Subject: Spinal Tap development II and more Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:11 am
Wait, there's more. I forgot to mention that Smalls/Shearer has released a video of the title track.
For your viewing and listening enjoyment:
For me, I'd much rather listen to Roger Doucet. Who was Roger Doucet? He was the SUPERLATIVE TENOR who used to do the national anthems at the Montreal Forum. He was the top of the food chain while Montreal was winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1976-79. He died in 1981.
(Notice how well-dressed the fans at the Montreal Forum were. Not uncommon for people sitting behind near the team benches to be dressed as if going to a formal dinner. The men in tuxedos and the red-hot French Canadian women in evening gowns. These people were visible on TV and the formal dress was especially in effect for Saturday night games. But this was MUCH MORE than a Saturday night regular-season game.)
Really powerful as you will hear in the attached video. He does a great job on "Star Spangled Banner" and then SINGS AT 11 on "O Canada" in usual combo of one verse in French and one verse in English.
The video preceded Game 7 of the epic semifinal (no playoffs by conference then) between Montreal and Boston in 1979. Thursday, May 10 at the old Montreal Forum. A game for the ages won by Montreal 5-4 in overtime. (Montreal went on to wipe out the Rangers in the final in five games, sweeping four after losing Game 1.)
Boston led, 3-1, after two periods. Montreal tied it on goals by F Mark Napier and HOF D Guy Lapointe (power play) within a span of just over two minutes, 6:10 and 8:16.
For Boston, it looked like the upset of the 3x defending Stanley Cup champion would happen when F Rick Middleton scored at 16:01.
But a power-play goal by HOF F Guy Lafleur re-tied the score, 4-4, at 18:46. Boston had been whistled for a minor penalty for TOO MANY MEN ON THE ICE.
F Yvon Lambert then won it for Montreal at 9:33 of the first OT.
This article is a home-brew statistical analysis (WOW!) and random thoughts by the author, especially the fact that this was probably one of the greatest games ever played by Boston goaltender Gilles Gilbert. I agree.
The Boston teams of the late 1970s would have won Stanley Cups had Montreal not been there. The Bruins were STRONG. A lot of offense and PHYSICAL.
We saw this same scenario in the mid-1980s. It would have been Philadelphia winning Stanley Cups had it not been for Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and the Edmonton Oilers.
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Lastly, Rene Rancourt, who has been doing the national anthems for the Bruins since the mid-1970s, recently said that this season will be his last. He'll be missed as well.