Name: Mississauga At Fifty by Steve Schijns
Duration: 2 min 25 s
Description: The City of Mississauga was created on January 1, 1974. For its 50th birthday in 2024, it needed an anthem! Fun, catchy, upbeat, and ready to sing along to, this is a celebration of a city that's all grown up! The song draws on my 27 years of living in Mississauga, on the beautiful Credit River. Happy Birthday!

Something went wrong and you hit the road, ending up in a log cabin on the shady side of the mountain.....1000 miles from nowhere and 2000 miles from home. A fireside tale that grooves along, Lightfoot style.

1000 Miles From Nowhere

In the mid-60s my oldest brother and his friend ran an “illegal” low-powered radio station in our little northern Ontario mining town. I was going through some boxes of his old stuff and came across a scratched up hand-titled 45 called “Yesterday”. Obviously not the Beatles song, I played it and was delighted at the classic folk-rock jangle and catchy simplicity of the tune. It had to be a 1965 – 66 production that would have been a hit if recorded by somebody like Gary Lewis and The Playboys or Herman’s Hermits. Unfortunately it was so damaged as to be almost unlistenable, which is why my brother says that he can’t remember where it came from and never would have played it. The label simply said “Saint Bartholomew”, which was the name of our local church, so I don’t know if it was just recorded there, or the group had some affiliation with it, or if that was just their chosen name.

In any case, it’s such a great tune that I’ve taken it upon myself to “rescue” this gem and record it anew; I had to guess at some lyrics and tidy up the instrumentation, and I’ve retitled the song to avoid confusion. Enjoy “I Met Her Yesterday”!

I Met Her Yesterday

A new original surf rock tune, combining classic surf guitar instrumental passages with fun lyrics daydreaming about Hawaii, California, and Australia. "If it all collapses it's San Andreas' fault and not mine"!

Trans-Pacific Beach Bum

Written for my wife on her birthday, the song is universal in the way it celebrates the joys and accomplishments of many years together, founded on a foundation of love and respect, and how an unconditional love is freeing, rather than constraining or limiting. The combined musical skills of Andrew Smith, Chris Taylor, and Carol McCartney have brought the song to life in a way that hearkens back (in a good way) to the orchestrated pop of the late 60s.

You, Me, Love

This song rattled around in my head for 36 years before finally recording it! A little bit of "go for it" inspiration in a punchy rock package.
music, lyrics, lead vocals: Stephen Schijns
backing vocals: Carol McCartney
guitars: Andrew Smith
drums: Zachari Smith
producer: Andrew Smith
recorded at Lake Studios, Kelowna, BC, Canada

Take Your Life And Run

Everybody in the world has a mother; it's time to show some appreciation! Not a plaintive ballad, this driving rock song recognizes what mothers put up with, and how their children need to appreciate it - not just "Mother's Day" but every other day.

Mother's Day

The City of Mississauga was created on January 1, 1974. For its 50th birthday in 2024, it needed an anthem! Fun, catchy, upbeat, and ready to sing along to, this is a celebration of a city that's all grown up! The song draws on my 27 years of living in Mississauga, on the beautiful Credit River. Happy Birthday!

Mississauga At Fifty

A nice acoustic campfire groove anchors this tale of a journey - down a northern river, or through life itself. Written while rafting on the mighty Nahanni River in Canada's Northwest Territories, the song "feels" the challenges and cameraderie of isolated travel through the north's wide open spaces.

Oh Nahanni

A rousing, toe-tapping, singalong Irish pub tune - join your friends and hoist a beer!

Stephen Schijns: Music, Lyrics, Vocals
Andrew Smith: Guitars, Percussion
Chloe Davidson: Fiddle
Zachari Smith: Drums

Produced by Andrew Smith

Recorded at Lake Studios, Kelowna, BC, Canada

Mississauga At Fifty

Steve Schijns

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