Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - FOTM KOTJ, Vol. 2: Toronto Mike'd #606

Episode Date: March 28, 2020

10 FOTMs kick out the jams in volume 2 of this critically acclaimed series.

Welcome to episode 606 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. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Thank you. They love helping buyers find their dream home. Text TORONOMIKE to 59559. And Banjo Dunk from Whiskey Jack, one of the most celebrated roots, country, and bluegrass bands in Canadian music history. I'm Mike from toronomike.com, and this is Volume 2 of FOTM, Kick Out the Jams.

In volume one, we heard 12 FOTMs kicking out the jams. And it went so well, we've got volume two here. Now this is 10 FOTMs kicking out the jams. I have several submissions. I would call them repeat submissions, meaning that people who have already kicked out the jams in Volume 1 wanted to be a part of Volume 2. But I decided to keep Volume 2 all new FOTMs,

and Volume 3 will include some people from volumes one and two submitting a second jam. But I also am hoping that a bunch of FOTMs who are listening to this right now will decide to send in an audio clip to me. Again, my email address is mike at torontomike.com and put in the subject line FOTMKOTJ just to help me organize my life. And I don't care how you record it. You'll hear the final FOTM submission in this episode is by a radio professional who hit the post and it sounds like it's, you know, coming out of NPR. And, but meanwhile, some FOTMs are just recording on their, you know, on their smartphone, possibly in a wind tunnel. I'm sure Stu Stone would be grinding coffee beans while he submits his jam. I'm not going to be picky about audio quality.

Just record yourself any way possible. Email that recording to mike at torontomike.com and you'll be a part of possibly the next volume of FOTM, Kick Out the Jam. Possibly the next volume of FOTM, Kick Out the Jam. So, without further ado, let's kick out our first jam. Counting out quarters at the record shop London calling in the pressure drop Skipping double-dodge with your sister's friends The landlord's calling for the rent again All I have is all I need All I need is all I have

Why is all I ever want more? It's all I ever want is more Why can't I see the sweet things Until they're all gone Why can't I see the sweet things Until they're all gone. Hi Mike, it's Neil from Toronto. I'm sharing the song Sweet Things by Danny Michelle. It's off his 2008 CD Feather, Fur and Fin.

I like the song's message about appreciating the little things in life. I discovered Danny's music when he opened for FOTM M. Griner at a 2003 concert at the Palais Royal. Later, both M. and Danny played a fundraising show called Closer to the Heart, a concert where artists cover their favourite Canadian songs. It was at that show where I discovered artists like Luke Doucette, Matthew Barber, among others. I think about your Toronto Mike podcast the same way. Start with an episode for a guest you know. Soon you're learning about all kinds of people who make up the fabric of this great city. Mike, thanks for all

that you do and keep up the great work. It's ten years later now You said I wondered about your age I said I got ID today You said yeah, I got ID today. You said, yeah, I get that too. It's like we'll never die. Just grow younger every day. Shoebox photos of birthday cards. Thank you. Why can't I see the steam?

Things on till they're all gone. Why can't I see the steamings on till they're all gone? Why can't I see the steamings on till they're all gone? We'll see you next time. guitar solo He left no time to regret Camp his dick wet With his same old safe bag Me and my head high and my tears dry Get home without my guy You went back to what you know

So far removed From all that we went through And I tread a troubled track My odds are stacked I go back to black We only said goodbye With words I died a hundred times You go back to her

And I go back to her and I go back to, I go back to us. I love you more. Hey Mike, it's Linda. One of my favorite jams is Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. When I was young, I had my heart broken several times in my life. And this song really captures that feeling for me, that deep hurt that you feel when you see the one you love with someone else. In this song, Amy is bearing her soul in such a beautiful way, and you can feel her pain come

through in the melody and the lyrics. I miss her so much. So this is my jam, Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. I died a hundred times You go back to her And I go back down Flies Flies Flies Blind Blind Blind Blind Blind

Blind I go back to I go back to The only slip of my words I died a hundred times You go back to her and I go back down. We only said goodbye with words. I died a hundred times. You go back to her and I go back to the black guitar solo I was downtown Working for the FBI Sitting in a nest of red men

