Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Album, Record |
Date |
1974 |
Place of Origin |
Mississauga/Ontario/Canada |
Description |
A vinyl record of Tommy Hunter's "Mississauga" song. The record sleeve has a picture of Tommy Hunter in the studio with Mississauga residents who sang the chorus of the song. |
History |
In early 1974, members of the newly formed City of Mississauga Council, including then-Mayor Martin Dobkin, approached country music star Tommy Hunter, who was living in Lorne Park, Mississauga at the time, to write a song to celebrate the formation of the City of Mississauga that year. Hunter accepted the opportunity and decided to write a simple, uplifting song to celebrate Mississauga and its people. "We were richer because of our many cultures- we lived together- and I wanted the song to reflect that," Hunter remembered. When the song was ready to be recorded, Hunter organized a bus load of Mississauga residents, including sports and radio personalities and civic leaders, to accompany him to the RCA Victor Recording Studio in Toronto. Singing in the background chorus, these Mississaugans represented a cross-section of Mississauga's culture and community to Hunter. The Laurie Bower Singers also provided background vocals on the track. Excerpts from the "Mississauga" song lyrics include: "Come on out to Mississauga / It's the greatest place around / here on a quiet evening / You can watch the sun go down / And if you should need a friend / There are plenty to be found / That's why everybody loves / That good old Mississauga town". Hunter recalled that he did the song for nothing. All involved had given their time and resources freely and did not charge a dime. His only regret was that he did not record or credit the Mississauga residents who participated in the song. Another interesting note about the song was that it has never been recorded live. The only reminder of the song is the recording, preserved here on this record. According to the donor, they were very happy to purchase this record as it was a significant and highly publicized souvenir in the fledgling city. At the time, the donor lived in Port Credit which, along with Streetsville, was the last to be amalgamated into the City of Mississauga. The vinyl was seen as a joyous celebration of all that was Mississauga. |
References |
Wilkinson, M. "Recalling the "Mississauga" Song", Heritage News, Winter 2014. |
People |
Hunter, Tommy |