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Gilles Vigneault's Mon Pays was Quebec's nationalist anthem in the chaotic 1970s.
I thought it a cheeky idea to do an English lyric knock-back for a revue. Might it raise hackles?
The song wound up as Salome Bey's first act closer to the 1970 edition of Spring Thaw.
As always, producers messed with it. "Hungry deer?" WTF? Hey, I was just a contributor. But Bey's take was theatrical, political and electric.
Vigneault's publishers fired off angry letters.
Unauthorized! Sacrilege! Cease and desist! No performance!
Yet it sneaked onto this Pickwick recording. Yes, "Canada" was always the kicker, rubbing salt in the "stolen" song.
Salome liked to stir up shit.
We had one cheery encounter.
I think of her most Canada Days.
Like Vigneault, she summoned the spirit of this odd, mad, well-intentioned, beautiful place.
Hope you had a good weekend.
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