Dianne Joy’s arrangements and performances of songs written by other artists are drawn from many genres, eras and musical styles.

Christmas Island is an Australian 'island territory' in the Indian Ocean, located directly south of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also the name of a community in Nova Scotia. The song, “Christmas Island,” refers to the former. It was was written by Lyle Moraine and originally recorded in 1946 by The Andrews Sisters with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. It has also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald (1960), Leon Redbone (1988) and Jimmy Buffett (1996), among others.

Herman Hupfeld wrote “As Time Goes By” for the Broadway musical, "Everybody's Welcome." It was first recorded in 1931 by Rudy Vallée, and became famous in the 1942 movie, "Casablanca," sung by Sam, portrayed by Dooly Wilson. Due to the 1942-44 musicians’ strike, Wilson was unable to record the song, so RCA Victor reissued the Rudy Vallée recording, which became a #1 hit, 11 years after its initial release. Wilson's version, re-released in 1977, reached #15 in the UK. For years, it was the signature song of Warner Bros., used with their logo at the beginning of films. It was also the title and theme song of the 1990s British comedy series, "As Time Goes By," starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer.

“Spooky Scary Skeletons” was The Bear’s pick for my Halloween song this year, and he had lots of fun doing the video production. The song was written in 1966 by Andrew Gold, an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and music producer. His single, “Lonely Boy," was a Top 10 hit in the U.S., and his song, "Thank You for Being a Friend,” was known by millions as The Golden Girls theme song. In addition to his solo career, he was a band member for many artists, including Linda Rondstadt from 1973-77. 

John Prine wrote and sang humorous lyrics about love and life, as well as serious songs with social commentary. He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. Following his death in 2020 at age 73, his family established the Hello in There Foundation “to offer support for people who are marginalized, discriminated against or, for any reason, are otherwise forgotten.” This week, tribute concerts and events are taking place at John’s favourite spots in Nashville, as the basis for two documentaries. “In a Town This Size” was written by Kieran Kane and recorded in 1999 as a duet by John Prine and Dolores Keane. 

Blue Rodeo was formed over 35 years ago by high school friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. The band has released 16 albums, with over four million copies sold. They have received many Juno Awards and been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The band has received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, been named to the Order of Canada and received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. “Head Over Heels” was released on their 1995 studio album, Five Days in July. 

“Autumn Leaves” originated in 1945 as a French poem, “Les Feuilles Mortes,” written by poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert, who collaborated with Joseph Kosma to set the poem to music. In 1950, Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics. More than a thousand commercial recordings have been made of the song, in both vocal and instrumental versions, by prominent artists in Europe and North America. 

No one knows who wrote the American folk song, “Wayfaring Stranger,” but the first publication was in 1858. Countless recordings have been made, with the first in 1929 on Victor Records by the male quartet, Vaughn’s Texas Quartet. The song came into the spotlight in the 1940s as the title of Burl Ives’ radio program and his autobiography. Countless artists have recorded it, including Paul Robeson, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Eva Cassidy and Rhiannon Giddens.

From his first hit in 1960 with “Only the Lonely,” Roy Orbison  became recognized as having one of the finest voices in music history. Dwight Yoakam described Orbison’s voice as otherworldly, "like the cry of an angel falling backward through an open window." Bob Dylan said, "With Roy, you didn't know if you were listening to mariachi or opera. He sounded like he was singing from an Olympian mountaintop. He sang his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff … always leave you muttering, 'Man, I don’t believe it.'"

Hank Williams once described “Your Cheatin’ Heart” as the “best heart song” he ever wrote. He recorded it shortly before his death on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Hank Williams left a profound music legacy, confirmed by the Pulitzer Prize Board, which awarded him a posthumous special citation in 2010 for his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life".

“This Little Light of Mine” was originally written by Harry Dixon Loes around 1920 as a children’s song. During the 1950s/60s Civil Rights Movement, Zilphia Horton adapted the song and taught it to Pete Seeger, who added verses. It is famously tied to Civil Rights leader, Fannie Lou Hamer. While being detained by police on her way back from attempting to register to vote with other members of her community, she began singing this song.

In 1984, Sassoon Industries sponsored Elton John’s 40-city tour of the US. They launched a $5-million advertising campaign for Sassoon jeans with a re-cut version of the “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” video. It ended with Elton singing the tag line “Sassoon says so much.” (Roy Orbison also did a “Sassoon Woman” commercial of “Pretty Woman.”) Elton John went on to appear in commercials for Diet Coke, Royal Mail, Cadbury and Uber Eats. Also, the Sad Songs video is one of the few times where Elton is shown both with and without his trademark glasses.

“When You Wish Upon a Star” is sung by Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) in Walt Disney’s 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. Written by Leigh Harline (music) and Ned Washington (lyrics), the song has become the Disney anthem, played alongside the company logo before a film. You’ll hear it everywhere in Disney theme parks and the first seven notes are the horn signal for Disney Cruise Line ships. In 2009, the Library of Congress deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and preserved it in the National Recording Registry.

Sade Adu is a Nigerian-born British singer, songwriter and actress with a remarkable smooth jazz sound. I became a fan of hers in 1984 with the release of her best-selling album, Diamond Life. This song, “The Sweetest Gift,” first appeared on her 2000 album, Lovers Rock. The song is a lullaby, asking the moon to watch over a sleeping infant. On her subsequent live album, Sade dedicates the song to her child, who was born in 1996.

“Farewell to Nova Scotia” is a traditional folk song and anthem for Nova Scotia. It was written before or during WWI, possibly inspired by the poem, A Soldier's Adieu, by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill. The song was first collected by Canadian folklorist, Helen Creighton. It became widely popular in 1964 when Catherine McKinnon sang it as the theme song for the Halifax-based CBC TV program, Singalong Jubilee.

Jimmy Dickens went to his friend, Hank Williams Sr., for advice on how to become a star. Hank told Jimmy he’d need a hit song and wrote “Hey Good Lookin’” for him. It only took Hank 20 minutes to write the song - maybe because it has the same title as a song Cole Porter wrote a decade earlier, along with some of the same lyrics and similar melody and rhythm. Jimmy’s recording didn’t go anywhere, but Hank’s 1951 release of the same song was a huge hit. In 2001, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.