Seldom has giving to charity been so much fun as when you fire up a special fundraising CD put out by Toronto firefighters that has already raised close to $20,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation.
The Burning Love CD, which was actually released in 2005, is comprised entirely of 15 instantly recognizable fire-themed classics that all burned up the charts in their day such as Light My Fire, Burning Down the House and Smoke on the Water, just to name a few.
The idea was sparked by Chris Burrell, who not only grew up in Scarborough, but now also serves as a firefighter in Scarborough at Station 234.
He plays several instruments, including drums and keyboards on the hot CD, which he also produced, recorded and mixed.
As well, there is even a “live” touring version, going under the name of Firesound, which also raises money for charity, and is usually joined by some of the fire department’s calendar guys.
Their next gig is at the prestigious Oakville Waterfront Festival Sunday, June 24.
After graduating West Hill Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Burrell went on to complete his music degree at the University of Toronto.
He started out as a professional musician, but conceded “the music business is a pretty tough way to make a buck unless you get lucky and stuff.
“My dad was a firefighter so I always had an interest in doing that,” he said, adding that he has been a firefighter now for 17 years, starting with the now-amalgamated old Scarborough fire department.
Fortunately for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, however, the musically inclined firefighter has put his rather abundant musical skills to work for a good cause, helping to generate a surprisingly good party CD.
It works so well because the arrangements are close enough to the originals to retain the instant familiarity we all know and love about these songs.
Such an approach might not work for aspiring or proven artists who need to put their own artistic spin on covers, but it absolutely works for firefighters trying to raise money for a good cause.
You may buy this CD for charity, but you’ll keep playing it because it’s good, and because it’s good fun.
The only drawback is that in this world of instant gratification, you have to go the somewhat time consuming, old-fashioned route to score one, ordering from a Vancouver-based company that sells fire fighting equipment over the Internet. The good news is that aside from the $2.50 shipping fee, this company has graciously allowed the entire $20 cost of the CD to go to charity.
Buy it online at www.firehall.com.
“One hundred per cent of the money ($20) goes to muscular dystrophy except for the $2.50 shipping and handling that we have to charge,” Burrell reiterated.
For more info on the actual CD and on the live band’s touring schedule, visit www.firesound.ca.
