Houston, Bill - North of Superior

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	How Many Strangers Do You Know	03:24
	2	Kari	03:36
	3	Voice of the Pioneer	03:49
	4	Sounds from North of Superior	00:59
	5	Ojibway Country	02:59
	6	King of White Otter Lake	05:06
	7	Back in My Home Town	03:09
	8	The Bar Crowd	03:39
	9	Heart of Ojibway Country	04:00
	10	Straight from the Heart	04:12
	11	Green Martian Blues	05:08
	12	Valleys of Gold	05:00

Photos

Videos

Information/Write-up

Bill Houston is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose work is deeply tied to the landscapes and legends of Northern Ontario. Born in Whitehorse, Yukon in 1943 to a fur trader from Belfast and a schoolteacher from Killaloe, Ontario, Houston spent his earliest years in remote northern communities such as Attiwapiskat and Lac Seul before his family eventually settled in Sioux Lookout. The long northern winters, isolation, and connection to the land left a deep impression, and even decades later his songs carried a sense of solitude and place.

In 1963, at the age of nineteen, Houston set out hitchhiking through Europe and the Middle East. Short on money in Spain, he spent his last $20 on a guitar, teaching himself to play while busking in the cafés of Rome and later writing songs on a kibbutz in Israel. Returning to Northwestern Ontario, he worked for his father’s newspaper and on the railroad while continuing to write and perform. His first film credit came in 1970 with “Northern Journey,” used in The Superior Scrapbook, an NFB production that brought him to the attention of filmmaker Graeme Ferguson.

The following year Ferguson commissioned Houston to write a song for what would become the very first IMAX film, North of Superior (1971). Houston not only composed and performed “Ojibway Country” but also suggested the title itself—originally “North of Lake Superior,” later shortened by Ferguson. Recorded at Eastern Sound in Toronto with producer Zal Yanovsky of the Lovin’ Spoonful and musicians Maribeth Solomon, Mickey Erbe, Brian Leonard, and Lenny Solomon, the song debuted at Ontario Place’s Cinesphere at the grand opening in May 1971. For many Canadians, the soaring aerial images of Lake Superior were indelibly linked to Houston’s voice, and audiences left the theatre humming “Ojibway Country.” The film became the most widely seen IMAX feature of its era, making Houston’s song a touchstone for a generation.

In 1975 he established his own label, Lone Wolf Productions, and released The King of White Otter Lake, an album centered on the true story of Jimmy McQuat, the eccentric builder of the hand-hewn White Otter Castle near Atikokan. The song became Houston’s most published and reproduced work, cementing his place as a chronicler of northern lore.

Houston followed with North of Superior (1997), a CD that reflected his deep connection to the region and featured a newly recorded version of “Ojibway Country” alongside other spiritually rooted songs from Northern Ontario. Produced by George Gregorovich and Sean Mundy in Thunder Bay, the album was dedicated to his parents and children. In 2006, The King of White Otter Lake was reissued as a digitally remastered CD; this edition included a studio adaptation of “Ojibway Country,” produced by Al Allbutt and Roy Smith, drawing on Zal Yanovsky’s original arrangement and featuring Bobby Edwards on electric guitar. Two years later he released Bring Back the Music (2008), a streaming-only collection that reaffirmed his independence as a songwriter working outside the mainstream industry.

Throughout his career, Houston’s music has remained independent, heartfelt, and proudly local. His songwriting spans folk, country, and pop, but always circles back to the stories and spirit of the North—Thunder Bay, Lake Superior, the wilderness of Northwestern Ontario. Whether celebrated in the legend of White Otter Castle, carried to millions in an IMAX theatre, or rediscovered through reissues, his songs endure as cultural touchstones of Canada’s North.
-Robert Williston

Produced by George Gregorovich & Sean Mundy

Lone Wolf Productions
914 McLaughlin Street
Thunder Bay, ON
P7C 3C1

Liner notes:
Last year, over pizza, I asked George, a longtime friend, to produce my CD. There was renewed interest in my music with the 25th Anniversary re-release of the first IMAX film NORTH OF SUPERIOR, for which I had written & performed the song OJIBWAY COUNTRY.

We began mapping out the project last fall, selecting & smoothing out the songs, & George laid down the basic arrangements, along with instrumental intros & tags. But, despite his recognized abilities as producer, band leader & creative musician, he felt further collaboration was needed to ensure a top-rate production. Luckily, another friend, Sean Mundy, joined us, adding his performing & recording experience, some first-class ideas for musical arrangement & the uncanny ability to put these ideas into practice.

Joseph Heath came on board, providing the all-important business acumen & his own creative input, not to mention his warmth & support of my music, dating back to the early 70's.

Recruiting from the best of area musicians to bring the music to life, we've tried to showcase the rich history, diversity & spirit of this area, recorded entirely in Thunder Bay, to rival the market. I'm pleased with the results.

I'd like to thank GEORGE, SEAN, JOE & all the musicians for the endless hours in rehearsal & the studio; SUE for her performance, DAVE & KAREN, our engineers & everyone else who either contributed or has shown me support over the years.

I hope you enjoy the music.

Dedicated to my parents, PADDY & VIVIAN HOUSTON, the two pioneers I know best, & to my children, VAL & SYLVIE.

Comments