Closing Ceremonies - Calgary Olympics 1988

[coolrunnings414]

I have a video of the 1988 Calgary closing ceremonies, the ABC version. The commentary and some of the perfomances were so corny and cheesy that we created a drinking game to go along with watching the video. Never had so much fun before, and I'm not even a drinker!

[danielleaimeegrant]

Dear Nhwxtracker, Do you happen to have the same song "Can't you feel it" from the Opening Ceremony of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. I would love to see it as I was in the Coca Cola World Chorus (from Australia) for the Opening Ceremony.  They used a different group of singers for the closing. Cheers, Danielle

[nhwxtracker]

@danielleaimeegrant I do not have that part of it. I remember it well tho.

[lostintimeline]

so beautiful and nostalgic man those were the days now its all about THE VOICE lol

[Platini1945]

It brings a universal happiness and inspirations that is so much needed today in the world

[kolozeroza]

Best Olympics song ever, and best winter games I remember, shame that Yugoslavians started kiling eachother 2 years afterwards...

[Daan892]

Is it just me or this song (with its instrumental counterpart, Winter Games) is most appreciated and most popular olympics theme song ever?

[Platini1945]

@Daan892

Yes, I agree!

[tribefan24]

These Olympics and this song in particular will always have a special place in my heart. These were the first Olympics I can remember and started my love affair with the Olympic Games.

[Herb615]

Calgary 1988 was the best!!

[MyVideoStop]

@Herb615 The Vancouver Olympics was better.

[Herb615]

GO Montreal 1976!!

GO Calgary 1988!!

GO Vancouver 2010!!

Please go for Toronot 2020 or 2024 IOC

[robdmhaze]

@Herb615 exactally, toronot lol toronto will NOT get them toronot lol

[Herb615]

@robdmhaze

Toronto's getting the games in 2020 or 2024 or 2028!!

[robdmhaze]

@Herb615 well they are tying to get them they might or might not, no guarantee they will, calgary took 30 years same with vancouver was about 35 years they tried

[Herb615]

@robdmhaze

GO TORONTO 2020!!

[JimmySand9]

@Herb615 Well, being an American I'm a bit split on that. On one hand, a Toronto games would keep the games out of the US for at least another 12 years. But on the other hand, Toronto completely got the shaft for 2008, and a Canadian Olympics would only be 1,000,000,000,000 times better than, say, an Qatari Olympics.

[Herb615]

@JimmySand9

Well hopefully Toronto will get it soon

[TheYlona78]

@Herb615

No way!

[Herb615]

@TheYlona78

Toronto will get it soon. I think Toronto will go for the commonwealth games first

[403yyc]

Yikes!

[somegalfromcan]

The guy at 00:28 looks a lot like Russian figure skater Viktor Petrenko - any chance it was him?

[aric2007]

Calgary 1988: Can't you feel it? The spirit surrounds you!

Vancouver 2010: I believe in the power that comes from a world brought together as one...!

Good job, Canada!

[SpeedStackRuleBoy]

back then they have no sence of fashion

[ColinBobbyDartford]

What

the

fuck?

[Whoozinga]

I was 16 for this, I thought it was so high tech then,lol. I remember the torch relay (thru my hometown) that year too, we were only in highschool. How time flies!

[HARjomaxHAR]

Look at the tool at 0:28-0:36 ROFLMFAO!!!!

[shadedmuse]

Lets bring the 2018 Winter games back to Calgary for the 30th anniversary of the 88 games and feel it.

[pao1233]

@shadedmuse sorry calgary is not in the bid

[amunre5]

@shadedmuse Calgary tried for 2010 and no word yet on if they will try again, but there is intrest in quebec city hosting for the 2022 games. maybe calgary will try for 2026 games instead.

[bradhig]

Anyone have the parade of flags in this closing ceremony and the one for Albert ville 1992 winter olympics? Is there anywhere to get that song online? The last olympics of the ABC era sadly afterword NBC ruined everything olympic. Calgary 1988 reminds when I first saw a certain US female speedskaters who used to cause trouble in the 500m log track event.

[bradhig]

long track I mean.

[jmpvfb007]

hahaha omg so corny. thats the 80's for you hahaha

[rapjaddseo]

You want to see every game on live from the comfort of your home ? watch them here

watch?v=0mqgQliWK1I

[Rous1an]

I remember that cried during this moment in 1988 then I was 10 years old. It were fine games and excellent result for USSR

[okpapereat]

USSR is the best that s why they had excellent results. Im more into USSR hockey then our canadian hockey so exciting to see so structured and highly skilled.

