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                      Cummings & Neil Young 1987


IRVIN  FREESE


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THE FLIN FLON SONG



Irvin Freese

Irvin Freese
October 10, 1928 - January 11, 1995

The Flin Flon Song (Eagle Records 1964)

The following introduction appeared on the back cover of the only album released by Irvin Freese.  It was written by Wilf Carter, the renowned Canadian country and western singer, songwriter, guitarist and yodeller.  Known in the United States as Montana Slim, Carter wrote over 500 songs and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971.

Irvin Freese was born in October 1929 [sic], in a log cabin farm house on the banks of the Swan River, and it was in the Birch River community in Manitoba, that he, his brothers and sisters got their education in a good ole country school not too many miles from home.

Irvin loved country music and longed for a guitar, well, ole St. Nick left one on a Christmas Eve when he was a tousled headed kid, he loved it and in his own style he learned to play and sing.  All who heard him liked his voice and encouraged him to keep at it.

At a very early age he had to leave school to help his parents on the farm, but he soon got the wander bug and headed north to the mining town of Flin Flon, and soon went to work for Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co.  It is then while working far below the surface he pieced the words and music together of the Flin Flon Song, which he neatly folded and layed away.  Playing the guitar and singing seemed to slowly fade for more important things in life, a year or so passed and he returned home to Birch River and soon went into business there.  But like most other guys he met a beautiful country girl and in October of 1949 they were married.

One day in 1956 while visiting a friend who was a D.J. at CKDM Dauphine, Irvin sang the Flin Flon Song for him, a recording was made and soon Irvin was on his way to making more and more records.

Johnny McKay, who hails originally from Belmont, Man. was 19 years old when he backed Irvin on fiddle.  He had played a number of years previous with Bev Munro and His Pembina Valley Boys.  Johnny also won the Junior Old Time Fiddlers contest in Manitoba.  Bob Allan, who made his own steel guitar when he backed Irvin, now lives in Dauphin, and is station engineer at Radio CKDM.  Lastly, the bass player was Carl Pallister, and still makes his home in Portage La Prairie.

Irvin has a great album ready for you now, singing it as only he can sign it, so we all wish another Canadian great luck.  So, pardner, here is the best to you and until our trails cross, good luck.

Sincerely,
Wilf Carter

The Flin Flon
                              Song Front Cover
The Flin Flon
                              Song Back Cover

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