Hit and Run CD

Initially released as a limited edition greatest hits ("Hit") with a bonus live cd ("Run"), the double cd was sold out on release day. Currently available as a 16 track cd comprising of 13 hits and 3 new bonus tracks.

Produced by Gordie Johnson
Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, NY

Art Direction by Gordie Johnson & Garnet Armstrong
Car Photography by Pete Watson
Mr. Johnson Photography by Mark Maryanovich


Sleep In Late 3:25
(A. Whiteman/ D. Wall)
Recorded 1991 Toronto
Gordie Johnson – guitar, vocals
Terry Wilkins – bass
Al Cross – drums
Recorded two floors below Hypnotic Recordings Studio on a vacant floor of the building. We strung wires out of the 9th floor window and recorded and shot a video in one take…no overdubs

Ride Like Hell 4:45
(A. Whiteman/G. Johnson)
Recorded 1993 Toronto
Presence Recordings Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, vocals
Al Cross – drums
This was the first song recorded for the ‘500 Pounds’ album. It signals the era of amplifiers blowing up and things catching on fire for Big Sugar.

I’m A Ram 3:30
(Al Green/Mabon Hodges)
Recorded 1993 Toronto, Presence Recording Studio
Gordie Johnson, guitar, bass, vocals
Al Cross – drums
Gene Hardy – tenor sax
The ultimate recipe for a Big Sugar song. An old Al Green Memphis Soul classic with a reggae rhythm and 500 lbs of electric guitar. It continues to be a staple in the Big Sugar live show.

Dear Mr. Fantasy 5:01
(S. Winwood/J. Capaldi/C. Wood)
Recorded 1995 Toronto, Presence Recording Studio
Additional recording at Metalworks studio, Toronto
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, vocals
Al Cross – drums
Tyler Stewart – drums
Patrick Ballantyne – acoustic guitar and backing vocals
Good friend and co-writer, Dan Gallagher had suggested this song for ages. When someone at a show in Ottawa ran up to the stage during the encore and told me that Kurt Cobain had died, we decided it was a fitting song.



Diggin A Hole 4:37
(G. Johnson/A. Curran/D. Gallagher)
Recorded 1996 Toronto, Presence Recording studio
Additional recording at Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, vocals
Mr. Chill – harmonica
Paul Brennan – drums
A lyrical idea given to me by Dan Gallagher. I first played the music for Mr. Chill in a dressing room in Ventura Beach, CA., on New Years Eve 1995. This was the first song on the Hemivision album that I played on the white Gibson double neck given to me by Alex Lifeson of Rush.

If I Had My Way 5:14
(P. Ballantyne/G. Johnson)
Recorded 1996 Toronto
Intro recorded at Presence Recordings Studio
Song recorded at Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, keyboard, vocals
Mr. Chill – harmonica
Paul Brennan – drums
Garry Lowe – bass
The intro was recorded in the parking lot of Presence Studio with Mr. Chill and I sitting on chairs, (traffic noise provided by Dan Gallagher). The lyrics of the song are actually parts of two separate songs that I worked on with co-writer Patrick Ballantyne since the mid 1980’s. The musical idea was originally inspired by the old gospel song Samson and Delilah that I first heard recorded by the Reverend Gary Davis.

Opem Up Baby 3:51
(G. JohnsonD. Gallagher)
Recorded 1996 Toronto, Presence Recordings Studio
Mixed at Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, harmonica, vocals
Mr. Chill – Harmonica
Paul Brennan – drums
Years ago, Mr. Chill and I played with Blues artist Wild Child Butler. He had a lot of songs about being locked out and trying to ‘splain your way back in.

The Scene 4:16
(G Johnson/D. Wall/A. Whiteman)
Recorded 1998 Toronto, Hard Core Studio
Mixed at Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, keyboard, vocals
Al Cross – drums
Dave Wall – backing vocals
Musically, this song started out as a fast version of Ground Hog Day with a chorus grafted on from a very silly song written by Dave Wall and Andrew Whiteman (authors of ‘Sleep In Late’). The record company debated for weeks over the crowd noise in the middle of it. (P.S. I’m six foot one.)

