Bygone Bytown

I have a fascination for history, but not just the major events everybody remembers. I like finding the tidbits of history that explain who we were, why we were here and what we did. Bygone Bytown is here to remember those lost little pieces of history. This site runs off a queue and I try to have a new tidbit of history auto-post most days at 12pm. If you have thoughts or ideas use "Ask Me Anything" or hit me up on Twitter @the_webhamster.

[bygonebytown]

Ottawa's Top 35 (June 7, 1986)

Today we're looking at the Top 35 songs in Ottawa on June 7, 1986 according to CFRA. We'll do this until early August. That's when CFRA changes formats away from Top 40 and stops the weekly charts (in July they become the Top 20).

There's no copy of this week's chart in the archive but based on last week's chart and next week's chart we can make some educated guesses.

First, The Pet Shop Boys hold on to #1 this week with "West End Girls".

The highest debut on the chart this week is Genesis with "Invisible Touch at #28.

It appears as though our biggest gainer moved from #33 to #25, and that's Luba with "How Many (Rivers To Cross".

The biggest loser of the week seems to be The Culture Club who drop from #11 to #21 with "Move Away".

[bygonebytown]

Ottawa's Top 35 (May 31, 1986)

Today we're looking at the Top 35 songs in Ottawa on May 31, 1986 according to CFRA. We'll do this until early August. That's when CFRA changes formats away from Top 40 and stops the weekly charts (in July they become the Top 20).

The Rolling Stones drop from #1 all the way down to #7 this week with "Harlem Shuffle" which makes way for The Pet Shop Boys to take #1 with "West End Girls".

Peter Gabriel is the highest debut this week at #27 with "Sledgehammer".

Not a lot of huge moves up on the chart this week. Madonna jumps 8 spots to #19 but we featured that song just a couple of weeks ago when she debuted at #33. So let's go with "Peter Gunn" by The Art of Noise that moves from #30 to #25...

"American Storm" by Bob Seger is the biggest loser this week dropping from #18 all the way to #34. But since there's no video for it, let's go with the second biggest dropper of the week. The former #1 tune "Manic Monday" by The Bangles drops from #7 to #15 this week. I remember my sixth grade teacher being all about this song.

[bygonebytown]

Ottawa's Top 35 (May 24, 1986)

Today we're looking at the Top 35 songs in Ottawa on May 24, 1986 according to CFRA. We'll do this until early August. That's when CFRA changes formats away from Top 40 and stops the weekly charts (in July they become the Top 20).

The Stones spend this week only at #1 in Ottawa with "Harlem Shuffle".

Billy Ocean has the highest debut of the week at #28 with "There'll Be Sad Songs To Make You Cry".

A number of tracks on this week's chart move up 6 spots to gain the most spots. Those include Madonna (we saw her debut last week) from 33 to 27 and Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald jump from 31 to 25 with "On My Own". But the third 6 spot jumper is a local Ottawa group so let's look at "Angel In My Pocket" by One To One.

And this week will be the last for Cats Can Fly who drop from 19 to 33 with "Flippin' To The A Side".

[bygonebytown]

Ottawa's Top 35 (May 17, 1986)

Today we're looking at the Top 35 songs in Ottawa on May 17, 1986 according to CFRA. We'll do this until early August. That's when CFRA changes formats away from Top 40 and stops the weekly charts (in July they become the Top 20).

At number one this week in "The Power of Love" by Jennifer Rush.

Madonna has the highest debut this week at number 33 with "Live To Tell".

There is a tie for biggest gainer on the chart this week as Whitney Houston jumps 8 spots but so does Double with "The Caption of Her Heart". A song so great I don't have any memory of it whatsoever...

And this week we'll be saying goodbye to "Bop" by Dan Seals, the biggest dropper on the chart going from #14 to #29.

[bygonebytown]

I'm Back! Sort of...

*tap tap* Is this thing still on?

It's only been 10 years. Does anyone still use Tumblr? Life, marriage, house, kid, dog. All have taken me away from this project but I think I'll get back to it for a little bit at least... if anyone is interested. Let me know if you are.

[bygonebytown]

Mark Elliot, CFRA/CFGO DJ in Ottawa from 1977 through 1988, passed away on January 11, 2019 from complications of pneumonia acording to his Twitter account.  In memory of Mark, here are some sound clips he posted on his Soundcloud...Mark Elliot (Nils Johannsen), CFRA/CFGO DJ in Ottawa from 1977 through 1988, passed away on January 11, 2019 from complications of pneumonia acording to his Twitter account.  In memory of Mark, here’s the audio of his famous on air resignation from CFRA in July 1986.  This was the subject of a previous post on Bygone Bytown in July 2016 on the 30th anniversary of the event.

