BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Sabres' playoff run is bringing back memories of a famous 1975 song, "We're Gonna Win That Cup," and inspiring calls for a modern remake.
Buffalo's Tommy Calandra wrote the original song in 1975, featuring vocals by Buffalo singer Donna McDaniel, who is now a national performer.
"Favorite part of the song? Besides, 'We're gonna win that cup'? probably the 'yeah', I think that's the most catchy," Mike Calanda, son of the songwriter, said
Tommy Calandra died in 1998, but his son, Mike Calandra, met me outside the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo, where he brought along an original 45-record of the song.
WATCH: 'Me and the Buffalo Sabres, yeah, yeah yeah': Flashback to famous playoff song
"We've had this, obviously, in the house for a while. So hopefully, hopefully it comes true," Mike Calandra said.
Mike said his dad had an ear for music like no other.
"He would wake up at like 3 a.m. and have a lyric, and he'd have to jot it down on paper," Mike Calandra said.
And through the years, the song was updated by Calandra for other past playoff seasons.
"It was kind of cool to see him do that, and how excited he would get as they would play the games," Mike Calandra said.
When asked what his dad would say standing outside the arena knowing the team is in the playoffs, Mike Calandra said he would probably have so many "goose bumps."
In 1999, well-known local singer Maria Sebastian belted out a new rendition of the famous Buffalo hit.
"What do you remember about that time in 99?” Buckley asked.
"Surprisingly, very little," Sebastian said. "I walked in, they had the lyrics there, and I had realized that I had to study some of those names, because I was not familiar with how to pronounce them. And they paid me and I left. It was very short, and it's funny, because people treated it like it was the best thing I had ever done."
Sebastian remembers the excitement in town during the mid-70s playoff run. She recently played the chorus at 42 North with one of her duo partners, Matt Pasanic.
"Everywhere I went, people wanted to hear it, so I would just play the chorus. In fact, even last week or two ago, I played at 42 North with one of my duo partners and Matt Pasanic, and he started strumming in, so you know, people were kind of bobbing their heads and we were joking about it," Sebastian said.
The song continues to resonate with fans and the Calandra family.
"When people see me, or they know my dad wrote it, they're like, they start singing it," Mike Calandra said.
Mike tells me he is now sharing his dad's song with his son and daughter. Recently, his 14-year-old son, a Sabres fan, heard his grandfather's original song on the radio while in the car.
"And he had never heard it live. And I was like, down. I'm like, they're playing grandpa's song," Mike Calandra said.
Both Sebastian and Mike Calandra said it is time for somebody to remake the song amid the current Sabres excitement.
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