[dejar44]

@okpapereat

right.. and it had nothing to with the fact the USSR was sending their Pro's (oh, I'm sorry - technically amatuers cause they were in the "Army") and other hockey nations were sending guys that couldn't cut it in the ECHL???

If USSR / Russia is the best, then how come they have no Gold Medals since the tournament allowed all nations to send thier Pro's in 1998?? (FYI - Canada has won 2/4 of the Gold Medals since then)

[okpapereat]

@dejar44 Well as a candian who watches hockey, any kind of hockey i like to watch, i seen a few KHL games and they do have good players there skilled alike the NHL. I think other Canadians dont see this often that they think we are the best at hockey which is a big misconseptions. Now about russians not winning any gold medals in olympics, well i think its because of the fall of the USSR they that means that they could not use other former soviet states hockey players.

[dejar44]

@okpapereat

yes.. its because of the fall of the USSR.. because Latvia and Belarus are massive hockey powers now.. so much lost talent there..

Russia's team was stacked with talent this year.. That didn't stop Canada from bitch slapping them in the Qtr finals..

[okpapereat]

@dejar44 And yes the Olympics back then sent ECHL players but how do you explain the @ss wooping of the NHL all stars? Had team canada's pros in 72 till the last minuit?

[dejar44]

@okpapereat

I'm sorry - you are bringing up 72?? I thought Canada won Series.. I must be mistaken..

[okpapereat]

@dejar44 No you have not mistaken, Canada won but how long did it took canada's professional to win the deciding point was in game 8 54 seconds left to make the decision whos on who will win, and of course canada did but to tell you the truth Canada was out worked. And nowadays canadas professional cannot compare to russians professionals, look at Datsyuk, Kovelchuk, Ovechkin, Semin, Malkin!!!! When was the last time Canada produced players like those?

[okpapereat]

@dejar44 And all seriousness here, dont even compare Jonathan Toews with me please he is overated, doesnt even have a hundred point season yet.

[dejar44]

@okpapereat

how about every year?? Ever watch the world Jr's??? Canada tends to win Gold in that tournament.. In clusters of 5 years in a row.

The hardware doesn't lie: 02 Olympic Gold, 10 Olympic Gold, plus all the Canada Cups / World Cup Championships..

Oh - and last time I checked, weren't all those Russian players you mentioned on the team that got their ass kicked 7-3 by Canada???

also - you lost all credibility saying Toews is over rated.

[okpapereat]

@dejar44 Well i think Toews is overated, you see no 100 point seasons yet. And can we not talk about the past, i know the past is past russian did not do well in the world juniors the past 5 yrs cause canada keep beating them and you cannot change the past. What were focusing on is right now in the NHL, who can top Ovechkin. Well to do that i will name Canadian players from the 04 draft and give you the statistics

[dejar44]

@okpapereat

Right.. Toews is over rated.. He's only put in a Conn Smythe worthy performance in the playoffs this year (most likely en route to a Stanley Cup win). Lest we forget he was arguably the best player during the Olympic tournament.. (quote from Mike Babcock during the Olympics when asked who he thought who was the best player on the ice - "whoever was playing with Jonathan Toews")

[dejar44]

@okpapereat

As for comparing stats from the 04 draft - you are seriously reaching dude. Do you have any other meaningless stats you would like to pull up? How about players that were born on a tuesday in March? I bet Russia rules in that category..

[dejar44]

As for Crosby vs Ove: Ove is certainly one of the most gifted players of all time, but I think the hardware count says it all.. The rest of the stats are just window dressing. In the end people will remember:

Stanley Cups

Crosby 1

Ove 0

Gold Medals

Crosby 1

[okpapereat]

@dejar44 So your saying the stats dont matter or how well the players preformed, are you saying they dont remember that after all crosby got a cup and ovie dont? So if Ray Bourque never win a stanley cup, in the end people will remember the stanley cup winners more?

[theglowpt4]

calgary '88 > vancouver '10

winter games > I believe

[LaurenAnyone]

Aww I think they're both equal! Canadians unite! :)

In 20 years we'll all look back at Vancouver and think how amazing that was too.

[bluewoman1981]

Greetings from Poland! I hope visiting Canada some day...

[bluewoman1981]

I wonder, why there are so many positive comments from Polish people about this song :-) I was a child during Calgary's Olympic Games, but I still remember this song and so wonderful spirit of opening/closing ceremony...it was so spontaneous and...friendly :-) I love Calgary '88 :-)

[bluewoman1981]

O rany! Aż się łezka w oku kręcie :-) Miałam 7 lat a wciąż pamiętam tą piosenkę i to, jak ludzie świetnie się przy niej bawili...nigdy więcej czegoś takiego nie widziałam...

