Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Colin Cripps: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1742

Episode Date: August 7, 2025

In this 1742nd episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with guitarist Colin Cripps about his years playing with the Spoons, Crash Vegas, Junkhouse, Kathleen Edwards, Bryan Adams and Blue Rodeo. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball, the Waterfront BIA, Blue Sky Agency and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

Hello, everyone, it's Colin Cripps here, cooling in the room with Toronto Mike. Toronto. I'm in Toronto, where you want to get a city love. I'm from Toronto, where you want to get a city love. I'm a Toronto, Mike. I want to get a city love me back for my city love. Welcome to episode 1,700. than 42 of Toronto-Miked.

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Committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past. and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making his highly anticipated Toronto Mike debut. It's Colin Cripps. Nice to meet you, Colin. Nice to meet you. I'm sorry for the delay in my arrival.

I was going to bust your chops about that off the top, that you narrowly avoided the three strikes in your out, Toronto Mike Law. The first time, I guess, just never made your calendar. Like, you just blanked on it, right? The first time. And I, yeah, it's a, it's a rare occurrence I'd like to think, but it did happen that day. And again, I apologize for it. Well, listen, that day I was trying to find out if you were on your way and I didn't have a number.

And I'm like, who do I know who might know Colin Cripps's number? And several names came to mind, but I'm like, Baguoski, I'm going to call Baguoski and see if he'll give me calling Cripps's phone number. Baguoski answers the phone. You know how rare it is for somebody to answer a phone? And people don't answer phones anymore. long story short is he gave me your number we had a little chat uh you are forgiven for everything absolutely and boguski took your spot like he said but but he kind of kind of pulled a fast one you want know what he did i love to because you know he doesn't live far from here i think it's a mimical guy but he goes

like i'm gonna get bobby wiseman and we're gonna go to be in your basement and i'm like oh i have questions like he's been over bobby wiseman but i'm like i have more questions and i'm like oh that's exciting. He shows up, he's like, oh, Bobby couldn't make it. It was just Baguoski, and I'm happy to talk to Baguoski, but he teased me with that, wise man. Okay. Well, I think his intentions

were probably honorable. Oh, yeah. And I'm glad that he was able to cover for me that day, and he said that it was a, it was a thrilling experience for him. Was that his word? Thrilling? Well, he's been over before. Yeah. Yeah. But his brother and I

knew each other in high school. So I got a lot of time for the Baguoskis. Okay. And how's he fitting it? I feel like you're the new guy, right? No, is Boskill the new guy? Yeah, yeah, Boskill is definitely a new guy. So you're not the new guy.

Because I still think of Baguoski as the new guy in Blue Rodeo, but he's been there like, I don't know, a couple of decades, maybe. 16 years. Yeah. He's 16 years, a sort of official, and I'm 15 years. though my story with rodeo as you may or may not know but it goes back to 1988 so so I think that while I'm not I don't have the tenure that say he that Michael has in blue rodeo I certainly have the history with that history are you referring to playing with

Greg Keeler in crash Vegas that would yeah include that for sure I know my stuff here you Do you know where you are, Colin? I've done my homework here. So I want to kind of begin, because I do want to talk. I've been playing a lot of Crash Vegas lately, actually. Sure. Great stuff. And Michelle's been over.

We'll talk about Crash Vegas. But when, like, when in your life, Colin, do you realize I want to play guitar for a living? Like, when do you get that bug? I'm probably like a lot of guys who, you know, grew up listening to music and, you know, sort of, you know, back in the 70s, especially. there was only records and a track cassettes and you know and if you were lucky you know you had a you live somewhere where you could watch uh you know the midnight special or or don kersner's rock concert or something like that there was very little visual uh representations for for bands and musicians there's always magazines and things but i you know i was kind of i was always intrigued

by uh i was always drawn to music even when as a kid you know and then i i i i i sort of went through that sort of painful early period where you, you know, you're trying things out and trying to see what might be a good fit for you. And I was lucky, you know, I started my, you know, I always love music and I always listen to stuff and I was always fascinated by it. But I, I would say that when I sort of went into high school, beginning of high school, I had an amazing music teacher in Hamilton. I grew up in Hamilton. And an amazing music teacher, his name was Russ Wheel, Mr. Weill.

And he was a very encouraging guy to kids. And, you know, so I started playing clarinet, actually, because back then, you know, it wasn't like, they didn't have bands like they did the school of rock and stuff like they do now maybe in school. So they'd had like, you know, they had kind of traditional, you know, you get to play the drums or trombone or trumpet or something. They just gave me a recorder, okay?

Yeah, you know, which could lead to something else, right? Yeah. Fair enough. So anyways, I started in grade nine and I started playing clarinet and I guess it was just kind of like an epiphany for me. I just realized that it was something I really loved and I started playing very, you know, sort of like, you know, obsessively I learned to play a clarinet and I was part of a band

and then in the school band and stuff. And I think that sort of helped my identity. And then when I got into grade 10, I was, you know, fat, fascinated with guitar and I went and got a job at a music store in Hamilton when I was 14 and it was just as a part-time job and and that's where I bought my first guitar and that's where I learned their sort of basic stuff and and I guess that would be to answer that question your question would that would have been sort of the beginnings for me you know I just want and then once I started hanging on in the store all time meeting other musicians and I was I was hooked

you know, was, this was it. Do you still have that guitar? I don't have that guitar, but I have one of my early, early guitars I still have, yeah, from when I worked in the music store. What was the store called? It was called Hamilton Musical Showcase. You know what? That's actually a good SEO name.

This person saw the internet coming, said we need a name that describes what we do. Did you have any rock, specifically guitar heroes at that? the time that you would emulate? Yeah, probably the first guy was Pete Townsend. He was my guy when I was, you know, 15, 16, 17. And, you know, working in that store, which the great thing about working in a music store when your kid is you're kind of a sponge, you know, you get to hear all kinds of guys coming in, noodle in a way, try and this or that.

And that store was a real kind of a broad palette store, you know. It didn't sell a lot of drums, who didn't have the real estate to sell like drums, sold keyboards, keyboards, guitars, mandolins, uh, you know, anything to do, pedals. So it kind of got everybody in there. And, uh, so I met a lot of guys who were like folkies, for example, and they'd come in. And there was this kind of sort of late, in the late 70s, it was like kind of a folk boom, especially bluegrass and, and that sort of, um, group of people. So I got to hang out with guys who were like that. And I met some early, you know, early intimate players and, and musicians who are still sort of well known in that in that in that world and um so you know like you're a sponge you know

I had my hero my hero was Pete Townsend but I was kind of you know I was meeting all kinds of players and guys were saying well you got to listen to leo Kotke or you got to listen to bert yance or you got to listen to um you know Tony rice or or great acoustic players and so I maybe it maybe uh you know I've never asked other guys my age now what that was for them. But, you know, but I was just kind of like, you know, until probably 1981, 82, I was just kind of like here, there, and everywhere, you know. Well, hearing you talk about working at the music store, it's like when you hear Quentin Tarantino talk about working at the video store, right? It's like, you're just

around all the movies, you watch all the movies, and that's where you want to be. You were around all the instruments, because it's worth noting, sure, you're a guitar guy, but you don't just play the guitar. Like, we're going to walk through this, but you're multi-instrumentalist, right? Well, I dabble in other instruments for context. You know, really, they become tools as it goes, right? Okay, and possibly even the saxophone, as Homer would say. Yes.

Okay, that's a teaser, actually. Okay, that's a teaser. Yeah, yeah. Through this chat, too, so we're going to, because I'm going to get you, in a moment, we're going to get you to crash Vegas. But there are questions that came. So I mentioned off, you obviously forgot you were supposed to be in my basement and then I did that whole Boguski thing. And then we did reschedule it and then you had to move it, which was cool because you gave me a heads up and that's cool.

That's life. And then this time, there was some bets taking place. Will Colin Crips go over three? Because three strikes are out. You know that. And you don't want to be banned from the Toronto mic podcast. I don't want to be banned. No, because I realized, I still got to get Basil on the show.

So, like, I got work to do with the rodeo, to be quite, to be quite frank. But one of the notes I'll just whip at you right now is Jimmy Cooper says, Colin Cripps is like Canada's version of the wrecking crew. Well, that's a, that's an honor. I don't know if I could say I've lived up to it. I appreciate that. I think that, you know, everyone has their story. My story was when I started, I was kind of,

of a sponge, as I said earlier. I just want to learn all kinds of things. And then I think as most musicians do, they either are fortunate enough to meet other players that become part of their tribe, let's say, you know, their group. And then you foster your own voice

from that. You know, you kind of go through technical school, let's say. And then you want to become a graduate and that's sort of like, all right, well, now you've got to step out on your own and do things that are your own. And for me, that was always sort of like after I was probably in my late teens and that, I thought, okay, I got to figure out my own thing, you know, my own voice and my influences were certainly there. But I wanted to become, you know, more of my own sort of sound or my own voice.