[bygonebytown]

Mark Elliot, CFRA/CFGO DJ in Ottawa from 1977 through 1988, passed away on January 11, 2019 from complications of pneumonia acording to his Twitter account.  In memory of Mark, here are some sound clips he posted on his Soundcloud...Mark Elliot (Nils Johannsen), CFRA/CFGO DJ in Ottawa from 1977 through 1988, passed away on January 11, 2019 from complications of pneumonia acording to his Twitter account.  In memory of Mark,here’s a sound check from CFRA in 1977.

[bygonebytown]

Mark Elliot (Nils Johannsen), CFRA/CFGO DJ in Ottawa from 1977 through 1988, passed away on January 11, 2019 from complications of pneumonia acording to his Twitter account.  In memory of Mark, here’s his explanation of where “Mark Elliot” came from.

[bygonebytown]

Behind the scenes at 54 Rock in March 1992 with The Real Darren Stevens.

[bygonebytown]

This is a New Year’s Eve 1984 rock video special on CHRO with Robert W. Knight from CFGO 1440.

[bygonebytown]

July 16, 1986: Mark Elliot, longtime and legendary CFRA evening DJ quits the station live on the air and walks out in protest of the changes the station is making to the format.  CFRA, Ottawa’s longtime number one Top 40 outlet is slowly transitioning to oldies and Elliot was not pleased.

There’s more coming up on the seismic shift in Ottawa radio in the summer of 1986 in a couple of weeks.  This was just the first salvo in a series of changes that would re-shape the Ottawa radio scene, especially in the longtime rivalry between CFRA and CFGO.

[bygonebytown]

In January 1992, Archie Andrews and his pals took a trip to Ottawa.  Read their whole adventure here:

https://ottawaephemera.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/archie-jughead-and-dilton-come-to-ottawa-part-1/

https://ottawaephemera.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/archie-jughead-and-dilton-come-to-ottawa-part-2/

https://ottawaephemera.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/archie-jughead-and-dilton-come-to-ottawa-part-3/

https://ottawaephemera.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/archie-jughead-and-dilton-come-to-ottawa-part-4-the-exciting-conclusion/

[bygonebytown]

Exactly 70 years ago, on the morning on March 27, 1946, Eugene Larment was the third (and final) man to make the walk down death row to the gallows at the Ottawa Gaol. Previous executions here were the public execution of Patrick Whelan in 1869 for the assassination of Thomas D’Arcy McGee and, in 1933, William Seabrooke made his final walk to meet the hangman for the murder of Paul Lavigne in a robbery gone wrong.

Capital punishment was outlawed in Canada in 1962.

[bygonebytown]

Capital punishment was applied very sparingly in Canada. From 1867 to abolition in 1962 there were only three hangings in Ottawa at the Ottawa City Gaol on Nicholas Street, and five executions across the river in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau).

This article discusses the last moments of Stanislas Lacroix who was one of the five people executed in Hull. He met his end (apparently quite hard) at 8:04 am on March 21, 1902 for the murder of his wife and a neighbour. 

Read all about the crime, the details of his last moments, and the aftermath in this incredibly detailed and quite morbid front page article from the Ottawa Citizen published that evening.

[bygonebytown]

30 years ago today: The CFRA Top 35 Countdown with Mark Elliott as published in the Ottawa Citizen.  This is what Bytown was listening to this week in February 1986.

The late Falco slides into claim the number one spot this week with his classic campy tune "Rock Me Amadeus".  

Because it's not widely remember but I have a soft spot for it, I'm going to choose to highlight "L'Affaire Dumoutier" by The Box from Montreal.  It's on the way off the chart this week, sliding from #17 to #25.

While not this week's highest debut, it's the most interesting... what is most likely Anne Murray's last Top 40 hit debuts at #33 this week... "Now And Forever (You & Me)" with the 80s-ist of 80s videos.

Join us next Saturday at 12PM for another 1986 CFRA chart from the archive.

[bygonebytown]

30 years ago today: The CFRA Top 35 Countdown with Mark Elliott as published in the Ottawa Citizen.  This is what Bytown was listening to this week in February 1986.

Holding on to number one this week is Dionne Warwick with "That's What Friends Are For".

The biggest drop is a tie between "Live Is Life" by Opus and "I knew The Bride When She Used To Rock And Roll" by Nick Lowe which both drop 13 spots.  As I'm about to be married let's watch Nick Lowe's video...

The highest debut this week is a track that's destined for number one in a few weeks... "Addicted To Love" by Robert Palmer.

Join us next Saturday at 12PM for another 1986 CFRA chart from the archive.

[bygonebytown]

Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. Bygone Bytown are house-hunting these days. And we’re thankful that today’s mortgage rates are nowhere near what they were on February 5, 1983!