiron started playing guitar in Eric's Trip at the age of eighteen, having joined the band at the insistence of her then-boyfriend, Rick White, also of Eric's Trip...
on a number of tracks, and reached #2 on the Canadian Billboard Charts. In spite of its chart success, this album was considered a disappointment by many critics and fans and the band's lofty - even patriotic - popularity began to decline at this point.
In 2002, In Violet Light
In Violet Light
In Violet Light is the eighth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in 2002 and was produced by Hugh Padgham...
was released, along with three singles from the album. It became certified platinum in Canada.
October 10, 2002, The Tragically Hip performed two songs, "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken", and "Poets", as part of a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II. They also recorded a cover of "Black Day in July", a song about the 1967 12th Street Riot
12th Street riot
The 1967 Detroit riot, also known as the 12th Street riot, was a civil disturbance in Detroit, Michigan, that began in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 23, 1967. The precipitating event was a police raid of an unlicensed, after-hours bar then known as a blind pig, on the corner of 12th and...
in Detroit, on Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot
Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot
Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, released in 2003 on Borealis Records.-Track listing:# Cowboy Junkies, "The Way I Feel"# Jesse Winchester, "Sundown"# Ron Sexsmith, "Drifters"...
in 2003.
2004-present
In Between EvolutionIn Between Evolution
In Between Evolution is the ninth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was recorded at Studio X in Seattle and was released June 29, 2004. The album debuted at #1 in Canada, selling 22,500 copies in its first week. However, sales of the album dropped by 50 percent the...
was released in 2004 in the #1 position in Canada. It has since sold over 100,000 copies.
At the 92nd Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
held November 21, 2004, the band provided the halftime entertainment in front of a packed house at Frank Clair Stadium
Frank Clair Stadium
Frank Clair Stadium is a Canadian football stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Lansdowne Park, on the southern edge of The Glebe neighbourhood, where Bank Street crosses the Rideau Canal.-Tenants:...
in Ottawa.
In October 2005, several radio stations temporarily stopped playing "New Orleans Is Sinking
New Orleans Is Sinking
"New Orleans Is Sinking" is the second single released by The Tragically Hip from the band's debut studio album, Up to Here. The song reached #1 on the RPM Canadian Content chart. The song has since become one of the band's signature songs and still receives consistent radio airplay...
", out of sensitivity to the victims of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, which had devastated the city in early September of that year.
On November 1, 2005, The Hip released a double CD, double DVD box set, Hipeponymous
Hipeponymous
Hipeponymous is a limited-edition boxed set by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released on November 1, 2005. The album has been certified Platinum in Canada....
, including all of their singles and music videos to date, a backstage documentary called "Macroscopic", an animated Hip-scored short film entitled "The Right Whale", two brand new songs ("No Threat" and "The New Maybe"), a full-length concert from November 2004 That Night in Toronto
That Night in Toronto
That Night in Toronto is a live concert DVD featuring Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, filmed and directed by filmmaking brothers Pierre and Francois Lamoureux....
, and a 2-CD greatest hits collection Yer Favourites
Yer Favourites
Yer Favourites is a two-disc compilation album by The Tragically Hip. The tracks for Yer Favourites were selected by the band's fans on its website and were remastered...
(selected on-line by 150,000 fans). On November 8, 2005, Yer Favourites and That Night In Toronto were released individually.
In 2006 another studio album, entitled World Container
World Container
World Container is the tenth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in Canada on October 17, 2006, in two formats: as a limited edition Digipak and regular jewel case. The United States release was March 6, 2007, in advance of a planned tour. This album was...
, was released, being notably produced by Bob Rock
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...
. It produced four singles, and reached the #1 spot on the Canadian rock music charts. The band toured concert dates in major Canadian cities, and then as an opening act for The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
on several US dates. A tour of Eastern Canada, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and select cities in the United States occurred late in the year.
On February 23, 2008, The Hip returned to their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, where they were the first live act to perform at the new K-Rock Centre.
In 2009, the band again worked with producer Bob Rock, and We Are the Same
We Are The Same
We Are the Same is the eleventh full-length studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released April 7, 2009 on Universal Music Canada, and by Zoë Records in the United States...
was released in North America on April 7, 2009. It produced three singles. To promote We Are the Same the band invited The Hour's George Stroumboulopoulos
George Stroumboulopoulos
George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
for a live interview at The Bath House Recording Studio in Bath, Ontario (where most of the album was recorded), and they played seven new songs as well as unique versions of five other songs. The interview and performance were broadcast live in more than eighty theatres across Canada.
