We had all but given up on our quest to find Cat Ranch's legendary "Song for Calgary," and decided to post the above clipping on our facebook page this afternoon... and just a few hours later, thanks to the generousity and quick work of Tom Davis, we're very pleased to finally have a copy of this. [img width=728]//7ca49eb9f67ba1319ef136f9d52cd8b8.cdn.bubble.io/f1712625397327x820943736463521000/richtext_content.png[/img] Tom had this kicking around on a mix tape he made while volunteering at CJSW - this was a cart at the station, and we're pretty amazed at the sound quality. And the song itself, 'natch. It's goofy, catchy and a major improvement on "Neighbours of the World." It would be an understatement to say that this has pretty much made our week. [i]From the Calgary Herald:[/i] [h2]Cat Ranch turns tables on city's song contest [/h2] By James Muretich (Herald staff writer) A local rock act, unhappy with Neighbours Of The World being declared this city's song in an official contest, has launched its own A Song For Calgary. Cat Ranch, notorious for having played 20 Wednesday nights in a row at the National Hotel and living to tell the tale, has been performing its perversely patriotic tune on stage and also had a cassette of the song aired on CJSW-FM's Cookie Bonanza Hour Sunday evening. The upstart version is naughty, where the other is nice. "We're hoping that everybody who didn't have their song picked as the Song For Calgary will release their own version," says guitarist G.W. Sim, "We didn't enter ours because we knew in our heart of hearts that it was already a winner.. Besides, I think the whole process of picking a song for 650,000 people is a joke. It represents nothing except the tastes of the people who picked it," says Sim. The official Song For Calgary, Neighbours Of The World, features a We Are The World arrangement and lyrics such as: "Here, here is the place to be. Stay and set your spirit free. A shining city we call Calgary." Meanwhile, Cat Ranch's song sounds like a musical meeting of David Lee Roth and The Ramones, with lyrics decidedly more down to earth: "You got baseball, hockey and football, too; prostitution on 3rd Avenue. Ralph's my buddy, he's so great 'cause he's cooked up the Olympics in '88. "Where else could you find it all? Where else could you go? In the summer, you can dress up like a cowboy and in the winter it's 40 below. C-A-L-G-A-R-Y! I want to live here 'til I die." Cat Ranch is even considering making a video to accompany its tune. "Ours is the real Song For Calgary. The other is just a jingle," says bassist Sandy Switzer. All of this is in keeping with the spirit of a group which calls itself the most irrelevant band in Calgary. A regular at the National Hotel every second Wednesday (not tonight), Cat Ranch is known for its cultivated stage craziness and a repertoire which dredges up Kiss and Dave Mason as well as Hank Williams Jr., The Cream and Iggy Pop, all anchored by the heavy-metal antics of guitarist G.W. Adam. "The band was formed for Wednesday night parties," says Switzer. "We bring along our living room furniture to the gig. put pictures on the wall, make everything real homey and even make popcorn. We also have drinking contests with the audience and we don't give up without a fight. We're on the cutting edge of camp." Says Sim: "We're willing to throw quality out the window for fun anytime." Cat Ranch hopes its music will lead them to the pot of gold Kim Stallknecht, Calgary Herald Cat Ranch thinks city's official song borders on cat-astrophic at the end of the rock 'n' roll rainbow. One thing is for certain, though. Cat Ranch isn't destined to receive financial support from the City of Calgary.
