Sarah McLachlan: A moment in time

Canadian singing sensation Sarah McLachlan.

Source: https://alternativealbumsblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/ten-to-hear-again-sarah-mclachlan/

(May be subject to copyright)

In the spring of 1989, as the school year was ending, I had decided I was going to stay in Edmonton for the Summer and attend Spring and Summer Session at the University of Alberta. Leaving the decision as late as I did, and really loving res, I booked in to live in Lister Hall for the four months until the next school year started

All students lived on the top two floors of Kelsey Hall, Ninth and Tenth, and I was on Ninth. For nostalgic reasons, I chose 910, because I had lived in 1010 in first year, and truly did like the view. I was also the summer Residence Life Assistant, so I had some responsibilities looking after the needs of the students on 9K and 10K, including sorting the mail.

The rest of res was treated as a hotel. There were big conference groups over the course of the four months, as well as people who just wanted a room for a night or two.

One day, I was walking through the main Lister lobby and this disheveled figure came through the front doors, moving slowly, his head bowed. When he looked up, I recognized him immediately. It was Sean Drake, who I had met early that school year, and slowly became friends with.

He had been working in the bush and was looking for a room. Looking as tired as he did, I invited him to stay with me in the extra bed I had. I took him across the street to Angelo’s, a favourite pizza place, and we had dinner.

Drake stayed with me awhile, while he decided whether or not to stay for the rest of the summer. He did, and booked into Eighth Kelsey, which was a conference floor.

One night, he came up to see me.

“I have had the most amazing experience,” he said.

I was intrigued.

This woman, a musician, had booked in to 8K for a couple nights. He struck up a conversation with her, I believe he played guitar with her a bit, and watched as she tried to dye her hair. She was opening for the Grapes of Wrath, a Canadian band touring at the time.

She had a show and invited him to come, but he couldn’t make it.

However, she had a poster promoting the show, and autographed it for Drake.

“Maybe this will be worth something some day,” she said.

Her name was Sarah McLachlan.

Back story
Sarah McLachlan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1968, so she would have been 21 when Sean met her that summer.

By then she had studied classical guitar, classical piano, and voice at the Maritime Conservatory of Music. At 17, she was lead singer of a rock band called October Game where she was offered a recording contract. Instead, she finished high school and did a year at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design then moved to Vancouver to pursue a career as a recording artist.

McLachlan released her first album, “Touch” in 1987, and her debut single was “Vox” which charted at number 90 in Canada. That was the only song out when she stayed in res.

To be honest, at the time, the name Sarah McLachlan rang a bell, but I had only heard her on the radio a few times. I really didn’t recognize her or her music.

As the ‘80s ended, and the ‘90s progressed, that would change in a dramatic way.

The years after
Sarah McLachlan released her second album, “Solace”, in 1991 and it was her breakthrough in Canada. “Solace” spawned the hit singles “The Path of Thorns (Terms)”, which peaked at number 24 in Canada and “Into the Fire”, which peaked at number 30 in Canada. In 1992, she won the Juno for Best Music Video for “Into the Fire” and was nominated for the Juno for Female Vocalist of the Year.

McLachlan went international in 1993 with her third album, “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy”. The first single, “Possession”, peaked at number 26 in Canada, and was her first single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 73. “Hold On”, followed, hitting number 59 in Canada; “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy”, peaked at number 58 in Canada; and “Good Enough”, went all the way to number nine in Canada and number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. She was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy”. McLachlan was also nominated for Junos for Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year in 1994; and Album of the Year for “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” and Entertainer of the Year in 1995.

She released “I Will Remember You”, one of my favourites, on “The Brothers McMullen” soundtrack, in 1995. It went all the way to number 10 in Canada and number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100..

McLachlan released “Surfacing”, her fourth album, in 1997 and that was her biggest success. The first single, “Building a Mystery”, was her first number one single in Canada and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Sweet Surrender” was next, going all the way to number two in Canada, and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Adia” was next, peaking at number three both in Canada, and on the Billboard Hot 100. The final single from “Surfacing” was “Angel”, peaking at number nine in Canada and number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

The release of the album coincided with the launch of McLachlan’s “Lilith Fair” tour, which celebrated and featured female musicians, as did the live album “Mirrorball” released in 1999.

In 1998, she won Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Building a Mystery” and for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Last Dance”. In 1999, she was nominated for the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Adia”, and won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2000 for “I Will Remember You (Live)”. She was also nominated in 2000 for Grammys for Best Pop Album for “Mirrorball”, and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for “Possession (Live)”.

McLachlan also won Junos in 1998 for Album of the Year for “Surfacing”; Single of the Year for “Building a Mystery”; Songwriter of the Year; and Female Vocalist of the Year. In 1999, she was nominated for Junos for Single of the Year for “Adia” and Best Music Video for “Sweet Surrender”.

She keeps on recording, performing and touring to this day.

Sarah McLachlan was named to the Order of Canada in 1999; inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2012; inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2017; had a Canadian postage stamp released featuring her in 2024; and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame a few days ago.

Parting thoughts
When Sarah McLachlan was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on September 28, I was immediately taken back to that time in the Summer of 1989 when my good friend, and former roommate, Sean Drake, had a brush with celebrity.

After that date, Sarah McLachlan would explode onto the music scene, and I just came to love her music, especially “I Will Remember You”; “Building a Mystery’; “Sweet Surrender”; “Adia”; and “Angel”.

I was visiting Sean at his apartment in Newton Place after her singles, albums, and Lilith Fair, had hit it big. He disappeared into his bedroom and returned shortly after.

“I knew it,” he said, producing that poster with Sarah McLachlan’s autograph. “I still have it.”

And, even if it isn’t worth something, the memory sure is.