[BattleCatX]

Was that Ben Stiller singing? LOL

[Vomittunen]

Ale mi było smutno, jak się zakończyła ta olimpiada. Już nigdy później tak nie przeżywałem...

[DoBe0001]

This is the first time the Athletes walked out together as one...instead of with their country. It's now a standard at all games. Ah, Calgary...the last games before money and corporate really took over.

[raskolnikow1977]

Pamiętam doskonale...Afera Morawieckiego...Załamała mnie...a naprawdę świetnie grali..

[Tschennnnie]

What is the deal with all the Polish comments anyway?

[cthulhurulez1]

What is the deal with all the English comments anyway?

[danoTOdano]

Tak swietna piosenka :) druga tak samo dobra dla mnie jest hand in hand tez z 88 tylko chyba z Seulu

[leszekkolodziej]

Miałem wtedy 8 lat gdy oglądałem tą olimpiadę w tv a teraz mam to niesamowite szczęście mieszkać w Calgary i przechodząc koło stadionu olimpijskiego nie raz mi się łza kręci w oku - szkoda tylko że skocznia narciarska jest zaniedbana ale wioska olimpijska do dziś funkcjonuje i w każdy weekend można spotkać tu mnóstwo ludzi którzy spędzają tu wolny czas ....

[wykitantus]

Nareszczie ja znalazlem. Pamietam ta piosenke. Przez te igrzyska nie puscili wtedy "różowej serii' ha ha ha ha.

[compris79]

Tak! Miałem wtedy niespełna 9 lat! Zapamiętałem tą piosenkę! Zgadzam się - to były takie fajne igrzyska! Nawet maskotki - dwa miśki polarne. Potem jeszcze Seul jesienią tego samego roku - znów fajna piosenka. A kilka ostatnich igrzysk? Zapamiętaliście ich "oficjalne piosenki"? Ich wydumane "oficjalne maskotki"? Próbują dorównać tym z Calgary - ale tylko próbują.

[PMDNAZAWSZE]

a ja myślałem, że to tylko mi tak odbiło na punkcie tej piosenki i tamtej całej atmosfery. Nigdy później nie było lepszej piosenki związanej z igrzyskami. Wpadła wtedy w ucho i już nie wypadnie hehe Miałem10lat ehh ;)

[gelixon]

@PMDNAZAWSZE  nie wylogowałem się z ziomka konta a powinno być z tego hehe

rozkojarzyła mnie ta nuta

[Pit2x]

Ahhh te wspomnienia!!! Miałem 10 lat i pamiętam Olimpiadę w Calgary dzięki tej piosence :D Zawsze mi się będzie kojarzyć z najfajniejszą i najbardziej luźną Zimową Olimpiadą.

[garycalgary]

i wasn't here at the time but I was 18 and found it just amazing

[zonabexa]

Super! Miałam wtedy 6 lat i ciągle pamietam tę piosenkę :) Aż się łezka w oku zakręciła gdy ją znów usłyszałam :) Dzięki za umieszczenie jej! Pozdrawiam z Polski!

[mareks30]

czesc tez pamietam warta usłyszenia jest tez piosenka z seulu z 1988 -pozdrawiam

[zepter00]

The best olimpic song ever and what a great ceremony!! I was only 8 and i didin't know English but i remember it untill today It was so wanderful, so powerful and... uhm... friendly.

[zepter00]

Canada is great country. Brother of my grandfather who was solider in WWII and who fought in the battle of Monte Cassino... after the war he could not return to comunistic Poland. He lived in Canada in Vancuover. "Danger Bay" was my favorite TV seris when I was young. It's wanderful that the next winter olimpics will be in Vancouver. Sorry for my bad english and regards from Poland :-)

[zonabexa]

to pisz po polsku :)

[zepter00]

piszę do obywateli świata nie tylko do Polaków .

[lookingfortalent2007]

your English is much better than most American's Polish,,,,,,wonderful

[zonabexa]

I was 6 and still remember :) W, Poland

[manolisvarnassinger]

i was 11 years old and this video brings so many memories.i watched this on the tv on a hotel i was staying with my parents in a greek island and i loved so much the song and the whole show,

the 80s rocked in music in movies and in the olympic games.david foster was and he still is one of the best artists ever.

[mylesag2]

Does anybody have a clip from this same Closing showing the Albertville 1992 mascot, the Chamois?

[redzi078]

coś pięknego miałem wtedy 10 lat thanks

[ScandiaBrodcasting]

the singers are horrible...

[BandMomForever]

The singers are not superstars or professionals. They are amateurs - In the true spirit of the Olympics. Cut some slak. You couldn't do better.

