This Beat Goes On

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This Beat Goes On

Two-part series premiering: Thursday August 27, 2009 at 9 pm & Thursday September 3, 2009 on CBC-TV
Repeating: Saturday September 12, 2009 & Friday September 18, 2009 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC News Network

This Beat Goes On chronicles a jukebox full of Canadian classics from Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" to Trooper's "Raise a Little Hell". Narrated by Jian Ghomeshi of CBC Radio's Q, the documentary is a combination of rare archival footage and candid interview clips with artists from the time such as Randy Bachman and Danny Marks, as well as interviews with current Canadian artists Serena Ryder and Sam Roberts.

Musician David Wilcox

The first hour focuses on the formative years: a time of shag hair, bellbottoms and chart-topping sounds of folk singers, blues artists and heavy metal rockers like Prism and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The decade starts out on a controversial note, with a government ruling forcing radio stations to play 30 per cent Canadian content. But the ruling soon pays dividends, laying the groundwork for the incredible rock 'n roll era that was the 70s. And, the Juno Awards, launched under that name in 1971, create a star system for Canadian musicians who rock audiences and the charts from coast-to-coast.

The second hour of This Beat Goes On keeps the Canadian hit parade rocking, set to the tune of classics like Burton Cummings' "Stand Tall" and Loverboy's "Turn me Loose". The program documents Canadian music's international breakthrough in the latter half of the 70's. Solo artists like Joni Mitchell and progressive rockers such as Rush still rule but it is also a time for punk and new wave artists to push their way into the spotlight. Music sounds from around the world, including Celtic and reggae beats work their way into the Canadian mainstream. With guaranteed airtime at home, the Canadian rock revolution impacts audiences, both here and abroad.