Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Dave Hodge's 100 Songs for 2020: Toronto Mike'd #770

Episode Date: December 14, 2020

The annual tradition continues as Dave Hodge unveils his 100 songs of 2020 before catching up with Mike.

Welcome to episode 770 of Toronto Mic'd, a weekly podcast about anything and everything. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times, and brewing amazing beer. CDN Technologies, your outsourced IT department. Palma Pasta, enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. StickerU.com, create custom stickers, labels, tattoos, and decals for your home and your business. Sammy Cohn Real Estate. For a complimentary evaluation of your home, contact Sammy Cohn.

He's Sammy at SammyCohn.com. Cohn is K-O-H-N. And Ridley Funeral Home. Pillars of the community since 1921. I'm Mike from TorontoMike.com and this is Dave Hodge's 100 Songs of 2020. Dave, I take this responsibility very seriously.

Taking up the torch once carried by the late great Dave Bookman. As 2020 comes to a merciful end, Mr. Hodge, the floor is yours. Thank you, and especially for the reference to our late great friend, Bookie. Had you not done it, I would have found a way to mention it in our discussion. And to say the least, regarding 2020, things have changed. First and foremost, we do this for the music. I think you would agree.

And before we do anything else, I think we should intro this show with a song made specifically for the pandemic, a song we can all relate to in some way. The title will say it all. It is called Quarantine Blues, and it is sung by a guy who does stuff like this better than anyone. Right off the bat, here's Quarantine Blues by Steve Pultz. near the fire wearing questionable attire I made a new incision to improve my circumcision I yeah my hair's unruly and I learned to make tabooly I felt kinda groovy I watched every single movie you know I been depressed I never even got dressed I was feeling full of pity so I joined a subcommittee

I learned the word abrogation tried to find a new vocation searched the whole skyscraper trying to steal some toilet paper Made a bong out of a peach, gonna brush my teeth with bleach I prayed for a vaccine, I learned about hydroxychloroquine, yeah I was sitting on the toilet trying to get some unemployment And stayed in the bathroom for a meeting on Zoom Forgot I wasn't wearing pants, did a little dance I was jiggling down below and everybody got a free show

I wore my sleeve on my heart, I found a new body part I learned about zinc sulfate and how to meditate I was naked in a cape, I tried to do some manscape I lost a little bit of blood, but I still felt like a stud I high-fived a little kid, I thought I got COVID. Listen to Jerry Garcia, made my own tortillas. Found a new cake mix, I checked my body for ticks. Got run over by a bus and a tornado almost killed us, oh yeah. I became unemployed, started getting paranoid. I was eating a burrito and got bit by a mosquito Grew a garden full of cheer, I got cauliflower here

I read a Allah-Macbeth and I learned how to cook, man Yeah I drew my curtain shut, I was acting like a nut Started growing out my stubble, I've been living in a bubble Everything was unbearable, I started feeling terrible Thought I should buy a gun, instead I gotta ban blood I gotta get some social distance to help with my existence Need some logical assistance to a path of least resistance I'm feeling undesirous, no one wants to hire us

Island every song by Miley Cyrus, all about coronavirus I'm a midnight lurker, I'm a least essential worker You don't even have to ask I use my undies for a mask You know I understand So I gotta wash my hands I might have worms But I don't have demons

I got a stimulus check But I feel like a wreck I've become a decent cook I read every single book I might blast off But I cover my cough My pants are getting baggy And I'm looking kind of getting baggy and I'm looking

kinda shaggy, uh huh Well I'm the king of the UN, no I can make a big crescendo You know I cut my hair but I just don't care Maybe I should join the Navy, give myself a shave I accidentally got a COVID kiss I think I need an exorcist I don't really wanna butt in but I'm feeling like a shut-in I've been sweating in my body and I'm feeling kind of snotty Need a nurse, I suppose, should I keep tip up my nose? I'm getting kind of grouchy, I'm in love with Dr. Fauci, uh-huh

I guess that I could steal a tank, I may be going right by banking And my heart is hot until I get a pot I don't need to wear shoes, I guess I'll get snooze I was born to lose a bank and get my arteries hot until I get a pot. I don't need to wear shoes. I guess I'll get snooze. I was born to lose. I got the quarantine balloon. Yeah! So that's the kind of year it's been, Mike.

The kind of year that makes Steve Pultz write lyrics like, I need a nurse, I suppose, to shove a Q-tip up my nose. I'm getting kind of grouchy. I'm in love with Dr. Fauci. Steve was born in Halifax. He's now based in Nashville, perhaps most famous for his collaboration with Jewel on a song called You Were Meant for Me. That was her biggest hit in the late 1990s, and he's featured in the video if you want to do some deep research. But good for Steve because we need a chuckle, you would agree. Absolutely, Dave. We need some laughter. It's been a tough year for music, for musicians, for theaters and bars and clubs that present live music,

and for music fans like you and me, concert goers like you and me. Before everything stopped, I hosted two shows at Redstone Winery in Beamsville featuring Danny Michelle and M. Griner. The latter was on March the 12th. I'll never forget the date. It was my first touch-and-go, should-I-or-shouldn't-I COVID moment, or go-and-don't-touch, as it turned out. And M. Griner gave me my live music moment of the year, because there has to be one in any year, even a year like this, when she closed her show with an amazing rendition

of David Bowie's Space Oddity. Em once toured with, sang with, David Bowie. Yes. And she's an astronaut. Chris Hadfield teamed up to make a mesmerizing video of that song with the blessing given to them directly by David Bowie. I happen to own, a rash decision perhaps on our part, an eight-month-old puppy named Bowie. Oh, wow. Well, congratulations, Dave. I had no idea. For the fact that I share a birth date, January the 8th,

with David Bowie, among many other singers, including Elvis Presley. But that's a whole other story. Bowie, the eight-month-old Bowie, is a dachshund, So Bowie, the eight-month-old Bowie, is a dachshund, and there must be something in the air because I, the other day, just decided to Google famous dachshund owners, and guess whose name appeared? David Boat. Wow. When I named my dog, it was for the January 8th birthday, having no idea that he was also a dachshund lover. So anyway, that's part of what I've been doing for the last several months. There were also two Jim Cuddy shows that he was able to sneak in when things opened up for a short time in the Niagara region, again at Redstone Winery.