[MaccaTree]

I lol'd

[dzihadmen]

Miałem wtedy 9 lat ,była to moja pierwsza impreza sportowa,którą śledziłem w telewizji z wypiekami na policzkach.Jak ten czas leci,ach łezka kręci się w oku .....pozdrawiam Polska

[wencastmac]

OMG what MEMORIES! Wow! This was my first introduction to David Foster. Now, 21 years later, I'm a huge fan. Thanks for posting this!

[Mariechen13]

Oh my god, I loved these songs sooo much. Great to hear them again! :D

[ermijo]

1`06`` <--- very nice voice of Anna Beaumont ;)

[CanuckJonny]

I was a volunteer during these Winter Olympics, and one of those flickering candles in the stands is mine, as they let all the volunteers who could attend be in the stands. What a simply wonderful time. I never felt so proud a Canadian and Calgarian as at that moment. I have the entire opening and closing ceremonies on tape (yes, Betamax!). Thanks for posting this.

[aspirepixel]

awesome!... that David Foster song still gives me goosebumps.. hehe.. biggest 80's cheese = ~ 1:08

[mccarthy155]

haha i want that snow suit. Damnit!

[p1listener]

hahaha wow SO 80's LOVE IT

[la2stl]

Where can I get a pair of those pants? I found this several years ago while digging through my parents old vhs tapes. My favorite part is when they all jump at 2:06.

One of the good things in this video that we saw in the '80's but never see anymore is the mascots taking part in the ceremony. I wonder why that is.

[parrotheadd]

I know that guy at the very end waving his little flag!.., thats Shluba Kapusta from Guelph.., must have been the first ever shluba-dance

[leebob86]

...this is some fucked up shit.

[focus9111]

FANTASTIC THEME SONG! I watched summerstock downtown this year and they played this song before and after the show. What a great way of representing Calgary. Thank you so much for sharing this video!! any way to get a copy of the song?

THANKS AGAIN! gave me goosebumps

[ARandomCanadian]

I remember that song

[fagocista1980]

OMG!! I remember too... 20 years ago...

[nobase]

the singers were horrible

[lookingfortalent2007]

i don't think you've felt it yet?

[JPPT1974]

I used to have this on tape in the 80's. I drove my sister and her future husband crazy playing this over and over again!

[jakebarlor]

Does anyone have a copy of the Opening Ceremonies for these Olympics? I danced in them and my parents only have in on Beta. If anyone does have one knows where I can find on please let me know. Thanks!! :)

[russelelane]

Hi Jake, I'd like someone to post the 88 O.C. too. You guys were awsesome. I want to see/ hear the Canadian national anthem as they performed it again. Depending on where your parents live, there should be a video reproduction business that could take the beta recording and transfer it to DVD. Otherwise check on the net for places that do it via mail.

[tpmm1]

Strawberries 'n' cream singing Winter Games?

I never knew there were lyrics to it.

I didn't miss too much... ;)

[Mrgyn]

This is god awful.

[lechfack]

anyone knows the other Calgary-1988-song "Come together in Calgary"? Who was the singer? I can't find it on the net.

[orhidea]

it sends shivers down my spine....

Calgary- beautiful, emotional, unforgetable

the best Winter Olimpics I've ever seen so far

Calgary 88- thank you, merci, danke, dziękuję

ps. has someone got the lyrics to the song?

[MichaelTheTerrible]

Is that Hodori skating on 2:29? How cute!

[JPPT1974]

Yep as the Seoul summer games got invited to Calgary. Hodori is one of my favorite mascots, if not my all-time one!

[imagineer10]

Video Calibration when the retarded girl comes on camera :D Anyways EXCELLENT! I can play this on piano.

[memon0]

pamietam oglądałem;)

[nadineeeC3]

i know heidi and howdy! no seriously i know who actually was like in the costumes hahah..

[heidispokes]

maybe the commentators should have shut up, but the singing was pretty g*dawful so it's no big loss if you ask me..

[ghostgrabber]

this is only the 2nd time i've heard the words to this

[tone143]

love this as an instrumental,but these singers irritate the crap outta me!

[USAGiant]

Wow. This is the last Olympics that Legendary US sportscaster Jim McKay hosted for ABC.

[sharonshay]

I am so glad I found this! I had this on VHS and used to watch it over...and over...and over....I lost the tape and am tickled to find the clip on youtube....thank you for putting here!

