The Americans (commentary)

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"The Americans" is a legendary commentary by Canadian broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. Originally written for a regular broadcast on CFRB radio in Toronto on June 5, 1973, it became a media and public phenomenon, replayed several times a day by some United States radio stations, released as a hit audio recording in several forms, credited by Ronald Reagan for giving comfort to the United States when it needed a friend, and widely rediscovered and redisseminated as the United States faced new crises in the 2000s.

On June 5, Sinclair discussed some stories from the day's news. Widespread heavy tornado damage afflicted the U.S. midwest. The Mississippi River was in flood. The American Red Cross faced an imminent threat of insolvency. And the United States dollar reached very low levels, something Sinclair, an inveterate market watcher, was keenly aware of.

"The Americans" was not, as widely reported later, an angry response to countries that were criticizing the American failure in the Vietnam War. Sinclair pointed out that when many countries faced economic crises or natural disasters, Americans were among the most generous people in the world at offering assistance, but when America faced a crisis, it often faced that crisis alone.

His editorial became a phenomenon on American radio, and was even released on record in several forms, with all profits going to the American Red Cross. Sinclair's version went to #23 on the US record charts, making the 73-year-old the oldest living person ever to have a Billboard US Top 40 hit. Ironically, a version recorded by CKLW reporter Byron MacGregor was an even bigger seller in America, making it all the way up to Number Four in Billboard. In Canada, Sinclair's version peaked at #30, topping McGregor's recording which stalled at #42.

MacGregor's recording came about because the station asked for the copy of the commentary and received a written transcript instead of a recording. So MacGregor recorded Sinclair's commentary, and after CKLW received many requests for it, a record was released by Westbound Records.

Country singer Tex Ritter also released a version of the track, which was issued just weeks after his death in January 1974. Ritter's version of "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)" made it to #90 nationally in the US, and #35 on the country charts. It was the last chart hit of Ritter's career.

In 1981, when Ronald Reagan made his first state visit to Canada, he praised Sinclair as a figure who had given the United States a wonderful and inspiring tribute in one of its darkest hours.

"The Americans" was widely revived on the Internet, on radio and in newspapers in 2001, following the September 11, 2001 attacks, and again in 2005 in the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, despite the large International aid delivered. Some revivals of the message incorrectly stated that it was newly written as a direct response to the recent crises; in this question of its authorship alone, the address has become a part of urban legend.

[edit] Controversy

Snopes.com, in their article on "The Americans", makes this unattributed accusation: "A radio broadcaster in the Windsor/Detroit area named Byron MacGregor recorded and released an unauthorized version of the piece which hit the record stores before Sinclair's official version; an infringement suit was avoided when MacGregor agreed to donate his profits to the Red Cross as well."

However, this is refuted by an article on the front page of The Classic CKLW Page, which states in part:

Don't believe everything you read on Snopes.com. Although Byron MacGregor is, sadly, no longer with us, his wife Jo-Jo Shutty-MacGregor (whom you may recall from her days in the Big 8 traffic helicopter as the "First Female Helicopter Traffic/News Reporter in the US/Canada"; or, you may have heard her more recently, doing news, sports, weather and yes, still doing traffic reports for the AAA Michigan Broadcast News Network), wants to set the record straight. Here is what Jo-Jo has to say:

The "Americans" is a recording (a LEGALLY PRODUCED PIECE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY) that has stood the test of time...it has had a long legal life of its own...starting off as a single 45, then an album, an 8-track, a cassette, a CD....and the proceeds continue to help out the American Red Cross!!...especially after 9-11 and after Hurricane Katrina.

You'll note that I've already used the word LEGAL twice...as opposed to what ends up on the INTERNET and people read and THINK is the GOSPEL TRUTH.

Does anyone really think that Westbound Records, CKLW and Byron recorded this legendary, flag-waving patriotic piece (that sold 3 1/2 million copies in 1974 and that had Byron donating all the proceeds at that time which were over $100,000) WITHOUT an agreement with Gordon Sinclair!!??

I'm sure both Gordon & Byron are "fit to be tied" up there...seeing that there's any confusion or un-truths being spread down here on such a remarkable piece of work.

A bit further down on the same page, a letter is reprinted that was authored by former CKLW newscaster Grant Hudson and sent to snopes.com. An excerpt from that letter also refutes the snopes.com allegations:

I was just made aware of your article on Byron MacGregor and his recording of Gordon Sinclair's radio commentary that became titled "The Americans." As a person who had some minor part in the event, I can state without hesitation that MacGregor's recording was not, as you describe it, "unauthorized." I am totally unaware of any lawsuit being threatened by Mr. Sinclair and discussions regarding permission to record his work were held prior to the record's release. Mind you, this all happened in a matter of days. When Westbound Records approached Mr. Sinclair, his concern was that someone was going to make money from a patriotic piece. The result was all royalties going to the American Red Cross as a stipulation of the license.

However, snopes.com is supported in their claim by the Canadian Communications Foundation, whose overview of "The Americans" reads,

As they were finalizing a contract that would see all royalties which would normally be due Gordon Sinclair be paid (at his request) to the American Red Cross, word was received that an unauthorized record, using Sinclair's script but read by another broadcaster, was already flooding the US market. (Subsequently, on learning that this broadcaster had agreed to turn over his royalties to the Red Cross, no legal action was taken).

Sinclair's recording of his own work (to which Avco had added a stirring rendition of THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC) did finally reach record stores, and sold hundreds of thousands of copies, but the potential numbers were depressed by the sale of the infringing record. Other record producers and performers (including Tex Ritter) obtained legal permission to make their own versions.