Third in a sequence of 5 Music Life Journal interviews with 2025 Inductees into the Canadian Songwriters Corridor of Fame. The Legends Induction Ceremony takes place Friday, Oct. 17, on the Lyric Theatre within the Meridian Arts Centre in downtown Toronto.
By Jim Barber
When the topic of an interview is the son of a philosophy professor and a church organist, whose brother is taken into account to be amongst the pantheon of Canadian comedic expertise, you recognize a considerate, witty and erudite expertise is within the offing.
And Ian Thomas didn’t disappoint. Certainly one of 5 new inductees into the Canadian Songwriters Corridor of Fame, the brother of SCTV alum Dave Thomas, whose Wales-born father John was head of the Philosophy Division at Hamilton’s McMaster College and whose mother Merthyr was behind the keys on the native church for 3 many years, talked expansively and lovingly concerning the craft of songwriting, but additionally concerning the typically harsh actuality of navigating by the music trade, and every thing in between.
A Juno Award winner, prolific songwriter, film composer and voice actor, and former Pink Inexperienced co-star Thomas has joyfully embraced his artistic life, his multifaceted profession and the chance to speak about one of many topics most close to and expensive to his coronary heart – music.
Thomas mentioned he was genuinely touched to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Corridor of Fame and talked about what it meant to him as effectively how cool it was to be represented in such a various induction class for 2025.
“It’s form of a beautiful, heat embrace, I suppose. There’s one thing about it that type of looks like an epitaph of a Viking if the phrase ‘legend’ retains popping up. I really feel that’s a bit a lot. But it surely’s beautiful to be acknowledged by your friends. I actually love plenty of their work, in order that has form of a particular that means. There’s the crapshoot of radio and whether or not going with a report firm goes to purchase you larger numbers of not. All of these issues, though it’s an addendum to the love of craft, most individuals I work with who’re my age and nonetheless writing are in it for the love and the enjoyment of songwriting. So to be welcomed right into a corridor of fame with plenty of writers whose work I’ve drastically admired is a treasure to me,” he mentioned from his dwelling in Dundas, Ontario, simply outdoors of Hamilton.
“I really like being inducted with such a various group of writers, partially as a result of that’s what I grew up with popping out of 1 speaker in mono from AM radio that was enjoying every thing from Dave Brubeck to the Rolling Stone, from The Beatles to Sinatra, to the 1910 Fruitgum Firm. Actually, the range that I grew up with on radio was type of like a author’s encyclopedia. It was unbelievable. And I do lengthy for that selection once more. Sadly, capitalism simply marches ahead, and it’s simply change into such a one-person programming now for all the nation state of affairs. All the pieces’s filtered, largely by Billboard Journal. But it surely’s beautiful to be there within the corridor of fame with kindred spirits. It’s a very distinctive and diverse group of individuals writing songs. I don’t know that you simply wouldn’t discover them on the airways these days.”
After making a joke about how and the the author of this piece are beginning to sound like Statler and Waldorf from The Muppet Present speaking concerning the ‘good outdated days’, Thomas received actual about how the trade and enterprise facet of constructing music has at all times had it’s mercurial, mercenary, money-focused nature, so there’s actually not a lot level in fussing and combating about it.
“That’s how Murray McLauchlan and I met. Murray was grousing about not getting some rattling respect on this enterprise. I mentioned, ‘respect from who? Weasels which can be simply taken with what number of widgets they bought right this moment’ After which we each began to chortle and so started an excellent friendship. Now, one might argue that there’s an unbelievable cross-section of stuff on the market on the web, however there’s no information to it. Everyone and their uncle can now do a recording of their basement as a result of the software program is there. You used to have to try this in a million-dollar studio earlier than. And there have been the front-line filters of A&R individuals and report corporations and the filters of program administrators at impartial radio stations. I actually do miss plenty of that, but it surely’s at all times been an unpleasant enterprise. I imply, it was based on The Mob for God’s sakes – payola. And based on exploitation of all these early Black artists too, to the purpose the place Morris Levy was placing his identify down as co-writer on all these nice tracks on Roulette Data. Everytime you discuss concerning the ‘good outdated days’ you don’t must look too far to comprehend how rotten it was in some ways. So, partially, you’re at all times pining for one thing that by no means was,” he mentioned.
