MacLean & MacLean
Encyclopedia
MacLean & MacLean were a popular Canadian
Juno nominated musical-comedy duo who performed regularly in Canada between 1972 and 1998 and also recorded seven albums. The duo consisted of brothers Gary MacLean (25 June 1944 – 5 December 2001) and Blair MacLean ( 1943 – 29 October 2008). The MacLeans were originally from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
but were later based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
MacLean & MacLean were best known for their raunchy, often scatological humour, which was combined with (usually humorous) renditions of folk and popular songs, with Blair playing guitar and Gary playing banjo and bongo drums. The duo began performing in 1972 and during their career played the Commodore Ballroom
in Vancouver, British Columbia, the 1983 Just for Laughs
festival in Montreal
, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
of The Guess Who
on their 1972 album, Live at the Paramount, in which he explains the song was co-written with "MacLean MacLean" (they had not included the word "and" in the name of their act in their early days). Despite the spoken credit, the original album only credited McDougall as the writer. This was corrected in a recent re-issue which lists the composers as MacLean, MacLean and McDougall.
During their career, they recorded seven albums including a mixture of live and studio recordings. Among their best known (and most infamous) recordings were "I've Seen Pubic Hair" (based upon the standard "I've Been Everywhere") and an original song, "Dolly Parton
's Tits", which made the British
music charts after it was used as the theme music for a British TV show called O.T.T.
Their first album was a live recording titled Toilet Rock, produced by Skip Prokop
of Lighthouse
. Burton Cummings
of the Guess Who appears on and produced the studio portions of their second album, Bitter Reality, although his management tried unsuccessfully to have his contribution (singing two short "dirty" songs) removed, fearing it would be harmful to his career. This challenge caused the album's release to be delayed by several months, by which time the controversy had been widely reported by the media, and the track had been "leaked" to a Toronto radio station which played it on a weekly show featuring comedy records, making the attempted removal a futile effort, and the album was released with Cummings' contributions intact. Jack Richardson
, the producer of the Guess Who's albums, produced the live portions of this album.
Controversial for their use of language, at one point they had to appeal for the right to perform at the level of the Supreme Court of Canada
. Also, the title of their album Locked Up for Laughs refers to an incident when they were actually put in jail in Kingston, Ontario
after a charge of public indecency at a live performance. Their theme song was a rendition of "Ja-Da
" retitled "Fuck Ya", and it appeared on all of their albums in one form or another. It was often used as a closing to their live shows, following a "mutual heckling" routine in which the audience and performers jokingly shouted abuse at each other; the song would then be performed as a "sing-along" with the audience. The back cover of Toilet Rock claims this song (the altered version) was written by Burton Cummings, although later albums credit it to the MacLeans. The cover also claims, "we all wrote 'Lickin' My Dick'", but it's not clear whether "all" is meant to include Cummings and/or Prokop; the song in question is heard as a brief warm-up before the proper start of the performance, with Blair MacLean announcing (perhaps as a direction to the editor), "That's not going to be on the album!"
The duo toured on and off for nearly three decades. In later years, they worked in radio, and Gary MacLean became a radio personality in Winnipeg, while Blair took up a new profession as a landscape painter. The duo performed for the last time not long before Gary MacLean, 57, died in 2001 of throat cancer
. Following Gary's death, Blair MacLean privately released a CD entitled Live, a recording of a 1996 performance in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
, to raise money for a trust fund for his brother's children.
Blair MacLean died on 29 October 2008 at age 65 due to a heart attack
according to his family.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Juno nominated musical-comedy duo who performed regularly in Canada between 1972 and 1998 and also recorded seven albums. The duo consisted of brothers Gary MacLean (25 June 1944 – 5 December 2001) and Blair MacLean ( 1943 – 29 October 2008). The MacLeans were originally from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Glace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton....
but were later based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
MacLean & MacLean were best known for their raunchy, often scatological humour, which was combined with (usually humorous) renditions of folk and popular songs, with Blair playing guitar and Gary playing banjo and bongo drums. The duo began performing in 1972 and during their career played the Commodore Ballroom
Commodore Ballroom
The Commodore Ballroom is a renowned music venue, dance floor, and nightclub located on 800 block of Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. The building was built in the Art Deco style of the late 1920s by George Conrad Reifel and designed by architect H.H. Gillingham. Best known for...
in Vancouver, British Columbia, the 1983 Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
festival in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Recordings
An early mention of the group appears in the spoken introduction to "Glace Bay Blues" by Donnie McDougallDonnie McDougall
Donnie "Don" McDougall is a guitarist who joined The Guess Who in 1972, replacing Greg Leskiw who moved on to a solo career. His first album performance was on the record Live At The Paramount, recorded in Seattle, Washington. McDougall sang "Glace Bay Blues" on that album...
of The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
on their 1972 album, Live at the Paramount, in which he explains the song was co-written with "MacLean MacLean" (they had not included the word "and" in the name of their act in their early days). Despite the spoken credit, the original album only credited McDougall as the writer. This was corrected in a recent re-issue which lists the composers as MacLean, MacLean and McDougall.