Better Get Used To It 2:55
(G. Johnson/E. Wall/D. Gallagher/G. Brown)
Recorded 1998 Toronto, Hard Core Studio
Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, keyboard, vocals
Gavin Brown – drums
Dave Wall – backing vocals
The chorus was taken from a comedy tape that had been passed around by Dave Wall to all our friends since the 80’s. It took me a while to figure out how many dimes would equal a million dollars! I broke a guitar string during the first take of recordings…this song features a 5 string guitar solo.

Turn The Lights On 3:54
(G. Johnson/G. Lowe)
Recorded 1998 Toronto, Hard Core Studio
Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, upright bass, organ, vocals
Gavin Brown – drums
Garry Lowe – vocals
That was the last song written for the ‘Heated’ album. It was written in 15 minutes, culled together from pieces of dub mixes that were going to be on the ‘Alkaline’ record. This features Garry Lowe’s first vocal ad-lib.

Red Rover 4:56
(G Johnson/A. Johnson/Whitey Don)
Recorded 2001 Toronto
The Bakery Studio, Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson -guitar, bass, vocals
Al Cross – drums
Mojah – Rhythm guitar
The third verse of Red Rover was taken from the ‘AlKaline’ dub record and served as an inspiration for the rest of the song. The car running in the intro is my 1970 Dodge Charger which is pictured on the inside album jacket of Hemi-Vision.

Nicotina (She’s All That) 4:01
(G. Johnson/A. Johnson)
Recorded 2001 Toronto
The Bakery Studio, Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, vocals
Al Cross – drums
Mr. Chill – harmonica & keyboards
Everybody has their vices. I suppose we covered ours in this song. (And my wife happens to have black hair.)

All Hell For A Basement 3:56
(G. Johnson/P. Ballantyne)
Recorded 2001 Toronto
The Bakery Studio, Phase One Studio
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, banjo, pennywhistle, vocals
Al Cross – drums
I was always intrigued by this turn of phrase used by Rudyard Kipling to describe the oil fields & gas flares in Alberta. It must have seemed like the other side of the world to him – kind of like the modern day Newfoundlanders working on the oil rigs in Northern Alberta.

I Want You Now* 3:39
(G. Johnson/P. Ballantyne)
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, vocals
Eric Paul – drums
Written for and dedicated to my wife Alex.

Trouble In The City* 2:53
(Robert A. Nelson/G. Johnson/Mojah)
Gordie Johnson – guitar, vocals
Garry Lowe – bass
Eric Paul – drums
Mojah – vocals
Colin MacDonald, John Angus MacDonald, Cory Tetford and Paul Lamb – backing vocals
Cory Tetford and Paul Lamb appear courtesy of Sonic Records

Three Minute Song* 2:46
(C. Read, R. Hope, A. Mack, P. Kehayas, G. Johnson)
Gordie Johnson – guitar, bass, vocals
Eric Paul – drums *recorded 2002/03 Toronto
Backroom Recording Studio
Produced and Engineered by Gordie Johnson
Additional Engineering by Anthony D’Avanzo
*Phase One Studio – additional recording and mixing
Produced and Engineered by Gordie Johnson
Additional Engineering by: Steve Payne, Michael Jack,
George Seara, Greg Kolchinski

Mr. Johnson wears Hugo by Hugo Boss
We use Gibson Musical Instruments because we want to. Gordie Johnson and Big Sugar use Sennheiser and Neumann microphones exclusively, live and in the studio. Eric Paul uses Regal Tip drumsticks exclusively. Mr. Chill blows Hohner Harmonicas exclusively.
Thank you to Colin Bernard, Marc Vincent, Nick Mandilaras, Paul Hugo and everyone at Sennheiser Canada.

Big Sugar management eats at Albert’s Real Jamaican Foods, Toronto