Gordon Lightfoot and Folk Music

Edmund Fitzgerald Welcome to my Gordon Lightfoot fan site. Most of this web site is devoted to singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, but my love of Lightfoot's music led me to discover many other wonderful folk musicians. One of them, Bob Gibson, influenced Lightfoot's 12 string guitar playing and the song structure for one of his most famous songs, Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Another, singer/songwriter Steve Gillette, wrote a song (Darcy Farrow) that Lightfoot performed very early in his career. All of these folk musicians write and play music that I enjoy, and that I think you will enjoy too. See the list at the right for quick links to articles about them. Latest additions: IMAX Movie about the Great Lakes Uses Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Recording, Bob Gibson, Gibson & Camp CD Reissues, A new instructional DVD teaches how to play the songs of Gordon Lightfoot, Shakin' All Over DVD, Gordon Lightfoot Sheet Music, Steve Goodman Biography, Pride Of Man, Lightfoot on DVD. Gordon Lightfoot At Amazon Songbook Gordon Lightfoot Buy now! Complete Greatest Hits Gordon Lightfoot Sale! Archive and Spotlights: Songbook Boxed Set, Lightfoot Tribute CD, Download Buck Henry/Gordon Lightfoot SNL episode!, The "Final Four", Download Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald MP3, Download If You Could Read My Mind MP3, Latest CD: Harmony. Other Artists Bob Gibson Steve Goodman Cathy Cowette Tom May Hamilton Camp Michael Jerling Steve Gillette Cindy Mangsen Roger McGuinn Gordon Lightfoot News Gordon Lightfoot on CBC-TV's The Hour on May 6 April 24, 2008 - Timed perfectly for his four night Massey stand beginning the next night, Gordon Lightfoot will appear on CBC's The Hour on Tuesday, May 6th, at 11:00 pm. He will be interviewed by The Hour's host, George Stroumboulopoulos. The interview is available here. Mysteries of the Great Lakes IMAX film uses Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Recording This new IMAX film makes effective use of the haunting sounds of Lightfoot's great song to help tell the story of the Great Lakes. It is rare that Lightfoot gives permission for the use of this recording, so this is definitely a notable event! With openings in Canada and the U.S. throughout May, the Friday, May 9 opening in Toronto is very timely for Lightfoot fans in town for the Massey Hall concerts. Visit the film web site Mysteries of the Great Lakes for more information and for the schedule of theater openings. Toronto Massey Hall Concerts Coming Up Next Week! April 30, 2008 - As all of you already know, the ritual "Massey Hall Concerts" are coming up next week. Dating back to 1967, these concerts have been a fixture on the Toronto music schedule, with concerts every 12 or 18 months. Like many other Lightfoot fans, I will be attending the Friday and Saturday concerts, and will be reporting on them. Concerts run from Wednesday, May 7th through Saturday, May 10th. Check back here for additional notes. May 9 set list. May 10 set list. Reviews to come ... Great shows! For ongoing updates on Lightfoot's tour schedule, check back here. Or, if you aren't on my mailing list yet, this might be a good time to sign up. The announced concerts in 2008 are shown below. 2008 Tour Resumes March 27 March 10, 2008 - The Southeast tour in February is complete, and we can now look forward to the next leg of the tour: the nine concerts in the midwest in late March and early April (Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio and Indiana). The schedule continues with nine in the midwest in late March and early April (Michigan, Illinois (2), Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio (2) and Indiana), eight in Ontario, Canada in late April and early May, and 10 on the US East coast and midwest in June (Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania (4), Virginia, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey). Seven additional northeast and midwest concerts are now scheduled in September (New York, Massachusetts (2), Ohio, Michigan (2) and Illinois), and four concerts are listed for October in California; my guess is that a few more concerts will be announced for the fall, in the midwest and perhaps California, and there could always be an additional date or two elsewhere so be sure to sign up for my mailing list. New dates since my last newsletter are June 10 in Toledo, OH, June 12 in Williamsport, PA, June 21 in University Park, PA (Penn State), June 22 in Erie, PA, September 24 in Cleveland, OH, September 26 in East Lansing, MI, September 27 in Kalamazoo, MI, September 28 in Joliet, IL and October 16 in Hanford, CA. If you don't have your tickets yet, what are you waiting for? December 31, 2007 - Amazon adds Warner MP3s! Amazon just signed an agreement with Warner to sell their music as MP3s. Up until this week, Amazon offered only non-Warner MP3 albums and songs. About half of the Warner Lightfoot albums have already been added, with more showing up daily. Some of the out of print albums are already available, like Waiting For You and A Painter Passing Through, so this becomes a good alternative to buying from a 3rd party seller or buying a much more expensive import. I have set up an Amazon "aStore" with my recommended Lightfoot products, including CDs and DVDs as well as MP3s. You can visit my store by clicking on this direct link to the MP3 page: Gordon Lightfoot MP3s, and click to other categories if you wish. Amazon MP3s have no rights management and can be played on any PC or MP3 player that can