Weekend Spin

Summertime Spin: Trooper- Hot Shots (1979)

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What would a Summer Spin be without having “Hot Shots” by Canuck Act Trooper discussed right?!

Trooper in the late 70s into the early 80s was big business in Canada. They were selling out arenas all across Canada and there first 4 studio albums (self-titled debut “Trooper”/”Two For The Show”/”Knock Em Dead Kid”/”Thick As Thieves”) all went platinum and in the case of “Knock Em Dead” and “Thick As Thieves”, those two went Double Platinum. 

Yet in the United States Tropper did not make a dent whatsoever. 

Trooper released “Hot Shots” in early 79 which is a Greatest Hits compilation of tracks covering those first four records.

“Hot Shots” sold huge in Canada going 6 Times Platinum as of 1990.

This is a great comp. I came across this in the used shops and grabbed it right away.

Crack open some cold one’s on a hot summer day and toss on (or stream) Hot Shots to get a great dose of Canadian Rock late 70’s style.

For the folk’s out there reading this, this is a fun spin. Nothing too serious and nothing too heavy. Just Rock. Trooper even to this day gets played lots on out Local Crap Radio especially “Raise A Little Hell” and the video I posted below which is “Boys In The Bright White Sportscar”. 

Trooper up until COVID thing came about still gets out there and plays. Ra Maguire(vocals) and Brian Smith (guitar) are still gigging as Trooper today.

Good on them I say. 

I love Gatefolds.

There they go
The boys in the bright white sports car
Honking at all the girls
It’s jack-of-all-trades Stan
And Jerry’s a garbageman

One more thing I need to add is Trooper following Hot Shots on there next studio album (titled Trooper 1980) wrote a tune called “The Real Canadian” and well they name-dropped Tbay…

From the Malahat, to Kitimat, to Medicine Hat to Uranium City
From Thunder Bay, to Saint Jervais,
All the way to St. Johns, Newfoundland
The real Canadians …

For that Trooper gets a pass!

 

33 thoughts on “Summertime Spin: Trooper- Hot Shots (1979)”

    1. Yeah they were big business here in Canada. Just as Cold Chisel was big business in oyur neck of the woods.
      They recently reissued Hot Shots on colored vinyl as I seen it at our only record store in town at the mall the other day.
      $44 bucks!!! I’ll stick to my copy which I paid $2 for!

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      2. I was with you at that show. Remembering going to look for Cold Chisel shortly after and not finding anything here in town. Than I gave up lol

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  2. You are right, but not only didn’t they make a dent, then didn’t even scratch the surface. No mark whatsoever as I have never heard of them which actually means nothing. But the one video I watched sounds good so not sure why they didn’t.

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      2. Some U.S bands would go Gold/Platinum in the States and sell zip here. But more often than not most American bands would break into Canada as well.
        Case in point John Collective Soul with the self titeld from 95 went 8 times Platinum here.

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  3. Great to see TBay get namechecked!
    The Arkells will inevitably play ‘pulling punches’ when in the Limestone City – with the line “When you head back to Kingston, you can find him on your old block,” how could they not?!
    I’m with you on enjoying cold ones + summer days + gatefolds + fun CanCon rock, deke!

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      2. Oh man I remember seeing that movie back in 91. Your right Geoff no brian cells needed watching that one and I paid to go see it as I did with the sequel which well …sucked! lol

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  4. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I have flipped past this album. I mostly not interested in Greatest Hits as I usually prefer full albums. I didn’t know that it is a gatefold! Those bullet holes are really cool! I’m going to have to pick this up the next time I see it.

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    1. I’m with you Kev on buying full albums instead of Greatest Hits. Stuff like Hot Shots and Journeys Greatest Hits are enough for me really as I have no interest in buying any Journey or other Trooper albums as I would never listen to them. So for bands like that G.H’s serves it purpose.
      It is indeed everywere and the gatefold is Brilliant!
      I bought Tbone a copy as well and between the two records I didn’t pay more than $4.50 combined for both lol
      MusicVaultz has the reissue of Hot Shots for $45 as I was telling Pete in case you want a pristine copy! lol

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      1. Ah, no… I think I’ll try and find a good one for a bit less than $45.
        I suppose The Guess Who are like that for me. I had both Greatest Hits 1 & 2 on tape when I was a kid and they both seem to be good enough for me.

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      2. I think you can find Hot Shots for less than 5 bucks I’m sure. You have way more options down in your neck of the woods than I do in this Hard Luck Town (cue Killer Dwarfs!)

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  6. Boy, that brings back memories! Yep, Trooper were really everywhere , in Canada, for about 5 years. Some songs still sound OK. I LUVVED that ‘General Handgrenade” when I was little, thought it was a great song. Listened to it a couple of years back and I thought, “well, it’s a song”… Is strange they didn’t make any dent at all in US market. Kind of like Prism, from same era, in that respect.

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    1. Exactly like Prism there is another band that couldn’t sell a record over the border. This is a fun album with goofy lyrics like General Handgrenade. Waiting for Max to check this one out! lol

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  8. Who didn’t have this record in our neck of the woods ?! This thing was everywhere. Some really great songs on the album. Although 3 dressed up as a 9 from Flying Colours has gotta be my favourite Trooper tune.

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  10. I’ll admit it…I love a little Trooper. Bright White Sports Car is probably my fave. Maybe I’ll pick this one up. I’m sure vinyl is easy to find. I didn’t know it was a gatefold. All I have seen are shitty CD reissues, and I do mean shitty.

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  11. Pingback: Summertime Spin: Trooper- Hot Shots (1979) — Thunder Bay Arena Rock – battleoftheatlantic19391945

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