And so, you know, when you think about great session musicians over the years, like they're sort of chameleon-like, right? they they assimilate to the situation that they're in and what's sort of asked by you know by the song and and the you know and the writer or the singer and and i think that's probably an amazing i see that as an amazing accomplishment because it's hard to sort of reinvent that you know uh on a sort of regular basis but i ended up wanting to just find my own voice you know i realized that my influences too once i figured out that my influences were such strong voices in their own right and it didn't matter if they were technically amazing like you know sort of uh you know next level uh style players it was all about the voice like i'd hear somebody's playing it go and that's so and so and i that became sort of my mantra after i was about 20 as just wanting to be that guy and i suppose i was fortunate enough that as i developed my voice I was able to get other situations, get involved in other situations, or as time goes on, you know. One band finishes, and you're like, what am I going to do?

And then another door opens, and it's like, okay, well, part of the reason that I felt like I was able to sustain and survive is because I had tried early on to create a sound or a voice that people could say, well, that's that guy, you know? You need the Crip sound. Oh, give me a Crip. Where's the Crips sound? Let's get crips. Yeah, Gavin Brown calls it, it calls it cripples. You know,

he calls me, there's guys who call me the crippler and, you know, and it's an honor for me because I really, I genuinely think that that is the ambition. That was my ambition, you know. I hear other players who are incredible technical players and,

and they, you know, they can walk circles around me that way. But I feel like I was always on this journey to create a voice. And if that's what I've done and to, to Jeremy's, is it Jeremy Cooper? Jimmy Cooper. Jimmy Cooper.

To his, you know, to his, um, uh, accolade, I would say that, that, you know, that's been my goal. Now, okay, so this journey that we're going to walk through now begins in Hamilton, and it's appropriate that Hamilton, Mike sent in a few questions, but a comment off the top from Hamilton Mike. Hello, Mike, by the way. Mike has come out to some TMLX events at Palmis Kitchen. in Mississauga, and I do have for you, Colin, a large lasagna from Palma pasta. Do you enjoy Italian food?

Absolutely. You got a, you're going to love this Palmapal. I know you're an East Ender, but it's worth the, as they say, it's worth the drive. Well, I grew up in Hamilton, which is a very, you know, I'm more akin to this side of Toronto. The West End. Yeah, because it's closer to Hamilton. Yeah, I call this the Hamilton side. Well, that's very generous.

Thank you. I look forward to it. Yeah. And since I'm giving you lasagna, I'm also giving you some fresh craft beer from Great Lakes Brewery. Also made here on the west side here in South Atopico. You didn't know you were getting all these gifts. Did you know, maybe? Did Baguoski tip you off?

No, I have no expectations. No, thank you. Hamilton Mike's comment, though, before I read DJ Dream Doctor, who will kind of get us to Crash Vegas. But Hamilton, Mike says, I can't wait for the Colin Cripps episode. It's cool that one of my guitar heroes is a low. Hamilton guy. Oh, very nice. Well, thank you. Hamilton Mike. Hamilton, Mike, yeah. I've got to talk to my lawyer if he's allowed to call himself to Mike, but DJ Dream Doctor says, can you ask him? So I'll ask this and then I want

to find out, you know, I don't want to skip anything interesting, but I'm going to, this is a crash Vegas question, but sure, can you ask him if he remembers, this is funny, being interviewed on Radio Aerondale at University of Toronto, Mississauga, which we called Arundale College back then. When Crash Vegas played Arundale, I conducted the interview with a colleague, and we were asking Colin questions between playing tracks from the vinyl Red Earth. Any memory of this, Colin? I would like to say yes, but unfortunately, I've had a few lapses over the years, so I don't

recall it, but just so he's not disappointed, there's definitely a larger period of that time that I have, I don't remember, like, a lot of specific events. It kind of have to be reminded of them, so. So are you in recovery now? No, no, nothing like that. Okay. Just a blur, you know, like, I don't know if this happens. Because, you know, when a rock star comes on and they talk about the black holes

and the memory, it's usually like, oh, yeah, that was my, you know, my cocaine era, my heroin era or my drinking, like a fish era. No, I would, I would, I would, you know, admit to any of that if it was true. But no, I think it was just, I guess my, you know, and it still happens now. So I'll say that it's still a thing where I, I process things a lot more in the moment than I do over long term. I've got to, I think I have a fairly good long term memory. But it's amazing to me how I'm, it's not like it's all gone. It's just a blur.

You know, the, the pace of things. Yeah, the pace of things often leaves me frustrated with the memory of it, you know. And so that's an honest answer. And so not to negate his, you know, his wanting to. Well, the bottom line is he remembers it, and it sounds like he remembers it favorably. That's great. That's the bottom line.

And by the way, the only reason the recovery question was because I was going to take away that Great Lakes beer, but you get to keep it. Yeah. No, I'm a, no, I'm a moderate person. But, yeah, I certainly have a beer here and there, sure. Everything in moderation. Okay, so what happens between, you know, working at that music store? And I have a comment from somebody, but I want to save this comment that's on the live stream

to another band's segment, okay? So I've kind of got it organized by bands here. But what did you, like, what did you do between, I'm working at the music store, and I'm in Crash Vegas? Well, I, so I went to university. You know, I worked in the store until I was 19. and then I moved to Vancouver on a whim with a friend of mine who was moving there and this would have been 1981 and I had finished high school and worked in the store for three years full time and two and a half years and so then I and then I thought sort of like

I want to play in bands I'd had bands kind of through high school and then after but and then I wanted to sort of make more of an effort and my friend Brian was a good guitar player, and he was moving to Vancouver, and I thought, okay, well, I'm going to go Vancouver with Gordon. And anyways, we go out there, and I lasted three months. I hated it. I just, I had no connection. I didn't feel like it was a place for me. And so I came back to Hamilton. And so this would have been 1982, my mistake. So I came back in the summer of 82. And then I sort of enrolled back into university as a mature student. I went back. And I went to Mac. I was 20 years old. So I went back as a mature student.

And then I did Mac, you know, I did a four-year degree. And all during that time, I had bands. I started bands. You know, I had a rock. First man I had was a rockabilly band. And I started that band in the fall, like fall of 82 with my, you know, my, basically my best friend, his name was Dan Aiken, who went on to be, went on to be, yeah, to be in Junkhouse.

And then I have, I have a whole history with those, with all that, but that was the beginning of him and I. And then Ray Faruja, who was the drummer, who ended up being the drummer in, in Junk House later on.

So I had a, and then a bass player, Joe Boyce. So I saw a rockabilly band in late 82. I love, what we called? We were called the Go Devils. Because this is an era,

because I was pretty young, but I was, you know, stray cats were all over the radio. Florida Razors, right? Florida Razors, the Bobcats. in Toronto. The Razorbacks? Razorbacks. Yeah, yeah. And it was Handsome Ned had a band

back then. Speaking of Blue Rodeo, yeah. So, you know, that became, that was a great time for me. And it was a total shift from having been like a Pete Townsend, Who, rock kind of guy. And I just embraced the early rock and roll and rockability and country swing. And that was, so that was 82, 83, and into 84. We did that, and it played, you know, played regularly, and I was going to university and met some really cool people. And we used to open shows together with the handsome Ned's band was called The Sidewinders. And we used to open with him because we got really friendly and we come from Hamilton, did shows in Toronto. And, um, and then it kind of ran its

course, you know, so by say early 1984, I turned to shift it again. By then I was like, listening to all the sort of early post-punk new wave but guitar-driven new wave like you know like my yeah i loved um johnny marr and i loved edge and charlie birchill from simple minds and and um uh you know there's a there's a number of players that landscape all of a sudden really pealed to me because it was so it made me feel like the guitar had been sort of again reimagined as an instrument outside of just being a guitar. Like you could play and create soundscapes and things like that. So I really got into that and then had bands that were sort of obviously influenced by that era

and made some recordings and, you know, went to school. And then when I finished university, which was 1986, I auditioned. for, I got out, my friend had gotten the job playing keyboards with the spoons, which was not, what was the name of this friend? His name was Scott McDonald. Okay. And the spoons were not my wheelhouse. They weren't my thing, you know, that was a little more.

It was, you know, certainly had a signature and it had a voice, but it was a little different than what I was into. But they were such great people, and my friend said, well, you come on audition, and, you know, it was my first foray into being a professional musician, let's say, so where I would be a touring thing. And up to that point, it always had bands, and I was playing around town and so on. But I'd never been a touring musician. So I always went and auditioned and got the gig, partly because I played the sax, too.

So, which questions are coming your way, Colin, because we're on the Spoons segment. So firstly, the individual that's on the live stream. Yeah, there you go. So we're going to ask specifically about this song. But on the live stream, Spoon's legend, Rob Pruse. Oh, beautiful. Says, I loved Hamilton Musical Showcase. He says he would go there when he was 12 years old and stare at the synths.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, and he was a fabulous keyboard player. He was kind of a prodigy player. I remember even back in that time. I didn't know him. And I don't think I ever had any interactions with him. But he certainly had that reputation, and he's done really well for himself. Well, absolutely.