And that was it. in the Niagara region, again at Redstone Winery. And that was it. Especially disappointing for me because I regard 2019 as perhaps the most memorable year of my life where live music is concerned. Three nights of Frank Turner in Boston with support from acts such as the Hold Steady, Against Me, and my fantasy baseball partner, John K. Sampson.

Four nights in Punta Cana with John Prine at his All the Best Festival, really the last major event of John Prine's life. The list of performers was amazing, led by Brandi Carlisle, led for me by Brandi Carlisile, whom I had seen five nights earlier back here in Canada. So that makes me a super fan, I guess, to this day. There are other performers on my list, my Toronto mic list, if you will, who are in the Dominican Republic as well, including one who will receive a longer introduction later. 2019 also found me spending time with and introducing two of my very favorite bands, Skinny Lister from London, England.

And not only did I introduce the Jayhawks at the Horseshoe Tavern, I had the giddy pleasure of singing with them. Not a prominent role, obviously, but I still hum the song as if I'm the only one singing it until you came along, which actually is a song by Golden Smog, which is or was a super group featuring members of the Jayhawks. Anyway, I don't think I'll ever forget that and people in the audience won't let me forget it either. I need two things to get up and sing if you're wondering. An invitation and some nerve. I've done it with Willie Nile and Joel Plaskett and Max Kerman and that's enough of me for now. Anyway, 2019 also included Jason Isbell and Tara Lightfoot, Justin Rutledge, who had the number one song on last year's list,

many other favorites, too numerous to mention. And now we have this, which is to say almost nothing. And I feel so sorry for those folks who can't play, can't tour, can't make money that some of them need more than others. They can live stream, they can sell vinyl, maybe the odd CD, but it's obviously not the same. And it's hard and there is no immediate insight. If it's any consolation, and no, it's not,

but I would like to tell all of these folks that I've mentioned and will mention as we proceed how important their recorded music has been to me. Just getting through one day to get to the next one that'll be the same, but with different tunes. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I have filled many of these days since the middle of March listening to music in a way that is different. In normal times, music's on in my house or my car all the time, and I'm listening, but I'm usually doing other things.

This year it's me and a record, each track in sequence, and I'm doing nothing else but listening and absorbing intently, hearing things, I'm hearing words, riffs, melodies in a different way. People who made those albums, which for most of my life I was buying, I might be the latest to give up holding CDs in my hand, Mike, and going to Spotify. But as a result of all the listening I have done, I've had very little trouble finding 100 favorite songs from 100 different artists, this year especially. And I know that some people sound amazed that I'm willing and able to do that.

But this year, when somebody asked how tough it was i said this year i could probably do a second list of 100 songs by another different 100 artists wow and i was told to prove it so i did it and when we're finished here um my favorite 100 songs of 2020 by 100 different artists will be posted on Spotify under Hodge 100 2020. Should be easy. Hodge 100 2020. And the second list, if you get that far and you're really interested, will read Hodge, another 100, 2020. The idea is always to introduce music lovers to stuff they might otherwise never hear or find. And every year after we do this, it's gratifying to know that it works like that. And people are thankful. This year, we were changing it up slightly.

In the past, I have named 90 of the 100 songs in order 100 to 11, and we've played in their entirety the top 10. This year, we'll play only the top three after listing the others in the top 10 11 to 100 as i've said will be on my first spotify list but another change not to be too complicated here they will be in alphabetical order uh from 11 to 100 according to band name or artist's last name. And the reason I just find it silly to try to rank 100 songs is if that's an accurate representation of their popularity with me. In the past, when we've done this, I've looked at the numerical list and I've said number 21 could be number 61 and vice versa. Right. And I'm not about to debate with myself or anybody else decisions like that. I will stand by the top 10 in order as my favorite recording. So that part stays the same. And this

year, some of my very favorite musicians and people made the list of 100. But surprising to me if to nobody else, not the top 10. I'm just going to leave it at that so as to not take myself or this list too seriously. But before we start the countdown, I'm interested in what interests you in what you see, first of all, from 11 to 100. Well, I heard you mention Frank Turner's name. And Dave, I also heard you reference the fact that you're hopeful people will listen to your 100 and will discover acts that they might not be familiar with. And then they can dive deep into the catalog

and collect the vinyl and stream it on Spotify, et cetera, et cetera. I just want you to know, Dave, that when you kicked out a Frank Turner song a few years ago, back when we could do this in my basement, the good old days, if you will, I had very little familiarity with Frank. But after that visit, I loved that song so much, I started listening to more Frank Turner and then more Frank Turner. And one of my favorite artists in the world today, thanks to you, Dave, is Frank Turner. So I'm sure many other listeners have similar experiences, and that's just one of many acts that you've turned me on to over the years.

So first, thank you for doing this. Thank you very much. Well, I feel sheepish to take credit for the rise of Frank Turner's popularity, because without me, without you, he was still going to be Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls were still going to be one of the great live acts of my lifetime. And sure, if one or two people would know that because of what we do and would not know it folk, punk, rock, ballad, you can like any or all of it and love Frank Turner. On my bucket list is a see Frank Turner live with Dave Hodge. Well, you'll be up front.