Whisking by the fire Food and booze are on my website Full of people who are doing wrong Just about to call up the D.A. man When I heard this woman sing a song A pair of gunfire's been the arm of my life My temper just started to rise She was a long, cool woman in a black dress

But the crime that I'm due to patrol Just won't look, I was a fat mess Hi Mike, it's Mike Rogotsky. The jam I've picked is one that takes me back to my first job, where I worked at Fortino's Supermarket in Burlington. I worked there most of my high school and throughout university, and a lot of the music that was played in the background of the store was 70s, 80s, 90s, easy listening music, which I loved. But occasionally

the songs picked up a bit and they had a little more rock to them. One of those songs is this song by the Hollies, Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress. So this song takes me back to all the good memories I had working there and all the nice people that I met while I was working at that store as well. Thanks, Mike. And I thought it was the table Well, I heard some guys shooting the gun

Well, the D.A. was pulled from my left hand But she was a hold of my reign Well, I told her, don't get scared Cause you're gonna be spared Well, I gotta be forgiven If I wanna stand a leather with a wrong Woman in a black dress Just to find a beautiful song

Well, I just want to love her like a bad miss Cause I'm wrong for a woman Get it on Get it on Get it on Get it on Get it on Hit it off Hit it off Hit it off Hit it off

Hit it off Hit it off We'll be right back. Baby and me went out late Saturday night I had my hair partied and my baby just looked so right Well, hey, I'll pick you up at ten, gotta have you on my tune Mama, I don't know why I got stuck here, but that's alright Cause we're looking as cool as we've been Well, we found a little place that really didn't look that bad I had a whiskey on the rocks and changed up with a whole bunch of bars I pulled a call right into that game But all they played was disco

Man, come on, baby, baby, let's get out of here right away We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out. We're going to rock this town, make them scream and shout. Let's rock, rock, rock this town, we're going to rock till we pop. We're going to rock till we drop. We're going to rock this town, rock it inside out. Rock, rock, rock. Hey, Toronto Mike and fellow FOTMs, it's Moose Grumpy, or Dawn, whichever name you want to call me by.

This was tough to pick just one. So many songs have influence along the way through life, but I thought I'd go back. Way back to my little girl self, discovering her own music choices. I had to go back to confirm the year of release to make sure it matched my memories, and it does. So way back, when I was 8, and all of my music influence so far is from my parents. Lots of Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, and the like. When I heard this wildly different music, the beat the sound this music just brought me joy so I saved up my allowance and my first album purchase was Stray Cats although my musical tastes have changed and evolved over the years I will never not love some good old rockabilly can't

wait until this crisis is over and we can all raise a pint at Great Lakes Brewery for the next TML have a good one, guys. Thank you. We had an apartment in the city And me and Loretta liked living there Well, it's been years since the kids have grown A life of their own And left us alone John and Linda Live in Omaha And Joe is somewhere

On the road We lost baby In the Korean War And I still don't know what for It don't matter anymore You know that old trees just grow stronger And old rivers grow louder every day. Old people just grow lots of old.

Waiting for someone to say hello in there. Hello. Hello. Hi, Mike. It's Heads Up. And the jam that I'm kicking out today is John Prine's Hello In There. Now this song was originally released on his debut album in 1971, but the version we're listening to is from his 2000 release Souvenirs, where he covered many of his older classic songs. And I've chosen this version because Prine's older voice is a better match for these lyrics.

I was first introduced to Prine's music when I was an undergrad, and I was really taken by his ability to sum up the human condition with the stories in his lyrics. This song he wrote about his experience as a mailman, especially delivering mail to people living in nursing homes. The song talks about the experience of aging and in my own career now, as I work with many seniors and visit them in their homes, unfortunately, this is the reality for some of them. And so I just thought I would kick out this thoughtful jam and say hello in there. Oh, people just go lonesome Waiting for someone to say Hello in their home Thank you. So if you're out walking down the street sometime