play MP3s. You can also burn the MP3s to a CD-R. A New Instructional DVD: Pete Huttinger Teaches the Songs of Gordon Lightfoot March 10, 2008 - OK, folks. If you don't play guitar and don't want to hear about it, skip this review. And, if you do play guitar, please understand that I am a beginner who has never progressed because I don't practice. Five times a year definitely does not work! However, thanks primarily to some very accomplished guitar playing friends, especially Cathy Cowette, I have a good deal of knowledge about guitar playing - at least in my head, if not in my fingers. I know and understand the terminology, and have mastered a few of the techniques, but can only play slowly. However, with this knowledge, I think I do know what to look for in a guitar instruction video that teaches how to play Lightfoot songs - and this video definitely has what should be there. And Pete Huttlinger, a National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion, composer, and arranger, is a great person to teach it. First, let me briefly comment on the song selection. All of my guitar playing friends had the same reaction I did: the song selection is definitely not what any of us would have chosen. After watching the video, I realized why. Pete has limited his selection to songs which were on Gord's Gold, an album that he specifically mentions as a personal favorite. Yes, it's a great album, but choosing only from that one album - and a somewhat odd selection from there - leaves most of us wanting more. Which, when you get down to it, is not a problem. It leaves Pete with a great opportunity. But there are many gems not on Gord's Gold, and it would have been nice to see one or two of them here. Of the songs he teaches, only Early Mornin' Rain and If You Could Read My Mind were obvious choices. Some of the others are songs almost nobody plays, but throwing them into the mix is a good thing. Steel Rail Blues and Bitter Green, in particular, are songs that I am delighted are on here, and someday I might tackle them. But, even if drawing only from Gord's Gold, I would like to have seen Song For A Winter's Night, Don Quixote, and Sundown at a minimum. And Pete should have waded beyond Gord's Gold to include Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the song Lightfoot considers his best (although there are a few other candidates for that honor, including Canadian Railroad Trilogy which would have taken half the video, so I can understand why Pete didn't chose that one). The format of the instrucion is excellent, and I assume it is a pattern he has followed in his prior instructional videos (including Jim Croce and John Denver songs). He plays a bit of the song, takes it apart and teaches fretting and right hand technique (but, perhaps revealingly, not for the strummed songs), plays the parts slowly at first and then brings the tempo up to normal. By using the terminology and illustrating visually, his lessons will work for anyone past rank beginner, up to a strong intermediate player. His comments on which fingers he uses for fretting various chords to allow for easy transitions to or from that chord provide useful input to even the more accomplished intermediate player. And there are other interesting techniques and parts he teaches that would be of interest to the advanced player who either doesn't have the ear or the time to figure out out exactly what is being played, or how to play a mixture of lead and rhythm simultaneously. An unexpected bonus is the inclusion of the lead guitar solos on several of the songs, and occasionally incorporating them so that one guitar player can get elements of the lead in addition to Gord's rhythm part. Pete does this on If You Could Read My Mind, playing Red Shea's lead part. This isn't something one expects to get on an instructional video! Very nice, indeed. From his casual comments throughout the video, I conclude that Pete has not attended many Lightfoot concerts; in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he never attended any. Again, don't get me wrong; I am not saying that the video is flawed as a result. It isn't. But he speculates about Gord's playing technique, and even what parts Gord plays, as no guitar player who has been to a concert would. Pete does, however, actually use his thumb to fret the D/F#, with a comment about how that technique is frowned on by classical players. Of course Gord, and just about every folk and folk rock guitarist from the 60s and 70s plays that way! And in speculating on whether Gord plays the 12 string part in the recording of Early Mornin' Rain, Pete reveals that he hasn't been struck by Gord's driving 12 string strumming, which is both powerful and instantly recognizable. But, Pete is a fingerstyle specialist, and that is where his teaching really shines. He covers Travis style picking, and the interesting pattern that Lightfoot has said he learned from his dentist (the pattern used in If You Could Read My Mind, as well as Beautiful and Softly which are not on the video). He also comments on his use of emphasis on certain beats of the picking pattern to highlight the melody; Lightfoot also uses it effectively to provide a driving beat behind the vocals. The key and tuning isn't always what would be expected. For some songs Pete plays in a different key from Gord, while with others he plays in the same key, which is unusual since one's vocal range generally dictates the key one chooses. And Early Mornin' Rain is normally played in dropped D tuning; Pete teaches it in standard tuning, perhaps to simplify it. He also plays Cold On The Shoulder