List missed Cockburn, Ambrose, Oscar

Re Tower of Song, March 17 Congrats on a very extensive list of Toronto songs, including some with just a passing connection, such as having been composed somewhere in the city (“Universal Soldier” is an influential classic by Buffy Ste. Marie, but not about Toronto).

That’s all right; it’s a great list. You asked, “what did we miss?” I’m sure you’ll be getting a long list, but here are five I wish you had included:

“People City,” by Toronto-born Tommy Ambrose, a child prodigy singing gospel at Maple Leaf Gardens and later a jazz/pop crooner and commercial jingle singer/writer. He and partner Gary Gray composed this city anthem, commissioned by then City-TV’s Moses Znaimer. It’s the best anthem Toronto ever had, just waiting to be re-interpreted for a new generation. “Open Up the Dome and Let the People Come In” was the official song for SkyDome’s grand opening, also written and performed by Tommy Ambrose.

“The New Subway Song” by Betty Carr and Charles Baldour was an early 1950s ode to the construction hassles with our Yonge Street subway.

“Coldest Night of the Year” by Bruce Cockburn. “I took in Yonge Street at a glance, heard the punkers playing, watched the bikers dance.”

“Saturday Night in Parkdale,” by Freeman Dre and the Kitchen Party. “There ain’t no place built for dreamers quite like Parkdale, and it sounds like home.” Eugene Bolvary, Toronto

One major miss is Bruce Cockburn’s “Coldest Night of the Year.” Not only did Bruce live in Toronto for many years and write a great deal of songs here, but this song talks about the Scarborough horizon, Yonge St. and the “all-night TV show.” I believe City-TV was one of the first to have all-night shows back in the early 1980s when the song was recorded. Bob Ferguson, Aurora

Your list was missing the most Toronto song ever: Bruce Cockburn’s “The Coldest Night of the Year.” Oakville’s own the Kings ubiquitous hit “This Beat Goes On/Switching to Glide” deserved to be on the list as well. Angelo Peroff, Whitby

How can the list exclude Robbie Robertson’s “Back to the Woods.”

How about “Opportunity” by Mandela, which was a group of very good musicians from North York. No electronica, just solid musicianship.

Lastly, if it is about Canadians, it would be hard to find anyone who outsold Blood, Sweat and Tears, whose lead singer David Clayton-Thomas was also from North York.

If this is not strictly about Toronto, as the inclusion of Joni Mitchell and K D Lang would suggest, how about Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Or, if it is about being great musicians, let’s remember Oscar Peterson and the largely unknown Lenny Breau, who influenced guitar players such as George Benson and Chet Atkins. Larry Dunn, Richmond Hill