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Rita MacNeil
Songs My Mother Loved
$15.95
Rita MacNeil
Songs My Mother Loved
$15.95
 "While growing up in Cape Breton, my mother was a great encouragement when it came to my singing. Both mom and dad had favourite songs that they really enjoyed and many times after school they would ask me to sing these songs.  Being shy I was often reluctant, but with a little coaxing I would oblige. I had to sing out of their view, so the hallway was a good place to go where I didn’t feel so scared.
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This CD is a collection of some of those songs and while recording it, I had lots of flashbacks. My father particularly liked "A Rusty Old Halo" and it always brought a smile to his face. My mother’s tastes were very eclectic. The first time she heard "From a Jack to a King" on the radio, she waited for me to come home from school and together we listened until they finally played it again - oh my, her eyes were dancing.
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Mom died of cancer in 1972 and when she was in hospital, I sang her the "Green Green Grass of Home", one of her favourites. Dad died years later, but memories of them both I relived again while recording this CD.
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Music has been a big part of my life and they were the inspiration. I hope when you listen to this CD, my friends some fond memories will return hearing these great old tunes once again."Â - Rita MacNeil
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Sold outVisit product page →One of her most popular releases, Now the Bells Ring, was released in 1988.  Between the closing of the Tea Room and related moves, we found some and are pleased to offer this beloved release back in time for the Holidays!!
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Visit product page →This compilation of Rita's most beloved songs includes many of her cherished songs. From Born a Woman to Saving Grace, Rita's son and long time manager, Wade, carefully selected, with the assistance of her many fans, and people she worked with, songs from every album she released.
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Visit product page →Rita's last album released prior to her passing. Saving Grace, is the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter's 24th release with all original material. Backed by a young group of musicians. Produced by long-time touring guitarist Chris Corrigan, except the last track, which was produced by Douglas September. Saving Grace paints an intimate portrait of one person's journey through life.
"Over the last number of years I have found myself living a reality of certain difficulties that have caused me many changes in my life as well as the way I see things now. Some of us experience these things as part of life and we move on in spite of it all. I feel this album has my journey in it and maybe yours as well.” - Rita MacNeil
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Visit product page →It’s charming, it’s whimsical – fanciful and sentimental – it is Rita’s own labour of love – her only children’s album, Pocket Full of Dreams.ÂWith three of the tracks dating back to the late 70’s, and the majority written in 1999, 12 of the 15 tracks sat untouched and roughly demoed until this year. Now brought to life, this very unique offering has something for the whole family.ÂRita seamlessly segues between the happy and bouncy lyrics of “Billy Goat Loose in My Soup”, “Cardboard Box” and “Ducky Boots”, to the very hip, catchy and child friendly rap styled “Halloween”. There’s the swinging jive of “Several Cats”, the soft lullaby “One by One”, the Celtic flavoured “Rain” featuring bagpipes by Rita’s nephew and the award winning singer’s signature styled lament, “Pocket Full of Dreams”.ÂCleverly interspersed on a number of tracks are melody lines from classic children’s songs and bringing it all together are the delicate and endearing voices of the Children’s Choir from Sydney River Elementary School.ÂÂThere are three covers on the 15 track CD – Eileen Burton’s #1 hit “If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked A Cake”, “Land of a Thousand Dances” written by R&B artist Chris Kenner, but made famous by Wilson Picket in 1966, and Roger Miller’s 1967 hit, “Walking in the Sunshine”.ÂAll told it is a truly delightful collection of songs for a child, a parent or a grandparent. As a mother and now a grandmother, Rita MacNeil’s “Pocket Full of Dreams” is a treasure chest of songs that has finally been opened and shared. The production is brilliant, the instrumentation playful and Rita’s warm delivery in keeping with the sound that has endeared her to countless over the course of her 33 year-plus career.
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