Gordon Lightfoot

Subject: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Amergin
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:18 PM

I grew up listening to this man's music as my mom had almost all his albums....and I still love it...He is coming to Portland, Oregon next month and so I am taking her with me. I can't wait. Anyone see his shows recently? Is the magic as good or better than his records?

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Capo da Monty
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 06:25 PM

Had me worried there for a minute. Thought something had happened to the great man.
I'm in UK and as he hasn't toured here for about 27 years can't say what the current performance is like, particularly after his serious illness a few years ago.
However just to be in the presence of greatness would do it for me!
Hope you an your mom enjoy it Amergin. Wish I could be there.
Post again to let us know how it goes.

CdM

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Nick E
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 06:28 PM

The daughter of a co-worker of mine saw him last year and said, while he his past his prime, the voice a bit worse the wear and tear, he was still a definite thumbs up of a show, after all how many living legends do you get a chance to see? Have fun!

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Peace
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 06:29 PM

He will do a great show.

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: open mike
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 07:17 PM

there have been several tribute albums...
one put together by Borealis records.
one by a portland area musician, Tom May.
wonder if he will be there..

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: vlmagee
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 07:46 PM

Tom May will not be there, much to his chagrin. He had a gig scheduled and although he tried to change it he could not. He did get to see Lightfoot last year in Vancouver.

Speaking of Tom May, he and David Rea (lead guitar on Lightfoot's first album) are doing a Lightfoot tribute show at the newly developed Timberline Lodge Ampitheatre at Mt. Hood on Tuesday, August 21st, from 3-5PM, just a few days before the Lightfoot concert. Tom and David will be joined by the bassmeister, Donnie Wright.

This tribute will consist of songs from throughout Lightfoot's long career. If you have heard the album Lightfoot!, David's guitar riffs will be instantly recognizable. There's a tantalizing sample of that on the OPR video on Tom's home page at tommayfolk.com, or you can click here (the short sample of For Lovin' Me is at about 3 minutes into the clip).

Speaking of Tom May, he and Dick Weissman just had a book published. It's called, "Promoting Your Music: The Lovin' of the Game", and it is full of information on every aspect of the music business, from two men who know it well. It also features interviews with a number of others including Gordon Lightfoot.

As far as Lightfoot shows are concerned, I am what is known as a "Lighthead": a devoted fan, and one who sees more than one concert a year even if travel is involved. (Of course any fan is a Lighthead as far as I am concerned). I have lost count of how many shows I have seen, the most recent being last November at Massey Hall in Toronto. My husband even made the trip.

Lightfoot not only survived a serious aneurism back in 2002, but he suffered a TIA (transient, usually minor, stroke) last Fall which left him unable to use several fingers on his picking hand. Believe it or not, that didn't stop him, and with his able band the shows continued. As of early this year, he had recovered completely from that. The man is amazing. As has already been said here, you don't want to miss the chance to see someone like him play live.

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: vlmagee
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 07:47 PM

PS: I have a Lightfoot fan site at gordonlightfoot.com.

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Beer
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 09:31 PM

Canada Post has done something recently that is very much appreciated by a fan of Lightfoot, Ann Murray and Joni Mitchell. And I guess Paul Anka deserves it as well. Beautiful stamps. Thank you Canada Post for doing something right.

Check it out.
http://www.shopcanadapost.ca/

Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Ron Davies
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 09:39 PM

I saw him-- last year, I'm pretty sure-- at Wolf Trap. The place was stuffed to the gills----and he gave us a great show---lots of music from various parts of his long career. Didn't say much--let his music do that, by and large--but what he did say was delightful.

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Beer
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 09:42 PM

Best Canadian song ever written: "Canadian Railroad Trilogy".

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 09:49 PM

Oh, I dunno, Beer. I kinda like "Northwest Passage" too. I have, somewhere, the LP with CRT on it. It's a great song, one of my favorites.

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 10:00 PM

I'm somewhat partial to "Bud the Spud" ...

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,jay
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 10:12 PM

Bud The Spud, Stompin' Tom Connors.

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Beer
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 10:13 PM

Rapaire, I knew the comment would get some reaction. Northwest Passage is a great song, that I will agree with. But I still think in a historical and geographical sense Lightfoot's song comes first.

Myself! I think I mentioned to you before that Mum use to babysit Stompin Tom. I think I did .

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 11:32 PM

I don't think you mentioned that to me - I would've remembered! Was that during his Skinner's Pond years?

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Beer
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 08:51 AM

This would have been prior to 54 as we moved from Palmer Road, DeBloise Corner (Sp.)to N.S. that year.