Let's let's look, I'm crossing my fingers here that possible for 2021. I don't know if I'm being too optimistic, but here's hoping. I want to let all listeners know, and I think this might be news to you as well, Dave, that a gentleman I work closely with here at TMDS is Tyler Campbell. And we've put together this micro site. So, of course, I'm going to post this on TorontoMic.com as always and, you on apple podcasts and spotify and etc and we're going to publish the list and everything like we normally do but this year we've launched hodge100.com and hodge100.com is essentially like a hub where you can access the spotify and and apple playlists we're going to have both and just the listing and this episode that we're recording right now.

So I just want everyone to go to their web browsers and visit Hodge100.com. It's kind of the fastest and easiest way to access all this curated list that you've spent some good time putting together. So Hodge100.com. Well, that's my Christmas gift from you, and I thank you. You did more work than I did getting to song 200 on my second list, and I appreciate it. I appreciate it very much. I'm sure there aren't too many other websites like that that you've created, although you've had guests. And let me say right now, congratulations on what has been a marvelous year for you.

Thank you. In your work and your ability to get guests. I don't know if anybody's ever said no. I don't want to hear about it if they have because I can't imagine there are too many. But good for you for doing what you do and for doing it so well and so often. Anything else on the earlier list? A few items. On the note of guests, I will let you know that your friend Michael Farber is making his Toronto Mike debut this winter. So that is coming soon to Toronto Mike. Well, on a list of people who would never say no, especially if you use my name to help

get him, that would be Michael. So I'll be listening. I noticed, and this is interesting to me. So just recently in my backyard, I bob willett on and he was uh giving us this sort of i would call it a pearl jam primer not that i personally need one you and i dave we share the same pearl jam song which happens to be a cover of victoria williams crazy mary which i think is a wild fun fact unto itself but bob was kicking out his favorite pearl jam song from each of the 11 studio albums. And then he got to Gigaton,

which I actually haven't, I hadn't dove into it yet, but subsequent to this episode last week, I've been listening to Pearl Jam's Gigaton and I enjoy it very much. But I saw on your list, your initial 100 anyway, Get It Back by Pearl Jam is there. Yet that song's not on Gigaton.

Do you know where this came from? I've got to catch up on this. I know I'm putting you on the spot, but where does Pearl Jam's Get It Back come from? Following the album, they released a single for whatever reason, and I like the single better than anything on the album. So Get It Back is a pearl jam single it's easily easily accessible and um um not to not to put the album down uh necessarily it wasn't my favorite pearl jam album i don't know where it it fit on your countdown uh in your earlier in your earlier conversation. But Get It Back got to me.

And I wanted a Pearl Jam song on this list because I think probably every list has had one. So find it. Very interesting, though. They put out a new album in 2020 and already a new single that's beyond the album. So so get it back from pearl jam nice to see that there uh also great to see my mimico neighbor kim mitchell uh made your list he dropped by this past uh calendar actually it was a zoom i say drop by but he was dropping by virtually uh for

episode 679 so if anybody wants to hear a deep dive with Kim Mitchell, he's on Dave Hodges 100, and he can be heard episode 679. And last but not least, before we hear about your top 10, you chose a Gore Downie song, and I just want to know, as if I don't know the answer, but how did it feel to hear new Gore Downie in 2020?

It was, well you you had goosebumps especially realizing that these songs were recorded uh uh mere months before his death with the help of his great friend Josh Finlayson of the Sky Diggers. And there are acoustic versions of every song on the album that was put out. And I preferred an acoustic version of a song called About Blank. of a song called About Blank. A little bit more guitar off the top and more just pure Gord's voice gets going later on, but I did prefer the acoustic version, and so that's the one that is listed.

And I will say that I listened to your Kim Mitchell episode. I enjoyed a lot of the anecdotes. First of all, you know, great to have a guest who's not quite my age, but, you know, well, he'll never get there, but he's of my vintage,'s say and uh i love the the anecdote of of gopher soda which is my favorite and probably his biggest hit gopher soda and twisted sisters uh i've drawn a blank we're not going to take it we're not going to take it having those two songs sort of come out at the same time and clash with each other. Listen, Gopher Soda can top Twisted Sister any day for me. And the new Kim Mitchell record, the song that I've chosen, you can put it next to Gopher Soda.

And I swear you don't know how many years later that kim has done it so uh great that you had him on and uh great that he still uh sounds so good and so speaking of good these uh top 10 better be good should i uh proceed to just right after right after i let you know we have the same favorite moment from the kim mitchell episode and uh that i've been calling go for soda my entire life i've been referring to it as go for a soda and kim was very quick to correct me it is go for soda not go for a soda and i will never make that mistake again but yes let's hear about your top 10 of 2020 okay and as i say i'll just tell you about uh 10 through four um we won't play them as we have done in the past because we want more time uh to talk i guess you will hear in their entirety the top three and i hope you uh enjoy them as much as as i have done

um this year. And then we're going to talk about whatever Mike wants to talk about. But now to the top 10, Hodge 100 2020. Number 10 is by Molly Tuttle, who is best known as a bluegrass singer and guitar picker extraordinaire. Just as an aside, the last time I was talking to Steve Foltz, who got us started, and we were talking about music, he said, well, lately he'd been working with an artist named Molly Tuttle. And I knew her, again, as a bluegrass singer and again, as a bluegrass singer and a great guitar player. Everybody who picks at country music and bluegrass music regards her as a maestro. And I told him what I knew of Molly Tuttle's recordings to that time.