without a capo; Gord plays it with the capo on the 3rd fret. Again, one can play the song in whatever key one wants, so this is just an observation not a criticism. This 2 hour DVD includes instruction for eight songs, from the easiest to the most difficult. The songs are: Early Mornin' Rain, Carefree Highway, Rainy Day People, Circle of Steel, Steel Rail Blues, Bitter Green, If You Could Read My Mind and Cold on the Shoulder. Standard tab notation, treble clef notation, and chord names and patterns are provided in the accompanying booklet. If you have always wanted to learn how to play these Lightfoot standards, but never learned how, this video is definitely for you; plus, you will learn some good playing techniques that you can use when you play other music. My links above (title and image) and here are to Sheet Music Plus, a good source for guitar instruction and sheet music. The DVD is also available from Amazon. November, 2007/January, 2008 - New DVD on Canadian Music Released in Canada Shakin' All Over: Canadian Pop Music in the 1960s, a documentary that initially aired on Canadian TV in January, 2006, was released on DVD in Canada on December 11, 2007. The two hour special captures the sounds of the decade, from the folk music of Ian and Sylvia, and the rhythm ’n’ blues of Ronnie Hawkins, to the many other legendary stars like Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who, Neil Young, Anne Murray, The Band, cult heroes like David Wiffen, The Collectors and Mashmakhan, and some of Canada’s brightest younger stars including Blue Rodeo, Barenaked Ladies and Sarah Harmer. The special is full of candid interviews with more than 60 iconic figures like Gordon Lightfoot (of course), Buffy Sainte-Marie and Bruce Cockburn, who offer illuminating stories about each other. The Lightfoot content includes interview segments plus clips of archival performances of "Canadian Railroad Trilogy," "Early Morning Rain" and "Did She Mention My Name." It also features a clip of Ron Sexsmith's cover of "If You Could Read My Mind." And, strewn throughout are mentions by other artists of Lightfoot's influence on them and on the emergence of Canadian music worldwide. In addition to the original two hour broadcast, the DVD has bonus interviews with several of the key artists, including a new interview with Lightfoot. Other bonus interviews are with Randy Bachman, Bruce Cockburn, Burton Cummings, Robbie Lane, Murray McLauchlan, Anne Murray, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Sylvia Tyson. The interviews are pieced together from what I assume were live interview sessions, and offer some interesting insights into the experiences and influences of each of these artists. Would you believe Lightfoot mentions Bruce Springsteen as a creative influence? Shakin' All Over is based on the book "Before the Gold Rush - Flashbacks to the Dawn of the Canadian Sound" (sadly out of print), by Nicholas Jennings, who also wrote the liner notes for two Lightfoot CD releases. Jennings has followed the Canadian music scene for decades, and his knowledge and insight probably make him the premier Canadian music historian. If you haven't read his wonderful biography of Lightfoot in the Songbook boxed set, you should do that. Along with the new book by Bob Mercereau (see the separate article), this DVD sheds new light on the history of Canadian music, while featuring some of her greatest musical talents. No word yet about a US release, but the DVD is available online for shipment worldwide from Amazon Canada. Gordon Lightfoot Tour Dates The most recently added dates are in bold type; past dates in gray. Note: On sale info is best available. Always check with venue too. Some concerts have an early sales period ("presale") for which you need a passcode to order early. When I have a presale passcode, you can get it by (re-)signing up for my mailing list. Just click on the link next to the concert listing. 2008 02/11 Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN 02/12 Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC 02/13 Tivoli Theatre, Chattanooga, TN 02/15 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA 02/16 Alabama Theatre, Birmingham, AL 02/17 RiverCenter, Columbus, GA 02/19 Curtis M Phillips Center for Performing Arts, Gainesville, FL 02/20 Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Orlando, FL 02/21 Tampa Theatre, Tampa, FL 02/23 Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce, FL 02/24 Marina Civic Center, Panama City, FL 03/27 Little River Casino, Manistee, MI 03/28 Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, IL 03/29 Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Onamia, MN 03/30 Fox Cities PAC, Appleton, WI 04/01 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines, IA 04/02 Peoria Civic Center Theater, Peoria, IL 04/03 Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH 04/04 Aronoff Center For The Arts, Cincinnati, OH 04/05 Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, IN 04/19-20 National Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON 05/02 Hamilton Place, Hamilton, ON 05/03 Centre in the Square, Kitchener, ON 05/07, 08, 09,10 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON 06/10 Stranahan Theater, Toledo, OH On sale now 06/11 Mountaineer Race Track & Resort, Chester, WV On sale now 06/12 Community Arts Center, Williamsport, PA On sale now 06/14 Filene Center At Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA On sale now 06/15 Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA On sale now 06/17 Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT On sale now 06/18 Proctor's Theatre, Schenectady, NY On sale now 06/19 The Community Theatre At Mayo Ctr., Morristown, NJ On sale now 06/21 Eisenhower Auditorium (Penn State), University Park, PA On sale now 06/22 Warner Theatre, Erie, PA On sale now 09/18 Performing Arts Center (SUNY), Purchase, NY On sale now 09/19 Sanders Theatre (Harvard), Cambridge, MA On sale now 09/20 Calvin Theater, Northampton, MA On sale now 09/24 Palace Theatre, Cleveland, OH 09/26 Wharton Center For Performing Arts, East Lansing, MI 09/27 James W. Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI 09/28 Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL 09/30 Victory Theatre, Evansville, IN 10/01 Fabulous Fox Theatre, Saint Louis, MO 10/03 Ameristar Casino KC - Star Pavilion, Kansas City, MO 10/04 Juanita K. Hammons Hall For The Perf. Arts, Springfield, MO 10/05 Robinson Center Music Hall, Little Rock, AR 10/16 Fox Theatre, Hanford, CA On sale now 10/17 Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Cerritos, CA 10/18 Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, CA On sale now 10/19 Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay, San Diego, CA On sale 3/29 10a *For Ontario concert details, click here (PDF, requires Acrobat Reader). Note: The information on US tour dates is from other online sources only, and should not be considered official. You should verify concert information with the venue, which may not yet have announced the concert. You can check his full concert schedule at Pollstar. Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John Record Cotton Jenny for Anne's Duets CD Nominated for a Juno as Album of the Year   Buy from Amazon.com May 29, 2007, updated January 24, 2008 - Anne Murray's Duets: Friends & Legends hit the US charts on January 21st, debuting at #42. She first hit the pop album chart in 1970 with Snowbird, which featured her top 10 single of the same name. Her highest-charting album was Let's Keep It That Way, in 1978, which reached #12 and included her #1 hit "You Needed Me." This album has been nominated for a Juno, the Canadian Grammy, for Album of the Year. The highlight for any Lightfoot fan will probably be her duet recording of Lightfoot's Cotton Jenny with Olivia Newton-John. The track was recorded at the Capitol Recording studio in Los Angeles, and was produced by Phil Ramone. Both Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John recorded a Lightfoot song early in their careers; Anne recorded Cotton Jenny and Olivia recorded If You Could Read My Mind, both released in 1971. The other artists, all female voices that Anne admires, include Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Nelly Furtado, Isabelle Boulay, k.d. lang, Celtic Woman, Carole King, Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, Jann Arden, Shelby Lynn, Sarah Brightman, Celine Dion, Amy Grant, Indigo Girls, Dusty Springfield and Anne's daughter, Dawn Langstroth. The duet of "I Just Fall In Love Again" used Dusty Springfield's original 1979 recording; Dusty passed away in 1999. Duets: Friends and Legends was released November 13th in Canada, and January 15th in the US. It is available from at Amazon.com, and my links above go there; Canadian residents may prefer to buy it from Amazon.ca using this link: Duets: Friends and Legends (from Canada). Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong: A Holiday Treat and a Lightfoot Song December 8, 2006 - Buy Online Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong: Canadian recording artist Sarah McLachlan's first Christmas album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Sarah has already garnered three Grammy Awards over the years. Wintersong jumped into the Billboard top 10 this week, entering at #7, and it has also already been certified gold by the RIAA for U.S. sales in excess of 500,000 units. Needless-to-say, perhaps, it is #1 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums Chart. The album is unusual for its genre, combining recordings of traditional Christmas songs like What Child Is This, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, and Silent Night, covers of more secular but seasonal songs by contemporary songwriters like John Lennon (Happy Xmas (War Is Over)), Joni Mitchell (River) and Gordon Lightfoot (Song For A Winter's Night) and a new original, the title track, Wintersong. Other tracks are American holiday standards I'll Be Home For Christmas, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and Christmas Time Is Here, and the album is completed by In the Bleak Mid Winter, and the medley The First Noel/Mary Mary. Sarah clearly has a fondness for the Lightfoot song, having recorded it in the early 90s and released it on her somewhat obscure album, Rarities, B-sides, and Other Stuff. With only the winter theme, and sleigh bells in the Lightfoot version, the song has nevertheless become a modern Christmas standard - even though it was written during a summer thunderstorm in Cleveland! Sarah recorded it and has sung it in concert appearances for more than a decade. Her first recording was featured on earlier holiday compilations and also on the soundtrack CD for the Miracle on 34th Street remake (although it did not appear in the movie, if I recall correctly). Now the song receives an even more more prominent placement as one of the highlights of Sarah's own holiday album (listen to clip here). New Johnny Cash CD with Lightfoot Song Reaches #1 on Billboard Charts May/July/October 2006 - A new CD by music legend Johnny Cash, recorded in the months preceding his death in 2003, includes