Take Off, Eh!? Bob & Doug McKenzie Celebrate 44 3/4 Years of Hoser History with a New Complete and Remastered Collection
Great White North & Strange Brew 44 ¾ Anniversary
Out February 27 and Available to Pre-order Now
December 18, 2025
TORONTO, ON – The iconic creations of Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas – Bob & Doug McKenzie – are getting the beauty treatment they deserve with the ultimate celebration of their legacy. Great White North & Strange Brew (44 ¾ Anniversary) arrives February 27 via Anthem Records, available digitally and as 2 CD + Blu-ray or 2 LP + Blu-ray packages. The collections are available to pre-order and pre-save now HERE.
The collection unites the duo’s two landmark album releases and cult-classic film, works that have influenced Canadian culture for four decades, and comes loaded with bonus content for fans old and new. The packages include:
- Great White North (1981) and The Adventures Of Bob & Doug McKenzie In Strange Brew (1983) albums remastered and available together for the first time ever
- Their acclaimed and endlessly quotable 1983 film Strange Brew, on Blu-ray
- A brand-new karaoke version of “Twelve Days of Christmas,” with lyric sheet
- An “Are You A Hoser?” poster
- And a 28-page booklet packed
with rare archival photos and tributes.
Born from the comedic imaginations of Moranis and Thomas, Bob & Doug McKenzie became a pop culture force in the early ’80s thanks to their SCTV sketches and their debut comedy album Great White North. The record achieved triple-platinum status in Canada and sold over one million copies worldwide, propelled by the hit single “Take Off,” featuring Geddy Lee of Rush. The track climbed to No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped earn the brothers a JUNO Award for Comedy Album of the Year.
Their influence only grew with the release of their film Strange Brew in 1983 – a story of conspiracy, beer and absurdity, which Moranis and Thomas wrote and directed in addition to their starring roles. The film is considered one of the best Canadian comedy movies of all time. The soundtrack earned the duo a second JUNO Award for Best Comedy Album.
Decades later, Bob & Doug remain woven into Canadian culture, inspiring generations of unapologetic hosers at home and around the world.
“I was 11 years old when Anthem released ‘Great White North.’ I was a MASSIVE Bob & Doug McKenzie Fan, and a MASSIVE Rush Fan,” says Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies. “The record could not have been more perfect for me. I poured over every image on the jacket and inner sleeve. I must have listened to it a hundred times. To this day, I can run long portions of the sketches the same way Monty Python Heads rattle off their routines from memory. This was seminal stuff for me!”
“Bob & Doug are completely immortalized within my circle, to the point where we’ve all adopted the true Canadian way of talking out of the side of our mouths when discussing anything Canadian. Bob & Doug for Prime Ministers!” says Bryan Adams.
Actor Paul Rudd adds: “Growing up, SCTV was appointment television and when Bob & Doug McKenzie came on, it was an extra serotonin blast. Not just hilarious but educational too. Before them I had no idea what back bacon was. Or a hoser. Or a tuque. When the song ‘Take Off!’ came out (with the legend Geddy Lee? What?!), my brain couldn't handle it. The marriage of those elements made no sense to me, and yet it felt like the universe was rewarding us. Now that with this new release of ‘Great White North’ it's clear the universe isn't entirely finished rewarding us even though it probably should be.”
NHL great Mark Messier summed it up simply: “Coupla hosers re-releasing their albums. Good luck, eh.”
ABOUT ANTHEM MUSIC:
Anthem Music Group is one of the world’s leading independent music companies. Comprising award-winning organizations, Anthem Music Group is home to Anthem Music Publishing and Anthem Records. Headquartered in Toronto, with operations in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles, Anthem supports and invests in the careers and works of songwriters and artists, and the creation of exceptional music for recording artists and audio-visual productions. Anthem’s unique approach combines the resources, power, and reach of a major with the agility, entrepreneurism, and soul of an independent.
www.anthem.music
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