Hello to Rob Pruse. I'll see you. I think it's August 24. You're back here at Bob Willett for an episode of Toast. So Rob, who lives in New York now, he's working on, like, Broadway. Right. He comes, once a month, his mom's in Burlington still. So once a month he ties that visit to his mom's with a visit here for a Toronto Mike series called Toast.

So Rob's a dear friend. But Rob says, Colin's an ex-spoon. I think he joined right after I left. Ask him about playing saxophone on Be Alone Tonight. And I watched the video again earlier today, and there's young Colin Cripps. Well, like I said, they were very good to me.

They were very, you know, Gord and Sandy, who were the original members at that point. Derek Ross, who I, funny enough, I knew Derek Ross, completely different situation because he was working in a clothing store in Hamilton, and I met him through that. And he's a big personality. I've always loved Derek.

But it wasn't stitches. No, it was like a small hipster kind of store in Hamilton. By the way, when your sax solo comes on, I am going to turn it up. I'm just warning you. Sure. I got to be honest, they were very good to me, and they put me in kind of like as a full member

and all that stuff visually in that. But I didn't have anything to do with the record. I didn't play anything on it. I did not play. You're faking this? I played it live because I learned it because that was part of the show. And then I, yeah, and I faked it in the video, as one does to look a certain way. So you so, you know, you tricked me, but it's coming up here.

I'm going to turn it up. There's FOTM Gord. Here it is. It's kind of, I call this potato quality because it's ripped from like a BHS recording of much music. But, so you're playing the sax in the video, you played it live, you're not on the studio recording. No, I'm not on any of the studio recordings. And that was the one, I did the one record as a touring member, but I don't think of my, my contribution as significant in that I didn't play on the record. So what's next for you?

So you're doing this. So that's kind of cool intro because these are Burlington Legends, right? You're in Hamilton, so it's right, right by there. So I did that for a year, almost a year. And then I think that record cycle just sort of finished. And then that was it. And that would have taken, that sort of took me to the end of 87. And then I started, I had a band before that.

And so I started another band, which with Dan, actually, again, Dan and Ray. And Joe, we just, but we were not a rockabilly band. We're kind of like a, we just sort of played original songs that I've written. And we did some, a few covers and that. We were, you know, we were just, we were experimenting with what might be possible. And then in, does this band have a name? This band was called, um, the Heavenly Brothers. Because, you know, I'm archiving the history here, the ongoing history.

You're called the Heavenly Brothers. Heavenly Brothers. Okay. And then that took, as I said, it takes, at 88, sometime mid, maybe, maybe, probably early to mid 88. And then, because we had a house gig. We used to play every second Tuesday. In Hamilton, there's a strip that's still there. I don't know if they still book bands, but there's a strip called Hess Village.

And there was a bar there. I know the bar is still there called the gown, called the, the gown and gavel. And they used to have, like, bands, like six nights a week, and, you know, you could get, you could get like a like a residency or a weekly slot and stuff like that's kind of like the camera it would be like hamilton's version of the camera house right it was great great place and um i'm sure john borough was playing there too i i'm sure you would he would have done that uh and i i certainly know tom tom wilson played there because uh you know i'd met tom when we were teenagers but um but you know and and he anyways there's a by the time the floor raisers had done

Tom was kind of like a, he was just like sort of like floating around trying to figure what to do. And so I had a, we had a, had a residency every second Tuesday. And so that started in sort of mid 80, early 88. And then he started showing up just like with his guitar, no case, nothing, classic Tom, right? Show up, got to sit in with a, play a couple songs. They'd be like, oh, okay, sure. And, you know, by this point, we'd had a little following, you know, a place held about 80 people so we do okay and you know and it was just a work in progress so

he started showing up and i realized like not that i didn't know this before but you know like by the second time he shows up as like it's clear that he's the he's the front guy i'm i'm not really front man material i'm i'm a good i'm a good uh you know um i'm definitely good on um as your side you know kick. But anyways, so that started... You're Keith Richards is what you're telling me, but you're no Mick Jagger. No, and I'm not Tom Wilson and I'm not Jim Cutty and I'm not, you know, any... You're no Gordep. No, I'm certainly not Gordape. But, so that, that, by the band was going and then, uh, uh, Jocelyn Landau, who also lived in Hamilton,

the whole Lanwa family and everything all based on Hamilton and we all knew each other for years and years before that. So Jocelyn started coming to the show, and one Tuesday, she said, I've, she said, I'm part of this band that's just started, and we, you know, we need another guitar player. Would you come in audition? And I went, okay, sure. So I came to Toronto, and that was the beginning of Crash Vegas. That was, they'd probably been going for three or four months, kind of as a thing.

And Greg and Michelle, Greg Keeler, and Michelle McEller, and Michelle McAddo. were, they were a couple. They'd been a couple 10 years before that. Well, Michelle's all over those early Blue Rodeo videos. That's, yeah, that's her. So they said, well, she said, well, you come on audition. I said, yeah, sure. So I came to Toronto.

And I was still playing in the Heavenly Brothers. They had my thing. And I was, you know, and then I came and I, and they had sent me a cassette of like three songs. I think they had three sort of demos. of songs and one of them was a song called Red Earth and

I don't remember the other two to be honest with you but I sort of worked up they just said well just do what you would do on the songs you know come out with a thing and that was kind of my audition so I come to Toronto and come to this place at the time Greg Keeler was living in it was just like a warehouse space in you know

off sororan in West End so of Toronto and so I I brought, I think I brought a telly and, uh, and a Rickenbocker 12 string, which I still use now and the telly I still use. And an AC 30, box AC 30 and my little rig. And so we started with, um, red earth. And, uh, I'd still tell Greg this. It was like, I just had come up with this whole thing for it. And then I just remember looking, looking over at him while we were just sort of working through it and he had this big grin on his face. And that was,

was it. Like, we've been together ever since. Like, we've always had this musical connection. And that's what brought me to, but that's what brought me to Crash Vegas was Jocelyn's introduction. And then the, you know, just, that's like a chemistry test.

Yeah, it's like, you know, most bands, if you think, you know, you've interviewed a lot of musicians, they're going to tell you the same thing. It's like, chemistry is sometimes a mysterious thing, you know. And it, but it's a, it's so foundational to a lot of, what comes out of creative people when they work together.

All right, so we're going to hear, like, a, it's already brewing in the background here, but just a little bit of what I would consider this, the biggest Crash Vegas jam. Like, like if I think about a radio, a song I'd hear on the radio from Crash Vegas or much, I feel like this is the jam. But let's play a little of this, because then I do have a question about chemistry and FOTM, that means friend of Toronto Mike, FOTM, Greg Keeler. So stand by, just a little bit of inside out. This is the part I should be talking over, but it didn't work out that way.

Well, interesting, I can tell you that I played the recorder because it came from my clarinet days. That's why I could do it. Familiar crimes, and I wonder It makes me wonder Inside out, I was crying Inside out, I was crying what I was crying like inside out in the headphones right now. It sounds good.

It sounds orchestrated in a way that I always like in good. I like to hear orchestration or ideas that have sort of been worked out. And I hear that for sure. I hear the innocence of it to me. You know, it's like early days of making records. But having a sense of purpose, you know, that you're going for something, you know. And I felt like that period, for sure, that song, yeah, definitely. definitely captures that. I used to get a lot of, you know, guys used to joke and, you know,

they take the piss out of me over the recorder solo. It's like, well, would you use a recorder? It's not very cool. And, you know, you have to realize at the time, it's like we were trying, you know, we're trying to create things that had maybe not been heard or, and they were just, you know, you're just, you're grabbing at things and trying things and then you see what, see what feels right. And for some reason, a guitar solo just didn't seem exciting because there are other songs that work better. So I like that. When I hear it now, I go, well, that was also something that, you know, that was maybe

why it stuck out a bit more in the sort of, in the audience, you know? I think the whole single is fabulous. And I'll tell you, so I've had Michelle McAdory, it always sounds weird when I say it out loud. I had Michelle McAdoury in the basement. Well, she visited the basement. She came on Toronto, like, you know, she's a niece of the great ball macadoury. late great Bob Mack.

Yes, very much. On Toronto Factor. Okay. But Michelle, who was wonderful, and we had a great chat. In fact, I messaged her on Blue Sky today because I've been listening to a lot of Crash Vegas this past, just preparing for you. The third time I've prepared for you.

So I'm listening to a lot of Crash Vegas. And it's gorgeous. Like, her voice is great. It just sounds so wonderful. I always wonder, maybe the question I have is regarding Greg Keeler. So Greg Keeler is like a founding member. but of course he's got this side gig. Yeah.

So what's the, what happened there? Did you guys just boot him out because he was distracted by Blue Rodeo? Like, like, what happened with Greg Keeler in Crash Vegas? Well,

for the first year, Greg and I played guitar and, and, you know, there was no record, there was, there were recordings sort of as developed,

but nothing substantial. There was always kind of like demo ideas and things like that. And, but, but any of the shows we did in that first year, It was Greg and I, like, he'd be on one side of the stage, I'd be on the other. And the truth is that Blue Rodeo had, you know, they'd put outskirts.

