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I’m recording this episode on February 28, the last day of February Album Writing month, so I start the podcast by playing Long, Long Ride, a song I cowrote last week with Joel Canfield.
The Story So Far is read by Captain Jeff Nielsen, the host of the Airline Pilot Guy podcast and SQPN Catholic Weekend podcast.
This week the focus of the story moves away from Billy and onto his Aunt Sue.
Now it’s Time for the Fair…
For nearly 30 years, the CHUM chart, published weekly by 1050 CHUM AM in Toronto was THE way that young Canadians discovered popular music. The amazing Chum Tribute site has an online archive of every CHUM CHART.
In 1962 and 1963, American Bandstand host Dick Clark was a DJ on 1050 Chum (sort of). He would tape his segments of the show (including his half of banter with Toronto DJs) in Los Angeles, mail the tapes to Toronto where the show would be completed and edited together. You can find out more about this process on the Torontoist blog.
Although the live/broadcast and concert with Al Boliska, Dick Clark and Franki Valli is completely ficitionalized in the Episode 14 of Time for the Fair, Dick Clark and Franki Valli were indeed at the CNE on August 21, 1963 according to the CHUM CHART for August 19, 1963.
I found a medley of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons songs from the Mid 1960s on youtube.
![By Kotsy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canadian_National_Exhibition_2012.jpg)
February Album Writing Month is well underway. As of this writing I have 12-1/2 or so songs out of 14. In this podcast, I play Woulda Shoulda Coulda, my ninth FAWM song.
You can follow my progress through February Album writing month at http://fawm.org/fawmers/ductapeguy/ .
On Tuesday February 24, from 5-8 pm I’ll be joining Adrien Robitaille at his weekly acoustic stage at the Ladybug Cafe on King Street in Midland, Ontario. I’ll be playing my new songs, and a bunch of my older ones too. If you are in the area come on down for a cup of tea or coffee, one of Elaine’s award winning buttertarts, and some music and stories from yours truly.
The story so far this week
is read by Tim Chesterton, an Edmonton based pastor, blogger, songwriter and novelist. He has posted two novels, A Time to Mend and Meadowvale, chapter by chapter as he wrote them to his blog Faith, Folk and Charity.
Before the Story so Far, I play Tim’s song Fire of Love from his 2013 CD: Folk Songs and Renovations.
In this week’s episode, Billy cannot believe who he meets at the CNE.
Now, it’s Time for the Fair
In Episode 13, Billy encounters Pops and his new bride in 1949. They dance to the music of Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. Guy Lombardo was Canada’s most famous bandleader. He and his siblings had an orchestra that was popular for almost 50 years, from the 1920s until his death in 1977.
You can find out more about Guy Lombardo on wikipedia.
Here is a sampler of their music from the 1960s.
The SS Noronic was great lakes cruise ship that burned and sank in Toronto Harbour on September 4, 1949. 139 people died in the fire and its aftermath. It was one of the greatest marine disasters in the world. In life, as in the story, the remains of the Noronic victims were taken to a makeshift morgue on the CNE grounds.
![By Andrew Merrilees [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWreck_of_the_SS_Noronic_-a.jpg)
After his experiences during the Summer of Love in the last episode, Billy finds himself at the CNE 20 years earlier.
I play, Robbie the Misfit Zombie, one of my new songs written for February Album Month. You can follow my progress there at http://fawm.org/fawmers/ductapeguy/.
The Story so Far is read by Phil Mills, a filk musician and songwriter from Toronto who I met through February Album Writing Month. I play Phil’s song, Talk to Strangers from his album Mix Until Absurd which is available on Bandcamp.
In Episode 12 of Time for the Fair, Billy enjoys a day at the CNE in 1969 which includes a Monkees concert. Although Time for the fair is a fictional fantasy story, The Monkees did perform at the CNE on August 25, 1969– two days after the events in the story. It’s great writing historical fantasy– you can tweak the dates a bit.
Here are some silent clips from the Monkee’s performance at the CNE in 1969, and a couple musical numbers that they may have played at the show as Billy and family watched on. Stay tuned for chapter 13 of Time for the Fair this weekend.
Silent Clips from the CNE archives
… and a little music
![By NBC Television. The photo was also used to answer fan mail during the height of their popularity. The card had no copyright marks either. (eBay front back eBay card front card back) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AThe_Monkees_1966.JPG)
In this episode, Billy finds himself spending a day at the fair with Rainbow Starflower, Bobby and Pops during the summer of love… and they meet these four guys.
I play Geek Love Song by Debs and Errol, a Toronto Geek Band and the masterminds behind geekbands.ca . Last Month, Debs and Errol announced that they are disbanding. They will be having a Farewell Concert on Saturday March 7 at the ROUND Venue in Toronto.
The Story So Far is read by Jennifer Kerr, from the Midland Cultural Centre. The MCC has become the hub for arts and culture for my family and our community.
Now, it’s time for the fair…