The Tragically Hip is a Canadian rock band from
Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie (lead vocals and occasional acoustic guitar), Paul
Langlois (guitar), Rob Baker (guitar), Gord
Sinclair (bass) and Johnny Fay (drums). The band is highly popular and influential in
Canada and in 2005 was inducted into the Canadian
Music Hall of Fame.
History
The Tragically Hip — often referred to simply as The Hip — formed in 1983. They took
their name from a skit in the movie Elephant Parts by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees. Nesmith took the phrase from the
song "He's So Cool" by Carolyne Mas.
In 1987, the band signed a long-term record deal with MCA after former
company president Bruce Dickinson saw them perform live at the Horseshoe Tavern in
Toronto, Ontario.[1] Later that year they released the eponymous EP The Tragically Hip, though they were largely unrecognized until 1989s Up to Here, which established them as one of the best and most influential bands in Canada. In 1992, they
created the Another Roadside Attraction festival, which tours
Canada to promote Canadian bands.
In addition to their energetic live performances, the band are also noted for their often improvisational renditions of songs.
Lead singer Gordon Downie often strays from the lyrical path to rant to the audience or wander off into fictitious monologues and
conversations. Some of these become lyrics for future songs. The most famous live monologue is the "killerwhaletank" version of
"New Orleans is Sinking" [2], recorded at The Roxy Theatre, LA, May
3, 1991. During the song, Downie tells the story of how he worked as a diver in a killer
whale tank only to have his arm ripped off. This version was released on CD in 1996 as the B-side to "Grace, Too". Other notable
monologues include the "Police Frogman" version of "New Orleans is Sinking" (Gord rescues a family trapped in their car at the
bottom of a frozen lake), the "Greek Porter" version of "Highway Girl" (in which Downie has an affair with a female porter on a
luxury cruise ship while on an ocean crossing), the "Double Suicide" version of "Highway Girl" [3] (in which
Downie "accidentally" shoots his girlfriend) and the "Japanese Exchange Student" version of "At the Hundredth Meridian" (the day
before Halloween, Downie accidentally shoots a Japanese student trick or treating). During a cover of the Them hit Gloria, Gord talks about tying his friend to the
railroad tracks and being unable to free him in time to avoid the approaching train.
The band is immensely popular in Canada. They have never found mainstream success in the United States. Their most-seen appearance in the United States was on March
25, 1995, when they appeared on Saturday Night
Live with fellow Canadian and friend Dan Aykroyd guest starring, and with John
Goodman hosting. In 1999, The Hip were also one of the featured bands at Woodstock '99
held in Rome, New York. When touring in Canada they typically play to sold-out arenas;
when touring in the United States they play smaller venues and clubs, or festivals where they aren't the
headliner. Performances abroad are usually attended by Canadian expatriates. The band permit
recordings of their performances, so an active trading community thrives. The tone and content of much of their music is a paean
to the Canadian experience and touches on such themes as small-town life, geography, Canadian history and hockey. The historical, geographical and individual references in many of the lyrics are a source of much
internet discussion.
Despite the fact that The Tragically Hip are largely unknown in the United States, their live album, Live Between Us, was recorded at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan in 1996 in support of the album Trouble
at the Henhouse. The Hip have a small, but fervent, American following, mostly along the border towns in
Michigan and western New York. Standout tracks from the album
include a powerful version of "New Orleans is Sinking" and a heavily improvised "Grace, Too," in which Downie alternates between
muttering asides ("I was born in a little town / I was on my way down") and spitting four-letter lyrics with something close to
disgust. In 1998, the band released their seventh full-length album, Phantom Power, which contains such fan-favourite songs as "Poets",
"Bobcaygeon", and "Fireworks".
In 1996, they contributed the song "Butts Wigglin" to the soundtrack to the movie Kids in the
Hall: Brain Candy. The song originally appeared on the Trouble at the
Henhouse album.
On October 10, 2002, The Tragically Hip performed two songs,
"It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken", and "Poets", as part of a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2003, The Tragically Hip performed a cover of "Black Day in July", a song about the 1967 12th Street Riot in Detroit, on Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot.
In 2004 The Tragically Hip released their tenth full-length album, In Between
Evolution. Many fans considered the record a return to their classic sound after the more experimental tone of their
last two records, Music @ Work (released in 2000) and In Violet Light (2002). Also, on November 24 of that year, The Tragically Hip played halftime at the
Grey Cup in Ottawa at Frank Clair Stadium as part of their Canadian Tour for In
Between Evolution . Their two song set consisted of "Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park" and "Courage."