“However we actually had selection and that’s undisputable. Sure, it’s unlucky that radio stations solely wish to play songs that have been hits, and that’s just about how Canada packages. It just about follows the Billboard charts, because it at all times has in some methods. But it surely’s attention-grabbing, as a result of I bear in mind when CanCon [Canadian Content regulations that ensured radio stations played a certain percentage of Canadian artists], plenty of programmers hated being informed what to play, and I couldn’t blame them. But it surely was actually one of many solely instruments that our authorities needed to attempt to be sure that possibly artists might have sufficient meals to eat in Canada. I’ve been fortunate to have met so many program administrators who performed my music as a result of they wished to. And I’m so grateful for that. You recognize, I’d put an album out and the following day my single can be on the air. It was identical to, wow. So I suppose I’m one thing of a spoiled brat in that respect.
“I bear in mind speaking to Gord Lightfoot. I spoke to him each few years and he would ask, ‘are you enjoying with a full band, Ian? I’m nonetheless enjoying with a full band, you recognize.’ He so beloved the truth that he was paying with a full band at his age. And it was form of a problem, so I really put a full band collectively in 2023 and began enjoying once more. However after I requested Gord, I feel it was about 20 years in the past, when was he going to do a brand new album, he mentioned, ‘why? No person will play it.’ And I spotted what a beautiful period we had come up in the place Gord wrote actually good high quality songs, and radio was prepared for good high quality songs. So that they’d play them. However to listen to such a tremendous and really legendary songwriter like Gord saying, what’s the purpose? I used to be a bit of upset in that as a result of the enjoyment of writing songs is simply that. And you shouldn’t enable the horses of trade to tug you to the purpose of despair. And I feel I used to be aware of that at an early age. My basic outlook was some persons are going to like every thing, and a few persons are going to hate every thing. And the overwhelming majority might lean in some way, and that’s simply the fact of a human beings as a species with such variety and with the infinite variety of choices by way of music exploration. So I have a look at that and at 75 I feel I’m a fortunate bugger. I nonetheless take pleasure in it. I nonetheless love writing. I really like getting misplaced in songs. And since I’m additionally a gear pig, a studio gear pig, as I assemble the preparations of songs, I can reside inside these soundscapes. They take me someplace. I feel it was the German thinker Schopenhauer who mentioned that music was maybe the best of all the humanities as a result of it will probably enter the soul with out permission. What an interesting assertion that its. And it actually does communicate to how music is so transportive to us as being. I bear in mind when my father died, Sting’s ‘Fields of Gold’ was on the radio and I bless him for that track. It’s attention-grabbing how all of us have these songs that simply transfer us. They usually blindside us typically – you’re not anticipating it. In order that pleasure stays for me. And if something, that’s what I hope to be celebrating with my fellow inductees. I hope the enjoyment remains to be inside them for all of it.”
As talked about simply above, Thomas is now 75, with a profession going again greater than 50 years to his self-titled debut album in 1973. Alongside the best way he’s composed a catalog of songs that have been hits for him, but additionally later grew to become hits for different artists. These embody ‘Painted Women,’ ‘Coming Dwelling,’ ‘The Runner,’ ‘Maintain On,’ ‘Pilot’ and ‘I Really feel A Change Coming.’ His profession has additionally seen him rating for movies and collaborate with different songwriters on fulfilling and commercially resonant tasks such because the band The Boomers, and the continuing Lunch At Allen’s songwriter’s live performance sequence, which sees him joined onstage with fellow Canadian songwriting luminaries Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and his longtime confrere Murray McLauchlan.
However the story needed to begin someplace. There needed to have been a defining second or expertise that compelled the younger Grasp Thomas, within the bucolic little city of Dundas, Ontario surrounded by books and concepts, to need music to be not simply his ardour, however his vocation.
