Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Gong Fishing: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1733

Episode Date: July 21, 2025

In this 1733rd episode of Toronto Mike'd, a Mikeumentary, Mike seeks the Canadiana #realtalk regarding that Gil Moore gong on Change of Heart's Smile. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball, the Waterfront BIA, Nick Ainis and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

It's Toronto Mic debut. Gil was visiting the TMDS basement and I wanted to be prepared. Gil was scheduled for April 8th, 2025 and I found myself going through his non-triumph credits with a fine tooth comb. There it was on Discogs.com, a gong credit for Gil Moore on Change of Heart's 1992 album Smile. And as luck would have it, my guest the very next day on April 9th, 2025 was Change of Hearts' Ian Blurton. I was going to get this gong story from Gilmore and then play it for Ian.

I love it when a plan comes together. April 8th arrived and so did Gilmore. If you haven't yet heard Gilmore's Toronto Mic debut, it's episode 1667. 1667. Give it a listen and share it with a Triumph fan you love. Now here's my exchange with Gilmore regarding the gong on Change of Heart's Smile.

Tomorrow sitting in that chair is Ian Blurton, because Change of Heart has a new album. And here's the fun fact mind blow for you. And I think you might know where it's going, but Glenn Milcham, obviously Ian Blurton, and yourself, you all played on Change of Heart's classic album Smile. You're credited with playing the gong on this album. Do you remember?

playing on change of hearts smile in 1992 Stomped I don't see that's wild So if you're credited as playing the gong and then I asked Jason Snyder like what track is he playing the gong and Jason's like? Whatever track has gong on it. it okay so I'll be asking Ian tomorrow but you don't have any memory of contributing your gong plane to Smile. No but let's face it you know gong is essential and you know you gotta have more gong. You gotta have more gong I mean that's a certainty. So I struck out with Gil, but Ian Blurton was up next, episode 1668. 1668 if you're keeping track at home.

And naturally I asked Ian about Gil Moore's Gong contribution on 1992's Smile. All right, so I mentioned there was another guest who was on smile So yeah, Glenn milchum, obviously, but then the very next day which is only Which is only yesterday Gilmore from triumph. Oh my god Yes, he is on smile you remember I hope you remember what was Gilmore from triumphs contribution to smile it was literally we were like we need a gong in this part of the song and who better to play the gong than Gilmore of Triumph. And somehow, I think it was Michael got a hold of somebody at Metalworks and they were like, can you set up a gong and get Gil to hit it like, you

know, five times or ten times or whatever and then we'll pick the best one and we'll fly it in. Gong produced by Bobz. So there's... Oh, so somebody named Bobz at Metalworks. It's wild. I think it's wild. There's a dock in here somewhere.

I know who it was. It was Bob Wiseman. That's Bobz. Oh my God. Hold on. Sorry. No, no, don't be sorry. That's who it was. It was Bob Wiseman. That's Bobz. Oh my God, hold on. Sorry. Hold on. No, no, don't be sorry. That's who it was. It was Bob Wiseman was working and Don managed, thank you, that was great. Don was managing, Don Christensen was managing Bob Wiseman as well as Change of Heart.

Bob was producing a band at Metalworks. He was like, hey, Gil, hit the gong. That was it. That's an unbelievable wrinkle to this story. Bob Wiseman, who I had an hour with down here, just the most interesting artistic musician, just fascinating. And of course, because I just had Glenn Milcham on, we did a bunch of Bob Wiseman talk because he quits the band. Yes. He quits Blue Rodeo. He's a... Unbelievable. So that's Bobbzy.

Bobbzy, I don't know why it doesn't say Bob Wiseman, actually. Okay, so that's a, by the way, that was wonderful detail for you to recall here that it's Bob Wiseman who's directing Gilmore to play the gong on Smile. Yes. There you have it.

FOTM Bobby Wiseman produced Gilmour's gong strike heard on Change of Heart's 1992 album Smile. Consider my mind blown. That would even blow the mind of Jane Sibary. But we still didn't know what song on Smile featured a gong. I listened to this lengthy album over and over and over again, searching for the gong. I was pretty sure I could hear it on a song called Frown, and I even sent it to my musician friends to confirm my suspicions.

Here's how Frown opens. Stand above the volcanoes and the rocks and the trees. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down and shut up. Do you hear what I hear? That's a gong, right? Maybe it's inconclusive, but I thought I had a gong. Listen again. Hey And that, kids, is the trippy shit we were listening to in the 90s. Well I was sold on the gong being buried in the song Frown we're listening to now. But of course I talked about all of this on Toronto Mic'd.

And a listener messaged me on Instagram. This person had the handle jeremycensquire, and jeremy asked, is the gong not at the end of give it back? Eureka! We found our gong, and here it is, at the end of Give It Back. I have no idea how I missed it. That is most definitely a gong. In fact, that may be the gongiest gong that ever gonged. To recap, there is a song called Give It Back on Change of Heart's 1992 album Smile. And this song features a gong, and the gong is credited to Gilmour from Triumph. Gilmour has zero recollection of this.

And although Ian Blurton remembers that Gilmour hit a gong on Smile, he couldn't remember what song featured the gong. But upon jogging his memory as he sat in the TMDS basement, we managed to discover that the Gilmore gong on 1992's Smile from Change of Heart was produced by none other than Bobby Wiseman. And now you know the rest of the story. I'm Toronto Mike. Vital micumentaries like this on such important topics as the Gong on Change of Heart's smile and Gilmore's contribution are only possible because of Great Lakes Brewery. Delicious fresh craft beer by GLB.

They're fiercely independent, just like me. Speaking of fiercely independent, that describes Palma Pasta. Delicious authentic Italian food. Go to palmap pasta.com. Thank you to Nick Ienies, Building Toronto Skyline is a podcast and book that you ought to listen to. And while you're checking out new podcasts, be sure to subscribe to Life's Undertaking from Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921.

Recycle My Electronics is where you go if you have old cables, old devices, old electronics. You don't throw them in the garbage. Those chemicals end up in our landfill. You go to RecycleMyElectronics.ca and if you're looking for some fun things to do this summer with the family, Toronto's Waterfront BIA wants you to know, there are events happening on the waterfront every weekend this summer. And beyond, the waterfront is where it's at in Toronto.

Also, Christie Pits, where you could find the best baseball in the city outside the dome. Grab a Leafs Lager, buy a hot dog, sit on the hill at Christie Pitts and enjoy awesome, entertaining baseball, managed by 1993 World Series champion Rob Butler. Be sure at the next dinner party to tell a friend or two about the gong on Change of Hearts, smile. They'll think you're a cool dude. Trust me. So So Thanks for watching!