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The Stampeders – Sweet City Woman

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Sweet City Woman was released in 1971 by a Canadian Band out of Calgary, Alberta, the Stampeders. They were together for eight years before they had a huge number one rock hit in Canada on their debut album called Against the Grain. The song also reached number one on the Canadian country and adult contemporary charts. It caused such a stir that eight U.S. record labels got into a bidding war before the band was signed to Bell Records, who renamed the album Sweet City Woman and released the single in the U.S., where it reached number eight on the Billboard charts on October 23, 1971. It all started with a late night recording session and a last-minute banjo rental.

Rich Dodson of The Stampeders performing in 2012
Rich Dodson of the Stampeders, 2012 | Image by Jason Bain

The song won a Juno award for Best Single in 1972. Guitarist Rich Dodson, who wrote the song, won Songwriter of the Year, and the band’s producer, Mel Shaw, won Record Producer of the Year. The song was unusual for featuring the banjo as the lead instrument.

Although the band might be considered a one-hit-wonder in the U.S., they had many other Canadian hits, such as Carry Me (1971), Wild Eyes (1972), Oh My Lady (1973), Running Wild (1973), New Orleans (1975), Playing in the Band (1975), and a remake of “Hit the Road Jack” with featured the voice or radio DJ Wolfman Jack. The band, was, in fact, one of the first big successful bands in Canadian rock and the biggest touring band of their era. Many of their songs were squarely in the country genre.

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Alanis Morrissette Connection

Songwriter/guitarist Rich Dodson, in fact, was such a hitmaker that producer Lindsay Thomas Morgan turned to him for engineer and co-producer of Alanis Morrissette’s first demo track recordings, “Find the Right Man” and “Fate Stay With Me,” which were recorded in Dodson’s basement studio when Morissette was only twelve years old.

Sweet City Woman Chorus

Sweet, sweet city woman
I can see your face, I can hear your voice
I can almost touch you
Sweet, sweet city woman
Oh my banjo and me
We got a feel for singing, yeah, yeah

Recording Session Notes: The Rented Banjo

Before it ended up sparking a massive bidding war among eight U.S. labels, Sweet City Woman was recorded during late-night sessions to save money.

  • The Rental: Rich Dodson originally wrote the main hook for a guitar. On the way to Toronto Sound Studios, he stopped at a music store and rented a banjo on a whim. The label was actually nervous about releasing it because of the banjo, fearing it was too “country” for rock radio.
  • Studio Atmosphere: Recorded for their debut album Against the Grain, the band was operating on a shoestring budget. They were using their own independent label, Music World Creations (MWC), at the time.
  • The “French” Connection: To cement their status in the Quebec market, the band actually recorded a French-language version of the hit called “Bonsoir Catherine.”
  • Basement Origins: The song was composed in Dodson’s basement apartment near Bloor and King Street in Toronto.

Quick Facts: Sweet City Woman

Artist: The Stampeders
Release Date: May 1971
Album: Against the Grain (Retitled Sweet City Woman in the US)
Recorded At: Toronto Sound Studios (Toronto, Ontario)
Engineer: Terry Brown (who later became famous for producing Rush)
Songwriter: Rich Dodson
Key Instrument: Rented Banjo
Chart Success: #1 in Canada (4 weeks); #8 on US Billboard Hot 100

Further Reading