Yeah. They were still a weekend band, so to speak, like they would go and play on weekends, but they got very popular, very quickly, at least, especially at that level. And so I think it became more and more apparent that by the time they were getting closer to recording Diamond Mine and then what obviously came subsequent to that, there was just no real, it wasn't realistic. for him to be able to keep doing both. And we, in the time that that first year,

we had, you know, we had luckily, we were a very incestuous thing in that we shared the same rehearsal space. We ended up getting the same management. We got signed to Warner Music as the same label. So there was this very, you know, sort of, there was a lot of things happening in that year. And I think because of that, and the Michelle, Greg and Michelle wrote songs together,

like Inside Out is Greg and Michelle. And then, and then Michelle and I started writing, songs together. And I think the truth is that we just wanted to have more autonomy because we knew Greg couldn't do both. And if you're going to get a record dealing and try and make your own thing happen, you kind of have to just say like, you know, we're going to go over here and, you know, we love you, Greg. And you're going to go over there because that's obviously where you're going to go. And then it just became like an understanding. You know, the joke part of is we said, oh yeah, we kicked them out because, you know, we wanted to be here. But that's through, you know, if I'm being

honest now. I'd say like it was just a, it was just like a lot of great things are happening at the time and you're just kind of like, okay, well, we're going to do this. You're going to do that. You're always going to be part of this where you feel comfortable to want to. We made that, all of that record, Red Earth was made kind of in pieces. A part of it was recorded in Hamilton, a big part of it. Like that song, Inside Out was recorded all in Hamilton, I think, except for maybe that, you know, there was a couple little bits that I did when we went to New Orleans. to basically make the record, you know, whatever songs we'd started, we would finish those and then add to it and we'd record some songs down there. And so most of that was, you know, I was

playing guitars and whatever else, you know, little bits, mandolin and stuff and so on. But we did have, you know, there's a couple of songs where Greg came to visit Michelle because they were also a couple and he plays on one or two songs on the record. So there was always a couple. So there was always this spirit of of community with him you know no i get i mean for you guys this is your thing like you want to make this big this is your band and you have a member of the band where it's like literally they're like side project right like the dynamic is off yeah because his i won't use a word meal ticket but you know his uh he's got blue rodeo his day gig was getting was getting yeah and and you know and understandably like they they were they were you know

Nobody, here's the thing I always say too, Mike. Nobody knows what the path's going to look like. Right. They just get on it. And then when the path starts to look a certain way, you have to make sort of decisions or choices. And I think that's part of what Greg obviously was going to do, you know,

and it obviously made the most sense for him to do that and stay with trying to juggle two things. And obviously you guys stay tight. You're in Blue Rodeo today, Colin. Yeah. Yeah, no, it's always been, There was always a, you know, I mean, yeah, I, I, I knew Greg first. He was my, he was, we were, you know, we were very, we've always had a very good, strong

relationship and support each other. And, and then obviously I met Jim right after that. And so, you know, it's funny how these things happen where you become part of a big family. And yeah. And then as life goes on, you know, things. come and go. Well, we'll talk about a few more things that came and went. But I would just assume if you're playing with Handsome Ned, like on Queen Street or

something, you're bumping into Jim Cuddy and Greg. Like, Jim Cuddy, when I, I actually recorded with Jim at the Woodshed. Oh, cool. So I, like, I biked my gear and I set it up in the woodshed, although I felt like I was just warming up. And then he said, I got a dentist appointment. Like, so ever since then, I, again, I put my, you know, when I have a guest on, I'm like, you don't have a dentist appointment in 15 minutes.

This has become, like, a code. for you're not going to bolt because you got a dentist appointment. But a great chat with Jim, by the way. But he went on and on about the inspiration of like Handsome Ned on Queen and how key a figure Handsome Ned was to Blue Rodeo. Yeah, yeah. That's very true. Such a small world, what I'm saying.

Okay, by the way, I mentioned Hamilton, Mike. I got to read this line because it's kind of pre, I guess this is kind of pre-crash Vegas, but it'll bring us nicely to how you end up in Junkhouse. But Hamilton Mike wrote 30 years ago this summer, I worked at the Southam Info Lab at Hamilton with the great Judy Donnelly who lived in a house with her partner, Dan Aiken. And this unnamed guitarist,

Colin Cripps is a Hamilton legend, and since there is no Hamilton Legends podcast, Toronto mic more than fills the void. Oh, by the way, if I ever hear about a Hamilton mic podcast, I will call my lawyer, Lauren Honnickman, because that's unacceptable. But how do you, like, how, What happens with Crash Vegas and how do you end up in junk house?

Well, when I joined Crash Vegas, when Crash Vegas started in 88, so the Heavenly Brothers, this band that I'd had, as I mentioned earlier, Tom used to just come and crash it and start sitting in regularly. I'd say probably four or five times that happened because over, say, a couple months. and then I kind of made the conscious decision to just go, I said to those guys, look, you know, I can't really do both funny. Like Greg, I made the choice and said, I can't really do both, so I'm going to go and do this Crash Vegas

and see where that goes. Well, those guys kept going. So now it's Dan Aiken, Ray Ferrugea, the drummer, the bass player who I played with, he sort of bowed out, and then they got this other bass player, Russ Wilson. And then Tom We just passed away, right? Yes, yeah, about a year ago.

Yeah, because I saw him at the Portchew Tavern like 18 months ago, but sat in a turn to pass. That's exactly, yeah, I think that was one of his last shows. So they just kept going, and they became junk house. And so we're all buddies. Like, you know, Dan's my best friend. I'm like, you know, I'm still living in Hamilton.

And so they started playing more and more pubs and writing songs. and, you know, Tom's always been a force of nature, you know. He just is, he's been that guy since the day I met him. So you can imagine this guy who's just determined and, and, um, hungry for success and, and all that. Um, so they just kept going. And then so Crash Vegas puts out a record.

They even toured with us opening for us on the first, like in 1990, which would have been the first Crash Vegas record year for Red Earth. They'd open shows because I'd say, well, let's get my buddies to open and blah, blah, blah. And it was like, so they then eventually got, I think at 91, they got a sort of development deal with Sony Music through Mike Roth, who was the ANR, head of ANR at Sony Music. And then they started wanting to record, and they asked me to help produce their early stuff. so I produced their first demo sort of demo development songs for the deal and stuff

and then they put out this little EP you know sort of like a cassette like a five six song EP and I produced that and Tom and I wrote some songs together and they ended up on the record on their cassette and stuff so it was just an honestly Mike

it was just a natural progression like everything else where you're just going okay well my buddies are trying to get their foothold and then I'm sort of there to support them and I did whatever made sense and then eventually they ended up making their first album Strays with Malcolm Byrne who'd done Red Earth and also did Diamond Mine

so he's from the whole Hamilton camp I met Malcolm Byrne in 1987 because he was living in Hamilton and he was dating Jocelyn Lanwa and he became I need a whiteboard. I got to connect all these gods. The tree, the tree is of, yeah.

The Lanwha tree alone is pretty unbelievable. If you, if you ever want it, that'd be a good podcast. So you do the Lanwha tree where it's just all the tentacles and branches to Dan. I would do that. Yeah. So anyway, so then, to answer your question, Malcolm had produced, I'd done stuff with Malcolm. He produced Crash Vegas. He does Strays, the first

Joint College record, which is a successful record for them. Although he's still pissed. Tom still pissed CF&Y wouldn't play it. Like CF&Y didn't play Strays. Well, that's a problem. Maybe because, you know, the first single was out of my head. And it was, you know, it was a bit more quub. It was a bit more bombastic.

It's definitely more Q107. For sure. But, you know, ironically, I would say to Tom now, I'd say, you know, in the whole, in the long term, that was the better, way better suit for the band and they're still going and you know, I know

for a fact that Q107 plays the song Shine as like one of their sort of rotational classic songs now. Oh, I've got a queued up here because that features a young Colin Cripps to Shine so I'm going to play that in a minute. So when it would have to answer the question, I'll try to make it

a cool shirt. So we end up having all these connections to there and I worked with them while they were doing stuff with Sony. and then Crash Vegas, our third record, we got dropped after our second record. Our third record, I had sort of done stuff with Mike Roth at Sony. And he, I said, look, we're, you know,

I went to him and said, look, Crash Vegas doesn't have a deal. Would you be interested in talking to us about anything? And he said, yeah, well, let's do this thing for, they were doing a sort of celebration record of Neil Young's at the time. And so, well, let's do a song. for the Neil Young thing and you guys can come in and record and that so we did that we went and did this song called Pocahontas and uh and then so then we got signed through literally through that song because it went was so successful as far as the recording and they loved it and uh so we had a record

deal with sony so now i'm at sony doing stuff with my growth junk house is on sony i'm helping with songs on you know their record their second record i think wasn't that And then that'll sort of happen until 86. And then in 1996, or 96, pardon me. In 96, Crash Vegas ends. I sort of shut it down. But at least I shut my involvement down with it. Is that because it?

I was just burnt out and I was tired with some of the logistics of trying to keep a band at the level that it is in Canada. It's really hard. And I was honestly just, I was just burnt out, Mike. And I just worked at that, to that point, I needed to sort of take a break and do something different. And lo and behold, I said, I'm leaving, you know, or as soon I'm done.