I didn't know about this record. Molly, like a lot of others this year, released a set of cover songs. Now, normally they don't count here, as you know, but like this one and some others still to come, they're so good that this year's list is really top 100 recordings as opposed to top 100 new songs of 2020. And I think that the recording of cover songs has something to do with COVID. These people want to play, they want to sing, they want to record, they have no material of their own, and they have favorite material that they can take to the studio,

and that's what's happened here with Molly Tuttle. Anyway, she grew up a bit of a punk rocker, apparently. And she said the song she sang most often to herself when she was much younger was by the band Rancid. And the song is called, you know, you can't get punkier than Rancid. The song is called Olympia, Washington. She decided to record it after playing a show in Olympia Washington. It's number 10 here and you can listen to it afterwards on Spotify and all those places that Mike told you about. Number nine is a single released just last week and as soon as I knew that was happening even

before I heard the song full transparency here I put this song on the list because it belongs to skinny Lister so full stop end of story no apologies then I heard the song and I knew it belonged. The song is called Shout It Out. Watching the video along with it is a good idea. Number eight, Bob Dylan, I Contain Multitudes, from an album that might wind up being the best reviewed record of the year. Rough and Rowdy Ways could also wind up being the last Dylan album. Who knows?

Its songs and all other Dylan songs are now the property of Universal Music for as much as $400 million, some would say. The times are indeed changing. I couldn't resist. The times are indeed changing. I couldn't resist. Anyway, Rough and Rowdy Way stands with much of 79-year-old Bob Dillon's best work. Cut number one, I Contain Multitudes.

Number seven is by a group that we talked about when I was with you early in the year from an album that is one or one A, my favorite album of the year, self-titled Bonnie Light Horseman. I changed the song from before. I've come to consider a song called The Roving as the standout. And Bonnie Light Horseman is, to give credit once again, Eric D. Johnson from Fruit Bats, who appear further down this list, Anais Mitchell, a Tony Award winner, no less. How do you make a record into a play into a, I think, eight-time Tony winner, including her own Tony, and Josh Kaufman, who plays and works with everybody, it seems.

Hold steady, Josh Ritter, the list goes on. Anyway, Bonnie Light Horseman, if you're a folky, I'll say a contemporary folky, you should listen. They did this terrific work on this record by taking lyrics that are hundreds of years old from British folk songs and modernizing them, like this one that I've picked called The Roving. Number six, what do I say about Daniel Romano? This guy released at least 10 records this year. You're going to tell

me, oh, no, that must mean five albums and three EPs and two singles. No. 10 full records, some of this, some of that, all of them great. I mean, the word prolific doesn't even touch the correct description of an output like that. And how do you pick one song? But that's my job here. So I did. And it is called Green Eye Shade. Number five, for a while I was thinking would top the list. But others came along, as happens.

Number five is a song called Can't Do Much by Waxahachie, otherwise known as Katie Crutchfield. Now, you're going to ask me what Waxahachie is all about. Go ahead. What's Waxahachie all about? Katie grew up in Waxahachie Creek, Alabama. Oh, makes sense. And with a Canadian connection, she once toured with Tegan and Sarah and also new pornographers. This song is taken from an album called Saint Cloud. She describes the album as all about getting sober. Again, the song is called Can't Do Much.

Number four came along with others by Bruce Springsteen from the album and the movie of the same name, Letter to You. I could have picked the title track. You probably could have picked any song. You probably were watching TV like I was late Saturday night. Go ahead and tell me your reaction. Well, firstly, I'm not sure if you heard the episode of Jake Clemens, Toronto Mike. So a member of the E Street Band, this is of course Clarence Clemens' nephew

who's taken over for the big man. He came by. So I wanted to see Bruce anyways, but I really was interested. Let's see an FOTM on Saturday Night Live. But just to go full circle on this, it did come to my attention, of course, that Chuck D has been on the program

and Public Enemy has played Saturday Night Live. And of course, a couple of members of Barenaked Ladies and Barenaked Ladies have also played Saturday Night Live. So this was not the first time that happened. But yeah, it was great seeing Bruce and the E Street Band on Saturday Night Live. So this was not the first time that happened. But yeah, it was great seeing Bruce and the E Street Band on Saturday Night Live. And I emceed a show headlined by the Jake Clemons Band. So I'm

well aware of Jake when he's got a guitar and not a saxophone. And he much enjoys playing his own music in his own band. And he realizes that everybody in the audience is waiting for him to grab the sax. But anyway, hi to Jake if he's around. Anyway, back to the boss. I chose a song called Ghosts, which I think includes a bit of everything you find in

every great Springsteen song that you love, if that makes any sense. It's the crowd pleaser. No surprise that he picked it for the Saturday Night Live performance two nights ago. Ghosts is dedicated to lost friends and bandmates. And if you couldn't guess, it rocks. And now we'll play the top three songs. As I said, covers are eligible. This is a John Prine song. And I'm going to stop here and recognize the fact that it has been an awful year for the musicians we have lost. John Prine meaning so much to so many. does remind us of the greatness of musicians who were claimed by 2020, some directly by COVID, including John Prine. Perhaps the greatest drummer of all time, certainly one of them, Neil Peart of Rush, Kenny Rogers of Gambler, Bill Withers,

Ain't No Sunshine, Adam Schlesinger from the great group Fountains of Wayne, Little Richard, Charlie Daniels, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Justin Towns, Earl, sadly, Steve's son, Toots Hebert, Toots and the Maytals, Mac Davis going way back to Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me, uh Helen Reddy no need to say why she's famous Eddie Van Halen Spencer Davis from the group give me some loving Jerry Jeff Walker Mr. Bo Jangles and now just a couple of days ago Charlie Pride is anybody going to San Antone? And let me add Canada's first lady of the blues. At the age of 86, Toronto's Salome Bay left us. So we'll remember 2020 for a lot of reasons we would like to forget, but we shouldn't forget people like that and others who are suffering and hopefully will recover. Meanwhile, back to John Prine. And the number three song on this list is a cover of one of my two favorite John Prine songs, the other being Hello in There. And this rendition of Speed of the Sound of

Loneliness is by Kurt Weill. Now, that sounds like an odd combination for a modern rocker to be linked to a country folk Americana legend. But I've learned that they played together several times, and this is simply a great modern-day version of John Prine's Speed of the Sound of Loneliness by Kurt Weill. You come home late and you come home early You come home big when you're feeling small You come home straight and you come home curly Sometimes you just don't come home at all Sometimes you just don't come home at all What in the world has come over you? What in heaven's name have you done?