And spot some hollow ancient ass Well please don't just pass on by and stare As if you didn't care Say hello in there Hello Say hello in there. Hello. Thank you. How to play with you tonight Holding that moment on my mind Hold me, that's all I, all I want Maybe something's been so right Maybe we could play tonight

We could play tonight I want to be somewhere with you I want to do just what you want to do I want to be all about you I've got a dream and you can make it through I'm fascinated by your love, boy I'm fascinated by your love, boy I'm fascinated by the way you make me feel Cause I'm

I'm fascinated by your love, boy And I'm fascinated by your love, boy And I'm fascinated by your love, boy And I'm fascinated by the way you make me FOTM here, Mike Moniz, a.k.a. Hamilton Mike. This one's been tough for me. I could pick so many songs for this. Starting as a kid growing up in Hamilton. Growing up on Top 40 radio from CKOC 1150. My taste starts to solidify mostly

on the rock side. Hair rock in the late 80s and into grunge and punk. That's where my tastes mostly lie. But I've always had a weakness for the for the 80s girl groups stuff like uh expose and stuff like that but one song from one group has always stuck with me it's uh fascinated by company b if that opening keyboard riff doesn't grab you I submit you don't enjoy music it It is hooky as hell. It's burned in your brain. The verses just give this great building

throb and then the perfect release with that chorus. It just takes me back to grade 9, those high school dances. I went to every one I could and just losing it, even though I can't dance worth a damn, but still the music just made me move,

and it still does to this day. When I hear that opening keyboard riff, it just takes me back. My wife laughs at me. I just gotta move. Thanks. Make it me I'm fascinated by your love, boy I'm fascinated by your love, boy I'm fascinated by your love, boy I'm fascinated by the way you make me feel

So now I'm fascinated by your love, boy And I'm fascinated by the way you make me Te están buscando, matador Te dicen el matador, nací en barracas Si hablamos de matar, mis palabras matan No hace mucho tiempo que cayó el mejor santillán Y ahora sé que en cualquier momento me la van a dar Papá, papá, pap Famke's husband, and Mike wears my pants.

My cycling pants. Anyways, I'm going to make this hard for you, Mike, because I didn't grow up in Canada. I didn't listen to any of the stations that people are very familiar with from your podcast. So this song is in Spanish, but the instruments in the background are awesome. It's called Matador. It was actually part of a soundtrack of a movie with Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan called The Matador. And it's a song by a band from Argentina called The Fabulous Cadillacs, or in Spanish, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Anyways, you can find it in Spotify under Matador. Viento de libertad, sangre combativa

En los bocillos del pueblo la vieja herida De pronto el día se me hace de noche Muy muchos corridas y el golpe en la puerta Llegó la fuerza policial Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Policia Mira hermano en que terminaste Por pelear por un mundo mejor ¿Qué suena? Son balas Me alcanzan

Me atrapan Resisten Víctor Jara, no callan. Matador, matador, matador, te están muriendo. Matador, matador, te están matando. Matador. Matador, matador, val el matador de los 100 barrios Por ti no tengo por qué tener miedo Mis palabras son malas, malas de paz

Malas de justicia Soy la vuelta a los que hicieron Casar sin razón Por un solo hecho de pensar distinto Ay Dios, Santa María de los buenos aires Si todo estuviera mejor Parador, parador, si todo estuviera mejor Parador, parador, ¿a dónde vas?

Matador, matador, ¿a dónde vas matador? Matador Matador, matador Hey, hey Outside the rain begins And it may never end So cry no more On the shore a dream Will take us out to sea Forevermore

Forevermore Close your eyes and dream And you can be with me Neath the waves Through the caves of hours Long forgotten now We're all alone We're all alone