a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind." The new CD hit #1 on on the Billboard charts, and topped the Country charts as well. "If You Could Read My Mind" was Lightfoot's first American charting single, and is one of the most covered songs in popular music history. Johnny Cash's recording joins earlier covers by Olivia Newton-John, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Don McLean, Petula Clark, Gene Clark, Glen Campbell, Stars on 54 (dance version), and a host of others. Lightfoot's recording of the song is available on many of his CDs including If You Could Read My Mind, Gord's Gold, and remastered on Complete Greatest Hits and Songbook (boxed set). The cuts on Gord's Gold and Complete Greatest Hits are based on the mix for the single, and have harmony vocals (also by Lightfoot). For more about the song itself, click If You Could Read My Mind. Buy Online The Cash recording is on the recently released American V: A Hundred Highways, produced by Rick Rubin and released by American Recordings through the Lost Highway label, on July 4. The new CD includes other songs by Hank Williams, Rod McKuen, Bruce Springsteen, Ian Tyson, and two Cash originals -- "Like the 309" (the last song Cash wrote) and "I Came to Believe." With both If You Could Read My Mind, by Lightfoot, and Four Strong Winds, by Tyson, this Cash CD is a salute to two gifted songwriters from our Northern neighbor Canada. Lightfoot's recording of "If You Could Read My Mind" first appeared on his first album for Warner Brothers, then titled Sit Down Young Stranger. When the album track of the song became a surprise hit, the record company released it as a single and the song rose to #5 on the Billboard Pop Chart. This was Lightfoot's first appearance on the US charts, having had several charting songs in his native Canada. For the single, the record company added harmony vocals, also sung by Lightfoot. Both the album version, without the harmony vocals, and the single version are available on CD today; the album version is on the Songbook boxed set as well as the original album (renamed to match the hit tune), and the single version is on both Gord's Gold and Complete Greatest Hits. See the links below to purchase any of these Lightfoot CDs; the Cash CD can ordered using the link above (album image or album title text). Buy Online Cash had previously recorded another Lightfoot song, For Lovin' Me, released in the 60s and currently available only on the comprehensive boxed set The Man In Black: 1963 - 1969. Also for the big Cash fan, a new biography was released just this fall: Johnny Cash: The Biography, by Michael Streissguth. Gordon Lightfoot on CD and DVD More info Buy Online More info Buy Online In 2005, Rhino reissued Gord's Gold, Lightfoot's 1975 Greatest Hits album. This CD was withdrawn in 2002, shortly after the release of Complete Greatest Hits. For those not familiar with the various "Greatest Hits" collections, Gord's Gold was released in 1975, and contains recordings taken from his early 1970s albums, plus new recordings of songs he originally wrote and recorded in the 1960s. The style is consistently "1970s Lightfoot", and many of the rerecordings have become fan favorites. Complete Greatest Hits was released in 2002. It is the only single CD collection that includes recordings from throughout his career, from those released on United Artists in 1966 through one song from his 1998 CD, A Painter Passing through. Each of these CDs, as well as Gord's Gold, Vol. 2 - with new (1988) recordings of 14 songs plus 4 from earlier albums - contains an important part of the Lightfoot legacy. More info Buy Online More info Buy Online In April 2000, Lightfoot recorded his only live concert DVD, Live In Reno. It contains 22 songs from a concert at the Pioneer Theater, scheduled specifically for the videotaping. Lightfoot performs most of his old standards, as well as many other songs from throughout his career. The DVD is a special treat for guitar players, as there are many wonderful shots of Lightfoot's hands as he is playing. And, finally, for the really devoted fan, there is the 4 CD boxed set Songbook, which contains original recordings from throughout his career (through 1998), plus 18 rare recordings, 16 of which were never released before. It's a treasure trove of Lightfoot, and includes a lovely little book with an excellent biography by Nicolas Jennings, and short comments on all the songs by Lightfoot himself. More info Buy Online For more about Lightfoot CDs and DVDs, visit the Albums and the Lightfoot on DVD pages at this web site. All of his CDs that are still in print, including his latest original CD Harmony (2004), are available at many web sites online including Amazon.com; if you use one of the image or text links here, I get coffee money. Mailing List E-mail Address Your name, first name first City State or Province Zip or Postal Code Country Check this box to receive all local interest mailings:  You must also have provided geographic info.   