You've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness You're out there running just to be on the run Well, I got a heart that burns with the fever And I got a worried and a jealous mind How can a love that'll last forever Get left so far behind Wouldn't the world come over you What in heaven's name have you done

You've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness You're out there running just to be on the run Well, it's a mighty mean and a dreadful sorrow It's crossed the evil line today Well how can you ask about tomorrow You ain't got no word to say So what in the world has come over you What the hell

you think you've done You've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness You're out there honest to be on the run You're out there running just to be on the run You're out there running just to be on the run Whoa, whoa, whoa

Whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa, whoa, whoa Run Run Run Run ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത൱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱༱� I'd say I could listen to that all day, or how about just every other day. And indeed, I have listened to that just about that often. The same with number two. Only this time, when I say listen to it almost every day, I'm referring to the whole album. I grew up on Bob Dylan. I went by bus to see him in Greenwich

Village when I was a teenager. I have not been enthralled over the years when others have tried to cover Bob Dylan's songs. And there have been countless others. And then in 2020, along came a record entitled Blonde on the Tracks. And I had my usual disregard for what might be included in a play on the Dylan album, Blood on the Tracks. And then I heard a voice and this song, actually the first cut on the record, and it stopped me in my tracks, pun intended, I guess. And I kept listening to a singer originally from Australia and now based in Nashville named Emma Swift.

It's not a track-by-track treatment of Blood on the Tracks, it's just two songs from it, not including the one spotlighted here, but there are eight songs in total, and my measure of a great album is one that lets you enjoy each song as much as the last one and the next one, and this will do that and does that to me every time. Like the John Prine cover, this just happens to be among my favorite Bob Dylan songs. It's now my favorite Emma Swift version of a Bob Dylan song. Here's Queen Jane, Approximately. When your mother Sends back all your invitations And your father To your sister he explains That you're tired of yourself and all of your

creations Won't you come see me, Queen Jane? Won't you come see me, Queen Jane? Now when all the flower ladies want back what they have lent you And the smell of their roses does not remain And all of your children start to resent you Won't you come and see me, Queen Jane? Won't you come and see me, Queen Jane? Now when all the clowns that you have commissioned Have died in battle or in vain

And you're sick of all this repetition Of all this repetition Won't you come see me, Queen Jane Won't you come see me, Queen Jane Thank you. When all of your advisors Heave their plastic At your feet to convince you of your pain. Trying to prove that your conclusions should be more drastic. Won't you come see me, Queen Jane? Won't you come see me, Queen Jane?

Now when all of the bandits that you turn your other cheek to all lay down their bandanas and complain. Can you want somebody you don't have to speak to? You don't have to speak to Won't you come see me, Queen Jane? Won't you come see me, Queen Jane? Emma Swift has made a lot of fans with that record. She has also talked a lot about the plight of musicians who must try to sell their records for what they're worth or basically give them away to streaming services. And she has done both.

Originally, I had to buy Blonde on the Tracks, which I did. And eventually, to get more people to hear it, she released it to Spotify, like a week ago. But before that, there was a one-day sale from the Bandcamp website that sold it to me and others, and one day gave 100% of the proceeds to the artists themselves. And Emma reported that in a matter of hours, she made $600. And it would take, according to her, 150,000 listeners clicks via streaming to equal that amount.

Wow. I mean, small, small portions of a penny per click. As I say, the album is now available for all to hear for a few cents. You can fight, but you can't win, I guess. But like I said about the plight of the artists due to COVID, they should know that their work is appreciated and fans need to show that appreciation in any way possible. On to number one, and I felt I did have to adhere to the original rules,

the original Toronto mic rules that required songs on this list to be new songs not heard before, not heard before the current year or done by anybody else. I mentioned that a little over a year ago, I was in the Dominican Republic for the John Prine Festival, and there were shows morning, afternoon, evening, and on into the next morning, and I had to pace myself. Believe me. But there was one midnight show that I couldn't miss. I was intrigued by this guy's songs on record. I wanted to hear them live. I knew him then as the husband of Casey Musgraves.

the husband of Casey Musgraves. He now must be described as her ex, but neither way is quite proper because his name will suffice on its own. Rustin Kelly is a terrific singer who writes songs that are very personal. He sings them that way. The songs I heard a year ago in the Dominican Republic were from an album called Dying Star. 2020 has brought a record called Shape and Destroy. A lot of songs with simple one-word titles. This has two, and it's the song of the year for me, Rustin Kelly, Radio Cloud. I'll do whatever till I figure it out Looking straight, the pain's gonna show me the way Climbed down the radio cloud I remember what my name is now I cut the water, laid the roadway down

You can call me Moses Don't take whatever they took It's just the way that we all get hurt Thinking everybody's only looking at all the pretty roses Around Around Around Around Unstuck in a romantic tie

Deep in the virus sign of the times How could you know if you haven't been looking up The world shakes when the truth breaks out The fire takes what ain't worth a damn now The smoke cleared, the wind came to blow me away Climb down the radio cloud I remember what my name is now. I cut the water, lay the roadway down, you can call me Moses.

