Last Articles - 1995 update on January 13, 2008

08/??/95 - Rankin Family profile

10-11/95 - Family Harmony

11/21/95 - Rankins' music flows like a gentle Cape Breton stream

Rankin Family Profile

08/??/95 - iMusic Contemporary Showcase

The Rankin Family has taken its unique Celtic-influenced music to the top of the Canadian charts and around the world in sold-out concerts. But while preparing to record their new album Endless Seasons, they wouldn't rest on the winning formula that already pushed combined record sales to well over one million copies in Canada.

"After the last album, we decided we really wanted to go for a change," says Raylene Rankin. "We put the feelers out for different producers, looking for someone who had an affinity for what we do. We wanted somebody who would insist we take a looser approach.

Their search ended with John Jennings, the production whiz behind the chart-topping success of American singer/songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. Jennings co-produced Endless Seasons with The Rankin Family.

"Mary Chapin also came from a folk background," notes Raylene, who was impressed by the flawless production and vitality on Carpenter's albums. "John had nurtured her through her period of doing strictly folk and into contemporary (music). So we thought it might work for us."

With the release of Endless Seasons, The Rankin Family continues to evolve from a fiddle-based traditional band that wore its Celtic roots firmly on its sleeve, to maturing artists whose appeal step dances across musical borders. The self-titled The Rankin Family debut (1989) had just three original songs and the rest were traditional Scottish tunes. On Endless Seasons, the tide has reversed.

From the heart-wrenching ballad "Your Boat's Lost at Sea" to the kick-up-your-heels revelry of "You Feel the Same Way Too", the album is a shimmering collection of Rankin Family originals and borrowed gems from the cream of Celtic songwriters.

The Rankins have had tremendous commercial and critical success in the past five years since the group recorded its first independent album. That platinum-selling album put the band on the musical map, followed with the quadruple-platinum selling smash Fare Thee Well Love. 1993's North Country has sold in excess of 350,000 copies. This year's limited edition Grey Dusk of Eve EP has been certified gold with sales of more than 50,000.

The group has won four Juno awards (Group of the Year, People's Choice Award for Canadian Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year for "Fare Thee Well Love" and Country Group of the Year) and a dozen East Coast Music Awards. Already this year, The Rankin Family have played several high profile concert dates including headlining the Guinness Fest in Australia and New Zealand, and a U.S. tour with a SRO concert with Mary Black at the Town Hall in New York City. Still the relentless drive to refine their music sent the group in search of something fresh.

"Sometimes it's good just to get new blood in there, to get a different perspective," says Raylene. "we're happy with the earlier records, but the change was good. And believe me, it's hard for us because whenever change is concerned - we're very hard on ourselves.

Endless Seasons was recorded at Sound Emporium in Nashville and at Bias Studio in Springfield, Virginia in a half dozen short sessions. The Nashville- based Jennings has used both studios working with other artists, including Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Beausoleil and Janis Ian.

Jennings laid-back style behind the console brings a homey warmth to Endless Seasons. The new album is the most relaxed and mature sounding of the Rankins' five recordings.

"That's a reflection of where we are as artists," says Cookie Rankin. "We wanted a more organic sound, more acoustic... it's less glued together, more natural, more live.

"One of the big changes from North Country is that there is very little synthesizer," adds John Morris. "And there's not as many ballads. The record is more piano and guitar oriented."

Jennings not only co-produced but adds some hot guitar and Hammond organ to the session. Willie Weeks (Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, George Harrison) plays bass on several cuts and studio ace Sam Bush (Emmylou Harris, New Grass Revival) adds mandolin and mandocello. Even Mary Chapin-Carpenter contributes some rhythm guitar playing on the title track.

Like their previous albums, the Cape Breton group maintain a winning mix of traditional Celtic tunes and contemporary originals. Jimmy, John Morris and Cookie Rankin all contribute strong new tunes.

"The nucleus of our material is always Jimmy and the traditional tunes," says Raylene, though the album features a song from Cookie ("The River") and a pair from John Morris ("Blue Eyed Suzie", Eyes of Margaret").