Close the window, call the light And it will be alright No need to bother now. Let it out. Let it all begin. Learn not to pretend. Hey Mike, it's Al Grego, also known as Al the Royal Pain on your blog. I just finished listening to Volume 1 of the FOTM Kick Out the Jams episode and

it was great and it was inspired to send in my entry. I had a bunch of songs ready to go and picked out but then after listening to Stephanie kicking out sailing it inspired me to remember a song from way way back. I couldn't remember who it was by or even what the name of the song was i had to actually hum it into my phone and and let uh shazam find it for me and it but it was a song that i remember really enjoying as a kid and then having found it uh reading the lyrics and just the the nostalgia factor but also uh the lyrics are very pertinent to right now. I thought this would be a good addition to volume two. So the song is called We're Alone by Rita Coolidge. It came out in 77. I was two when it came out so I have no idea how I listened to this probably on the radio or maybe

my dad had an 8-track. All I remember is that it stuck with me even if it was just in the back of my head and it came to mind while listening to volume one. So here it is for volume two. Enjoy We're All Alone by Rita Coolidge. Oh, into the wind, my love Thank you. Thank you. Monochrome reflections climbing up the walls Down below your radar, things are going on All along the tunnels, through the underground Weep of ever-living, waiting for the moon Beats above your heinous code, to be safe Round and round in circles, we are coming out. Dance away the meters through the muddy waters. We are submariners close to Vornchoz. Hi, this is Mark Altasar.

You can probably figure out my screen name from there. It was hard for me to pick one favorite song, but Monochrome by Covenant is probably my all-time most played. I grew up on Mono 2.1 and had an older brother and middle school friend that each nudged me a bit towards industrial. But I probably grew up a bit more in Britpop. I really loved electronic music too and absolutely loved bands like New Order and Depeche Mode. In the early 2000s, I stumbled across

the electro-industrial genre, or sometimes known as future pop. It became a huge rabbit hole, discovering all the bands and history involved. Other examples would be Seabound, V&V Nation, Assemblage 23, or Apoptic Berserk. Unfortunately, the genre seems to have mostly stagnated since, or morphed into harsher stuff that just doesn't do it for me. Sony signed Covenant in the early

2000s looking for the next big thing after they had a hit prior with Dead Stars. This album had the full weight of a major label behind it, and they were similarly dropped immediately after. I love the long buildup, the glassy synthesizers, and the Cold War imagery of this song. For a battle never We command and search those Calling all receivers We are noisy people For a battle never We command and search those Calling all receivers

We are mercy people For a better level Thank you. Hey there, my kids, Jody Thornton. First off, I want to extend most importantly, good wishes to you and your family and that you stay safe and healthy and well overall. But secondly, man, this was quite a challenge to pick an all-time favorite song out of all the hundreds, if not thousands of songs that I could have chosen. And of course, one thing that complicates is I like so many different genres of music, as I'm sure many of your listeners who are participating in this little exercise also enjoy, that it was really hard to pick a song that would encapsulate all those different

types of music. So, you know, out of all the R&B, Top 40, country, and even classic rock songs, I decided to stick instead with progressive rock. And I'm going to the mid-70s for this one, I think 1976. It's a Genesis album called Trick of the Tail. And it's noteworthy because it's the first Genesis album that features Phil Collins on lead vocals as opposed to Peter Gabriel. So, so many other songs I could have picked on this album like Entangled, Dance on a Volcano, Squonk. Your fans that love Genesis will know these probably. But I decided to pick this song because it seems to showcase all the different types of songs on the album and we can take a break in a few seconds and talk about it a bit. It's called Madman Moon. A snowflake in June could still be your source of relief.

Oh, how I love you, I once cried long ago. But I was the one who decided to go. To search beyond the final crest. Though I've heard it said just us Could dwell so high So I pretended to have wings for my arms And took off in the air I flew to places which the clouds never see

Too close to the deserts of sand Were a thousand mirages The shepherds of lies Forced me to land and take a disguise I would welcome a horse's kick to send me back If I could find a horse Not made of sand If this desert's all there'll ever be

