(Burton wrote N.M.N. while Randy Bachman wrote No Sugar)
I had just turned 20 the Summer Mr. B was doing his "Story Tellers" tour. My buddy was working security the night of the concert, so I got to go backstage for 5 minutes after the concert and got to meet Mr. B and shake his hand. Stupid me didn't think I was going to meet him so I never took anything for him to sign.
The next night, a friend and I went to a small, local pub that had a Wing Night and we usually hung out and played pool. We'd just sat down and I looked over at the billiard area and my jaw dropped. Mr. B was there shooting pool with a couple of the guys from the band. To this day, I still have no idea how I summoned up the courage to walk over and say hello, but I did and he even recognized me from the night before. Because I'm such a dork and know a few things (like, he doesn't drink alcohol) I asked "Can I buy you a pop?" That was enough to get a laugh and a smile and we were asked if my friend and I wanted to join them.
What a night. I was trying my best NOT to be annoying (which, believe me - that's a switch for me!) but I was asking questions and Mr. B was being wonderfully entertaining telling stories, and jokes about the old days. The joke was on everybody else as NOBODY recognized him; a fact that Mr. B acknowledged was one of the things he loved about touring the smaller towns: if he wasn't on stage, unless you knew his face, he blended into the crowd.
Long story short, one of the tales he told that night was how he wrote "No Sugar Tonight".
(Stupid me again though - we'd taken my friends' car that night. Had we taken my Hornet, one of the BTO Q8's would have most certainly been in the car!)
Part two of the story is a hilarious episode of serendipity. Fast forward to (I'm going to guess) 2007 or 2008. I'd moved to Vancouver, but often came home to check on my mom. I had my Tiburon by this point. I'm somewhere between Kelowna, BC and Rock Creek (which is beautiful downtown nowhere). It's late by this point, it's dark, I'm tired and I'm bored with the few CD's I'd brought for the drive. So I turn on the radio. Because we're in the middle of nowhere, all I can get is the CBC. Since it's late.... what should happen to be on?? Randy's Vinyl Tap.... and it's a special night: He's re-telling the story of the Guess Who.
Righteous.
So I listen as he tells the tales of woe in regards to Quality Records fleecing them; being trapped in England with no money playing bars that didn't pay them; coming home broke and disheartened. Then, we got to the good stuff: Let's Go on the CBC, meeting Jack Richardson; Jack mortgaging his own house to pay for the Wheatfield Soul sessions..... These Eyes climbing the charts, Undun climbing the charts, Laughing climbing the charts, No Time, American Woman and on into how and why No Sugar Tonight and New Mother Nature even exists.
And then, he starts retelling the story of how he wrote No Sugar Tonight!!!!
I guess I was tired, and yeah, I'm an excitable sort but as he's retelling the story over the radio it transported me back to being a snotty-nosed 20-year old sitting on a bar stool, cue stick in hand listening intently to (what I would say) is one of Canada's Greatest Entertainers telling this story. It seems stupid now that I think about it but it felt like he was talking through the radio directly to me - like he knew I was listening.
Two instances I don't think I will ever forget. Great memories of some really good times.
Of course, there was the time I (sort of) met Michael Buble in an elevator and I asked "Who the hell are you?"
