# I Didn't Realize This Was Controversial



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Have we talked about it?







He did it a few years ago, to no apparent outcry.


----------



## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Lets hope neither of these things happens again.


----------



## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

I think the only controversy would be in his choice of amp. I love the Roland Jazz Chorus amps.... but for O Canada shouldn't he be rocking a Garnet or Traynor?


----------



## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

I love his version of O Canada. And I'm waiting on somebody's hip hop version. It's a song. And in this case it's just the melody, so what's the fuss?

He must be some friggin' loud to get feedback on that guitar.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Its not offensive or anything, but with all due respect, it sounded like ass to me.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Paul M said:


> I think the only controversy would be in his choice of amp. I love the Roland Jazz Chorus amps.... but for O Canada shouldn't he be rocking a Garnet or Traynor?


In the video, it's a Garnet head, is that a Herzog into the front end of the JC?


----------



## Mikev7305 (Jan 6, 2020)

That guys the man. The leafs game one I watched live and in my opinion was far better than the jets one. Just better tone. I love his sloppiness but I understand how people wouldn't like it.


----------



## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Milkman said:


> Its not offensive or anything, but with all due respect, it sounded like ass to me.


I agree - not a bad concept, execution not so much.


----------



## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Sounded to me like his Doubleneck tuning went out of whack when it hit the arena temperature .


----------



## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

Permanent Waves said:


> Sounded to me like his Doubleneck tuning went out of whack when it hit the arena temperature .


If I recall correctly, tuning on a 12 string is warranted to be stable for up to 5 minutes, or until someone opens a door, whichever occurs first.


----------



## elburnando (11 mo ago)

The Leafs game version sounded great! The other, I can see why it didn't go over well.


----------



## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

Guitar arrangements of national anthems usually turn out great, or is a dumpster fire. There’s not much middle ground.

They asked for his rendition, and he gave it his best. I don’t mind it, I would much rather listen to that than some note pulling, auto tune using cracked out ************.

People were pissed at Hendrix when he played the Star Spangled Banner too. Gordie is not Hendrix, but he’s a proud Canadian, and that’s good enough for me.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Yeah…no controversy, but not particularly well executed either.


----------



## JeffCC (Oct 18, 2021)

Although I didn’t really like the rendition so much myself, Canada is one of the potentially few countries that are good with or encourage a variety of versions of the national anthem. I’m happy with that. I’m also happy to see a 6/12 actually being used!


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Well, apparently the Jets removed it from their website due to the outcry. More or less editorial by the loudest public.


----------



## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

keto said:


> Well, apparently the Jets removed it from their website due to the outcry. More or less editorial by the loudest public.


There is a lot of that going on these days. It's sickening really. People getting upset at things they don't at all care about otherwise because someone else said it was the right way to feel.


----------



## puzz (5 mo ago)

What's controversial? It's plain bad and that's why it should be removed from the website, it's embarrassing. I struggled to watch that and we only heard one anthem, although we heard the end of the other one and it also sounded bad. 

He plays a Herzog into the power sections of other amps, usually large ones.


----------



## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

keto said:


> Well, apparently the Jets removed it from their website due to the outcry. More or less editorial by the loudest public.


It really doesn't belong on any "best of...." lists. The anthem is played at 41 home games every season. Do the Jets have clips up of all the other performances? They can't all be Whitney-Houston-at-the-superbowl-good.


----------



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I liked it.


----------



## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

A tune check should have been in order


Paul M said:


> I think the only controversy would be in his choice of amp. I love the Roland Jazz Chorus amps.... but for O Canada shouldn't he be rocking a Garnet or Traynor?


It appears to be a Garnet head on top of the Roland Jazz. Faceplate looks like the Herzog model.


----------



## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Tuner shortage in Winnipeg?

