Album flashback

Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session [1988]

Following the release of their debut LP ‘Whites Off Earth Now!!’, Cowboy Junkies knew two things.

They wanted to continue with the single microphone recording technique of producer Peter Moore, and that they wanted to add more players to the proceedings.

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The core group of four - Margo Timmins (vocals), Michael Timmins (guitar), Peter Timmins (drums), and Alan Anton (bass) would more than double for the recording.

According to the definitive history book of the era - ‘Have Not Been The Same’ [Barclay/Jack/Schneider] - the rest of the players were assembled through some good old fashioned networking.

As a second guitar player, it was easy enough to add brother John Timmins to the roster. He recommended multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird - which would mark the beginning of his long relationship with the group.

Kim Deschamps (pedal steel) had met Michael while interviewing him for the CBC. Kim, in turn, recommended accordion maestro Jaro Czerwinec from Sudbury in northern Ontario.

On harmonica we have Steve Shearer, who parlayed attendance at the Junkies’ first gig into an occasional spot on stage.

The entourage gathered at Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity under the name ‘Timmins Family Singers’ with a cover story that they were recording Christmas music for a CBC special.

photo credit - Toronto Journey 416

With roughly twelve hours to record, the time pressure was on. The process of setting up the room and the musicians took half of this time. No doubt one of the pitfalls of the single microphone [with Margo’s vocals coming through her own PA in the room).

The plan was to start with the core four and then add musicians throughout the day once they had a part to play. Hence ‘Dreaming My Dreams With You’ and the famous cover of ‘Sweet Jane’ were completed first.

Sweet Jane - peaked #72, 1989

Perfection. Nothing I could write could enhance the experience. Put on your headphones, close your eyes - you’re in the pews.

The band had carefully chosen some excellent songs to cover, such as ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ and ‘Walking After Midnight’ - which showed the influence that traditional country was having on them at the time.

More impressive to me is Margo and Michael’s growth as writers here. Where ‘Whites’ only had one original, this record was half M+M Timmins songs. And they stand up on their own.

Witness the fragile beauty of the second single - ‘Misguided Angel’. The voices, Czerwinec’s accordion, and Bird’s harmonica are moving. Oh, and done in one take.

Misguided Angel - peaked #24, 1989

The moment around 3:35 when Margo’s vocal changes pitch knocks me out every time. And the brilliant use of space and silence as we close. Wow.

After recording was done, the band realized they’d missed a song. Wanting to include Margo’s a cappella version of ‘Mining For Gold’ as the opener.

Sometimes wrongly attributed to the Junkies, the song was adapted by Guelph songwriter James Gordon.

It’s a warning to gold miners everywhere, and apropos for the group, as the mining town of Timmins, Ontario was founded by the great-grandfather of the siblings.

Mining For Gold - did not chart

‘The Trinity Session’ was also subject to a 20th-anniversary project entitled ‘Trinity Revisited’, released in 2007.

The tunes were reimagined with help from Natalie Merchant, Ryan Adams, and Vic Chesnutt. A DVD accompanied the package with the performance and a documentary.

I’ll leave you with Natalie taking the lead on a Timmins original -‘To Love Is To Bury’.

To Love Is To Bury - Cowboy Junkies x Natalie Merchant

Do you have this album in your collection? What are your standout tracks or memories from the late 80s? Drop a comment!