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Date Posted: 18:39:58 03/06/00 Mon
Author: VfD
Author Host/IP: spider-tr083.proxy.aol.com / 152.163.201.213
Subject: Re: Burton's popularity
In reply to: Rette 's message, "Burton's popularity" on 14:41:44 03/06/00 Mon

This is a complicated subject. IMO, a lot of the problem harkens back to his Guess Who days with a record label (RCA) which didn't promote their records very well and tended to screw up when choosing singles, looking for hook-laden songs from a band which wasn't focussed on produced such. TGW would've been better served had RCA pushed the songs that best represented the groups strengths, "All Hashed Out", not "Follow Your Daughter Home".
Another problem, was that although TGW were strong in the midwestern US as well as Canada, to the east/west coast biased media, this was equivalent to the tree falling in the forest that noone hears.
As for the solo career, I'm mystified to this day that after "Stand Tall"'s strong showing, BC failed to get a follow-up (stateside, anyway), considering the other good songs on the debut LP. And how did "My Own Way To Rock" not take over the world? "Come On By" also had all the ingrediants (slightly naughty, overdrive guitar, Seger song) to be a smash.
Unfortunately, with the record industry, when you stop having hits, they've got you pegged as a has-been, yesterday's news (it's all downhill). New faces with new sounds are preferred over old faces no matter what they sound like all too often.
After that, I think BC's endurance may've waned (considering the treadmill he'd been on since the late 60's, it's hard to wonder). Had he continued touring, he probably could've maintained the kind of fan base which TGW enjoyed even when their record sales were not that impressive, yet enough to continue being distributed.
On one hand, I lament the "wasted" years where he wasn't directing his creative energies toward recording new songs, but perhaps even Burton Cummings is permitted to take a little time for living. Maybe all this inactivity has been our payback for all those 2 LP's a year days. I do think that must be evened out already by now.

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[> Re: Burton's popularity -- Scott, Winnipeg, 18:48:20 03/06/00 Mon [1] (cflow3.mts.net/205.200.28.46)

I truly think being Canadian has a lot to do with it. Until recently (the last 10 years) not many music stars from Canada have achieved the status elsewhere in the world that they have back home.
The Guess Who certainly were a huge act all over the world, but only a hand full of there songs entered Billboard's top 10. As far as Burton's solo stuff, only "Stand Tall" achieved top 10 status, but here in Canada Burton has quite a list of standards which are still heard each day on stations across the country.
Look at it this way. In the U.S., the majority of the hits are homegrown, as they are in the U.K. In most cases, a recording artist does best at home.
People like Bryan Adams and Alanis Morrissette have changed it for Canada in the last decade and people are starting to take note of Canda's music talent, but back in the 70's very few ever made it. Most were limited, if they were lucky, to one or two hits outside the country.
The other BIG reason could be the fact that after the DREAM OF A CHILD album, Burton's releases have been exclusive to Canada (his albums, anyway), but that's another story (see WOMAN LOVE CD re-issue liner notes)...


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