Probably a good idea to anticipate the guitar going out of tune after the American anthem was finished knowing there would be no time to re-tune and making prior arrangements to have your guitar tech waiting in the wings to quickly provide you with another in-tune double neck,... fairly confident Gordie can afford a couple 6/12's.

Any other live gig would have that preparation foresight,... as I'm sure many here can attest to.

When I make arrangements to have a throne sitting I always ensure there is a backup TP roll near by before starting the performance in order to avoid a  situation.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Personally, I prefer hearing the anthems (ours or anyone else's) performed in a straight ahead and respectful manner, without diversion from the melody. It's not that it's untouchable or sacred. I just think when people put their own spin on an anthem, it's all about them, not what the song represents.

That's not to say it can't be done on an electric guitar as an instrumental. but he was out of tune and sloppy.

And, I _like _Big Sugar.

I feel the same about singers who embellish or add ridiculous grace notes to anthems demonstrate their prowess as vocalists.

It's about the song, not you.

Just my opinion as always.


----------



## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

Gordie usually sounds amazing. I feel like the Herzog was choking out the notes and killing a sustain. Too much fuzz this time. Otherwise, I support what he was trying to do.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Melisma run amok, a common problem with singers (and their vocal coaches) who think they have good taste in presenting national anthems. They are not leading congregational/audience singing, they're performing a selfish, narcissistic absurdity. It isn't a jazz performance, forchristssake, if it was it would still be shitty, and for the most part it's not launching or furthering music careers. 

But more to the point of the thread, here's a respectful, in tune, toneful, version of a publicly known instrumental, though I do wish he had included The Rouse that generally follows:






No amount of personality or celebrity would save the Gordie Johnson performance in question. It's not that he's incapable, but I wonder who he was playing for.

Besides all that, why must we even have anthems at sporting events? Most, and the one in question, aren't even representative of nationality. Sure, sing the anthem of the winning country in international play at the end of the game, like the Olympics, and the current World Juniors, but the Leafs vs [name US team here] is not international competition, it's an intra-league, same union contract, exchangeable players, entertainment event.


----------



## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

I was at this game. It was horrific…


----------



## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

2manyGuitars said:


> I was at this game. It was horrific…


That isn't a vibrato, it's a trill!


----------



## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

This thread is drifting a bit now.... I _really_ enjoyed Lady Gaga singing at th Biden inauguration. She sang fantastic, and the arrangement was stunning. 

I'm also a fan if YouTube - er Adam Neely. He tickles my inner music theory nerd. Here is his analysis of that arrangement:


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

2manyGuitars said:


> I was at this game. It was horrific…



Somewhere, Ethel Merman is rolling in her grave.


----------



## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

This is what all these anthem singers remind me of…


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

2manyGuitars said:


> I was at this game. It was horrific…


Yeah, that was cringeworthy. Super wide vibrato, tempo that dragged horribly, pitchy, and worst of all, not representative of the artist's ability, needs of the performance, characteristics of the style, or tastes of the public.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Milkman said:


> Somewhere, Ethel Merman is rolling in her grave.


Freakin' hell, man, just mentioning Ethel Merman on this site gets ya points in my book!

Fast forward to 1:30. Classic.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Paul M said:


> This thread is drifting a bit now.... I _really_ enjoyed Lady Gaga singing at th Biden inauguration. She sang fantastic, and the arrangement was stunning.
> 
> I'm also a fan if YouTube - er Adam Neely. He tickles my inner music theory nerd. Here is his analysis of that arrangement:


Agreed on all points. Gaga has pipes, live. She's a great singer even if I don't dig her usual material. Adam Neely rocks his analysis skills on this one too. He's the real deal.


----------



## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Is that his bong hit? Sounds like I would have played it... half-ass shitty with a few scotches in me. Maybe I'm not hearing the 'artistic' expression.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Mooh said:


> Freakin' hell, man, just mentioning Ethel Merman on this site gets ya points in my book!
> 
> Fast forward to 1:30. Classic.



Dang I'm old....