Actor, Singer/Songwriter Hamilton Camp Dies at 70 October, 2005 - I am extremely sad to report that Hamilton Camp died suddenly on October 2. I had only known him for 20 months, but I am proud to say that he was a good friend, and I am shattered by his death as are his family and his fans and friends from around the world. An accomplished character actor who was sought after by directors because of his reputation of being able to make a role, he appeared in numerous films, stage productions (including Broadway), television, and as a voice actor on animated films and video games. Some of his most notable TV roles were on the short lived He and She, in 1967, and in popular TV series including Mary Tyler Moore, Mash, Too Close for Comfort, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Although his primary career was as an actor - a choice he made because it wouldn't require constant travel away from his family - he also pursued a music career and wove it in and out of his life for 5 decades. He is best known as a member of the Gibson & Camp duo, whose 1961 album Live At The Gate Of Horn was acclaimed as one of the most influentual folk recordings of its time. He and Bob Gibson reunited periodically for more than 35 years, until Gibson's death in 1996, performing at special reunion shows and releasing two other albums together. It was Gibson's daugher, Meridian Green, who was thoughtful enough to think to call me as soon as she heard that Hamilton had died. Hamilton also released four solo albums, and one album with a group of friends known as the Skymonters. He had a minor hit in 1968 with Here's To You, which reached #76 on the top 100 chart, and his folk classic Pride Of Man was recorded by Quicksilver Messenger Service, which had a hit with it, and by Gordon Lightfoot and Tony Rice. More info Buy Online Just days before his death, he completed the artwork for his last CD. It has many new original songs, a new recording of Pride Of Man, and several covers including Dylan's Ring Them Bells (which Lightfoot also recorded). You know what they say about great minds! Camp's new original song, Long Train, is stunning, as is his musical interpretation of Yeats and Byron poetry (Celts/Go No More A Rovin'). Click on "More info", under the cover image, to hear clips and see the entire track listing. Sweet Joy is now available at his web site, along with several earlier CDs, both solo and with Bob Gibson. If you are interested in learning more about him, or wish to buy one of his CDs, please visit his web site at hamiltoncamp.com. I can't begin to say how much I will miss him. I looked forward to our frequent online chats. He was warm, compassionate, funny, clever ... I can't think of enough adjectives. He loved the sounds on Yahoo Messenger, and often had me in stitches when he inserted one into an otherwise serious discussion. He was passionate about everything he did, not only his dual professions, but also special projects that he took on including being the Treasurer (!) for a health relief non-profit that was caring for Tsunami victims. What was amazing was not that he was doing his part to help others, but that this talented musician and actor learned Quickbooks so he could do a job that had to be done. Somehow, I don't think accounting was one of his favorite things, nor something for which he had a special gift, but he did what was necessary to help out a worthy cause. I feel very privileged to have known him, and can be slightly comforted by the fact that he was doing what he enjoyed every day, and had the satisfaction of seeing his CD project to completion and just as he wanted it. And I have the satisfaction of knowing that late in the recording process, when he was discouraged about one of the songs because he couldn't get it the way he wanted it, I urged him to try again. He did, and this song is on the CD. I will miss him terribly. Martin Guitar Announces Second Roger McGuinn 7-String! Latest CD! Buy Online   April, 2007 - Forgive me for being slow on the uptake here, but Martin Guitar announced a new, more affordable 7-string guitar, the Roger McGuinn D-7 Signature Edition, back in January of this year. This guitar is based on the HD-7, a limited edition announced in early 2005 (see article just below). The D-7, also with the doubled G string, lists for $2999.00, about half of the original 7-string. To learn more about the new guitar, visit the Martin web site at D-7 Signature Edition. And, if you decide to buy one, let me know! February, 2005 - Martin Guitar has announced the Roger McGuinn Special Edition guitar, the HD-7, based on the HD-28V, a herringbone vintage Martin. But this is a really unique guitar because it is a 7-string; it's a 6 string guitar except that the G string is doubled, like on a 12-string guitar. Roger McGuinn, of course, is the founder of The Byrds, and has enjoyed a long, creative solo career as well. (For those of you who don't play guitar, a 6-string guitar has the strings (normally) tuned to E-A-D-G-B-E; a 12 has a pair for each "string"; both strings in the pair are tuned to the same note, but on the E through G pair, one string is lighter and is tuned an octave higher. On the HD-7, only the G string has an octave pair). The key to this guitar is that, with the doubled G string, one can play the trademark McGuinn "jingle-jangle" sound (think Tambourine Man or Turn, Turn, Turn), yet still have the flexibility of a 6 string; a "Swiss army knife" of guitars, as Roger calls it. Read the sidebar for Dick Boak's comments, and listen to this audio clip from a demo (captured on camcorder) that Roger gave at Martin for more about the guitar: (RealMedia clip). You can read the specs for this remarkable new guitar at the Martin web site using the direct link here, and read the article from the latest edition of their Sounding Board newsletter here (HTML format) or here (PDF format with additional images, Acrobat required). The Martin Guitar web site is at martinguitar.com. See the sidebar story at the left.   