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 09:58 AM

Okay - Skinner's Pond doesn't seem to have made the Google maps
, but "Stompin' Tom Road", Palmer Road, and DeBlois Road are all in fairly close proximity: Stompin' Tom Road and Palmer Road are west of Tignish, DeBlois Road is southwest of Tignish, and merges with Palmer Road.

Did your mother have any anecdotes about young Tom?

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: SharonA
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 10:58 AM

'Scuse me, Beer and GUESTmeself, but this thread is about Gordon Lightfoot. Please cease and desist from hijacking the thread!

If you want to talk about Stompin' Tom Connors, please start a new thread, preferably with his name in the title. I'm sure that other Connors fans would be happy to join in your discussion, but they'd never think to look under "Gordon Lightfoot" for it.

Thank you!!

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 01:16 PM

Oh my, Beer - speaking of mothers and babysitters and times gone by, I do believe we've just been given a good, old-fashioned scolding. And what's worse, our sinister plot to hijack the thread has been exposed (Curses! Foiled again!).


I'm sure Beer will join me in expressing our heartfelt apologies to all those who have been inconvenienced, incensed, offended, traumatized, bothered, perplexed, vexed, distressed, distracted, dismayed, discombobulated, discommoded, or otherwise annoyed by our recent thread drift I mean hijacking.


(You're welcome!!)

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 02:02 PM

Hi, Amergin, howarya? Make sure you tell us about it!

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Beer
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 11:28 PM

Hi meself. Tried to p/m you but then realized you aren't registered. That's the pits. Yes I have a few stories that Mum left with me but I guess I can't or will respect what Sharon said. Ah fuc........it, she said he was a little Bast.......... Bugger.
Sharon, your right. High-jacking is not a proper thing to do. But what have you contributed to the LIGHTFOOT THREAD?   Lightfot is the main reason I got into folk and I will always stand by him no matter what. What have you to say about this great singer song writer?
Beer (adrien)

P.S. Meself and I may get side tracked but were not stupid enough to high jack a thread. We have been on this site long enough to know better and would have gotten Right back into discussing this number one Canadian

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 12:51 AM

Oh, all right, Meself and Beer, maybe "hijacked" was a bit too strong a word, but when the conversation turned so quickly from answering Amergin's request for Lightfoot concert stories to Beer's request for Stompin' Tom babysitting stories, I thought it was time for someone to say, "Whoa, let's get back on track here."

What have I to say about Gordon Lightfoot? Well, I absolutely agree that he is a Great singer/songwriter (the capital G is intentional!), I love his songs and have learned to play several of them, and I highly respect and admire his talent and his fortitude. But I hadn't contributed information to this particular thread because I don't have any information that pertains to Amergin's question. I came here to read what others have to say about Lightfoot's recent shows.

I have seen him in concert only once, and that was back in 1993. It was in a theater in Valley Forge, PA (USA) that was a sort of colosseum with a rotating stage. The advantage was that no one was sitting too far away from him, but the disadvantage was that half the time you were looking at his back. Of course he put on a fine performance -- very smooth, very laid-back, very charming -- but I don't think he made as much of a connection with the audience as he might have were it not for the moving stage! That venue has since closed down.

This thread has prompted me to look up his tour schedule, and alas I see that he was already in the area earlier this year. I'll have to wait and hope he makes it back here again someday... when I have a job that will allow me to afford those ticket prices!!!

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 02:21 AM

Whoops, excuse me, it was GUESTmeself who was asking Beer for Stompin' Tom babysitting stories, not the other way 'round. After the short geography lesson. :^)

Back to our regularly scheduled thread... Amergin, please do let us know your impressions of the concert. Hope you and your mother have a wonderful time!

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 11:44 AM

Okay, SharonA - so, now, what do you have to say about Stompin' Tom?

(running and ducking for cover; swerving to avoid the wooden spoon ... )

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: GUEST,Bernie
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 12:58 PM

Saw him in New Brunswick just a month or two ago....his voice was a little thin an tentative starting out,had to "jump" at the high notes occasionally where he used to sustain them,but got stronger as he went along...after a short 40 minute opening set,he came back for about an hour and ten and tore right through one great song after another....no one thought he'd attempt the Railroad trilogy,but he nailed it and had the crowd on their feet all through the last verse...he was very gracious with fans and occasional "yahoos"[which wasn't always the case in years past]....considering the close call he had,he's come back remarkably well....his band,especially Rick Haynes and Terry Clements,are superb,playing and looking as happy as twenty-year-olds....superb,professional,and classy,all of them...

Subject: RE: Gordon Lightfoot
From: Beer
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 01:17 PM

Bernie, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Much appreciated.