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

2manyGuitars said:


> This is what all these anthem singers remind me of…



I lasted 19 seconds.


----------



## jimmythegeek (Apr 17, 2012)

Gordon has been doing this at gigs and hockey games for years. I remember a version from his Hugo Boss phase that was quite good. These ones weren’t. I blame the JC120. Unless your Adrian Belew circa late 70s/early 80s it’s tricky to get a nice gain-y tone on those (to my ears anyway YMMV).


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

jimmythegeek said:


> Gordon has been doing this at gigs and hockey games for years. I remember a version from his Hugo Boss phase that was quite good. These ones weren’t. I blame the JC120. Unless your Adrian Belew circa late 70s/early 80s it’s tricky to get a nice gain-y tone on those (to my ears anyway YMMV).



Certainly JC120 amps are not known for their dirty tones. I had one in a two amp rig which was one of my favourite clean tones at the time, but always went to a Marshall or Dean Markley Head through a 2 X 12 celestion for dirt.

My aversion to those clips of Gord is the fact that he's out of tune and playing in a rough sloppy way (intentional but not what I would like to hear).


----------



## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I was at the Leafs/Habs game when GJ performed the anthem and it was similar to the scene in Ghostbusters when Rick Moranis lets out a huge yelp and the restaurant patrons turn to look and then go back to their business....

Haven't followed the band much and use to listed to Brother and Sisters a lot some twenty years ago.


----------



## puzz (5 mo ago)

This is a good explanation of how GJ gets his sound. He mentions the Roland amp specifically and how it is set clean. The Herzog front-end is responsible for the dirt, the Roland is supposed to only make it louder.


----------



## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

Milkman said:


>


#7 is my ex. She is an extremely talented singer and musician from SK. Apparently she didn’t know she was expected to sing the US anthem until she arrived that day. She got death threats for that.


----------



## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Greenbacker said:


> #7 is my ex. She is an extremely talented singer and musician from SK. Apparently she didn’t know she was expected to sing the US anthem until she arrived that day. She got death threats for that.


You mean Christina Aguilera? Didn't realize she was from Saskatchewan...


----------



## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

Milkman said:


> I lasted 19 seconds.


You’re talkin’ listening... right?


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Greenbacker said:


> #7 is my ex. She is an extremely talented singer and musician from SK. Apparently she didn’t know she was expected to sing the US anthem until she arrived that day. She got death threats for that.



I'll check that out.

The US anthem is a tough one. You have to start pretty low to be able to reach the high parts.


----------



## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

Totally. It was more a function of her, as a mostly-french-speaking Saskatechewanian never learning the words to the US anthem though.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Greenbacker said:


> Totally. It was more a function of her, as a mostly-french-speaking Saskatechewanian never learning the words to the US anthem though.


Well, that's a shitty spot to put someone in. That's like me showing up to play a song I had prepared and being asked to also whip off Scrapple From the Apple or some other difficult piece.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Greenbacker said:


> #7 is my ex. She is an extremely talented singer and musician from SK. Apparently she didn’t know she was expected to sing the US anthem until she arrived that day. She got death threats for that.



Which number? Do you mean #5, Alexis Normand?


----------



## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

I heard that anthem, I was in my car at the time, I didn't catch that it was GJ. I thought it was someone not very good, but the problem was definitely that the guitar was out of tune. It was off, it made it sound bad and that threw him off. I assume he knows something about playing in temperature changes, but the guitar needed to be tuned just before he started playing, if it took 10 seconds, who cares.

The Toronto one sounds fine to me, or not offensive.

The American anthem before that wasn't very good either, his guitar was already badly out-of-tune. I don't know why he didn't notice.

You can listen to it here:





Audio Vault


How to Listen To use the Audio Vault, select the date and hour that you wish to listen to. Once you’ve selected the specific date and time you wish to hear, please be advised it may take 30 seconds for the file to buffer the audio before it starts to play.




globalnews.ca




Choose December 27 @ 7pm, the Canadian anthem is about 6:40 in.

