Canadian Thanksgiving gets its first great song thanks to Canadian turkey
Think Turkey™ / Pensez DindonMC, the marketing arm for Turkey Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council’s Turkey Primary Processing sector, has partnered with Canadian, JUNO nominated, jazz singer and songwriter Alex Bird to write and produce a new song that celebrates Thanksgiving - a holiday that, until now hasn’t had a dedicated tune in Canada.
Titled ‘The Sweetest Moments’ and written and performed by Bird, Ewen Farncombe and The Jazz Mavericks, the track captures that fall, Thanksgiving feeling, where the air is crisp, and you can almost hear the laughter of your favourite people around the table and smell the turkey roasting.
“Thanksgiving is one of the sweetest holidays, which is why we couldn’t believe it didn’t have a song,” said Bird. “When we set out to write a Thanksgiving song, we thought about the sounds, the sights, the smells, the faces, the turkey and really tried to encapsulate that in a tune.”
Think Turkey was so moved by the song it's featured in a new 30-second Thanksgiving ad that aired nationally Sept. 26 on broadcast TV, online video and social, inspiring Canadians to celebrate this year’s holiday with family, friends and a whole turkey on the table.
“Thanksgiving is one of the sweetest moments of the year and Alex and The Jazz Mavericks have beautifully channeled the spirit of the holiday,” said Darren Ference, Chair, Turkey Farmers of Canada. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to support incredible Canadian talent and hope the song becomes a Thanksgiving classic.”
Bird has been on the Canadian jazz scene for nearly four years, earning his first JUNO nomination in 2022 for his sophomore album, You Are the Light and the Way. His soft swinging voice and tremendous songwriting talent is pushing the boundaries of jazz and bringing it into the modern era. Bird and The Jazz Mavericks hope this new song reaches Canadians of all ages and inspires them to gather with loved ones and celebrate.
“After the last few years, a real Thanksgiving has felt like a long time coming, as Alex sings in his song,” said Jean-Michel Laurin, President & CEO, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council. “We hope The Sweetest Moments inspires Canadians to come together and celebrate again.”
In addition to the song, a new full length music video showcasing the making of the song was developed and released across both Bird’s and Think Turkey’s social channels.
Turkey lovers can also create their own Thanksgiving content leveraging the song sounds on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
“It means a lot that Think Turkey got behind us and wanted to put this song out there,” said Bird. “It was a natural collaboration! This song wouldn’t be possible without Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without turkey.”
“The Sweetest Moments” can be streamed on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and Bandcamp, and can be requested on any Canadian radio station.
Stay up to date with Think Turkey’s new Thanksgiving campaign and plan your Thanksgiving at ThinkTurkey.ca/Thanksgiving or by following Think Turkey’s Instagram channel @CanadianTurkey.