“I used to be a fan of people music initially. And what attracted me to it was the Pete Seeger story and the way he was blacklisted through the McCarthy period in the USA and simply went round to varsities and performed his songs in faculties to remain alive. The songs have been additionally about one thing. There was a social function to plenty of the people music, the early Bob Dylan songs like ‘Blowin’ Within the Wind.’ There was one thing philosophical occurring there on the similar time which at all times fascinated me. I’m the son of a Philosophy professor. So it was at all times kicking round the home. As I realized to finger choose off an Ian and Sylvia cowl of ‘Early Morning Rain’ I used to be motivated to attempt to write a track. And as I used to be scripting this track, to start with, I used to be misplaced in it for hours. I wasn’t conscious how a lot time had passed by. I spotted although that my unconscious was spitting stuff into my consciousness. So, I used to be ‘some other place’ within the doing of it. And that is still. It’s what attracts me nonetheless,” he defined.
“After I was doing my most up-to-date album [2024’s How We Roll] it drove my spouse loopy as a result of I used to be going over sure stretches time and again, and typically I used to be simply caught in a loop of a mantra there as I used to be not solely looking, I used to be additionally feeling what was popping out of the audio system into my ears. That’s the way it all started. Now, I’m positively a benefactor of the Beatles bloom. There was such a bloom within the music enterprise there that possibly plenty of guys like me have been capable of make a residing due to it. There have been umpteen report corporations on the market and there appeared to be room for everyone on the radio in these days. So, yeah, I benefitted from that Beatles bloom. And, actually, what an ethnic soup The Beatles have been. They have been enjoying Gretsch guitars designed for Chet Atkins, for God’s sake, popping out of Vox British amplifiers and recording in a system have been the entire skilled studios within the U.Okay., they’d actually very technical individuals. They have been singing with American accents, however they have been from Britain. There was an actual critical form of hybrid of cultures. And, granted, initially their songs have been fundamental stuff; ‘I wish to maintain your hand,’ ‘she loves you yeah, yeah, yeah.’ I imply, it was constructed on all of the hormones of adolescence the place individuals within the viewers screamed till you couldn’t hear the music. So it was great in that window of time that the enterprise was nice. It was additionally great to see how these guys responded to the microscope, and the way [producer] George Martin helped lead them ahead into extra complicated music. And, boy, you can not underestimate the import of that man. He would hand out their concord elements in order that they realized plenty of concord on the run. They have been riddled with concord, however what George Martin imparted was magnificent. So to observe the evolution from It’s the Beatles! to Abbey Highway – and that entire second facet of Abbey Highway is a masterwork – it’s extra of an orchestra assemble {that a} track construction. There are some track constructions on that facet too, but it surely’s so great in its broad sweep. It was exceptional. They have been simply breaking the limitations down sonically, so once you heard their latest report, it was like, ‘what’s that sound?’ They have been experimenting so splendidly with all of it.
“Really, The Kinks have been as huge a factor to me as a child. When ‘You Actually Obtained Me’ got here on and I heard that guitar solo, oh man! I used to be an adolescent and that was an adolescent screech of ‘f*** you!’ And I beloved it for that. It simply summed up every thing I used to be feeling, which was roughly confused by the world and what I used to be going to do, how I used to be going to suit into it. And was I in love or was it only a, you recognize, hormonal fantasy? And all of these huge questions that hit you abruptly in your adolescence once you’re considering, effectively, the place do I am going from right here. That track simply allowed me to scream and let free. In order that’s when my head began transferring off of type of the puritanism of the Hootenanny and the people songs. And it impacted me pretty closely.”
Thomas received concerned in music fairly closely within the late Sixties and into the early Nineteen Seventies and had a artistic course of pretty effectively entrenched. However then the universe spoke, and due to household commitments, (that entire ‘rising up and being accountable factor) Thomas has to get a day job, because it have been. Thankfully, it nonetheless concerned music, and in a way added dimensions to his artistic course of, in addition to technical, compositional and association chops that he may not in any other case has accrued. This made him a more adept, extra productive, extra prodigious, and finally a extra profitable and fulfilled songwriter.