Don't take whatever they took, it's just the way how they ought it hurt. Thinking everybody's only looking at all the pretty roses Around, around Climb down your radio cloud Do you remember what your name is now? You cut the water, lay the roadway down You just pulled up Moses. Don't take whatever they took. It's just the way that we all get hurt.

Thinking everybody's only looking for the pretty roses. Around. Around. roses Around Around Called me a misfit, king of the crowds Out on the hills with telephone poles Hanging in silence till I had something to say So that's music for 2020.

Thank God for music in 2020. And my lists are, as of this moment, showing on Spotify, My Way as Hodge 120-20 and Hodge another 100-20-20. And as you say, there is the website. Go ahead and promote it again. Hodge 100.com That's easy to remember too. And I shall remember. What else would you like to talk about, Mike?

I don't write because I don't think. I don't have a need to speak. I don't see the bright side quite as clear Accolades and happy days They don't ever last Stories of courage Clouded up with fear In the broom grass I would lie of courage clouded up with fear.

In the broom grass I would lie, glimmer in my eyes. Sun smiled back on me from victory I tried. To match eternal life Now I live my life Of course I was forced to retreat From victory I accept defeat I absolutely love this annual tradition. Dave Hodge's top 100 of each calendar year. Love it, love it, love it. We're listening to the Avett Brothers' Victory.

That's one of Hodge's 100 for 2020. Just want to take a very quick moment to thank the partners of Toronto Mike who helped fuel the real talk and make all of this possible. Of course, Great Lakes Beer. I was there on the weekend for their Hops for Hunger campaign in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Get your beer from a fiercely independent local craft brewery. It's delicious. GreatLakesBeer.com. Palmapasta.com. Speaking of delicious, authentic Italian food. You'll thank me later. Ask Peter Gross. He says it's the best lasagna he's ever had. And he's had a lot of lasagna. StickerU.com. Also a local Toronto business. They're in Liberty Village. Also a local Toronto business.

They're in Liberty Village. Quality stickers, decals, temporary tattoos, etc. For the holiday season, it's a fantastic stocking stuffer. Go to StickerU.com. CDN Technologies. They're there if you have any IT issues with your network. Get their network assessment and plug the holes before it's too late Barb Poluskiewicz is available now she's 905-542-9759

give her a call tell her Mike sent ya and speaking of great music Sammy Cohn isn't just the drummer for the Watchmen he's an expert realtor and he's offered to throw in a free drum lesson for any real estate inquiry. Find him at drummingupresults.com. That's an amazing offer. And thank you to Ridley Funeral Home. They're at Lakeshore and 14th in New Toronto.

Brad Jones has been a tremendous FOTM. Pay tribute without paying a fortune. Learn more at RidleyFuneralHome.com And now, more Dave Hodge. From victory I set the field. What else would you like to talk about, Mike? Dave, when you took over as host of Hockey Night in Canada, what year was that? 1971. Who had the role before you? Ward Cornell.

Okay. Were you aware at the time that the CBC was speaking with Alex Trebek about taking that role before it was offered to you? I was aware shall we say years later after I got the job at the age

of 26 mind you with no television experience previously I was more than a little stunned that I was being hired. And in fact, I said no to the offer of an audition and was told to think it over for 24 hours and eventually said, what have I got to lose?

And the audition was awful and they had me do it again. And for some reason, maybe because I was 26 years old and they wanted a newer, fresher look, I was hired. And they asked me if I wanted to know who else was being considered, which I didn't think was considerate, really. And so I said, no, I'd rather not because I probably know some of these people. Right. I'd rather not because I probably know some of these people. Years later, Alex Trebek became the Alex Trebek that the world knows as the host of Jeopardy. And the Hockey Night in Canada folks said, way back when you didn't want to know about anybody else who auditioned and was being considered.

But we're about to tell you because we think it's such an interesting story and you'd like to know. Also included in the list of those auditioning was Alex Trebek. Wow. And I remember my line without blinking. I said, how would he like to trade places? Not to say that the Hockey Night Canada job wasn't one of great honor, but I knew what Alex was making and I knew what I was making. And I'd have, yeah, Jeopardy would have been a nice uh career path for me too so um we uh maybe it all worked out for the best because uh um he was the best at what at what

he did or does so when uh we lost alex sadly this year year to cancer. There was an article in, I think it was the Hockey News by Ken Campbell, just sharing this fun fact with the public, because I had never heard it until this past, until Alex passed away. I had never heard that he was considered for the role. And it sounds like one of the reasons

they did not go with Alex Trebek for the host of Hockey in Canada instead of Dave Hodge, was they didn't like his mustache. This seemed to be a big deal to CBC at the time. They didn't like his facial hair. Well, he could have shaved. I'm basically incapable of growing a mustache. And maybe they looked at my 26-year-old face and

knew that. And so they knew that would never be a problem. There are two versions of why I got the job. One, Alex Trebek had a mustache. Two, they preferred me to Alex Trebek. Allow me to prefer the second version. Oh, that's fantastic. Okay. Now, and I don't mean to dwell on the sad news from 2020, but I want to remember somebody, so I hope you can hear this. I think it should work. I'm going to play about a minute of a clip and then I'm going to ask you about the other voice on this clip.

Howie, for those who think there's a casual attitude on the Canadian squad tonight with a 3-0 lead in the series, not so, and there's a big reason for that without Jarvis will Trombley shut in Napier they're really intense and want to win this thing in four straight so they get some rest and get some people back for the semi-finals if as seems likely they're gonna reach that round and they're playing as though they want it before well Dave it's a classic example of how you play offense sure

they have great skaters and great puck handlers, but offense is teamwork, and this is what they're doing here. It's been a Robinson, Le Fleur, Le Maire period, and here we're gonna show you just some, oh, fantastic highlights of why the Montreal Canadiens are so good. Watch this.