On Sunday, September 12, 2004, the Hip headlined "Across
the Causeway" on the grounds of Royal Military College in Kingston, which had
more than 18,000 attendees. Joined by Matthew Good, the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir, The Trews,
The Sadies, James McKenty & The Spades, Chris Koster and hosted by Dan Aykroyd, it marked the first
time the band played their hometown in close to 6 years. The event raised $355,555 for local charities The Community Foundation of Greater Kingston, Camp
Trillium, and the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library (Joe's
MILL).
They have a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame and on April 3, 2005 were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2005 Juno
Awards and performed "Fully Completely" and "Grace, Too". The Hip also performed a three-song set at the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario with Dan Aykroyd joining them as a guest harmonica player.
Three full length live shows recorded in 2004 were also released as downloads for purchase at LiveDownloads.com[4] as part of The Hip Live Series. Recorded at
Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, John Labatt Centre, London and the Civic Centre, Ottawa.
In October 2005, several radio stations temporarily stopped playing The Hip's song "New Orleans is Sinking", out of
sensitivity to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which had devastated the city in
early September of that year.
On November 1, 2005, the Hip released a double CD, double
DVD box set, Hipeponymous, including all of their
music videos to date, a backstage documentary called
"Macroscopic", an animated Hip-scored short film entitled "The Right Whale", two brand new songs ("No Threat", "The New
Maybe"), a full length concert from November 2004, entitled That Night In
Toronto (which takes its title from a line in the song "Bobcaygeon"), and a 2-CD greatest hits collection
Yer Favourites (selected online by 150,000 fans). On November 8, 2005, Yer Favourites
and That Night In Toronto were released individually.
2006 saw The Hip complete a summer tour in addition to recording a new studio album produced by Bob
Rock. The album, titled World Container, was released in Canada on
October 17, 2006 and in the US on March 6, 2007. The album's third track, "In View", was released as both a
radio single and as a music video, and
reached the #1 spot on the Canadian rock music charts. The mutual love between The Hip, hockey and Canada was further
demonstrated when the track "The Lonely End of the Rink" (the second Canadian single) was featured prominently on
Hockey Night in Canada the week of the album's release. In support of the album,
the band played concert dates in major Canadian cities, then as an opening act for The Who on
several US dates. A summer Canadian tour (with a few American dates) has been announced for late June to Mid-September, followed
by a brief European tour. A second American leg is expected to be announced for Fall 2007.
Their latest single is "Family Band".
Members
Current
Former
Solo projects
Singer Gordon Downie has released two solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001
and Battle of the Nudes in 2003, while Rob Baker released an album with his
own side project, Stripper's Union in 2005.
Honours & Awards
Canada's Walk of Fame
- 2002
- Inducted in Toronto, Ontario
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
- 2005
- Inducted at the Juno Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Royal Conservatory of Music
- 2006
- Presented with an Honourary Fellowship May 24 at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, Ontario.
Juno Awards
- 1990
- Most Promising Group of the Year
- 1991
- Canadian Entertainer of the Year
- 1993
- Canadian Entertainer of the Year
- 1995
- Entertainer of the Year
- Group of the Year
- 1997
- Group of the Year
- Album of the Year - Trouble at the Henhouse
- North Star Rock Album of the Year - Trouble at the Henhouse
- 1999
- Best Rock Album - Phantom Power
- Best Album Design - Phantom Power
- 2000
- 2001
- Best Rock Album - Music@Work
- 2006
- CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year - Hipeponymous
- Music DVD of the Year - Hipeponymous
Discography
EPs
Official studio albums
- Up to Here - (MCA, 1989)
- Road Apples - (MCA, 1991)
- Fully Completely - (MCA, 1992)
- Day for Night - (Universal, 1994)
- Trouble at the Henhouse - (Universal, 1996)
- Phantom Power - (Universal, 1998)
- Music at Work - (Universal, 2000)
- In Violet Light - (Universal, 2002)
- In Between Evolution - (Universal, 2004)
- World Container - (Universal, 2006)
Compilations
Video Releases
Box Sets
Singles
- Small Town Bringdown
- Last American Exit
- New Orleans Is Sinking
- Blow At High Dough
- 38 Years Old
- Boots or Hearts
- Trickle Down
- Little Bones
- Twist My Arm
- Cordelia
- Long Time Running
- Three Pistols
- Fiddler's Green
- Courage
- Looking For A Place to Happen
- At the Hundredth Meridian
- Fully Completely
- Wheat Kings
- Fifty-Mission Cap
- Locked in the Trunk of a Car
- Grace, Too
- Greasy Jungle
- So Hard Done By
- Nautical Disaster
- Scared
|
- Ahead By a Century
- Gift Shop
- 700 Ft. Ceiling
- Flamenco
- Butts Wigglin'
- Poets
- Something On
- Bobcaygeon
- Fireworks
- Escape is at Hand for the Travellin' Man
- My Music at Work
- The Completists
- Lake Fever
- It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken
- The Darkest One
- Silver Jet
- Vaccination Scar
- Summer's Killing Us
- It Can't Be Nashville Every Night
- In View
- The Lonely End of the Rink
- Yer Not the Ocean
- Family Band
- TBA (2007)
|
The Tragically Hip in popular culture
The band had a cameo in the television show Corner Gas, where Brent kicks them out
of his garage so that his group "Thunderface" can practise.
