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FYI

James Barker Band: Never Be The Same

As part of its Spotify Single sessions, the gold-selling award-winning Canadian country group takes a song from an unlikely source, pop hitmaker Camila Cabello, and adds its own spin that includes a compelling video.

James Barker Band: Never Be The Same

By Kerry Doole

James Barker Band  - “Never Be The Same” (UMC): Pop hitmaker Camila Cabello may seem an unlikely source of a cover song for a top Canadian country act, but, in a smart move, The James Barker Band has done just that.


The group recently tackled Cabello’s massive 2017 hit, “Never Be The Same,” recording the cover at Toronto studio Revolution Recording, the first-ever Spotify Single session to be recorded in Canada and released globally.

A video for the track features World of Dance contestants Luka & Jenalyn, and the well-executed dance moves are integrated with performance footage that offers a nicely-paced depiction of the power of an addictive love affair. Sample lyric: "And I'm a sucker for the way that you move, babe And I could try to run, but it would be useless."

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In a label press release, lead singer James Barker explains the band’s connection: “We landed on this song because it is just a plain and simple HIT. The chorus melody just sounds like a smash. That melody would have been a hit no matter the genre or generation; it made our job pretty easy!”

Formed five years ago, The CCMA-winning James Barker Band has earned over 50M streams for its material, including four gold-certified singles. 

The group plays Gold Horse Casino in Lloydminster on Jan. 19 and has summer shows lined up.

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Publicity: Allison Phillips, UMC

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Bill Gilliland

Bill Gilliland

FYI

Obituaries: Toronto Record Label Pioneer Bill Gilliland, Global Music Trailblazer Dan Storper of Putumayo

This week we also acknowledge the passing of Sugar Hill Records owner Barry Poss, and top U.S. booking agent Dave Shapiro and former drummer Daniel Williams, who both died in a tragic plane crash.

Bill (William) Gilliland, a Toronto record label head, producer and music entrepreneur, died on May 17, at age 88.

An official death notice called him "a visionary force in Canadian music. A true architect of the country’s music landscape, Bill’s career spanned more than four decades, shaping the sounds of generations and launching the careers of many iconic artists."

Gilliland first made a mark with Arc Records, a subsidiary of Arc Sound Company Ltd. that was established in Toronto in 1958 by Philip G. Anderson. Gilliland and Anderson co-founded Arc Records in 1959 and purchased the Precision Pressing Co. in 1961. Under the direction of Anderson, its president, and vice president Gilliland, Arc Records entered into a contract with US Hit Records and released a series of pop singles albums under the name Hit Parade (1963–64) that specialized in regional artists and tribute albums.

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