
k.d. lang is set to be inducted into the 2024 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony during Country Music Week in Edmonton on September 14.
We asked CKUA’s hosts about their favourite k.d. lang songs. The variety in the choices indicates just how amazing her catalogue is! Plus, two CKUA hosts, Darcy Whiteside and Cam Hayden, shared cool stories from k.d.’s early days.
“Constant Craving”
“It’s a song I have sung many a night into a wooden spoon dancing in my kitchen, making dinner. From her voice that feels like melted gold to the driving arrangement of the instrumentation, it holds a place in my heart as one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite artists.” – Kate Stevens, host of The Upload
“Big Boned Gal”
“Who else has ever sung about that before!!” – Allison Brock, host of Wide Cut Country
“Hallelujah”
“During my university days, I caught several of k.d. lang’s shows on campus. Here was this weirdly dressed artist doing a different style of country that I was enjoying. I had always loved Leonard Cohen’s original, but when k.d. released her version of “Hallelujah,” I thought it was an emotionally charged rendition of a beloved song.” – Leo Cripps, host of Discoveries
“Pullin’ Back the Reins”
“An achin’ country gem from the very end of the 1980s Reclines era, with k.d. poised right on the edge bursting out into something more expansively expressive, this track smoulders with yearning, determination, and the powerful sense that this is an artist who’s capable of anything. (And I dig that twangy guitar from Alberta legend Gordie Matthews!)” – Grant Stovel, host of Alberta Morning
“Barefoot”
“This song has always held a special place in my heart because it was written for the film Salmonberries, in which k.d. stars. Percy Adlon directed the movie and his work is characterized by desolate landscapes populated by wildly eccentric and colourful characters. k.d. lang’s ‘Barefoot’ touches on the broad emotional pallet of yearning and despair as her voice invites the listener into the character’s mind. Breathtaking!” – Tony King, host of Thoroughfare
“A Kiss to Build a Dream On”
“Without a doubt, k.d. lang is one of the greatest voices of all time, and in person, she’s incredibly down-to-earth. My favorite k.d. lang track highlights not only her live singing prowess but also the respect she commands in the jazz world, in addition to her broader musical fame. I particularly love her rendition of ‘A Kiss to Build a Dream On,’ where she was invited to perform at the 90th birthday celebration for the legendary Tony Bennett!” – Kodi Hutchinson, host of A Time for Jazz
“Shadowland”
“I have a special place in my heart for the title track from lang’s debut Shadowland, written by one of my favourite organ/piano players, Dick Hyman (along with Charles Tobias). The production by Nashville legend Owen Bradley compellingly sets lang’s vocal against an ethereal Western dreamland.” – Joe Hartfeil, host of Morningsong
“Hallelujah”
“The Edmonton JUNO version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah.’ Especially because it was live. For most of the artists, presenters and nominees in the room or watching, k.d.’s level of performance, and commitment to the song, basically told them how far they had to go to get where k.d. was/is. It was a master class in genius.” – Terry David Mulligan, host of Mulligan Stew
“Miss Chatelaine”
“I love the story of misguided queer yearning that k.d. experienced when writing that album, just truly letting her heart win. Beautiful, relatable, and before its time. ” – Shayne Giles, host of This Music Changed My Life
“Absolute Torch and Twang”
“Lang’s 1989 album Absolute Torch and Twang taught me a lot about singing and putting your whole self into a song. We had this album on cassette and it was in heavy rotation on family road trips. The way she stretches notes and effortlessly hits each note perfectly…a master class in intonation and feeling. The waving grain fields flashing by, the endless prairie sky. An Alberta country music classic. Thank you, k.d.! – Amy van Keeken, host of Far Out and Twilight
“Helpless”
“k.d. lang has so many great original songs that I admit I feel a little bad choosing a cover song, but her interpretation of Neil Young’s ‘Helpless’ from Hymns of the 49th Parallel is so stunning I had to include it. Her exceptional, smoky voice is complemented beautifully by a tasteful string arrangement, and the vocal crescendo near the end of the song never fails to stir the soul.” – Lisa Wilton, host of Traffic Jams
“Bopalena”
“I remember it very well at The Sidetrack Café in 1984. She was in her legendary Cowpunk outfit and everyone stormed the stage. Those performance are so vivid, forty years later..” – Tom Coxworth, host of Folk Routes
“Crying” by k.d. lang and Roy Orbison
“So soulful and sublime. They both bring out the best in each other.” – Holger Petersen, host of Natch’l Blues
“After she had recorded her first album at Homestead Recorders in Edmonton there was a small, invite-only listening party/reception. k.d. and I ended up chatting for a while and talked dirt bikes because she was a dirt bike enthusiast back home in Consort. We also talked about her music of course, and it was pretty obvious to me and everyone else there that she was destined for greatness.” – Cam Hayden, host of Friday Night Blues Party
“My family were very early fans of k.d. lang. My whole family were country and western fans, and we loved not only the music that she played when she first emerged on the scene, but also her over-the-top stage performances. So when we heard she was playing Calaway Park, the amusement park just west of Calgary, our entire family loaded into the station wagon to go see her performance. It was raining that day, which was a treat for us kids as we didn’t care if we got wet, and the lineups for all the rides were short. But we were all waiting for the concert to start. When we went into the concert hall, there was our family (two parents and four kids) and I believe one other family. We were worried the concert was going to be cancelled. It wasn’t. k.d. lang came out and gave the concert we had seen snippets of on television. Her western skirt was flying as she high kicked through her songs and stomped across the entire stage. For the entire set she gave the SAME amount of energy for the handful of us in the audience as she would later give to stadiums full of audiences. Not only an incredible performance, but an amazing display of professionalism.” – Darcy Whiteside, host of The Bluegrass Hour
When asked about her induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, lang said, “I am beyond thrilled, and frankly pleasantly surprised to be honored in this way. My love for the prairies, the people and our culture underscore every ounce of my inspiration. Not without its complexities, I might add. Such is life. I am so stoked to be coming to Edmonton to bask in this celebration… with deepest gratitude.”