Jimmy Rankin, recognised as one of this country's finest songwriters, contributes four new songs to the album, including the first single, "You Feel the Same Way Too", and the poignant "Your Boat's Lost at Sea".

The latter tune was written last summer near the remote Mabou Coal Mines in northern Cape Breton. Moved by a tragic story of two brothers going down on a sinking fishing boat, Jimmy penned the tune in an old house overlooking the cold Atlantic Ocean. Endless Seasons also includes the traditional Irish folk song "As I Roved Out", borrowed from Liam Clancy and the powerful Christy More classic "Natives", written by Paul Doran. "Padstow", another traditional folk tune, comes from the Steeleye Span songbook. And there's a new Gaelic medley ("Òrganaich An Òr-Fhuilt Bhuidhe/Am Bràighe"), arranged from tunes the Rankin Family learned around Cape Breton's musically-fertile Inverness County.

In choosing a name for the album, the band was encouraged to pick a title that wasn't the name of a song. "But," says Raylene, "it just seemed that there was so much reference to the seasons, to the times of year, to nature, to water and the weather... it seemed that Endless Seasons worked best, it encompassed the whole theme of the album. It's been a very enjoyable process. This time everybody had a lot of input and we had a lot of tunes to choose from. It was a conscious effort on our part to make this a more upbeat album, and have fun with it. I hope that comes across. That people enjoy it for its energy and life.

Family Harmony

October/November 1995 - Dirty Linen

By Maureen Brennan

In Mabou (a village on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia) everybody enjoys music," began Jimmy Rankin, as he explained how the Rankin Family started singing. "Mabou is a very musical community," Sister Cookie elaborated, "and it's not unusual for people to be involved in music in one way or another. They either sing or play music on a personal basis, or just have a great interest or appreciation of it. There are very few people that I know that don't know how to do the traditional dance." And the Rankin family -- Jimmy, Raylene, Cookie, John Morris and Heather -- partake in all aspects.

Raised in a family of 12 children, music was an important form of recreation. "Our parents really encouraged us to participate through local festivals, local dances, and so forth," Cookie explained. "We could participate by singing or playing the fiddle or the piano. John Morris played the fiddle and the piano, and we would sing. Jimmy plays the guitar, and we dance as well."

As they grew up, music became a financial opportunity for family members as well. "When we got a little bit older -- junior high and high school -- we got involved in being an actual band where we could play for adult dances. We'd be too young to be admitted to them and we were never allowed to go to them on a recreational basis. It would always be through work. It was a means of making money for us -- preparing for college and getting through college. We would have a summer job and do this at night."

Parents Buddy and Kaye Rankin were involved in music in a minimal way. "Our father was a classic fiddler and our mother had a voice; but they did not perform in any way really," Cookie continued. "They had a tremendous appreciation for music, especially traditional music. They made sure that we had a piano at a very young age, and it was usually tuned. It wasn't unusual for local musicians to come to the house for a cup of tea. While Mom was making the tea, there would be music in the house. We were encouraged to be involved with music, and I think our parents had an ear to hear that we had an ear for music."

Not surprisingly, the five Rankins that became this singing (and playing) phenomenon were not the first in the family to enjoy the benefits of the local music. "When I was too young to participate, the older sisters and brothers were participating. But once they reached high school and graduated from high school, they kind of went their separate ways. By the time we came along, there was much more support for the local music scene, and people getting involved in the local music. I think that's why we were able to sustain ourselves musically, more so than the older (children).

"Raylene and John Morris," Cookie continued, "were actually part of the older group; and they were always involved in the music. It didn't matter what was going on, they always stayed in the music scene. Jimmy came along, and I came along, and then Heather (the age span in the Rankin Family is from mid-20s to mid-30s). It was basically whoever wanted to stick with it, stuck with it; and those who didn't, it was okay."

Six years ago, the Rankins decided to record their first album, and see how far they could take the music. "We were all at a crossroads," said Heather.

