One of Rob Ford’s former staffers has recorded an EP based on his experiences in the disgraced Toronto mayor’s offices. Brendan Croskerry worked with Broken Social Scene producer Dave Newfeld to complete Live From City Hall, which he has released as a free download.
“As most of you know between 2013 and 2014, I had the opportunity to work as a Special Assistant to Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford,” Croskerry wrote. “It was a very … interesting time.” Croskerry was indeed hired by Ford in 2013, shortly before a mass exodus of many of the official’s advisors. A long-time musician who had been working in advertising, Croskerry said at the time that he was “really … happy” to be joining the mayor’s staff. “The main reason I took the job was that it was a great opportunity to learn about politics,” he told the National Post at the time. “[The job is] a lot of different things. I’m not going to go into specifics but it’s like whatever … You do whatever …”
His experience has now been reinterpreted into songs with titles like Ghetto Gold and Megacity. To announce the EP, Croskerry released a video composed of behind-the-scenes footage from November 2013, minutes after Toronto city council stripped Ford of most of his official powers. The clip shows Ford in his office, listening to and entertaining a cheerful child singer. “Happiness is anyone and anything at all that’s loved by you!” the little boy sings, before asking Ford, “Feel better?” “I feel amazing!” Ford says. “Can I keep [your] CD?” Ford also advises the kid, “the higher you go up in life, the more jealous [people] get”.
Live From City Hall is only the latest of Croskerry’s releases: the singer-songwriter has one album and several EPs available on iTunes. According to Exclaim, a further collection of “non-Ford-themed songs” is expected next year.
After admitting to drug and alcohol abuse earlier this year, Ford revealed in September that he had been diagnosed with an abdominal tumour. Although he subsequently dropped out of the Toronto mayoral race, he was re-elected to his council seat. Ford’s brother, Doug, lost his bid to become the city’s new mayor: John Tory will officially take the post on 1 December.
