When Toronto was a ‘People City’
Tommy Ambrose sang about The 6 way before Drake did
Everyone knows Drake is the current god of The 6, but in the 1970s it was unquestionably Tommy Ambrose. A velvet-voiced gospel singer schooled in his art under the taut direction of Charles Bradley Templeton, Ambrose wrote and performed several anthemic melodies about Toronto and Ontario — including one regrettable ode to what is now the Rogers Centre — that remain heady time capsules from that blissed-out golden era. ‘People City’ (1972) Commissioned to compose and perform a groovy theme song for the launch of new local station Citytv in 1972, Ambrose and writing partner Gary Gray were instructed by the channel’s visionary co-founder Moses Znaimer to “write a love song to Toronto.” The result is a sober, somewhat cloying paean to our friendly multiracial city, which in 1972 was teeming with the same altruism that still makes us proud today. Aired daily on Citytv in vocal and instrumental versions, “People City” includes all the maudlin glory of 1970s Toronto, preserved in aural amber. ‘Home by the Waters’ (1971) Produced by the Bill Davis provincial government of 1971, this stirring Ontario travelogue shot in the burgeoning IMAX format played exclusively at Cinesphere in Ontario Place and was likely seen by tens of thousands of tourists visiting the then-prosperous theme park. The grandeur of its imagery is lost when scaled down for YouTube, of course, but those searing emotional vocals by Ambrose still pack a rum punch. Aside from Delores Claman’s mighty “A Place to Stand” from Expo 67, this is unimpeachably the best song about Ontario, ever. ‘A Point of View’ (1974) After the success of “People City,” Ambrose was again hired to devise a theme song for a new Toronto broadcaster, in this instance Global Television. Adhering to the “if it ain’t broke” principle, “A Point of View” followed the same sombre progression as “People City,” though its sound is decidedly more melancholy — perfect for the station’s gloomy middle-of-the night sign-off, which the song soundtracked. “A Point of View” was released commercially on a collectible 45-rpm single, which featured a bluegrass cover version by the Good Time Country Singers on the B-side. ‘Eggs — Get Cracking!’ (1977) As well as conquering the world of haunting local TV station themes, Ambrose was also renowned as king of local jingles. Besides being the proprietor of a popular Toronto jazz bar (called “Jingles” no less), Ambrose wrote many classic jingles for TV commercials including the still-inuse “Eggs — Get Cracking” slogan and jingle for the Ontario Egg Marketing Board. ‘Blue Smiles Along With You’ (1971) Beer commercials have long been a refuge for macho male bravado, but Ambrose’s “Blue Smiles Along With You” jingle was notable for pushing the genre into softer, more expressive terrain (it didn’t make the beer go down any easier, sadly). The campaign, which also featured a ubiquitous blue hot-air balloon, played during hockey games for the whole of the decade and well into the 1980s, by which point consuming the brand had become synonymous with smiling. ‘Open Up the Dome’ (1988) Ambrose’s opus was unfortunately spoiled by one of the greatest train wrecks in Canadian TV history. To mark the grand opening of the SkyDome in 1988, CBC aired its gala The Opening of SkyDome: A Celebration, hosted by Alan Thicke and Andrea Martin, and featuring a gargantuan cast of special guests, singers and dancers in something that would not be out of place in an episode of The Simpsons.
Mother Nature refused to co-operate and, while the roof opened as Ambrose belted out his heartfelt plea to “Open Up the Dome!” in the show’s rousing finale, cold rain soaked the few revelers who remained. The wet crowd’s angry reply of “Close the roof!” was mercifully muted in the TV broadcast.