On January 22, 2010, the band performed "Fiddler's Green" at the "Canada for Haiti" telethon to aid earthquake victims in that country. This was broadcast nationally on all three of Canada's main networks (CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
and CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
).
Downie stated in a 2010 interview that The Tragically Hip are entertaining the idea of keeping the production of their next album "within their family", hinting that Gordon Sinclair is being considered as their next producer.
On June 25th, 2011, The Tragically Hip graced the shores of Pigeon Lake in Bobcaygeon, Ontario, a small town which gained huge popularity when the Hip released the single "Bobcaygeon" off the 1998 album Phantom Power. The song is most popularily known for the lyrics "It was in Bobcaygeon, where i saw the constillations reveal themselves one star at time". The show was attended by more than 25,000 fans, most of them pitching tents on land around the area turned into make-shift campgrounds. Many locals were able to walk down a side road and stand just behind the fences fairly close to the stage to enjoy the show. The day started off rainy and overcast, but by the time the hip hit the stage, the sky was clear, and just as everyone had hoped, the constillations did reveal themselves one star ata time. Videos titled "Bobcaygeon in Bobcaygeon" can be found all over the internet. At this show the Hip released a special edition concert t-shirt depicting a map Ontario in constillations. Also performing at this show were The Trews and Sam Roberts. T
Canada's Walk of Fame
- 2002: Inducted in Toronto, Ontario
Royal Conservatory of Music
- 2006: Presented with an Honourary Fellowship May 24 at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, Ontario
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards
- 2008: Presented the National Arts Centre Award in Ottawa, Ontario
Juno Awards
- 1990: Most Promising Group of the Year
- 1991: Canadian Entertainer of the Year
- 1993: Canadian Entertainer of the Year
- 1995: Entertainer of the Year
- 1995: Group of the Year
- 1997: Group of the Year
- 1997: Album of the Year (Trouble at the Henhouse),
- 1997: North Star Rock Album of the Year (Trouble at the Henhouse)
- 1999: Best Rock Album (Phantom Power)
- 1999: Best Album Design (Phantom Power)
- 2000: Best Single ("Bobcaygeon")
- 2001: Best Rock Album (Music at Work)
- 2006: CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year (Hipeponymous)
- 2006: Music DVD of the Year (Hipeponymous)
Studio albums
- The Tragically Hip (EP) (MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, 1987) - Up to Here (MCA, 1989)
- Road Apples (MCA, 1991)
- Fully CompletelyFully CompletelyFully Completely is the third full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It reached #1 on the RPM Top 100 albums chart, their second album to do so. The album is listed at #5 on The Top 100 Canadian Albums by Bob Mersereau and #9 on The Top 102 Modern Rock Albums of All Time by...
(MCA, 1992) - Day for NightDay for Night (Tragically Hip album)Day for Night is the fourth full-length album by the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in September 1994. The album is known for having a lighter and more acoustic sound compared to the band's first three albums...
(MCA, 1994) - Trouble at the HenhouseTrouble at the HenhouseTrouble at the Henhouse is the fifth full-length album from Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released on May 7, 1996. Produced by the band and Mark Vreeken, the album was mixed by Steven Drake, guitarist for Canadian band Odds, which had toured with the Hip the previous year...
(MCA, 1996) - Phantom PowerPhantom Power (The Tragically Hip album)Phantom Power is the sixth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was released in 1998. It won the 1999 Juno Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Album Design. The song "Bobcaygeon" won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000...
(UniversalUniversal RecordsUniversal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
, 1998) - Music @ Work (Universal, 2000)
- In Violet LightIn Violet LightIn Violet Light is the eighth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in 2002 and was produced by Hugh Padgham...
(Universal, 2002) - In Between EvolutionIn Between EvolutionIn Between Evolution is the ninth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was recorded at Studio X in Seattle and was released June 29, 2004. The album debuted at #1 in Canada, selling 22,500 copies in its first week. However, sales of the album dropped by 50 percent the...
(Universal, 2004) - World ContainerWorld ContainerWorld Container is the tenth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in Canada on October 17, 2006, in two formats: as a limited edition Digipak and regular jewel case. The United States release was March 6, 2007, in advance of a planned tour. This album was...
(Universal, 2006) - We Are the SameWe Are The SameWe Are the Same is the eleventh full-length studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released April 7, 2009 on Universal Music Canada, and by Zoë Records in the United States...
(Universal, 2009)
See also
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests
- List of diamond-certified albums in Canada
- List of Canadian musicians
- List of bands from Canada
External links
- The Tragically Hip
- Watch the National Film Board of Canada short documentary Family Band, produced for the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Requires Adobe FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
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