[benjaminrowley78]

I can not believe that it will be 20 years since the Calgary Olympics this Febuary

[erikfloan]

Just too bad that Soviet and DDR took the most of the medals during the Calgary Olympics :( Can't wait for Vancouver in 2010! :)

[fabtasticfoo]

I was 10 years old in 1988. I've heard Winter Games many times since then, but only the orchestral version. Watching this 20 years later was amazing because those cheesy lyrics were still buried in the back of my brain somewhere.

CTV did an atrocious job with the coverage, though. How about not talking over the singing? It makes me sad that they won the broadcast rights for 2010, as I know CBC would have done a way better job.

[benjaminrowley78]

This was ABC not CTV in the video that why they where showing the American Athlets

[fabtasticfoo]

You're so right. I stand corrected.

[Zeyev]

Yes, it's embarrassing as an American to realize that the idiots just couldn't SHUT UP and let the performers perform. Hélas!

[aric2007]

Canada gets the Winter Games again in Vancouver, BC 2010.

[erikfloan]

I look forward to that. Hours infront of the TV =D

[UltMitSinner78]

That was a terrible song.

[simonjjn]

I love "Winter Games" and nice to see it in its original context at Calgary. The little dance by the German guy before and after he sings (third line) is priceless!! I would love to see the song performed at the Opening Ceremony (without words).

[erikfloan]

So he's German? I though he was French =P

[terjesagen]

German Guy?

I think that he's from the french speaking part of Canada.

Anyway..

His performance is priceless.

[erikfloan]

Quite cool =)

[Raversnuffy]

I love those outfits! The 80s were so awesome. They really knew how to use techno fabrics.

[aatox]

Hahahaha! What a song... And what a performance!

[thumper514s]

Go look up Zionsville Royalaires+Can't You Feel It and watch :)

[kirarei12]

Shut up, honestly...

Learn how to spell- can't even get the city you're so concerned is being 'put to shame' right. Get a life. It's a good song.

[aidsgz]

what the hell???

[CalgaryFolkFest]

Is that Luba??

[bgdrewsif]

this is beyond terrible... I cringed while watching this... To think I was only in kindergarten in '88... I dont remember the world being this awfully lame...

[Kalgarysuck]

I hope Rednecked Calgary ever host another Olympics game. The city is a shit hole full of racist people.

[Kalgarysuck]

The worst Olympics I ever seem.

[MHIoscar]

is 1988!!!!!!!!! offcourse.. this does not compare to BEIJING 2008 or Athens 2004..

[Mawbotch]

However they were and are 16 and 20 years (respectively) farther along the olympic line than calgary. Also you can't compare the 1980's to much, as it was its own time...

[thugie1]

I'm not feelin' it, though sadly I want to.

[queerstud]

Listening to this brings back such powerful memories of watching the Calgary games on tv. I have worn out the VHS recordings of the games, and especially the opening and closing ceremonies. The music was great. I have never been to Calgary but I am determined to get there some day.

[sainters7]

Next time Im at karaokee Im gonna sing that exact song, and do the same hand motions too.

[hihihi3322]

this was one of the gayest things ive ever seen

[Macaholic]

It's the Olympics, ya idiot. It is what it is, which must always be a homogenized "up wth everything!" type of format, designed to appeal to the widest audience possible. Again, IT'S THE OLYMPICS. Get it?? What would you expect? Greenday?

[lookingfortalent2007]

the girl who sings " though i can sing" is HOT!

[jonniah]

Where to buy this song?

[VIPER1097]

eventhough i wasn't born yet to see the calgary olympics, i've gone to the COP before, and even there you can feel the "magic" in a sense of the olympic games. it makes you want to go back in time, see it live. hopefully i can see that in 2010. go CANADA go!

[rockies77]

It was quite a show, wasn't it? I was there, and still live, in Calgary. A few firsts came out from those Winter Olympics. Anyway, that was then, and Vancouver 2010 is coming.

[benjaminrowley78]

Bring on Vancouver 2010

[zetmac]

I just discovered today that Youtube... I will not go sleep tonight. I hope that this olimpic song will never disappear from the net !?? I will listen to it till my laptop will burn :P

[diskkkkko]

WHAT A CACK! the third guy to sing is amazing. i'm obsessed.. even the "Video Calibration" is a nice touch.

[theheckler]

Hey, I have this taped too! Oh the memories! They made us sing this in elementary school too along with a bunch of other olympic songs. Oh those were the days.

[Tominger]

Nice video!! Calgary 88 really must have been nice Funny 80ies Coats ;-)

[julius923]

A little rough singing in the beginning, but still a great video Thanks for sharing this video!

[themedpark]

FYI - these are the "Coke Cola Singers" - I think 4 of the singers won an international competition from Coke Cola to perform at the Olympics. If memory serves me correct, winners from from Italy and France.

The majority of the singers were Canadian.