And then within three days, Tom finds out that I'm, you know, I'm, you're a free agent. I'm leaving and says, well, now you're going to be a junk house. And I was like, no, I can't do that. I said, I can't. There's a truth. Like I said, I can't do it. I said, I want to produce records, I want to write songs. I don't want to just be a side guy in a band that's already going.

And he said, okay, well, you and I'll write the songs, and you can produce the record. And so that's what this is. What a fucking voice this Tom Wilson has. Wind the clocks to tighten all the radios are blowing in the dark. The mother's right down in the daytime A dream about Hollywood I know that they'd get there If they could

of time before we get to shine It's not a question of when Or who does it cry Show our skin and picture windows Fucking sounds amazing, man. Like, you're on this song So this album features Colin Cripps

Yeah, I produced this and put the whole architecture of it together. I can tell you some of the things that I did it was... Let's go. You know, you hear the loop. The loop was, I started with a hip-hop loop that was going... If it does sound very hip-hop. I just sit in this, you know, sat in the studio. So I took that loop and slowed it down.

So that's the part you hear is that. And then I wanted it to sound like hip-hop meets Glenn Campbell. And that's what I tell everybody now. So you listen to it, you can hear like there's a hip-hop beat. that sort of just goes through it and back then a lot of the songs there were loops were popular like I was listening to a lot of Beck

and I was listening to things that were sort of like of that ilk that where you could take samples and manipulate it but but then I so that was the foundation and then the guitars were just like I wanted to sound like Glenn Campbell I don't know I was just like I wanted to be like a hook

you know twangy hook and then and then the drums that's the real drums that come in after the first chorus that's Ray and I wanted the kit to sound like Ringo. I just wanted, it's a mono kit.

It's like minimal, minimal micing, so it just comes up the middle, and it has like an energy, but this whole song's driven by. And then Tom's vocal, he did a great job. That vocal, I think, is probably two takes. You know, we just did a lot of things live. He would sit with a,

I don't know if you know microphones at all, but there's a mic called it Sure SM7, which is kind of big, and you can just hold it like a live mic, but it's a decent recording mic you know, a lot of, like a lot of performer sing, use those mics.

So we use that mic, you could just, and you literally would just sit in front of the speakers and sing to it and to the track and that's what that, that's what that is. Well, Tom knows how I feel about him, so I'm not going to, you know, pump those tires anymore than I already do. But there is a super cut on my YouTube channel

because he, when you're chatting with Tom and he comes over, he calls your name a lot. like so he'll say well Toronto Mike and then you'll tell you story Toronto Mike I was doing this and I was driving the highway I had to take a take a whiz I had a Tim Horton's cup Toronto Mike and then somebody made a well Tyler did it VPSAL's a super cut of Tom Wilson just saying Toronto Mike it's pretty good actually it's pretty good much love to Tom Wilson

but he sent it an important note okay so oh let's hear it Colin Cripps only has one nipple make him show you This, I feel like this is unearthed Canadian here. Is this true, Colin? You only have one nipple? I, no, you know, Tom is always, you know,

here's Tom, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Print the legend. I just say that. Okay, well, afterwards, I'm going to get the real talk on you. But, yeah, Tom, so, Tom, Tom, Tom, printing the legend there. That's all. Well, you'd let him do that, wouldn't you?

Yeah, maybe. Did you see his musical? I did not. The Beautiful Scars musical? I did not. No, I'm sorry. They had an actor. They hired an actor to play Tom, and I was thinking, like, you can't, there is nobody

you can play Tom. But, you know, I thought Tom's got to play Tom. They had an actor who played Tom. Pretty good Tom. Like, this actor, I forget his name, did a pretty damn good job, because Tom's kind of a larger-than-life figure. Bull and a China show. Jeez.

Now, what happens with, okay, so I'm interested in the beginnings and the ends of all these things. But what happens of junk, have? Well, so that cycle then starts in, we make the record, I think we made the record in 88, or 98, pardon me, 98. And then we toured that record. And then, funny enough, I had started, and it was backstep a bit, I had done a, the first thing Jim Cuddy did solo, back in 1996, he called me to be, to play and help him record a song. It was a one song thing for a Leonard Paltier record. And the song you wrote was called Smoking Gun.

And so he invited me to be, to participate in that, which I did. And then so in 98, he also wants to start a solo project. I wouldn't say career because it was like, I then, you know, rodeo is already well-established and kind of classic, you know, band. So, but he wanted to start a solo project. So he called me about doing that. So in 1998, I did the Junkhouse record, and I also did Jim's first solo record. And so that, that, so for the subsequent year, I kind of cycle between both things.

Junk House did the cycle for the touring of that record. And then when we had breaks and stuff, we did, then I did a tour with Jim in 80, I guess 1999. What I must have been the first tour we did was 99. And then by the end of the junk house cycle, the band, Tom wanted to take a hiatus from Junkhouse and pursue more of a solo career. So then in 1999, 2000, I'm starting to produce more records for various artists. and it included then doing Tom's first solo record and and um and then just things came after that.

So that takes, I guess, if I'm thinking about it, that takes me to the year 2000, right? In the year 2000, yeah. Okay, now I'm going to, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to take a moment to shout out some upcoming events. Yes, absolutely. and give you another gift or two and then we're going to pick it up with I got so many comments and questions

about one particular thing you've been up to and then I'm going to do some quick rapid fire stuff and then we do need the blue rodeo story we've got a lot of it from Greg but we need it from the horse's mouth here okay so Saturday night I'm going to be at Christy Pitts because I'm loving this vibe I'm loving this value of going to these Toronto Maple Leafs baseball games.

Have you ever been to a Maple Leafs baseball game at Christy Pitts? I have not. Yeah, I'm putting you on the spot here. Oh, no, I have not. That sounds like an amazing night out. Yes, firstly, it's free. So the whole city can come fill the hill at Christy Pitts. And it's excellent baseball.

It's very entertaining. And you can drink without worrying about hiding it. You can have a beer. Okay, so you can drink your GLB. You can get a left field makes a Leafs Law. You can buy a hot dog or two and just take it all in. So I'm going to be checking out the Leafs on Saturday night. And I did get from the Maple Leafs.

They sent over the history. So underneath this beer, I'll just move that over. There is a book for you, Colin, on the history of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. Oh, thank you so much. Lots of swag for making the Trek West here today. Awesome. You'll know all about this, this entertaining team. Wow.

Also, I'm happy to be working with the Waterfront BIA. and basically talking about all the amazing stuff happening on the waterfront. I literally took a bike ride yesterday to the new park in the Portland's that just opened up. And I'm not going to say the name because I forgot to jot down how to say it properly and I don't want to butcher it. But I'll talk more about this in a future episode. But all the great cycling, the events that are happening on the waterfront, and I was on Toronto Island last week, that's part of their jurisdiction there.

But I want to specifically shout out this weekend, the Hibari Africa Festival. It's a multidisciplinary African arts festival returning to Toronto. It's free. It's all ages. It's a fantastic weekend of rich art, tastes, and sounds from the African continent. So that's taking place Friday through Sunday. That's the August 8th through the 10th. And it's all happening at Harborfront.

And that's one of the many cool free events that are happening on the waterfront this summer. Do you ever get yourself out to the waterfront and see what's happening near harborfront, et cetera? Colin? I do actually love it down there. I think we were talking earlier about cycling on the waterfront trail. Did you do a lot of biking? You know what?

I was very, very avid until probably about a year and a half ago and my, I don't know, for whatever reason, my schedule has made it difficult for me, which is not an excuse because I used to do it, but, and I was very regular, and it's certainly something I need to get back on. You know, I have nice bikes. I love, I love the, I love the medicinal value of it. Absolutely, it's my medicine, actually. Yeah, yeah.

Well, I'm going to see on the trail. Maybe you're coming from the east, I'm coming from the west. Maybe we meet at like Trillium Park or something. Yeah, and then we do a ride here. New sponsor alert, this is exciting. Blue Sky Agency. Now, Blue Sky Agency has forged partnerships with these established office furniture brands. like Cylen and Green Furniture Concept and Rulliard.

And Doug Mills, he's the man behind Blue Sky Agency. Hello to Doug. He's eager to chat with any and all listeners of Toronto Mike who are looking for dynamic and creative work environments. And you can write Doug right now. Doug at blue skyagency.ca.ca. Let him know you're an FOTM. Thank him for fueling the real talk here on Toronto Mike.

So we can have great conversations like this with Colin Cripps. and you can engage him about dynamic and creative work environments from Blue Sky Agency. And speaking of great partners, I want to give much love to Brad Jones from Ridley Funeral Home. Ridley Funeral Home has a great podcast called Life's Undertaking, and you can subscribe to that now. I get to co-host that show. We record an episode every two weeks. Ridley Funeral Home, of course, pillars of this community since 1921. And one final tip for you, Colin, I envision you having like a,

a drawer or a closet or a room full of, I don't know, old electronic stuff that doesn't work or old devices or old cables. Don't throw that in the garbage. Go to recycle myelectronics.c.a. Put in your postal code and then find out where to drop it off to be properly recycled. That's a free tip for you, Colin Cripps. I like it.