Then tell me what becomes of me A ball of rain That must have been another Of your dreams A dream of man Man Man Well, you know, Mike, it seems almost like sacrilege to talk over this part of the song,

but I guess it's the best part to do so and to give your listeners a bit of an idea as to what I love about this song so much and how I came by it. Because I probably first heard songs from Trick of the Tail back, I'm saying late 70s, like maybe 78. I would have been a young kid, but I would have heard Squonk first. And then I was reintroduced to it in the early 80s, 83, 84. My sister married a gentleman. They're no longer together anymore, but he really introduced me again to progressive rock music. He listened a lot to bands like Alan Parsons Project, Camel, and well, Genesis. What he really seemed to show me is that music wasn't always about happy, happy, joy happy joy joy and dancing and whatnot sometimes you could appreciate music for its more melancholy nature and just to sit back and listen

to it and take it in and enjoy it in your living room like a performance and I this really brought me back to my hi-fi hobby I'm a big record collector and I always love really nice turntables and what I would find is that enjoying albums that were so well-recorded like the one you're hearing, it was always a treat to bring people over, you know, maybe smoke something or have something to drink. I don't really do either of those things anymore, but still just to enjoy the music as if it were like a live performance

and to really take it in. You know, if you listen to Humble and Fred, they'll often mention songs from the Beatles. Now, I'm not the biggest Beatles fan, but what I can agree on is there are many melancholy and sometimes sadder songs that still really make you feel rewarded when you're listening to them

because they bring out a sense of emotion. Sometimes when they return back from their breaks, Howard will play To Be With You, Paul McCarty and Wings, and it's not really a happy song, but it can be a reflective song. And I find that a lot of progressive rock does that for me. It really sort of taught me to be more open-minded to different types of music.

And it's not always about getting up and boogieing. It's more sometimes about just enjoying the artistry behind something and the mood behind something. I was never really a big lyricist. I was always more a person that liked the combination of sound or mood. So this kind of goes along with that. Boy, if I lose for you They're gonna throw you in jail And you know they can't fail Cause sand is thicker than blood

Like a prison in sand There's a haven in hell Where a jail can give you a call No one can find you Roll on a muddy bitch in Newcastle Where it rains so much You can't wait for the touch of sun and sand Sun and sun

Within the valley of shadowless death They pray the thunder, clouds and rain But to the multitude who stand in the rain, heaven is where the sun shines. The grass will be greener till the stems turn to brown, and thoughts will fly higher till the earth brings them down Forever caught in desert lands One has to learn to disbelieve

The sea If this desert's all there'll ever be Then tell me what becomes of me A fall of rain That must have been another Of your dreams A dream of mine So that's my choice for favorite song. It's Madman Moon by Genesis.

It's off Trick of the Tail if anyone looks for it on YouTube or tries to source an LP or CD. Mike, stay safe and healthy. Bye. And that brings us to the end of our 606th show. Thanks to all 10 FOTMs who submitted their song choice for this episode. Volume 3 is already in production, so send me your audio clips. Mike at TorontoMike.com. Be a part of FOTM Kick Out the Jams Volume 3.

You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at TorontoMike. Great Lakes lakes brewery or at great lakes beer they're delivering cases of beer even though the retail store is temporarily shut down they're delivering cases of beer heads up and you can find them in the lcbo LCBO. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Their four locations in Mississauga and Oakville are open for business. You gotta eat. You might as well eat the most delicious Italian food in the GTA. Sticker U is at Sticker U.

StickerU.com. It's e-commerce. It's the safest of the safe order your stickers your decals your tattoos anything that sticks go to sticker you.com houses are still selling interest rates are dropping this is the time to talk to austin keitner at the Keitner Group on Twitter. They're at the Keitner Group. You can text Toronto Mike to 59559 right now.

That would make you an extra awesome FOTM. Banjo Dunk is at Banjo Dunk with a C. His fantastic book, My Good Times with Stomp and Tom is available at hellooutthere.ca. Hey, Dunk, maybe you should kick out a jam. The hockey song. See you all next week. This podcast has been produced by TMDS and accelerated by Rome Phone.

Rome Phone brings you the most reliable virtual phone service to run your business and protect your home number from unwanted calls. Visit RomePhone.ca to get started. And I'll play this guitar just the best that I can Maybe I'm not and maybe I am But who gives a damn Because everything is coming up Rosy and gray Yeah, the wind is cold

But the smell of snow warms me today. And your smile is fine, it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Because 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

Because everything is rosy now Everything is rosy Yeah, everything is rosy now Everything is rosy and Everything is rosy and gray