The Great White North
Encyclopedia
The Great White North is a Canadian
comedy album by the fictional television characters Bob and Doug McKenzie
(portrayed by actors Rick Moranis
and Dave Thomas
), released in 1981 by Anthem Records
(ANR-1-1036) and distributed in the United States by Mercury Records
(SRM-1-4034). The title is a popular nickname for Canada.
.
The Great White North entered the RPM
Canadian album charts at #3 on 12 December 1981 and rose to the #1 position the following week where it remained until 23 January 1982. Overall, RPM ranked the album #40 of albums released in Canada during 1981.
The Great White North peaked at number 8 on the American Billboard 200 album chart
in 1982.
The song "Take Off" (actually identified on the album as "the hit single section"), featured guest vocalist Geddy Lee
of Rush
. It was indeed a hit, peaking at number 16 on the Billboard 100 singles chart
in March 1982. (Ironically, "Take Off" was a bigger hit single than anything Lee ever recorded with Rush.)
concluded on a negative sentiment, noting the production was "entertaining listening - about twice. Other hosers are going to find it extremely confusing."
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...
comedy album by the fictional television characters Bob and Doug McKenzie
Bob and Doug McKenzie
Bob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "Great White North", a sketch which was introduced on SCTV for the show's third season when it moved to CBC Television in 1980. Bob is played by Rick Moranis and Doug is played by Dave Thomas...
(portrayed by actors Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
and Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)
David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E. Thomas, attended Duke University and earned a PhD in Philosophy. Thomas attended George Watts and Moorehead elementary schools...
), released in 1981 by Anthem Records
Anthem Records
Anthem Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario. The company was formed in May 1977 by Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson with initial recording artists Rush, Max Webster, Liverpool and A Foot in Coldwater. The three members of Rush, Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson became...
(ANR-1-1036) and distributed in the United States by Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
(SRM-1-4034). The title is a popular nickname for Canada.
Sales and charting
At least one million copies of the album were sold within North America, 350,000 of these within Canada alone which earned a triple-platinum certification from the Canadian Recording Industry AssociationCanadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
.
The Great White North entered the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Canadian album charts at #3 on 12 December 1981 and rose to the #1 position the following week where it remained until 23 January 1982. Overall, RPM ranked the album #40 of albums released in Canada during 1981.
The Great White North peaked at number 8 on the American Billboard 200 album chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1982.
The song "Take Off" (actually identified on the album as "the hit single section"), featured guest vocalist Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
of Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
. It was indeed a hit, peaking at number 16 on the Billboard 100 singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in March 1982. (Ironically, "Take Off" was a bigger hit single than anything Lee ever recorded with Rush.)
Track listing
- "This is our album, eh?" - 3:40
- "The Beerhunter" - 2:23
- "School Announcements" - 1:52 This sketch features Doug (Thomas) as a school vice-principal who encourages his charges to "have a beer and talk" at his office.
- "The Miracle of Music" - 0:41
- "Peter's Donuts" - 3:02
- "Gimme A Smoke" - 1:59
- "Take Off" - 4:43 This track features singing by guest vocalist Geddy LeeGeddy LeeGary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
of RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart... - "Coffee Sandwich" - 2:26
- "Welcome to Side Two" - 0:58
- "Doug's Mouth" - 3:33
- "Elron McKenzie" - 2:28
- "Black Holes" - 2:06 There is a backwards messageBackmaskingBackmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
on this track. - "You Are Our Guest" - 2:14 The duo's exaggerated accents pronounce "are" and "our" as homophones for comedic effect. Listeners play the "guest" by reading the enclosed script.
- "Ernie's Mom" - 1:54
- "The Twelve Days of Christmas" - 4:42
- "Ralph The Dog" - 3:11
- "Okay, This is the End, eh?" - 1:57
- "Honest" - 0:31
Reviews
Liam Lacey's review of the album in The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
concluded on a negative sentiment, noting the production was "entertaining listening - about twice. Other hosers are going to find it extremely confusing."