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Country Legend Hits Studio With MWS

TEX EMERY

He went on to work and share stages with a long list of musicians that includes the above mentioned Hank Snow, Lenny Breau, Bob Wills and even a stint on the country show of all country shows "Hee Haw".

"I remember  running out to the television in my pajamas as a small kid with my cowboy hat and whistle and doing a dance to Tex's TV show" says Irv.  "I wanted to be a cowboy like Roy Rogers and Tex".

The legend was in the studio recently to record a few sweet steel riffs for the new MWS remake of  The Who's "Squeeze Box".

Bart McKay-Mark Smith & Johnny Gasparic-Casey Stone

More Help From The Country Rock World

As well as Tex Emery, some other very talented people from the world of country have put their mark on the latest MWS song.

Bart McKay, the keyboard wiz for Brad Johner (and awesome producer in his own right) laid down a mean squeeze box.

Mark Smith from Poverty Plainsmen, who's remake of Sister Golden Hair is eating up the Canadian charts, helped out with some backing vocals.

 Casey Stone did the majority of the backing vocals. (Casey's little solo part is worth the price of admission on it's own)

Johnny "Six Pack" Gasparic from The Plainsmen added some kind of techno-banjo thingy that is tres-cool and engineered most of the session.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 2005
Men Without Shame/ Wilkinsons On Top Of The World...Literally

Click For Pictures or go to photo page.

North Pole Movie To Squeeze Box Icebergs, Wolves and Wilkinsons...

Men Without Shame have just returned from a CFPSA military tour that journeyed to The North Pole from December 8^th to 18^th. As part of the package, they were also the band for The Wilkinsons, the award winning country trio known for songs such as “L.A.”, “Boy Oh Boy”, “Jimmy’s Got a Girlfriend” and other popular hits from the world of CMT, and Kelli Trottier, champion fiddler and stepdancer. The group’s journey began in Trenton, Ontario, where they met up with the other performers for a dress rehearsal /show. From Trenton, the performers and their equipment left on an 8 1/2 hour trip that has been described as “a little chilly and grueling” on a CF 130 Hercules which took them to Thule Air Base on the northern tip of Greenland. From Greenland it was off again on the Hercules to CFS Alert, Nunavut, to perform for the Canadian Forces personnel stationed at the world’s most northern inhabited community. Alert is approx. 750 kilometers from the North Pole.

While at Alert, the band had visited the famous Alert sign with the names & mileages of towns and cities of the people who have served and noticed that Regina was not there. The group had a Regina sign made in Santa’s Workshop (the woodworking shop) and arranged for an Arctic vehicle known as a “BV” to get to the sight and post the sign with the help of some services personnel. At the time the sign went up, the members of Men Without Shame were the most northern human beings on the planet. “During winter, it is even too cold for polar bears to be that far North” said Irv Fines, bass player. “The closest humans to Alert are at least 1,000 kilometres south. “Seeing the icebergs on the Arctic Ocean was an unforgettable sight. Even though it is in 24 hour darkness you could see the iceberg tips shining forever. We also got to see Arctic foxes and wolves at very close range, after hiding a couple chicken fingers in Robbie's pockets, which was a thrill. We had no idea that Rob could run so fast in full Arctic gear. ” Rob also put up an Estevan sign on behalf of his home town.

The band and some military personnel also joined an exclusive club by doing a “Polar Roll” with the temperature at -31. The chief medical officer supervised the roll which consists of staying outside for 30 seconds and then taking a plunge and roll into a snow bank. “We got the t-shirt” stated Fines.

“Men Without Shame took the position that bringing these troops a little piece of home and a bit of a distraction near Christmas seems to be the least we can do for them. To serve for 6 months in 24 hour darkness away from your family and friends takes a very special type of person. These folks are the best of the best. The people who had the band booked during this time were all very understanding and did their part by letting us off the hook to go on this tour.” Brenda Davis & Stephanie Thomson of BK Promotions and Paige Productions, both Regina companies, put the tour together.

“As far as playing for The Wilkinsons and Kelli, they were not only extremely talented performers, but were genuinely nice people. This could have been a real long tour if they were prima donnas, but they were all easy going and super friendly. They were in the Arctic gear marching off the plane with their duffle bags like the rest of us...no star treatment up there. This type of journey in close quarters made us lifelong friends in a hurry and we all insisted on keeping in touch.” says Fines. Kelli Trottier is now a  3 time veteran of The North Pole trip and was an invaluable comfort and information source to the rest of us first timers.

The timing of this foray into country coincides with Men Without Shame working on a “countryish” remake of “Squeeze Box” by The Who. “We brought in Bart McKay from Brad Johner’s band to play the squeeze box and got Casey Stone to do some vocals, and we all went out and got cowboy hats. Hopefully we can get it on country radio in time to get booked for Craven” says Fines, smiling. “Hey, don’t laugh, there’s been stranger country bands than us...remember the Kentucky Headhunters?”    

Others on the tour were comedian Erica Sigurdsen, and magician Daniel Coutu.

Due to bad weather in Thule the trip home was made in one continuous journey. Fines says “We stopped in Iqaluit, on Baffin Island to quickly refuel and that was it. The hardest part of the trip was dealing with 5 gate changes and several delays on the final leg of the trip on Air Canada from Toronto to Regina. We were all really exhausted and then to have the final little flight go all wrong was really frustrating, but that is just how it is sometimes.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  ”

 ALERT FACTS

• There is less humidity at Alert than in the Sahara desert. The snow is like granulated sugar and is very dry and powdery.
• There are virtually no colds or flu bugs reported at Alert as the viruses cannot survive in the harsh environment. A cold could only arrive on base if someone brought it in on the Hercules aircraft.
• Gauges in the aircraft are useless due to the magnetic pole and navigation is done the old fashioned way, by the stars and sun.
• All vehicles at Alert run on aircraft fuel, and all planes that arrive are drained of an amount of fuel leaving just enough for the trip back to Thule Airbase in Greenland or Iqaluit, Nunavut, where they refuel for the trip back to Trenton Base in Ontario.
• Arctic Hares are carnivores, eating small rodents and have been known to gang up on foxes and petite girl singers. Killer rabbits do exist!
• SANTA CLAUS REALLY IS  AT THE NORTH POLE, JUST LIKE MOM AND DAD SAID!

LITTLE RIVER ROCKFEST

2002

Minnedosa MB August 3 & 4

Irv and Kevin stalk the stars for your enjoyment.

Billy Idol heading for the stage

Just plain funny.

Robin Zander from Cheap Trick