Thursday Open Thread ~ "In Concert" edition ~ Gordon Lightfoot

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Gordon Lightfoot is perhaps the most accomplished and well-known singer/songwriter to ever come out of Canada. He is internationally known for such monumental folk/pop/rock hits as "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Early Mornin' Rain", "Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" and many more. His songs have been covered by such music giants as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Glen Campbell and Don Williams. Lightfoot began his music career fronting a variety of rock n roll bands around Toronto while still in his teens.

In 1958, he relocated to Los Angeles where he found work writing jingles for TV commercials but returned to Toronto in 1962 where he rapidly became a fixture in the city's bugeoning folk music scene. He made his first records for a local Toronto label in 1963 but it wasn't until he signed a major record deal and released his first album in 1966 that he became widely known. In 1970, he scored his first top ten hit with "If You Could Read My Mind" beginning a decade of chart-topping albums and hit songs hightlighted by his #1 hit in 1974 with "Sundown".

After nearly 20 years of success, Lightfoot when into self-imposed semi-retirement in the late 1980s but reemerged in 1993 with the highly acclaimed album "Waiting For You". His 1998 album "Painter Passing Through" also drew high praise from critics and fans alike.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X33YyowZZxQ]

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Lookout's picture

I sing a couple of his pieces. Once heard him in concert. Good performance but no stories or chatter, just song to song...no insight into him as a result.

There are many other excellent Canadian songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and little known but great song writer Ian Tyson. I also sing pieces by all of them.

Finally getting back together with my music buddies and playing and singing a few again. Feels good to reclaim the music and fellowship.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout Northwest Passage and Barretts Privateers come to mind, but most of his songs were equally good. I guess with the sea shanty revival he was way ahead of his time.

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@Snode

thanks snode for posting!
god damned them all
wish I was in Sharabrooke now

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Thanks for putting up this OT!

Also of interest..

Zapatistas set to sail to Europe

https://chiapas-support.org/2021/04/19/7-zapatistas-will-set-sail-on-may...

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

Zapatistas set to sail to Europe

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

mereitorious if not great, though mostly all from the folk - folk rock tradition. Depending upon one's definition, yu can throw Buffy St Marie in there too (Born in Canada). There are some relly good performers of modern Canadian Indigenous music, though none come to mind immediately - they are worth looking for and listening to. There is still a small Acadian music scene there too.

The main thing I would toss into the mix, however, is Rush, definitely CAnadian and definitely worthy of a nod. A lot of innovations there.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

the problem was the magic carpet ride that Biden was asking his fellow Americans to join him on is
a journey whose trajectory is straight down, when nothing other than hope is holding it up.

Who believes in this crap?

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April Wine
Arcade Fire
unfortunately at any level, Loverboy LOL

all Canadian bands that made it big in the States

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@BORG_US_BORG

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@peachcreek Thankfully I don't think of them. LOL I did see them for "free" at Bumbershoot (Seattle music festival @ Labor Day weekend) one year. In my experience they were just as terrible as their hype.

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I haven't thought of Gordon in many years, but back in the day, he was one of my favorites.
So nice to bring back the memories.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Saw him in person in concert when I was in college back in the 1970s. His "If You Could Read My Mind" is all-time fav. I believe he was still performing up until the Covid pandemic hit in 2020.

Interesting though, for years I had one of the key lyrics wrong. I thought the last few lines referred to "the feelings that you had," but turns out instead the words were "the feelings that you lack." Big difference.

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travelerxxx's picture

Bob Dylan commented that whenever he listens to a Lightfoot song, he wants it to never end. I'm the same way ...as are millions of others.

Gordon's musicianship and his ability to put together musicians of a caliber as high, or higher, as himself has always been a hallmark of any Lightfoot recording or concert. I've yet to hear any mistake or clunker in any of his recordings or live shows. The tastefulness of his work is matched by the quality of his songwriting.

For those wanting to stay updated on Mr. Lightfoot, Valerie Magee (a fan who ended up being asked by Gordon to run his website) pretty much has everything Lightfoot-related at: Gordon Lightfoot and Folk Music - Concert Dates, CDs and more ...

Val has been doing this work for Gordon for at least 20 years that I know of. She's a musician in her own right, and covers others in a similar folk vein as Lightfoot. She also runs a mailing list (links at the site) that I've been subscribed to for around 25 years now. It's really good to get if you appreciate Lightfoot's music. Often other folkies are covered.

By the way, there's a new hour and a half documentary movie out about Gordon Lightfoot - "Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind." Released in the middle of 2020, so it didn't go to theaters. Val or any of the usual capitalist places have it. Reviews are very good.

Further, in 2017, a new biography "Lightfoot," by Nicholas Jennings was released. Reviews for this are also very good. Your favorite (or not) capitalist oligarch has it for sale.

I can't personally vouch for either the documentary or the book, but figured I'd pass along the info.

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