“I had mouths to feed. I had a band on wage. So, I fairly effectively needed to put out an album at the least a yr. Earlier than that, after I wrote my first album, I used to be a producer at CBC. I needed to get a straight job and left my band as a result of my spouse was pregnant. I went and have become a radio producer at CBC producing reside reveals. The primary one was Ivan Romanoff on a Continental Vacation together with his refrain and orchestra. It was a 24-piece orchestra and 14-voice male choir reside off the ground in Studio H, with an outdated rickety Ward-Beck console and a bunch of Positive pre-amps and to a mono combine that I might hear on the air two days later. It was such ear coaching. It was unbelievable. And whereas I used to be studying the basics of manufacturing and engineering there, I began writing songs at evening as a result of I used to be additionally producing artists for the Transcription Data Collection there. Typically I might see the place a few of their songs have been going unsuitable and it was like a lightbulb went off. So I wrote my entire first album from 9 o’clock at evening till two within the morning after Catherine and the children have been asleep. And someway, they managed to sleep by all of it. And my course of has remained comparatively comparable. It takes me about two weeks for my pumps to get primed, and that’s like being in place with instrument, pencil, paper in hand and type of drifting within the cosmos,” he defined.
“I might write into the wee hours and also you’d get these songs that have been handed to you in a way. That’s been, you recognize, known as the unmerited grace of inspiration. It might probably land onto what you may take into account essentially the most unworthy individual. The unmerited grace has no favourites. It lands on all people sooner or later in time for those who’re creatively searching for. Which is fairly humbling on one hand, since you notice you’re plugging into infinity, and there’s a pleasure to that that has remained in my writing. I feel most likely it was an actual bugger for report corporations although. I used to be a tough promote as a result of I wasn’t a very centered author. I wasn’t charging down a sure persona like Springsteen or the would-be Springsteens, that entire slew of people that went for that aw shucks, denims and t-shirt man from subsequent door factor, that very, very particular form of Bryan Adams model of rock and roll. I used to be following wherever my writing took me, which was all around the map, just like the music I’d grown up with. It’s an interesting factor for me that I’ve many individuals coming as much as me saying they beloved a sure track however didn’t realize it was me. By means of every thing, songwriting has at all times remained a pleasure for me.
“I rediscovered that pleasure lately. I put out an album known as Levity on Warner Brothers in 1988 and it tanked. I assumed it was a few of the finest work I’d ever finished. I labored with Chris Neil, a beautiful British producer. There was a ballad on that album known as ‘Again to Sq. One,’ which I assumed was one of the best ballad I’d ever written. However the report mainly stiffed and I figured I used to be finished. No person’s going to need me now, so I began doing film scores. However, within the midst of that, I began writing quirky little songs that got here out of this ’64 Gretsch Tennessean that I purchased from a buddy. And this guitar simply had some songs in it, they usually needed to be written. And that grew to become the primary Boomers album [What We Do, which came out in 1991, the first of four Boomers albums] which took off in Germany. What was attention-grabbing about that album was that on the similar time, the Canadian evaluate got here out saying, ‘it’s simply Ian Thomas with a bunch of sidemen.’ Then the German evaluate got here out and it mentioned, ‘what an curiously completely different group of musicians have been assembled to create this fascinating sound.’ And that’s what The Boomers was to me. The gamers have been additionally distinctive, and I had employed them as a result of I admired all their work. The sport was to attempt to beat the demo, to do higher than the demo. However with all of these demos, the writing of them, it was simply an absolute pleasure sitting within the ambiance of the sound that was popping out of this Gretsch Tennessean and wow. So, it hasn’t modified a lot. The enjoyment of discovery stays the identical.”