Straight to Savard, and Le Fleur heads for an opening. Savard gives it over to Robinson. Now Robinson, back to Savard, and LeFleur heads for an opening. Savard gives it over to Robinson. Now Robinson, back to Savard. Now, can we just unwind it? Back it up just a little bit, Topo. Watch what Robinson does to clear the hole. Okay, away you go.

Now Robinson knows that he wants to create an opening. Now LeFleur works two-on-one. He comes over to the Leaf player, McDonald, and there's Lemaire coming in, look, for a great angle, a great shot. But the secret of creating good offenses continually to work two-on-one. All right, here they do it again, coming out of their own zone. We lost Howie Meeker in 2020, Dave. Would you mind sharing any thoughts you have on the passing of Howie?

Well, what we just heard proves that you can do play-by-play and analysis at the same time. Right, right. And one is as good as the other. Howie Meeker was a great friend, obviously a colleague that was more than easy to work with. You just had to get him started and wait till he finished. And his enthusiasm was unparalleled. His enthusiasm for the game and his enthusiasm for his way of speaking to the audience and allowing the audience to enjoy hockey the way he thought it should be played. He, for me, was, I'll just give you one example. He spent a lot of his life in Newfoundland before he moved to the West Coast,

He spent a lot of his life in Newfoundland before he moved to the West Coast. And he knew that I was a seafood lover. And whether it was lobster from Newfoundland or salmon from B.C., every Christmas came packed in ice. The most delicious seafood you could imagine, as Howie's gift to me and my family. And I hadn't seen him in recent years, but I did pay one visit to him in Parksville, B.C., to do what turned out to be our last TV interview. And he was a spry.

We went to dinner. You wouldn't have known how old he was. And I'm guessing that until he died, wouldn't have been able to tell that this guy was of that age. And I'll remember Howie fondly, and thanks for allowing me to do it that way. That almost, we should have rehearsed this. That kind of got to me. So let's lighten it up.

Okay. How about this one? I saw Damien Cox tweeted a photo of what I guess I'd best describe as a virtual meeting of the minds as you discussed who would win this year's Lou Marsh Award. And I saw, of course, you were on there in your fabled Expos cap, which you wore at least one visit to my studio. I know you wore the Expos cap. I love it. But my question is, are you willing to divulge who you voted for in this year's Lou Marsh Award? Yes, I have mixed feelings about individual voters saying who they voted for. I think part of me says the committee announces a vote

and everybody on the committee should probably just get behind that vote and whether they agreed with it or not, because that's what strong committees do. I've seen some critical comments about the way this year's vote turned out by, well, by a certain member of the committee who won't be named. And I took exception to it, especially the way it was worded.

But for those who don't know, this was almost close to being unprecedented result, a tie, because that is exactly how the votes came out. 18 votes for perhaps the best male soccer player Canada's ever produced, Alphonso Davies. And already you could call him that. And Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman, Montreal native McGill Grad, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in early 2020

and selflessly chose not to play in this season, this current season, to devote his time to fighting the pandemic in treatment centers as an orderly. He didn't feel he should risk his teammates. And he felt if he was to be at risk, it should be doing the work of health care in his native land in 2020. Obviously, he's 6'5", 320 pounds. He's an athlete in his own right and a champion wearing a Super Bowl ring. But for 2020 especially. And I'll admit, he was nominated in earlier years,

twice I believe, not much traction, wasn't going to win those years and won't win next year or the year after. But I thought in 2020, for obvious reasons, I think they're obvious, that an inspired choice for the Lou Marsh Award would be Laurent Duvernay Tardif, and he got my vote. The vote turned out 18 for him and 18 for Alfonso Davies. And as I tweeted afterwards, I hate ties, except this one.

Right. Inspired choice, like you said. Well done. Now, the New York Times, this came out just yesterday. So we're recording here on the Monday. This, I think, leaked yesterday. New York Times reported that Cleveland's baseball team is changing their nickname. So two-part question. First one is a little easier. What would you like Cleveland's new nickname to be if you were the decision maker there? Well, I've already got criticism of this choice for two reasons. But when you think Cleveland, you think Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Let's face it. There's no doubt. There is a team in the National League, mind you, called the Colorado Rockies. But so what? I don't see any reason why, especially when the CFL, stupidly, I might say, but had the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. I don't know why Major League Baseball can't have the Colorado Rockies in one league and the Cleveland Rocks in the other. I've been told that Toronto Rocks has precedence,

and I'm not going to start to criticize the Toronto Rocks and say that the Cleveland Rocks deserve the name. Let them both have it. But anything else for me doesn't work for Cleveland if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't there. I tried in my head Cleveland Rolls. No. I just sort of thought about Breakfast Rolls.

It didn't work. Anyway, so I'm sticking with Cleveland Rocks. Well, shout out to Ian Hunter. I think Cleveland Rocks would be amazing. It's so obvious, especially when we're music people, that I can't go past that. And a great cover by the presidents of the United States of America. That was the theme song to the...

Oh, you're right on top of that. Yeah, the Drew Barry... The Drew Barry. The Drew Carey Show used it as a theme song for years. It's fantastic. Okay, I said two-part question. Drew Barry, the Drew Barry, the Drew Carey show used it as a theme song for years. It's fantastic. So, okay. I said two part question. So secondly, this one's a little tougher than that first one.