Buy Online Box: Sale price! Buy Online Buy Online Buy Online Folk Notes Judy Collins at Town Hall April, 2008 - On May 16, 2008 Judy Collins will be performing at NYC's venerable Town Hall. It's a venue for which I have a special affection, as I actually performed there as a 12 year-old ballerina! (Yes, that was many decades ago). Judy Collins was one of the handful of artists whose records I bought on 45s (remember those?). Both Sides Now, written by Joni Mitchell, has always been a favorite song of mine. I saw Judy in concert for the very first time a little over a year ago. I can say nothing less than that she is amazing! She is in her late 60s, doesn't look it, and still sings with the voice of an angel! My favorite songs from that show were the aforementioned Both Sides Now, Stephen Sondheim's Send In The Clowns (Judy's recording was a grammy winning song), Leonard Cohen's Suzanne, and Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans. I'm guessing that you will hear all of them too. Sadly, my schedule will not allow me to attend, but I thought I would pass the information on to you. Click here for the announcement from Town Hall, including ticket ordering information. If you go, I'd love to hear back from you about it. Bob Gibson, Gibson & Camp CD Reissues February, 2008 - The Bob Gibson Legacy Project under the loving care of Bob's daughter Meridian Green, has announced the upcoming release of a series of five CDs called The Living Legend Collection. The first CD, "Bob Gibson, The Living Legend Years" is now shipping. It is a compilation of tunes from four of Gibson's independent label releases. It also contains three never before released recordings, one of which is a Gibson & Camp recording. The other four CDs, to be released between March and June, are reissues of the independent label albums, originally released between 1974 and 1984. Homemade Music, the second of these, is a little known Gibson & Camp album which highlights not only Gibson's and Camp's own compositions, but those of Shel Silverstein, Steve Goodman and Michael Smith. Homemade Music will be available on April 16th. You can read more about the entire series on the news page at the Bob Gibson Legacy web site (Note: listen live to part 2 of an interview at 7pm March 11th). All Gibson & Camp CDs are available at both the Bob Gibson web site and the Hamilton Camp web site. The entire series, and Bob's other solo albums on CD, are available at the Bob Gibson site. All of the new CDs are available for pre-order now. Lightfoot connection: As many of you may know, Bob Gibson and the 1961 Gibson & Camp ground breaking album, At The Gate Of Horn, strongly influenced a generation of folk musicians not the least of whom were Gordon Lightfoot and Roger McGuinn. Both of these artists frequently talk about this influence on them. In an interview last week, about Lightfoot's upcoming concert in Chattanooga, TN, Lightfoot talks about Gibson at some length. You can actually listen to Lightfoot's comments in an audio clip in the article: Chattanooga Times articles (listen to the first of two clips). You will hear Lightfoot talk about how Civil War Trilogy, where the 3 parts were actually written by Camp and Shel Silverstein, Irving Gordon, and Gibson, respectively, influenced the song structure of his own epic Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Lightfoot has also credited Bob Gibson as a key influence of his own 12-string playing style, and he recorded Hamilton Camp's folk classic Pride Of Man on his first UA album, Lightfoot! I feel privileged to be the webmaster of both web sites, working with a member of the Camp family and with Meridian. Tom May Book August 19, 2007 - Tom May, a folk singer and songwriter who has opened for Lightfoot has written a fascinating book called Promoting Your Music: The Lovin' of the Game. The book features interviews with Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Manx, Eliza Gilkyson, and others. This is the definitive book for a songwriter wanting to make it in the music business. Unlike other books on the market, it contains important information on every aspect of the business, as well as interesting anecdotes from Tom and the people he interviewed. If you want to get your music published and heard, or if you are simply interested in how the music business works today, you will want to have this book. Also, Tom May and David Rea will be performing the second of two Lightfoot tributes in the Portland, OR area in a show called "A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot". This 2nd show will be at the newly developed Timberline Lodge Ampitheatre at Mt. Hood this Tuesday, August 21st, from 3-5PM. Tom and David will joined by the bassmeister, Donnie Wright. This tribute will consist of songs from throughout Lightfoot's long career. David Rea played guitar on Lightfoot's first album in 1965, featuring such great songs as "Ribbon of Darkness", "Early Morning Rain", and "The Long River". David's guitar riffs on the Lightfoot! album are instantly recognizable. Tom May opened for Lightfoot a number of times in the 70's, recorded "Shadows" on his most recent CD (listen to clip), and both David and Tom remain good friends with him, so who better to do a Lightfoot Tribute? If you are going to the Lightfoot show in Portland - or, if you are not - this free afternoon concert should be a treat for any Lightfoot fan. For a tantalizing look at what this show will be like, be sure to watch the video linked from Tom's home page, or just click here. You will see a clip of Tom and David playing For Lovin' Me about 3 minutes into the video; if you drag the slider to 3:03, you will just catch the intro riff by David. To learn more about the book, visit Tom's online store at Tom May's Store. For more about Tom