It’s one factor, one very huge factor, to jot down a track, one which invokes your thoughts, physique and spirit, then imbue it along with your musical experience, your literal voice, by the recording course of and launch it out into the world. There’s a complexity at work in an artist’s soul that’s urgent and speedy, and sometimes fairly self-judgemental to the purpose of existential. Beginning with ‘Painted Women’ in 1973, by, ‘Coming Dwelling’ (1977), ‘Pilot’ in 1979, and ‘Maintain On’ the next yr, there was not often a interval on Canadian radio the place Ian Thomas wasn’t being heard.
So how does it really feel when one other artist takes that work of ardour, put’s their interpretation on the association, sings it their manner, and releases it out into the world … and it turns into a giant hit beneath THEIR banner (though you do have your identify in small print within the credit, in addition to on the royalty assertion).
Santana recorded ‘Maintain On’ in 1982 (rising to #15 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart), whereas Chicago did likewise with ‘Chains’ that very same yr. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s rendition of ‘The Runner’ was successful in 1984, whereas America’s model of ‘Proper Earlier than Your Eyes’ was likewise the yr earlier than.
“It’s attention-grabbing territory and the territory is twofold. One is that of an artist, and the opposite is as a author. As a author, you’re completely flattered that one other artist is inserting their profession within the fingers of your track. That’s a giant dedication. However typically I really feel badly about it. On the album Shango, Santana’s model of ‘Maintain On’ was compelled on them by the report firm as a result of they didn’t have a single. And report corporations didn’t know tips on how to market something until they might have the advertising finished for them with a bit of payola and a few radio publicity, proper? File corporations have been by no means totally invested in advertising. It was a really outdated system they usually have been used to it. So I felt badly that Carlos’ album couldn’t come out the best way it was and the best way he wished it. I feel that should have been artistically irritating to them that they’d this track handed to them that the label thought would work for them. It was the identical factor with Manfred Mann’s cowl of ‘The Runner’ [which was released just before the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, rising to #22 on the Billboard Hot 100],” Thomas mentioned.
“My album. The Runner, was down at Arista Data for consideration for launch within the U.S. After which I get a telephone name from the man who owned Arista, Clive Davis and he mentioned, ‘you recognize, I feel ‘The Runner’ is maybe crucial track of the last decade.’ And I spotted, okay it is a grease job. Okay, what’s coming? And it was, ‘however I’ve received far too many artists already on Arista to deal with. I actually need this track for Manfred Mann.’ I spoke to the supervisor of Manfred Mann who, after I met him, I mentioned, ‘I’m delighted to fulfill you.’ And he mentioned, ‘I wager you’re. We’ve made you some huge cash.’ So, you recognize, there’s a candy disappointment there. After which for me as an artist, it was irritating. Santana mainly regurgitated my association. And so it was an attention-grabbing expertise. I by no means actually knew what it was. Perhaps it was my voice. A superb probability it was my voice. Clearly, the gravitas of an internationally-renown band placing one thing out, persons are going to sit down up and have a look at it far more than they’d coming from some bloke from Canada with a Gaelic-sounding identify. All of these issues have been items within the puzzle, however now, as I’ve crossed Canada and I’ve the good pleasure of enjoying for individuals who grew up on my music and the state of affairs of someway changing into a part of the soundtrack of their lives, boy what a lofty place that’s at 75. So, though I used to be a bit of artistically upset that you simply couldn’t give me away in the USA typically, and even in Canada, that comes with the territory. I realized at a really early age, as I’ve mentioned, some persons are going to like every thing you do. Some persons are going to hate every thing you, and the overwhelming majority might care much less in some way. And that’s a really sobering realization, as a result of once you’re a younger author, you assume every thing you write is sacred. Then it takes you a very long time to comprehend now, wait a sec, 99 per cent of writing is rewriting. So all of that in my evolution, the enjoyment of making music has at all times been there. What occurs to it after the very fact – that’s what it’s. All I do know is that for those who strap your wheels of creativity to the horses of trade, it’s going to be a tough experience for positive. And it’s precipitated plenty of writers to stop and get bitter when the trade is not taken with them, as a result of they’re not the hula hoop – not the cool new factor. And I’ve met plenty of writers who gave up, stop working, and might’t be bothered anymore. They usually received, very, very bitter. However I select to take a look at the experience I’ve had and I’ve received nothing however gratitude. Jesus, what a beautiful time I received to come back alongside within the post-Beatles bubble. It was only a magnificent interval in time.
“And likewise, alongside the best way, I used to be capable of do movie scores as effectively to assist feed my household and different issues that have been enjoyable, like foolish character voiceovers for commercials, every thing from Snap the Rice Crispy to Ned the Newt. It simply appeared like there have been at all times joyous little sidebars, like doing that silly fool Dougie Franklin on The Pink Inexperienced Present. I imply, Steve Smith simply known as me up and mentioned, ‘hey, do you wish to come out and play?’ After a few seasons I spotted that an precise actor ought to actually have that job as a result of it was like watching paint dry for me. Seven or eight hours of hanging round for 60 seconds of dialogue. But it surely was plenty of enjoyable, plus I received to be on there with my brother Dave [Thomas of SCTV, Bob and Doug Mackenzie fame].”
Lunch At Allen’s is wrapping up it’s run after greater than 20 years of standard reveals, together with 5 albums (If It Feels Proper was the final one, popping out in 2017). As he mentioned above, Thomas has gone again to his unique rock band roots, touring with a full-on band yearly for the previous couple of years, which he mentioned now can be his main focus.
“We’re doing the Lunch at Allen’s Farewell Tour. I feel it comes right down to power. I’m going to return out with full band and do solo dates. It’s a lot enjoyable listening to the preparations of my songs totally rendered for a band. The Lunch at Allen’s format is quite a bit completely different. It’s a really folk-driving factor the place we’re all backing one another up and we get to be sidemen and background vocalists. And all of that’s nice enjoyable. However I do miss full band and a few parts of rock and roll. I really like electrical guitar. It’s simply an interesting instrument. There are such a lot of issues that tone clever will be finished with it. So how a lot power have I received at 75 turns into the query, proper? And my spouse wants me greater than ever at dwelling. So I’m decreasing my touring now to my solo band a few instances a yr.”
The dialog wrapped up with a narrative about John Sweet, who’s now the topic of a heartwarming, tear-inducing Prime documentary I Like Me, and one which Thomas has regaled audiences with from the stage many instances earlier than – however which now has added poignancy due to the feelings being stirred by the cinematic presentation of the beloved comedian actor’s life.
“I received to know dwelling through the Firehall Theatre days in Toronto, the times of Second Metropolis with my brother, after which clearly bumping into him a good quantity through the years. One time he known as me to underscore his directorial debut. It was a Showtime pay-per-view film known as Hostage for a Day with George Wendt from Cheers. However I additionally bear in mind getting a telephone name from John as soon as, and it’s like 1:30 within the morning. I choose up the telephone, and I hear, ‘Ian?’ I mentioned, ‘sure, who is that this?’ He says, ‘oh thank God. It’s John Sweet. I’m in Calgary and I went out for one thing to do and I noticed this promoting factor that mentioned, Ian Thomas showing. And I went to this place and it was like a very shady resort. And there was this beat-up wanting man on the stage singing dangerous people songs. And I requested the bartender, is that Ian Thomas? And he mentioned, effectively, it’s AN Ian Thomas.’ I suppose John wished to double test that I hadn’t change into some tragic Ray Milland determine from a B-movie. So he known as me And when he received me on the road he mentioned, ‘I’m so glad you’re right here and never right here.’ So humorous.”
For extra info on the Canadian Songwriters Corridor of Fame, please go to: https://www.cshf.ca.
For extra info on Ian Thomas, together with upcoming touring plans, go to: https://ianthomas.ca.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and creator based mostly in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. In addition to his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising specialist and is an avid volunteer in his group. Contact him at bigjim1428@hotmail.com.