Should Chicago's hockey team be next to change their nickname? Well, I think a trend is developing. And I think this doesn't really answer your question. It's a political answer. But, you know, once Cleveland follows Washington, now Atlanta and Kansas City and Chicago and maybe, well, we have Edmonton as another example. It's already, I think it's time to rid sports teams of names that might offend, do offend. You know, I live my life by saying, look, if it offends you, let me know. And if I can change it, I will because I don't want to offend you. And if these teams have names that offend people, then they ought to change them.

I know there are people who will be offended by the change of the team name simply because they've always known the Atlanta Braves as the Atlanta Braves. Well, they were the Boston Braves before that. But, you know, times change. And I, if I were one of these teams, would welcome the idea of a contest, including, you know, fan votes, get everybody involved in suggesting names. And I think it's a great promotion. And you're going to come up with a great name if you haven't thought of one already.

And I think the fans would be into it. So I'm already hearing and seeing Cleveland Spiders, which goes way back. already hearing and seeing Cleveland spiders, which goes way back. But I'm, I'm, yeah, I'm for this throughout professional sports. And if it continues, then the last team to change is going to have to change for sure. Okay. Final question, Dave. But before I ask it, thank you again for doing this. It's always a highlight.

Like, so the recording calendar, which seems to be getting more robust and larger each calendar year, the highlight is always that Dave Hodge at the end of the calendar year is going to, we might modify the rules a little bit here and there, but it's going to be your 100 jams of the year. And I loved it this year as much as I loved it last year and the year before. And I hope we can do it again next year. So firstly, thank you for doing this. Well, it needs to be face-to-face in 2021. Let's hope for that. Face-to-face via Zoom isn't quite face-to-face. Your cozy little basement, I understand you've expanded your studio operations significantly, and I haven't experienced that.

But maybe although we do it late in the year, maybe in 2021 we can have parkas on, but I really would like for a lot of reasons to be able to sit across from you the way we used to and not this way. So that's a big hope. I would love that. And in that vein, give me that vaccine here. I want to ask you, when we're all vaccinated and the health authorities tell us we can all assemble again, I know that's what you're waiting for. So here's the final question.

Will there be another reporters live event at the Paradise Theater? Well, first of all, the fact that the Paradise Theater was christened by the reporters will always be, you always be an honor. The fact that the reporters probably, I'm answering your question now, probably ended for good that way before a sold-out audience with the help of our special guest, Brendan Shanahan, who I thanked that night and want to thank again for making it so special and you for being there to record it. I don't know of any plans to revitalize the reporters on radio, TV, podcast, or live.

radio, TV, podcast, or live. But that all comes with the way 2020 has brought things to a halt. And who knows if we can get out of this mess, what might be possible. But don't plan on it. If it happens, it would be, it'd be great because of all the things that I did over more than 50 years in, in radio and television, actually newspapers to begin with. The thing I looked forward to the most in part because of Michael Farber and Steve Simmons and Bruce Arthur and the people that came before them, Stephen Brunt, Damien Cox.

I'm going to forget others, but we had such fun gathering together on Sunday, almost more fun before we did the show in the green room than we did on the air live all the time. It was always live. I look so fondly at 15-plus years of the reporters, and I hope that the viewers will remember the show if it never comes back, as they do on Twitter. will remember the show if it never comes back, as they do on Twitter. Any kind of mention of the reporters on my Twitter or Michael's or Bruce's or Steve's brings automatically, you know, 50.

Where is it? Why isn't it on? When can we see it again? That's not my decision to make, and nobody's been bringing my phone off the hook. And I have reluctantly or otherwise settled into retiring with my 200 favorite songs of the year. But 2021 might bring changes. Who knows? Anyway, Mike, I think we've yakked enough. We haven't played as much music as normal,

but the way that people can listen to it is the way they should listen to it as much as they want. There's enough of it out there. 200, I don't pat myself on the back as much as sound embarrassed to say that I actually listed 200 songs this year by 200 different artists. And if that does anything for any of those artists or for any of the people who wind up being fans of those artists, then we've done some good. And otherwise, we've had fun, and it's always that. And that brings us to the end

of our 770th show. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Dave is at DaveHodge20. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery are at Great Lakes Beer. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U.

CDN Technologies are at CDN Technologies. Sammy Cone is at Sammy Cone. And Ridley Funeral Home is Ridley FH. See you all next week. And drink some Guinness from a tin Cause my

UI check has just come in Ah, where you been? Because everything is kind of rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold but the snow wants me today And your smile is fine and it's just like mine And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and green Well you've been under my skin for more than eight years

It's been eight years of laughter and eight years of tears And I don't know what the future can hold or do For me and you But I'm a much better man for having known you Oh, you know that's true because Everything is coming up Rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold

But the smell of snow Won't stay today And your smile is fine and it's just like mine and it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and green Well, I've been told that there's a sucker born every day But I wonder who Well, I've been told that there's a sucker born every day. But I wonder who. Yeah, I wonder who.

Maybe the one who doesn't realize there's a thousand shades of gray. Because I know that's true. Yes, I do. I know it's true. Yeah. I know it's true, yeah. I know it's true. How about you? All that picking up trash and then putting down roads.

This podcast has been produced by TMDS and accelerated by Roam Phone. Roam Phone brings you the most reliable virtual phone service to run your business and protect your home number from unwanted calls. Visit RoamPhone.ca to get started. phone service to run your business and protect your home number from unwanted calls. Visit RomePhone.ca to get started. But the smell of snow warms me today And your smile is fine and it's just like mine And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and gray Well, I've kissed you in France and I've kissed you in Spain And I've kissed you in places I better not name

And I've seen the sun go down on Chaclacour But I like it much better going down on you Yeah, you know that's true Because everything is coming up Rosy and green. Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow warms us today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Cause everything is rosy now.

Everything is rosy, yeah. Everything is rosy now, everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray.