CBC is set to release original series From The Vaults that will take viewers on an all-access journey into the public broadcaster’s music archives.
Hosted by Amanda Parris and Tom Power, the six-part series spans six decades of Canadian music history, spotlighting moments like Sammy Davis Jr.’s first-ever solo television special Parade on CBC, Shania Twain performing on The Tommy Hunter Show at age 14, and Leonard Cohen’s television debut on CBC’s Take 30 in 1966.
Emmy Award-winning Banger Films produced From The Vaults, sorting through 600 hours of content over a five-month period to gather the 200 minutes of footage that appear in the series. It includes rare performances by Celine Dion, The Guess Who, k.d. lang, and Paul Anka, among others, in addition to over 60 candid interviews with musicians and industry insiders like Adrienne Clarkson, Carole Pope, Maestro Fresh Wes, Paul Soles, Randy Bachman, Sarah McLachlan and Shad.
The series premieres Thursday, Nov. 15 at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC, the CBC TV app and cbc.ca/watch.
The debut episode will feature entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., singer-songwriter Joan Baez, reggae legend Jackie Mittoo and blues singer Muddy Waters on seeking the freedom to explore their talents on Canadian soil.
Thursday, Nov. 22: Leading the charge for social change and activism in Canada featuring Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang, Oscar Peterson, and Toronto 1970s-80s drag performer Craig Russell.
Thursday, Nov. 29: Young artists shaking up the status quo featuring The Who, James Taylor, 1950s Toronto quartet The Crew Cuts, and new wave rock band Rough Trade.
Thursday, Dec. 6: Bringing marginalized voices to the mainstream featuring award-winning singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte Marie, Toronto-born rapper Maestro Fresh Wes, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jeff Healey, and Jamaican-American singer Harry Belafonte.
Thursday, Dec. 13, the broadcaster will air back-to-back episodes: At 8 p.m. – Canadian acts who broke past the American music machine to become homegrown stars with folk legend Gordon Lightfoot, Winnipeg rockers The Guess Who, Montreal’s Celine Dion, and Hamilton rock band Crowbar. At 9 p.m. – Canadian icons Bryan Adams, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, and Leonard Cohen are captured in their first steps on the road to global stardom.
Past CBC performances by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Jefferson Airplane, Duke Ellington, Pat Benatar and Paul Anka also appear throughout the series.
A special, advance screening of From The Vaults will take place at the Hot Docs Theatre in Toronto on Nov. 14. A limited number of tickets are available to the general public here.
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