All right. Thank you. And now, where are we now? Okay, there's so many, so I'm going to, oh, that's right, I want to adjust this because so many questions came in on this. so let's do this now and I'm going to do the rapid fire and then we're going to do Blue Rodeo

and then we're going to take a photo and you're going to tell all your friends how great it was on Toronto miced. We're going to do that. Okay. I'll read these before you even get the reply. So James Edgar chimed in and said, Colin Cripps has a good eye for vintage guitars.

That was James Edgar. But then misanthropic humanist chimed in and said, this ties in with your upcoming Colin Cripps episode. Ask him about the acoustics. and electric guitar is made from the Maple Leaf Forever tree. He was involved with that project. And FOTM Paul Langua played the Maple Leaf Forever electric guitar

during the second last tragically hip tour. Then, again, you're going to have to address this in a minute. But then Hamilton, Mike, again, with the recent announcement of Paul McCartney playing in Hamilton and Colin's connection to Paul's band leader, Brian Ray, maybe ask him about that connection and if he's on the guest list. And then Mike chimed in to say, definitely ask him about his vintage guitar expertise and appraisal skills. I'm not exaggerating.

He's literally world renowned. You can even confirm a rumor for me that he sold a very expensive Les Paul to Brian Ray, Paul McCartney's guitar and bass guitar in his touring band. Then Adrian Stickland, there's a rocker for you. Hello, Adrian. Please ask him about his guitar collecting, trading, and I'm pretty sure he used to build high-end guitars too. So I threw a lot at you. I don't even know where to begin, but do you want to confirm that rumor, firstly, maybe? Did you sell a guitar to Brian Ray, Paul McCartney's guitar tech?

Well, I didn't sell it to, here's the story. I had a Les Paul, a 59, 1959 Les Paul Standard in Cherry Sunburst, which is kind of a mythical, highly, you know, coveted guitar. I sold it to a very good friend of mine in Toronto, actually, in 2010, and he is one of the CEOs of the toy company Spin Master. Oh. So... Pape patrol. So, yes, pop patrol, all of that, you know. That's a big business there.

Okay. Yeah, major, major success. So his name's Ben. I sold the guitar to Ben, and Ben had it for a few years, and then Ben called me one day and he said, you know, I'm not comfortable with this guitar. It's too valuable. It's, uh, you know, I love it, but I'd like to, you know, use the funds for something else. I said, okay. Well, at that time, I'd scouting, getting friendly with Brian Ray. So this would be about 2012. And I was getting friendly with Brian. And he said, I'm looking for a burst in, that we call him bursts in

the guitar world. He said, I'm looking for a 59 burst. I said, okay, well, you know what's funny? You said that because my good friend Ben just called me, you know, a couple weeks ago and said he wants to sell the one that I owned and I can hook you up. I can hook you up with Ben. You guys can talk and do whatever. So Ben actually went to New York, brought the guitar to him and they, they had a great time together and Brian bought the guitar from Ben. So what was my less Paul in a previous life? But And yeah, but that relationship, that's an amazing story. That relationship with Brian has been very, very strong ever since. I've gone to see him.

I've helped him find other instruments. He's a big guitar, not like me. He texts me probably three, four times a week. And he's just a wonderful man. And to answer the question about Hamilton, yes, the first thing he did when he found out that he was going to be in Hamilton. I saw Paul in Hamilton when he was, in 2016, he played it at Hamillian, at the, what we call it, Cops Coliseum. I mean, I'll always call it Cops.

But now I think it's going to be TD Place or something, because they've just spent 300 million renovate or 400 million renovating. It's going to be an amazing, amazing venue to see concerts in. So first thing, yeah, Brian says, hey, I'm playing in Hamilton. Can you come? Well, it's literally the night we're playing in Ottawa. Blue Rodeo is playing in Ottawa. Right. So I said, well, I can.

come because we're on tour we're doing this this 40th anniversary tour i really like to be there he says well we're also going to be in montreal um uh for two nights so uh so we're going to see i'm going to go and see him in montreal yeah that's that's amazing to answer so i hope that answers no that that's actually good detail there now uh what about the maple leaf forever tree oh okay so that that that that happened in 2014 i uh i live in the east end of toronto and he used to always drive up and then down or drive up to get to my place, drive up this street that the, that has this cottage called Mapleley, a Maple Cottage. And it's this, it's a nationally preserved place on this little street in Toronto, East Toronto. And the song, the Maple Leaf Forever,

which was the first Canadian national anthem before O Canada, it was written, it was written there by this guy named Alexander Muir in 1867 and so he was inspired by the tree that was on this little cottage property well that tree has been there for you know it's got to be 160 years because it obviously wasn't like a small tree when he even recognized it right um so there was a windstorm in 2013 and i saw that there was a windstorm and i of course being guitar nut and woodnut and stuff. I thought, what are they going to do with the wood from that tree? And I got in touch with my, actually what happened was Blue Rodeo, we were all given the Governor General's lifetime achievement awards in 2014. And we had to invite to this fancy lunch in the House of Commons. And anyways, I got seated beside this guy who just happened to be the counselor. So talk about serendipity. Just happened to be the counselor. Just happened to be the counselor. for my ward in Toronto and it includes that tree in the cottage.

And so I'm sitting there talking when I go, you know what? I want to know about whatever happened to the wood from the tree. And he said, well, here's a great story. He says, when the tree was, it was blown down in a windstorm. So they are, they have cultivated all the usable wood and it's being kiln dried. And they're going to, they're going to give out allotments to repriments to repriments. to repurpose it in a way that celebrates the national heritage of Canada and the history of that tree.

And, you know, and I said, well, I have this great idea then. I'd really love to make a guitar from it if I could get some of the wood. So that's what happened. You know, he helped me get the commission. Which counselor was this? I'm drawn a blank on his name. Yeah, wonderful guy. But he helped me get in touch with, connecting me through City Hall.

and they were sort of, they were tendering, you know, but the people that come forward say, well, I'm going to make of this with some of the wood. I'm going to make as that. So I came home with the guitar, but they loved that. So they gave me the wood to do the guitar. And then I ended up,

my friend who I grew up with, a friend of mine who grew up with a Hamilton, who now lives in Peterborough, amazing guitar builder. I called him and I said, look, I have this idea. I want to make this guitar. I'm going to be very specific about what it is

and what it looks like and blah, blah, blah. So we made an acoustic, and then as we were making the acoustic, a friend of mine who is an incredible electric builder in Guelph, and his name's Tom Bartlett, and he has his own guitar company called Bartlett guitars. I told him the story about how I'd gotten some of this Maple Leaf Forever wood from the tree, and he says, well, I've got to make an electric. So then we sort of put together the electric. So I had the acoustic and the electric, and the whole idea was that these things would become, custodial. I was going to be like, you know, every year or two, somebody would get the guitar and be able to go out and tour with it and make, and make their own story with it, right? So the first year, I took the acoustic and I used it with Blue Rodeo and did a bunch of stuff. And then the electric

went to Paul Langua with from the tragically hip and these one fellow FOTM. He's been in the basement. Yes. Wonderful man. And a longtime friend. So, so he got the electric and then that ended up being part of the, the last, the last tour or, you know. Second last tour. So 2014-15, right? Wow. Yeah.

So he had it. And then after that, I, you know, the electric went to Sam Roberts for a year. Which is appropriate because I think Paul Gift, Sam told me this story down here. He was the, he opened for the hip more than any other artist.

This was the story. And Paul Languag passed on this guitar. Yeah. Like that's your guitar. It was, yeah. Well, yeah. I never wanted to take ownership. Well, that's your idea.

It was a, yeah, I put the whole thing together with, with help from, from the city counselor, you know, and my friends who are fantastic with yours, but yes, so I spearheaded it. And now the, you know, the electrics with Tom Cochran has the electric. Wow. And I have the acoustic at home. So it's gone through, the Royal Wood had the acoustic for a while. and then I've had a few other guys. That's such a good name, right?

That's his real name. Do you know that? Royal Wood. Yeah. Sounds like a fake name. Yeah. But that's amazing. It's a good stage name.

Royal Wood. I actually called him now. I think I made him show me his driver's license or something. You proved to me. This is incredible. This Maple Leaf Forever story. That was a very nice thing to do. And I feel like a, you know, it turned out really well.

Oh, wow. Like, so just to wrap up, And shout out to Jeremy Hopkin. We've talked about that Maple Leaf Forever Tree on his quarterly episodes. He was here yesterday to talk about the Sunnyside. Basically what the Sunnyside was. It was this big amusement park, you know, a place where Torontoians would gather,

particularly in the 20s and 30s and 40s. But now it's a swimming pool, a pavilion. Oh, yeah, right. Palais Royale. Yes. Have you ever played the Palais Royale? I have, yes, a few times. Yeah.

And, I mean, I didn't play. I did play it as the original Palais Royal. I was a little run, and it was getting more, more, you know, run down. It needed to be a sort of, you know, it needed a sort of, to be revived. Some TLC. Yeah, it'll TLC. And so, and I played it after it was sort of renovated inside. Yeah.

Amazing. My joke was, I had a CD, a live Sloan CD, four nights at the Palais Royal. And then I had this CD, but I didn't even realize I'd bike by, like, didn't connect the, I was young, it was like mid-90s or something. And I, this whole idea in my head of what the Palais Royal was, like, because I had this, you know, four nights at the Palaisal. It sounded like Carnegie Hall or something like that. But it's very interesting. Okay. So, again, of God, I could talk to you for hours and hours and hours. And I haven't even got, you know, any blue rodeo in here. So I'm going to jump around a little bit, like just

hit some spots here. And maybe we'll start here. I'm deciding on the fly. Let's start with this guy real quick here. Just play a bit of this. gentleman right yeah and hear your words about this is the first song i worked on with him with brian adams and uh yeah it was uh it was a it was a thrill and uh and i have much love and respect for him and his band and everybody but uh he he took me under you know his wing in a very uh generous way and i spent two years with him working on this record and the but the This is literally the first song we worked on, you know, and, uh, and, uh, I think it turned out great, you know.

This song is called the, I thought I'd, thought I'd seen everything. Seen everything. And that's why I chose it. But it's interesting, because I was also reading, like, about your relationship, but Brian and that you, uh, I guess he did like a BBC special on the 40th anniversary of the Beatles. Yeah. That was probably one of the greatest days of my music career, spending that in London, uh, and

working with, um, Jeff Emmerich. And Richard Lush, who were the original, Jeff Emmerich was the engineer for all the Beatles records after 65. And so anything you can think of that, you know, significant catalog of great, great work. And he was awesome. And Richard Lush was the original tape-op. And they were kids when they started together.

So we worked on, yeah, we worked on, Brian was invited to do a song for the 40th anniversary. He invited me to play guitar, and we did Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band. He had the first song, the intro song, and we recorded it on all the original equipment. That would have been used to use it. You know what? You do need like a five-hour episode. I think there's a lot going on here in Cripsville here. But that's an amazing.

It was like 2007, I suppose. You're doing that. That's very cool. And then we talked about this song, which is, the album's called 11, right? Yes. That's a Brian Adams record. And it's just interesting that you got to slum it with some guy named Brian Adams. Yeah.

Oh, okay, cool. All right, well, bring down Brian. Then I have a question from Rob Delmundo. But before I press play on this, I was worried about doing this question and playing this song because I didn't want to, like, hurt your feelings in any regard. And I don't know how open you are about all this. there's a song that's been requested I play and talk to you about. So I have a...

I'm good with anything, Mike. Okay, good. You're not going to storm out of here. Although I do have this fantasy where my guest storms out. It hasn't happened yet, but if it happened with Colin Cripps, I think I'd be like honored. But I'm just going to play a little Kathleen Edwards here and ask you about this. When I go walking in my neighborhood, I wonder how I even got here. Since those Hamilton days and the first house we bought together

In the online street view used to crack me up It was Houston in your slippers On the front porch with the Sionese cat But it's not up there anymore And I I will always be thankful for it I was so lucky to be under your wing But I think I went and I grew

Now when I find myself looking back I paint all the cool shit that had happened Like We had a tour of us with a bed in the back We bought a rock and roll dream It was total crap Way toward the world And we played on TV

We met some of our heroes It almost killed me And died I will always be thankful for it And I So when you hear this song in the headphones What are you thinking? I was

You know I was I was I was surprised at first not because there was any animosity between us at this point at the point that this song cannot Kathleen and I were

you know we're together for eight years were married I devoted all that time to her and her work and it's you know it's still very, very, um, fond memory for me.

I, I'm, I'm very proud of the work that we did together and I'm proud of her. And so I, you know, I obviously have a lot of love for her. And when we split up, it was tough for a couple of years. We, you know, I couldn't, couldn't really have that connection, you know, it was, it was hard to, um, you know, there was definitely some, there was some healing to be done, you know, and, uh, but when I,

you know, but when we started to reconnect, it was on all the good things that happened in a relationship where we've done this great work together and we still loved each other. And so when I heard this song, it's like she, she essentially, you know, she auditions a lot of her material to me even now before she makes the records or she's kind of like, you know, she's, she's, I think she honors, honors our relationship that way. And so when she first played me this song, I, you know, at first I was kind of laughing about it. I went, okay, well, that's, you know that is a you know it's it's it's an honor to be part of somebody's work and uh i'll never lose that feeling about it and uh i think it's a great song it is a great song and it's it's all

about you colin and i'll read the rob delmundo question because he said if you get a chance play the song glen fern by kathleen edwards during the pod the song that kathleen edwards wrote for Colin Cripps as a way of saying, quote, thanks for the seven years we spent married, quote. The chorus goes, I will always be grateful for it. Curious as to what his favorite memories are of collaborating with Kathleen,

both as a musician and life partner. Well, it's a, you know, it's, I think it's some of the best work I've ever done, to be honest, you know. I'm proud of all the stuff that we did together, recording-wise. I think she's she's just an immense

songwriter so to be part of that is still really means a lot to me and the memories have of touring I got to do all the things that people dream about doing

as far as at least in the context of like what's it like to play Ed Sullivan or you know that theater what's it like to play Carnegie Hall what's it like to play these places and meet people that are of the caliber of musicians and that you've grown up with or that you admire.

And so I was very fortunate to do that with her. We met some amazing people, you know, and I've made some great friends from just being on tour with us being together. And so those are parts of what people would sometimes, you know, if they're imagining, well, what was that like? That's what it was like, you know? I got to be in the arenas that I never thought I would be able to or that I would never get to, you know, or that it just seems so far at a reach.

And then once you do them, you realize, oh, okay, well, you know, I was really confident in the band. Like, we were confident as a group, and she was a great artist, you know, and, you know, the things that happen that are out of your control. You know, it's a cruel business. It really is in the sense that, you know, there's no justice in the music business, let's say. You can do, you just got to do the work the best you can and hope that things, you know, things are fostered through that effort. But, you know, it's not always the case. Okay, Colin, you've been incredible. We're going to get you to Blue Rodeo now.

Don't worry. We won't spend 90 minutes on Blue Rodeo where you are. Oh, that's okay. But just you are kind of a missing link. Like I'm so glad we, because, you know, the three strikes you're out. I feel like I would have given you a fourth strike. Like, that's how badly I wanted to have this chat

and see how all these pieces stick together here, fit together. So tell us definitively how you end up a full-time member of Blue Rodeo back in 2013. Well, it started in 2010, actually. so Kathleen and I split up at the beginning of 2010 and then I had a really tough time for the first six months of 2010 one of my really close friends died in November of 2009 and then Kathleen and I split up January 1st 2010 and then three months later Dan Aiken passed away

and so I felt like I had three deaths in a four months, months. So it was a really tough time for me just trying to, just trying to process that. And then having to, I had to move, you know, the kitty and I sold the house in Hamilton on Glenn Fern. We sold that house. And then I wanted to move back to Toronto because I knew that I didn't want to stay in Hamilton if I had to start reinventing what I was going to do. And so I come back to Toronto. And not soon after that, I probably was, you know, through all of this stuff, I was always producing records too and stuff. So I was probably working on somebody's record. And then I was playing with Jim Cuddy, obviously all the solo records that Jim's done. I've worked on all

of those records, have co-produced them with him, and I've toured all those records. When Kitty and I were together, I would take, you know, like I, I didn't do every tour that Jim did during, say, that eight years that her and I were together. But I do whatever ones I could, and I made all the records. So then in 2010, we start doing shows again with Jim, and then it comes out that Greg Keeler is really struggling with tinnitus, tinnitus. It's not tinnitus? It's tinnitus? I've heard it said, tinnitus. I've heard it said both ways, so I never sure which is the... So you know what you've done smart? Do both. Yeah, I just... Because you're going to be wrong for sure, but you'll also be correct for sure.

um so he was really struggling and uh so that essentially meant that he could not play uh electric guitar anymore and and the so i sort of said to jim i said well why don't you just you know why don't i come and help you out just see how it goes and if you need somebody to just you know shadow gregg so to speak i can do that and so that's how it started and then it soon because we have such a long history together. It just became like a, it's just like a shoe. You put it on and you're like, oh, okay, well, this shoe fits. And then from that, obviously we sort of, the first year was kind of like figuring out how, I wasn't like an official member, I guess they, you know, they went to sort of go, Blue Rodeo goes through this vetting process. And it's kind of like from years ago,

whenever anybody would change, the members would change or get somebody, you had to go through like a trial period, even though it was like, well, it was kind of like silly. That's called probation, I think. Yeah, okay, you call it. Fair enough. But I felt like I've been in this family for, you know, 27 years of that, whatever it was. And I just said, you know, so anyways, that's what we did for the first year. It was just kind of strategically trying to figure out how to work this situation for Greg to be supported and for the band to be able to play.

So that's what happened. And then it just sort of turned into, okay, well, now we're going to make a record. So then I start making the records. and it's like now we're back to being like what I've always done, which is working on songs with Jim, you know, and him and I woodshedding, and then working on songs with Greg and then woodshedding. And then the rest is history.

I could just wrap it up in a nice little ball. It just became like, okay, well, now you're in the band. You know, you've always been part of this. I played on one of the records, actually. I've forgotten this, but I played on Tremolo 30 years ago because, you know, Greg always loved my Ricky 12-string stuff. Well, you co-wrote No Miracle, No, No, Down. And that song is on, yeah. So, you know, so there's always, you know, there's little, there were seeds from the past and, but it's just a great fit. Like it was like if you're going to have to make this change, you're either going to continue and it be a, a new version of what you are, but not a, you know, but not a stretch from anything you've ever done. And I think that's why I'm, I was a perfect fit.

it for that. Well, it's a new morning sun for you, Colin. A little bit of a blue rodeo song of Colin Crips as a full-time member. What do you get, like a jacket or a badge? What do you get when you're a full-time member? I'm still waiting. Well, you got that governor general. You start getting accolades and awards and things that you feel like you're very generous

to have been given those considerations. Did you get on a stamp? Yes. Yeah, I'm on a stamp now, too. There's no junk house stamp. I feel there should be, though. Well, it'd just be one giant, it would just be tall, you know, one giant melon. You know, we call a melonhead.

Toronto Mike. Yeah. Pull that super cut here. So, you're, so again, even though started earlier than 2013, obviously, but I guess that's when you got your... It's when I got my wings. You got you? My official wings. Yeah, I was there in 2010.

You know, kind of a dumb question. I know the answer, but do you want to name check everybody? holding that badge for for Blue Rodeo So as you guys I mean I'm just basically Name your colleagues Oh

Yeah Well there's Obviously there's There's Jim Cuddy Greg Keeler Basil Donovan And those are the only three OGs left The original

Yeah the OGs And then on keyboards Michael Boguski Fabulous Michael And Glenn Milcham Drummer Who's been there since 1991

You know He's been there A very very long time He's based, to me, he's like an O.G. And then you have myself. And Jim Boscill. Jim, Joe Boskill is a phenomenal, multi-instrumentalist. And he's, yeah, so he's the youngest member of the band in age and in tenure.

And what date are you at the Budweiser stage? August 23rd, Saturday, August 23rd. Do you have the record for, as a band, most times played that venue? I believe, yeah, I believe Blue Rodeo has the record. And you're probably second place at Massey Hall, maybe. I think second place to Gordon Lightfoot, but he was so far ahead of anybody

that it would take another, you know, 20 years to get where he is. There's time. Well, for some there may be, but not for, I don't know, I don't think I have that time. Well, I am going to play one more song here. again, this has been amazing, but I want to play. Oh. I can't see you You're standing right in front of you

Yeah your lips smooth They don't sound the same Now we just talk About the way we should be talking Still working in those loopholes Keep my heart in pain I don't feel you're warm anymore You're the train leaving

I'm still the station Oh I lost you Here I'm among the stars Under the walls sky, oh, I lost you, ever near and still so far under the aurora sky. All right, two-part question, Colin. One, what are we listening to? And two, how do you feel listening to this in the headphones?

Aurora skies. this is a I've only made one solar record this is it I put it out in 2014 it was a definitely a

you know it was a record that I I struggled with doing it and I wrote songs over a couple year period clearly I was going through

a lot of heartbreak from my divorce and breakups the breakup and so I just started writing songs as almost kind of therapy and and you know

I I would do things in pieces, so I probably had like four or five songs over the course of a year or so. And then a friend of mine, Chris Stringer, who's an amazing producer, engineer, who's done a lot of great music over the years. And a good friend. He's in, I have a surf instrumental band that he's part of as well. Don't tell me, a CNC Surf Factory? Yes. Yeah, cool.

So Chris, I played him a few of these songs, and then he just got on to me and said, you have to finish this. You have to just do it for yourself. And so this was good for me. He was really, really instrumental in that. And then I just did it as a sort of personal record. This song was obviously one of the first songs I wrote. And it was, you know, it was me trying to sort of,

one thing I've always done, and this might make sense to your listeners and to you, is I've made a lot of records over the years, and I've always been a fan of listening to records that have a beginning, middle, and end, and then have a sort of a thematic sensibility, even if it's not necessarily what you as the writer

had always imagined for your work. But with this record I sort of went, you know, like, I'm not a tenor. I don't sound like, you know, I'm not a big belting lead singer. I'm kind of a narrative singer. I'm, you know, I feel like

I'm a strong backup singer, so I do a lot of that. But this is kind of my Gordon Lightfoot record. You know, I wanted it to sound Canadian. I wanted it to represent the sort of the sadness that I was going through. I thought, okay, if I'm going to do it, I'm going all in, you know. And this was the first song that I thought kind of did that. And then, and then I made it sound like, you know, I kept, I kept the landscape appropriate. So to sort of say, it was strategic in that I embraced what it was going to be.

and I stuck with that. So for good or bad, that's what it is. It's sort of a record of letting go of things and losing things. And it has a Canadian, to me, you know, a Canadian sort of sensibility, if that's the right thing to say. Well, this is cathartic. I must assume you have to get that out. You're an artist.

This is how you get it out. Is there another solo album in you? I don't know. I don't know. There's other things that come out that have nothing to do with this, you know, like that, that was that thing. And I don't know. I like to say yes. Well, time will tell.

Time is on your side, as Mick Jagger one said. Now, we did, you know, we, there's a lot of, you have a lot of history in you that we kind of grabbed in like a hundred minutes. But a few names that we didn't actually mention, just to shout them out really quickly here during the extra. But like, you worked with Big Rec. Yes, yes. The Headstones. Yes. Could you get me Hugh Dillon?

He was booked on the show, and then the PR person canceled it, and he never got back in the calendar. Oh, I'll talk to. Well, we have the same manager, so I'm happily talking about. Okay, I desperately, I still have my notes. That was like 10 years ago. I still have my notes. I'm happy to ask our mutual friend. Your mutual friend.

Okay, I would love that. And you worked with Dave Hodge's favorite musician of all time. You know who that is? Canadian? Yep. Toronto guy. Toronto guy. Is Dave Hodge's favorite musician of all time? Oh, I...

You want me to help you out? Not Ron Secksmith. Nope, that's a good guess, though. Yeah, I might need... You worked with Ron Sexman? I did. I played guitar on his first recording, which Bobby Wiseman produced.

But what happened was that I did a bunch of songs with him at CBC, and this was about 1990, and they ended up not using those recordings because they wanted a bigger name, for I was told, wanted a bigger name, and that's when he did his first record with Mitchell Frum, who at the time was a huge, you know, well-known record producer. But yes, I did record with Ron. So the answer to the Dave Hodge trivia question is Justin Rutledge.

Oh, you know what? I've never recorded with Justin. Is that right? I have not. No. Okay, this is a notice for Rosie Gray T.O. Yeah, I can. You know where I got that little tidbit that you had produced and written with Justin Rottlidge? Wikipedia.

Oh, that's, no, that's not true. I didn't do that. That's what you're here for. I love J.R. And I think music's great. How could you guess it? I just know that he's not someone I've ever recorded with. Okay.

We're going to get Rosie Gray T.O. to edit the Wikipedia page. But, dude, this was incredible for me. Thanks for dropping by. doing this. My pleasure. And that brings us to the end of our 1,742nd show. By the way, Colin, this is a cover of a song I love on Shakespeare My Butt by Lois to The Low.

The guy who orchestrated this cover is named Rob Pruse. Oh, fantastic. You ever play with Lois to the Lowell? No, but I certainly have had good kind of words. Words with a couple of members over the years. Stephen Stanley, Ron Hawkins. And Ron Hawkins is actually, yeah, I've hung out with him a bit. Yeah.

Go to, yes. My friend plays with Stephen Stanley. My friend Chris Bennett plays guitar. Because Stephen collects the Chris's. Like if you look at his Chris Burk out, Chris, yeah. Love Stephen Stanley. He's a sweetheart. He comes to Maple Leaf Games at Christy Pitts.

There's a little tidbit. I think I'm going to have to work that in. Saturday night, I'll hang out with you. Go to Torontomike.com for all your Toronto mic needs. Are there any tickets left for Blue Rodeo at Budweiser stage? Good question. I would say yes, but I would get them quick because it generally sells out. Oh, yeah.

I've been to a bunch of them there. Amazing shows. I took my mom to a show at Massey Hall. She was hooked with Try. Oh, yeah. That was it for her. I had to play that for my first dance with my mom at my second wedding was Try. Awesome.

Much love to Jim Cuddy And much love to all who made this possible That's Great Lakes Brewery You got your beer Palma Pasta got your lasagna Toronto's waterfront BIA Get to the waterfront

Toronto Maple Leafs baseball Get to Christy Pitts Recycle My Electronics.C.A. Blue Sky Agency And Ridley Funeral Home Tomorrow, a tonal change We're going to talk to Shy Klein

He survived the horrific events of October 7th of 2023 And we're going to talk to Shy tomorrow See you all then Thank you.