During the 1990s, The Rankin Family – Raylene, Cookie, Heather, Jimmy and John Morris – rose to fame in the Canadian music industry, from performing at church halls and fairs in Cape Breton to being one of the most celebrated acts in Canadian history. With their blend of traditional music, pop sensibilities and original songwriting, the Rankins created a unique sound that made East Coast music a focal point of Canadian culture.
With numerous hit singles, multiple Juno Awards and album sales in excess of two million units, The Rankins sparked an awakening in Atlantic Canada’s music scene which paved the way for artists such as Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, The Barra MacNeils and Great Big Sea.
“The Rankins opened the door for the music industry to the Atlantic provinces,” says Deane Cameron, President of EMI Music Canada.
Souvenir: 1989-1998 presents the most complete selection of music from the Rankins’ decade-long storybook career. The Rankins’ Souvenir: 1989-1998 chronicles their rise to glory with 24 digitally re-mastered hit songs and timeless classics.
Souvenir includes almost two hours of The Rankins’ best chart topping singles and lush Celtic ballads from five award winning Rankin albums. The Souvenir package includes 24 tracks on two digitally re-mastered CDs, a 12-page CD booklet including brand new liner notes written by Larry Leblanc, the Canadian editor for Billboard magazine, that traces the band history and features comments from The Rankins, previously unavailable live versions, radio edits and an unreleased remix of “Weddings Wakes & Funerals”.
Souvenir: 1989-1998 will be available April 1, 2003.