The band has a cameo in the movie Men with Brooms, where they play the curling
team representing Kingston.
In the Trailer Park Boys episode, "Closer To The Heart", they kidnap
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, where he asks "Who are
you?" to Ricky, to which he replies "Gord Downie". In the episode, "We Can't Call People Without Wings Angels So We Call Them
Friends", the song "The Drop-Off" from World Container is heard playing on the
radio.
In Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, the boys go to a theatre and all the
movies in the theatre are named after Rush and Tragically Hip songs. Gord Downie and Alex Lifeson also have cameos as police officers who pull over
main characters Ricky (Robb Wells) and Julian (John Paul
Tremblay). Later on, "Bobcaygeon" plays over the closing credits of the movie. The movie also features "38 Years Old"
(jail scene), and "Scared" (lap-dance club scene). Titles of other Hip songs can also be seen on the marquee of the movie theatre
where the Boys pull off "The Big Dirty".
The song "Blow at High Dough" was used as the theme song for Canadian sitcom Made In
Canada, starring Rick Mercer.
The song "Little Bones" was used as the theme for the weekly CBC TV music show Ear to the Ground.
The television program Due South used the Tragically Hip song "At the Hundredth Meridian"
during a car chase.
"All Tore Up" (off In Violet Light) is featured as menu music in
XSN Sports' NHL Rivals 2004 for the Microsoft Xbox[1]. This was the first time a
Hip song was licensed for a video game.
Trivia
- The band did a music video for "The Darkest One" which featured the Trailer Park
Boys stealing an engine for their car and Don Cherry delivering fried
chicken.
- Drummer Johnny Fay once famously quipped to Billboard that being the
biggest band in Canada was "like being the world's tallest midgets."
- The band's hit song "New Orleans is Sinking" was largely shunned from radio play following the extensive flooding caused by
Hurricane Katrina.
- On 07/07/89 about 40 people watched Nirvana open for the band at the O'Cayz Corral,
in Madison, WI
- The song "New Orleans is Sinking" was covered by the band Billy Talent when they were still called Pezz on their first album
Watoosh!
- Actress Sarah Polley does a cover of the song "Courage" in the Atom Egoyan film "The Sweet Hereafter". The
actual song is played in the closing credits.
-
"As with most Hip songs however, "Bobcaygeon" defies easy explanation and seems to be alluding to multiple references.
Of the most commonly discussed and debated is the songs hint of intolerant thugs clashing with mounted cops in "Toronto The
Good." Gord took to introducing the song during 2004 with: "'This one asks the question: evil in the open or evil just
below the surface?"'
Toronto, the capital of Ontario and also Canada's largest city, was once known derisively in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries as the Stern Voice of God in the British Empire. The town was notorious for the moral righteousness of its
leaders as well as their prohibition laws and church laden approach to social problems. The city, which today is proudly, if
spuriously, called the "most multicultural city on earth" lost its stoic and stuffy image and was permanently scared in
1933 by the Riot at Christie Pitts. During an afternoon softball game at the 30 acre park, a horde of Nazis from a Toronto
gang called the Swastika-Club brawled with a group of young Jewish men.
Like a school yard fight, word of the confrontation spread quickly throughout the city, bringing additional fighters and
onlookers in a flood. The police in the area were overwhelmed, and didn't restore order until 2:30am the next morning.
Toronto was again touched by hate-induced violence in 1993 when members of the Neo-Nazi group the Heritage Front (scum
who may also be alluded to in Fire In The Hole) engaged in a bloody street fight with a group calling themselves
Anti-Racist Action. Once again, Toronto police were caught helpless, and the city stood with its tolerant reputation in
tatters.
This reference is furthered by the 1930's Guthrie-esque anti-hate message scrawled across Bobby's acoustic guitar at the end
of the Bobcaygeon video: "This Machine Kills Fascists."
- via [The Hip Museum][5]
See also
External links
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References
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