What was funny to me, unlike the Toronto one, when it was over, the radio switches off quickly with no comment, and it seems to be over for everyone except GJ, like he wants desperately to salvage it. It was a lost battle! GJ needs a do-over.

I've seen another guy do that a couple of times, maybe it was in Seattle or Vegas, but I recall some guy doing it here, and it wasn't very good either.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Hammerhands said:


> I heard that anthem, I was in my car at the time, I didn't catch that it was GJ. I thought it was someone not very good, but the problem was definitely that the guitar was out of tune. It was off, it made it sound bad and that threw him off. I assume he knows something about playing in temperature changes, but the guitar needed to be tuned just before he started playing, if it took 10 seconds, who cares.
> 
> The Toronto one sounds fine to me, not offensive.
> 
> ...


Well, I kind of feel bad for being critical. I like Gord Johnson's playing and writing. Digging a Hole is a great tune.

I think the double neck SG, while looking cool, may not have been the best choice for playing in a rink on the ice, and yeah, tuning silently immediately prior to playing (if he didn't do so) really would have helped.

On the other hand, this guy was seriously out of tune (much of the time) but somehow....


----------



## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

Milkman said:


> Which number? Do you mean #5, Alexis Normand?


That’s the one. It was a junior game too, but it got blown up. The US networks were all over it.


----------



## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Greenbacker said:


> That’s the one. It was a junior game too, but it got blown up. The US networks were all over it.


Nothing says human decency like capitalizing on someone's humiliation. God bless the "news".


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




----------



## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I'm just a person.
I don't claim no country.
I don't need a flag.
To say who I am.
I come from my mother.
Like you and your brother.
This world is ours.
It's all in our hands.

Sing that at the fuckin game before dumbasses start chasin after a ball with a stick or whatever .. lol


----------



## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Wardo said:


> I'm just a person.
> I don't claim no country.
> I don't need a flag.
> To say who I am.
> ...


I could get behind this.


----------



## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Mark Brown said:


> I could get behind this.


Easy song, works good on acoustic and vocal no band.

This version is a bit draggy at the beginning but really kicks off when the guy with the gold top P90 starts layin it down and then the guy playing lap steel with a bar slide on a telecaster at the end.. lol

Calvin would have known that he didn't have long to live when this show was done.


----------



## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Wardo said:


> Easy song, works good on acoustic and vocal no band.
> 
> This version is a bit draggy at the beginning but really kicks off when the guy with the gold top P90 starts layin it down and then the guy playing lap steel with a bar slide on a telecaster at the end.. lol
> 
> Calvin would have known that he didn't have long to live when this show was done.


I have a feeling you could introduce me to a lot of music I have no idea about and would love with all of my heart.


----------



## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Four seasons go round on a pinwheel.
And tomorrow ain't nuthin at all.


----------



## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

2manyGuitars said:


> I was at this game. It was horrific…


I felt compelled to slip into these garbs while listening,... yes, the ones on the right.


----------



## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Wardo said:


> Four seasons go round on a pinwheel.
> And tomorrow ain't nuthin at all.


Is that Murray McLauchlan at the 1:55 mark?

R.I.P. Richard Dobson


----------



## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Midnight Rider said:


> Is that Murray McLauchlan at the 1:55 mark?


Rodney Crowell when was about 20. He said that back then he was smart enough to know to sit there, keep his mouth shut and learn…lol

Steve Earle is in there as well and Guy Clark and Susanna Clark.


----------



## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

Then there is this guy at last night's Jax Jaguars game. Not the worst, definitely better than Gordie:


----------



## paraedolia (Nov 26, 2008)

keto said:


> Well, apparently the Jets removed it from their website due to the outcry. More or less editorial by the loudest public.


Amazing what a bunch of ignorant assholes with flags can get done.


----------

