'They are really Canada's band.' New doc celebrates 40 years of Blue Rodeo
Surprising stories from the band’s history are revealed in Blue Rodeo: Lost Together, now streaming on CBC Gem
"When I was in my 20s, I loved them, and now that I'm in my 40s, I don't know what I would do without them," says Canadian media personality George Stroumboulopoulos about one of his favourite bands, Blue Rodeo.
"I think that in some ways they are really Canada's band, right? Because they're a little ragged, they're very real and authentic. They're definitely cheeky. They're just like us," says former MuchMusic producer Denise Donlon.
High praise indeed. Both celebrities appear in Blue Rodeo: Lost Together, a new documentary now streaming on CBC Gem, which chronicles the journey of one of Canada's longest-running and most beloved bands.
A celebration of the band's legacy, their music and the enduring friendship between lead singers Jim Cuddy and Greg Keeler, Lost Together charts their rise from a Queen Street bar band to an integral part of Canada's soundtrack.
"I think that they are one of the greatest groups to ever come out of Canada. I love them," says fellow musician Andy Maize (Skydiggers).
Here are five things we learned about one of Canada's favourite bands.
They were almost dropped from their first record label
Blue Rodeo released their debut album, Outskirts, in 1987. Although their live performances in Toronto had been selling out for months, their sound didn't fit in with the high-production, big rock music that was popular then. The record wasn't selling and the reaction from their label was swift.
"He basically told us 'if it doesn't pick up, we're going to drop you,'" remembers singer Jim Cuddy in the documentary. "We were having a lot of trouble. It was sort of going down the tubes," agrees bandmate Greg Keelor.
They knew their best song, Try, was very popular with live audiences so the band recorded a music video.
Record label marketing exec Dave Tollington took the video to John Martin, director of music programming at MuchMusic, who put the song into heavy rotation. "John hated the video, but he loved the song," says Tollington. "It hit a critical mass, and we never looked back, and neither did the band. I mean, it just took off like a rocket."
The album went on to sell over 500,000 units and Blue Rodeo began their journey to the top of the charts.
Blue Rodeo's drummer quit to go back to his day job — as a postie
Drummer Cleave Anderson was already a veteran on the Toronto music scene when Cuddy and Keeler asked him to join their new band in 1984. He'd played with local punk groups like the Battered Wives and the Forgotten Rebels, but had a young family and worked a day job at Canada Post.
He wasn't sure he was a good fit, but they convinced him to come on board. After the success of the band's second album, Diamond Mine, Anderson got an ultimatum from the Blue Rodeo's manager, "Cleave, we're going to be on the road, we're getting serious. And you're going to have to quit your postie job."
The choice was clear. "I just didn't want to be on the road all the time," remembers Anderson. "The damn guys didn't have to get so popular to make it look shitty on me."
So, he went back to his job as a mailman. "The funny thing about Cleave is when he finally retired from the post office, he phoned me up and he said, 'I just retired. So, tell Glenn [longtime drummer for Blue Rodeo] thanks'," remembers Cuddy.
Best friends feuded while on The Tonight Show
Blue Rodeo's unique dynamic comes from its two frontmen, Cuddy and Keelor, who share both singing and songwriting duties equally. Although they are longtime high school chums, there was sometimes a healthy rivalry. They would alternate TV show appearances, but when The Tonight Show called, the network wanted the band to perform After the Rain, which was Cuddy's song.
They were on tour for Casino, trying to break into the U.S. market and it was Keelor's turn to sing. "So I had a little hissy," says Keelor, "and I played so loud at soundcheck that they took me out of the mix."
Cuddy got a call and was told 'You need to tell the guitar player to turn his guitar down.' "There's a certain point where you realize you cannot influence your partner's behaviour," he remembers.
Blue Rodeo recorded their most successful album — on a farm
Exhausted after years of touring, the band members needed a break. Feeling creatively inspired, they decided to record a simple, acoustic album at Keelor's farm, intending it to be a fun, secondary project. "We set up in his living room, and there's people all around," remembers Cuddy, "people are in the pool and we're just doing songs live off the floor."
Using sleeping bags and packing blankets to create a makeshift studio, they invited musicians like Sarah McLachlan and Anne Bourne to perform, and captured something truly special."Of all the experiences I had over 25 years in the business, that's kind of the top," remembers Tollington.
Music engineer Doug McClement notes, "If you put headphones on, you can hear dogs barking, you can hear birds, you can hear thunder and lightning some nights. That's five guys in a room playing songs."
5 Days in July was released in October 1993 and it was the band's most commercially successful album ever.
It was almost over due to Keelor's hearing issues
After years in the music business, Keelor began to suffer from tinnitus. "I thought that part of my life was over," he says, "all those things I loved to do was all taken away."
The band adapted by reducing the amount of sound on their stage to help Keelor be comfortable. But playing these quiet shows slowly became unbearable too.
So, in 2016 he called Cuddy and quit Blue Rodeo. "I was shocked, but I was also wounded, I was wounded that he quit over the phone to me, but I was also kind of tired of the drama," remembers Cuddy.
The pandemic gave Keelor the break he needed and he began writing rock songs again. So, in 2021 the band came together virtually to record Many A Mile.
Michael Hollett, founder of Toronto's North by Northeast music festival says, "I think Greg came back because he missed it. He missed Blue Rodeo. I think it was hard for him to think of a life without that available to him."
"The band has never been better!" says Keelor.
"As you get older and you start to appreciate what a rare opportunity it is to make your living playing in a band. I think that your gratitude fuels your will to stay," says Cuddy.
And after 40 years, Blue Rodeo's story isn't finished yet.
