Artist: Maclean And Maclean, Album: Suck Their Way To The Top, Song: Papillion D'Amour

Maclean and Maclean were a comedy duo originally from Nova Scotia but based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  They rose to prominence in the seventies and released their first recording in 1972.  They were brothers Gary and Blair Maclean and their musical comedy was usually very explicit but quite inventive.  They would re-invent folk classics or pen their own original material.  Some of their releases were produced by Skip Prokop (Lighthouse) and included musical guests like Burton Cummings (Guess Who).  Some interesting facts that I didn't know about them before writing this blog was that they had to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada for the right to perform.  They ended up winning their court case which helped solidify the fundamentals of freedom of speech in this country.  One of their monologues is also credited for the creation of a very popular syndicated comedy sketch used in Canadian radio called "The Champ".  It was licensed to a radio personality known as Brother Jake Edwards and it focuses on a former boxer's misinterpretations of everyday language resulting in his bursts of anger.  It was a very well done sketch that most Canadians are familiar with.  I was introduced to Maclean and Maclean at a much too young and impressionable age, by an older cousin.  The song, Papillion D'amour, was one of a few tracks I remember from those days and it came from a double album entitled, Maclean and Maclean Suck Their Way To The Top / Take The "O" Out Of Country.  One half was a live recording from the El Mocambo and the other half was a studio recording. Papillion D'amour is a song about the butterflies of love (crabs) that absolutely butchers the french language and clocks in under two minutes.  The band released 7 albums in their career.  Sadly, both of the brothers have passed on.  There is a website dedicated to their careers at http://www.macleanandmaclean.com/.  You can download the song, Papillion D'amour, on Itunes.  You can hear the song, Papillion D'amour, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18NRePGYL6A).  Thanks for reading and enjoy!