Heather, Cookie, and Jimmy were just finishing school. Raylene, a trained lawyer, was re-thinking, looking twice at that career; and John Morris was working and supporting his family in music. The first album, The Rankin Family, contains the most traditional material, certainly the most acoustic. Early marketing schemes included loading up their mother's car with cassettes, and selling them to restaurants, shops and gas stations around Nova Scotia. One small business owner in Baddeck reported that she's sold over 300 of the family's tapes to tourists preparing to visit Cape Breton Highland National Park. She makes the same offer to all: "If you don't like it, you can get your money back when you return." She's never had one come back.

The first recording features three of Jimmy's original compositions (many of which now comprise a large portion of the Family's repertoire). He finds inspiration in the geography, music and people of Cape Breton Island. "There are loads of great songwriters in the Maritimes," he said, "and there's so much great music that comes out of there. You cannot help but be inspired by the ocean, and the history. In Cape Breton, people have a very strong sense of history and their past, and storytelling, and people and their relations. I think that rubs off on me consciously and unconsciously."

Their hometown, Mabou, has a population of approximately 1,500. The major sources of income and employment are fishing, farming and forestry. And, unfortunately, like so many places, they've been "hard hit by the economy," Jimmy explained. "There's been kind of a mass exodus of people there since about 100 years ago. It's been a launching ground for people to take off for other parts of the country and other places in the world. It's kind of a quaint place, untouched by industry. In one sense it's good, in one sense it's bad, 'cause there's not a lot of work there." His song "Tramp Miner" reflects the kind of life some have had to lead once they left Mabou. It's a great irony that many of the descendants of families that once left Scotland due to economic hardships are now, generations later, having to leave again in search of work.

The Rankin Family's music and performance are noted for their eclecticism. In some ways, their concerts are like cabaret. There are songs (traditional and contemporary, in Gaelic and English), instrumental music, and dance. The lead vocals are constantly shifting from one member of the family to another; yet the others are always there to provide backing harmony or to-and-fro duets.

While much of the original material the band performs has a country flavor, the influences of traditional music, folk, pop and rock 'n' roll can also be heard. When the Rankin Family goes out on the road, besides the five family members, the band includes Howie MacDonald on fiddle, drummer Scott Ferguson, electric guitarist Ray Montford, and bassist John Chiasson.

Jimmy attributed the variety in their performance to their earlier career, playing dances. "That's where our style evolved from, playing a diverse array of music. We had our Cape Breton fiddle, and people dancing square sets. Then, between the square sets, we had what we called round dance music. Round dance music, to us, was anything that people would dance to. That could be rock 'n' roll, whatever."

The majority of the traditional music the band plays, other than jigs and reels, are songs sung in Gaelic. While not native speakers, the Rankins did study Gaelic at school. "When I was in elementary school, junior high, and high school, I took it for that whole time," said Cookie. "It was a real sense by a small community of people to try and re-establish the Gaelic language at least through the kids. But unless you're immersed in it, you're not going to learn to think it instinctively. I know how to read it, vocabulary and grammatics, more than I know how to speak it. So we have a tutor that helps us with it at home; and we do have to learn the songs phonetically, unfortunately."

The Family put out a second album, Fare Thee Well Love, which in March 1992 was picked up by EMI-Canada. "The best thing that happened to us when we signed with EMI was that they were able to get our records in stores everywhere in the country," said Jimmy. "People were able to see us on a different level, as opposed to the underground thing we had been doing ourselves for two or three years. Most importantly, they got songs on mainstream radio. We had four singles that year that were in the Top 10; we had a couple of songs that made it to the Top 5 in country music radio; and we had one that went to number one on the adult contemporary charts. That was like people hearing you ten times a day, and that broke us through."

When the Canadian version of the album North Country came out in 1993, the Rankin Family were poised for success. The album swept the Juno Awards in 1994, winning for "Group of the Year," "Country Group of the Year," "Single of the Year," and "Entertainer[s] of the Year." Jimmy Rankin explained the Family's reaction: "I think at the time we were touring so much, we didn't really absorb what was happening. Once we had a chance to sit down and reflect, it was just a great honor. It's not an easy thing to do, even in Canada, which is a heck of a lot smaller than the U.S. It's very competitive, especially for the kind of music we do, which is not easily categorized."