During their career, they recorded seven albums including a mixture of live and studio recordings. Among their best known (and most infamous) recordings were "I've Seen Pubic Hair" (based upon the standard "I've Been Everywhere") and an original song, "Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
's Tits", which made the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music charts after it was used as the theme music for a British TV show called O.T.T.
O.T.T.
O.T.T. was a late-night adult version of the anarchic ATV children's show Tiswas, but made by its ITV franchise successor Central Television. It was broadcast at 11.00pm on Saturday nights for one series in 1982. O.T.T. was created and presented by Chris Tarrant, and also starred ex-Tiswasians John...
Their first album was a live recording titled Toilet Rock, produced by Skip Prokop
Skip Prokop
Ronn "Skip" Prokop is a Canadian drummer and band leader who was a driving force in Canadian rock music, creating seminal bands, including The Paupers...
of Lighthouse
Lighthouse (band)
Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in Toronto which included horns, string instruments, and vibraphone; their music reflected elements of rock music, jazz, classical music and swing...
. Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
of the Guess Who appears on and produced the studio portions of their second album, Bitter Reality, although his management tried unsuccessfully to have his contribution (singing two short "dirty" songs) removed, fearing it would be harmful to his career. This challenge caused the album's release to be delayed by several months, by which time the controversy had been widely reported by the media, and the track had been "leaked" to a Toronto radio station which played it on a weekly show featuring comedy records, making the attempted removal a futile effort, and the album was released with Cummings' contributions intact. Jack Richardson
Jack Richardson (record producer)
Jack Richardson, CM was a Juno Award-nominated Canadian record producer and Order of Canada recipient. He is perhaps best known for producing the biggest hit records from The Guess Who from 1969 to 1975...
, the producer of the Guess Who's albums, produced the live portions of this album.
Controversial for their use of language, at one point they had to appeal for the right to perform at the level of the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
. Also, the title of their album Locked Up for Laughs refers to an incident when they were actually put in jail in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
after a charge of public indecency at a live performance. Their theme song was a rendition of "Ja-Da
Ja-Da
"Ja-Da " was a hit song written in 1918 by Bob Carleton . The title is sometimes rendered as "Jada." Ja-Da has flourished through the decades as a jazz standard....
" retitled "Fuck Ya", and it appeared on all of their albums in one form or another. It was often used as a closing to their live shows, following a "mutual heckling" routine in which the audience and performers jokingly shouted abuse at each other; the song would then be performed as a "sing-along" with the audience. The back cover of Toilet Rock claims this song (the altered version) was written by Burton Cummings, although later albums credit it to the MacLeans. The cover also claims, "we all wrote 'Lickin' My Dick'", but it's not clear whether "all" is meant to include Cummings and/or Prokop; the song in question is heard as a brief warm-up before the proper start of the performance, with Blair MacLean announcing (perhaps as a direction to the editor), "That's not going to be on the album!"
Later Years
In the 1980s the MacLeans created a character called "The Champ" which was licenced to and further developed by radio personality "Brother" Jake Edwards, who performed a daily two-minute Champ monologue for syndication to radio stations in Canada for 20 years, the longest running feature of this type in Canadian history. A sample of the MacLeans' version of the Champ can be found on Cruel Cuts, but it was Edwards who gave the character his distinctive gruff voice. Edwards also released 4 CDs of selected Champ monologues, and a 5th Champ CD described as being "a little more risque than the radio program".The duo toured on and off for nearly three decades. In later years, they worked in radio, and Gary MacLean became a radio personality in Winnipeg, while Blair took up a new profession as a landscape painter. The duo performed for the last time not long before Gary MacLean, 57, died in 2001 of throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
. Following Gary's death, Blair MacLean privately released a CD entitled Live, a recording of a 1996 performance in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
, to raise money for a trust fund for his brother's children.
Blair MacLean died on 29 October 2008 at age 65 due to a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
according to his family.
The Maclean Brothers
All three of Gary's sons are into the music end of showbiz under the band name The MacLean Brothers fronted by singer/songwriter Michael Vermeylen out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In early 2010, they played a successful one-month tour of South Korea.Discography
- Toilet Rock (live at the Chimney, Toronto)
- Bitter Reality (1976, mixture of studio, and live at the Chimney, Toronto)
- Locked Up for Laughs (studio recording)
- MacLean & MacLean Suck Their Way to the Top / MacLean & MacLean Take the "O" Out of Country (split album: side 1 is live at the El MocamboEl MocamboThe El Mocambo Tavern is a live music and entertainment venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Spadina Avenue, just south of College Street, the bar played an important role in the development of popular music in Toronto since the 19th century...
, Toronto; side 2 is a studio recording simulating a country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
radio broadcast) - Go to Hell (studio recording, title can also be read as MacLean & MacLean Go to Hell)
- Cruel Cuts (1986, studio recording)
- The Dirty Thirty (compilation)
- 2 in 1 (1992, re-issue of first and second albums on one CD; omits some tracks to make it fit)
- 2 in 1 (1992, re-issue of third and fourth albums on one CD)
- Live (2003, live at Watts, Moose Jaw, SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, 1996)