1. The Age of the Singer Songwriter

For the hippie culture of the sixties, the seventies were supposed to usher in this long promised utopia of peace and love.

Pop culture and music in particular would become the vehicle for a changing world over this decade. This is where we pick up the story on this musical road trip.

2. The Birth of Québécois Folk Music

The "Back to the Land" movement of the seventies gave new energy to American Folk music.

In this episode, we make a detour through the Eastern Townships where proximity to the US border and the counter-culture phenomenon would spawn a hybrid mixture of Québécois and American Folk music.

3. Changing the World, One Song at a Time

Can a song really change the world. We are sometimes amazed at the power of words and music on the human psyche.

In this episode, we explore the winds of change that swept the landscape of pop music during this decade and allowed artists, musicians and poets to spread their messages of hope and denounce injustice.

4. The Many Faces of Rock Music

Rock music is no doubt the major genre that exploded in popularity over this decade. But Rok music has always been defined by its creators, innovators and road-hardened musicians.

In this episode, we re-live the rock adventure through the eyes of two seasoned veterans of the Canadian music scene: Breen Leboeuf of Offenbach and Richard Lanthier from April Wine.

5. Back to the Roots

The summer of 1975 marked the beginnings of a growing identity quest in Francophone culture that would pass through a renewed interest in traditional music. Eventually Western society as a whole would be swept up by this rejection of materialism and a return to roots and values.

This episode takes us back to those heady times with Yves Lambert, founding member of the legendary folk group La Bottine souriante.

6. An Acadian Awakening

The rekindling of interest in tradtional music would find fertile ground in Acadian culture in the Seventies. This back to the roots movement combined with Acadians' own version of Québec's quiet revolution gave rise to a new found Acadian pride and nationalism.

 This episode looks back at this decade that where Acadian culture finally began to emerge and take its place on the world stage.

7. Le Nouvel-Ontario and a Prairie Breeze

Much like what was going on in Acadia, the 500,000 Franco-Ontarians would also be taken up by this renewal of interest in traditions and culture, as part of an identity quest that would transcend generations. The first rumblings of this new creative force would come from Northern Ontario, but eventually communities in the Ottawa Valley and all over the province would discover their common heritage.

 Out west, things were also slowly emerging on the Francophone scene with artists like Daniel Lavoie teasing our ears with this accent that was neither Québécois, nor Acadian but charmed and touched us with sounds and images of the great plains.

8. FM Radio and Freedom of the Airwaves

With the arrival of LP, people began listening to more than the one or two singles that artist and groups would be able to get played on radio. At the time, three-minute pop songs were mainstay of commercial AM radio.

Stepping into the breach would be thousands of new FM radio stations, cheaper to operate and more-loosely regulated, who would now play a variety of styles and music.

This episode explores this golden age of radio where music, artists and audience found a unique meeting place, and the sounds of freedom that characterized FM radio in this free wheeling decade.

9. The Human Connection

Surrounded by sophisticated technology, artists, musicians and songwriters can produce refined productions from the comfort of their home studios, sometimes performing all of the parts on a song or a piece of music. The results can be striking, but definitely a world away from the creative spirit of the Seventies.

 This episode takes us back to a time when the human connection in the creative process was essential.

10. The Studio as an Instrument

The extraordinary technical leaps accomplished in recording and sound production that characterized the music of the Seventies was a major factor in the overwhelming abundance of new styles and music that sprang up during this decade.

In Québec. Jean-Pierre Ferland's album Jaune, released in late 1970 would become the first Francophone concept album and would open the door to a world of new sounds where the experience of the recording studio would be redefined.

During this last episode, we look back at this magical time with legendary recording pioneer and visionary, André Perry.

1. Le Coup de foudre

Welcome to the first episode of Mon Amérique. Today, Le Coup de foudre, where it all started, sitting in my uncle's 57 Plymouth, listening to Bobby Helms...

2. Beatlemania

Welcome to episode 2 of the eight-part series Mon Amérique.  Today we flash back to February 1964 when four young men from Liverpool landed in America and changed pop music forever.

3. The British Invasion

With the Beatles leading the way, an avalanche of new groups would soon set foot in America, bands that had assimilated and re-shaped American Pop, Soul, R&B, Rockabilly and Country Music and were now coming back to energize the North American music scene.

4. The Summer of Love

1967... Canada was 100 years old, and western popular culture was about to enter an new era. Those were heady times with a whole new generation on the move and intent on shaking things up and changing the world.

5. Woodstock

A few days before school started in 1969, three friends of mine and I went on weekend trip to New York City. On our way, we stopped at a bar in upstate New York and met some kids. They told us about this cool music festival they'd come back from, that we had barely heard about.

6. A Less Quiet Revolution

As America is seduced by the charm of all that is British, the Québec scene is equally enthralled. Soon a bevy of young talented artists and musicians are adapting this music and releasing French versions of American and British hits.

7. Two Legends

In 1969, I was in a group with three other guys and, brimming with wit, we decided to call ourselves ABCD. We had arranged two songs that represented my whole songwriting catalogue. Our manager arranged for a recording session to produce a 45 single consisting of "Pour l'amour, y a du temps", a hippy-inspired peace anthem on side A and "Demain, nous revenons à Tijuana". a little nod at the counter culture of the late sixties on side B.

So, bright and early, one Saturday morning...

8. Rock the crisis away

In 1970, Canadians lived through a political electro-shock: the War Measures Act, soldiers in the streets, a state of apprehended insurrection. But it was during this dark time that a chance meeting would pave the way for events that would have a major impact on my life and my career.