Catching on in the rest of the world -- and particularly in the United States -- was a bit slower, and at times frustrating. "It took us so long to get our album (North Country) released here," Jimmy said, "and we went through a couple of bad experiences with other record companies before we found this one [Guardian, a division of EMI] that knew what we were about and had some good marketing schemes. I think our next album is going to be available here in February. That's the plan anyway."

Last spring, the Rankin Family toured Australia and New Zealand with the prestigious Irish Guinness Tour. Other performers included Altan, Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunny, Brendan Power, and Maire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman. They have built up their reputation in England and Scotland, and hope, with record company support, to tour Ireland. At the time of this interview, they were just finishing their first full U.S. tour. Previously, they'd travelled south for the odd festival or concert.

If asked to name the most memorable aspect of a Rankin Family live performance, most people would mention the exquisite three-part harmonies of the sisters, that sometimes extend to four and five parts when the brothers are included. Does the harmony carry over when they have to go on tour together for days on end? Jimmy responded "We've been at it seriously for six years, touring in every way, shape, and form; and we've learned to stay out of each other's way and make things work; you have to. Basically, we're on a bus with 11 people a lot of the time, and any band has their hard times and good times."

Cookie added, "It's the same way with any family that has to work together, whether it's working on the road as musicians or working in an office trying to make a go of a family business. You learn to work together, and you learn to get along. It's part of making something good successful; and we happen to like one another."

Rankins' music flows like a gentle Cape Breton stream

November 21, 1995 - Ottawa Citizen

Lynn Saxberg, Southam News

Think about it. The three soprano voices of sisters Cookie, Raylene and Heather Rankin, and brother Jimmy Rankin's tenor, rang strong and true. Not one of the women's voices broke on the highest notes. Raylene nailed the daunting We Rise Again to perfection.

Even on trickiest Gaelic lyrics or wordless vocals of Cape Breton mouth music, no one tripped over their parts.

The women, dressed in swingy velour, didn't trip over their feet either, when it came time for some fancy stepdancing footwork, each adding a solo flourish of their own.

Big brother John Morris Rankin dazzled with his piano playing through the show, maintaining a lively pace except when the song called for mood or a touch of jazz. He also demonstrated a deft hand at the fiddle in a duelling fiddle tune with long-time backing musician Howie MacDonald. (Bassist John Chiasson, guitarist Ray Montford and drummer Scott Ferguson round out the Rankins' top-notch band.)

And when they weren't performing traditional material or the odd cover tune, there were plenty of well-written originals to fill the two-hour concert. Many were penned by Jimmy, including the old favorites Orangedale Whistle and Fisherman's Son and a trio of new ones -- the rollicking country-rocker You Feel The Same Way Too, the thoughtful Endless Seasons and the poignant Your Boat's Lost At Sea -- from the latest disc, also titled Endless Seasons. John Morris's songwriting took the spotlight for his two new songs, the upbeat Blue Eyed Suzie and the ballad Eyes of Margaret, which he introduced in a rare moment at the microphone.

Besides sheer talent, a sense of humor endeared the Cape Breton family group to the audience at the first of two sold-out nights in the NAC Opera. Raylene in particular told the best stories, one in reference to the pitfalls of their new inner-ear monitor system, and another about a memorable rehearsal dinner involving seven hungry people and a lone Cornish hen.

With a minimum of electronics and showy effects, the same down-to-earth spirit heard on their new album was reflected in concert. Jimmy may have seemed a little dramatic once or twice, but this time he didn't overshadow the evening. His spoken Mull River Shuffle, occasionally seeming contrived in the past, had the desired effect of firing the crowd up, rousing everyone out of their seats, clapping along with the music. A few hardy souls danced in front of the stage.

Although the singing, songwriting and playing abilities of the Rankin Family members are obvious, it was refreshing not to have them shoved in your face. Keeping it light, rather than trying to impress, made for a much more enjoyable evening.

It looks like the Rankins are at a point in their career where they know they have a supportive audience for their Celtic/country/folk music. Multi-platinum sales figures mean they don't have to prove anything to Canadians. They can relax and let it flow. For the type of music they're playing, that's the best approach, one they'd be wise to adopt in any attempt to win over the rest of the world.

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