and his career, visit his web site at tommayfolk.com. Steve Goodman Biography June 13, 2007 - Clay Eals, a Seattle writer and journalist, has written a thorough, thoughtful and insightful biography of singer/songwriter Steve Goodman, who died at only 36 from leukemia, a disease he battled throughout his entire recording career. Goodman, best known for his signature song "City of New Orleans", as well as "You Never Even Call Me by My Name," "Banana Republics," and "A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request", came out of the Chicago folk scene (as did Gibson & Camp and Roger McGuinn, among others). At last there is a book that recognizes his important musical contributions. The book, a labor of love over many years, is a massive 800 pages (over 4 lbs in weight!), and includes more than 500 photos, and a CD of tribute songs and interview clips. It features interviews with more than 1,050 sources, including Gordon Lightfoot, Arlo Guthrie (who wrote the Foreward), John Prine, Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffett, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman, Paul Anka, David Allan Coe, Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger, John Sebastian, Leo Kottke, and Goodman's high-school classmate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Lightfoot's recollections and the influence of his "train song" on Goodman's make interesting reading for Lightfoot fans. To learn more about the book, visit Clay's web site at clayeals.com. December, 2006 - Cathy Cowette: Songs For A Winter's Night: My best friend, Cathy Cowette, a very talented singer/guitar player, has just released her first CD. Of 13 tracks, six are Lightfoot songs: Song For A Winter's Night, Redwood Hill, If You Could Read My Mind, Home From The Forest, Ribbon of Darkness and Heaven Help The Devil. The others songs are by Jim Croce (These Dreams), Kate Wolf (Across The Great Divide), Eric Clapton (Tears In Heaven), Steve Goodman (City Of New Orleans), Dan Fogelberg (Leader Of The Band), and Davie Graham (Anji), plus there is one original instrumental called ... Toronto In May. That was written for the May, 2001 Lightfoot concert series, Cathy's first time there and my second. Many of you are already familiar with Cathy's music; if you are not, please listen to the clips on her web site at cathycowette.com. I think you will like what you hear. The CD was recorded at Grant Avenue Studios, in Hamilton, ON, by Bob Doidge and Amy King. There is a nice mixture of fingerpicking and strumming, and wonderful arrangements by the very talented Mr. Doidge, who also did the arrangements for two of the songs on Lightfoot's 2004 CD (and the recording of the entire album). Bob plays high-string guitar, bass, accordian, drums ... and sleigh bells ... September, 2007 - Saratoga Springs singer/songwriter Michael Jerling has just released a new CD, Crooked Path. It is his fifth CD, and like his others is full of beautiful music and creative lyrics. One of the songs on this CD, Why They Run The Race, is about racing at Saratoga - a subject dear to my heart! Michael will have his CD Release party at Caffè Lena this Saturday, September 8th, at 8:00 PM (details) ... followed by the City Of Saratoga Springs' July 4th Fireworks. I kid you not! Hopefully, Michael will get his music in before the big boom, but maybe it would be a fun way to end the evening? October, 2006 - Michael Jerling: Saratoga Springs singer/songwriter Michael Jerling has added several more CDs to his Fool's Hill Music online store. The newly added CDs are by Lorne Clarke, Mallory O'Donnell, Rosanne Raneri, David Butler and No Outlet, the last a group consisting of Tony Markellis, Dale Haskell and Kevin Maul. Michael's store showcases a fine group of acoustic artists, mostly from upstate New York, with a few from the midwest. In many cases, Michael acted as the producer for the CDs; in all cases, the music is excellent. Also in the store is a special CD of Saratoga Springs music, called Saratoga Pie, with a new Michael Jerling track Why They Run The Race (listen to clip). This song is about horse racing, another subject close to my heart, and is a tribute to horseplayers and Saratoga Race Course where the thoroughbreds race for 6 weeks every summer - and the main reason I spend summers in Saratoga Springs! Another excellent CD is Melancholy Babies, a CD release of a trio which includes Michael's wife Teresina Huxtable. For more, check the online store at foolshillmusic.com. February/March, 2006 - Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen: Steve & Cindy released their latest duet CD, Being There, early this month. It is a truly wonderful CD, and I don't say that lightly. Being There includes new originals, some traditional tunes, and a number of covers of other artists they admire. Just like their concerts, the CD displays their many talents, both in original music and lyrics, and in new interpretations of songs of others. Steve and Cindy's vocals and musicianship don't disappoint and the new originals are gems. The first cut, and my early favorite, is a new song by Steve, Hurricane, about the terrible hurricane of 1935 that took nearly two thousand lives, and destroyed the railroad once described as the “eighth wonder of the world.” For those of you who, like me, like story songs or train songs, here is one you will probably enjoy. You can listen to a clip of the song here. You can listen to clips of all the songs on the CD on the Being There web page. If you aren't familiar with their music, you are really missing something. They are an accomplished duo, and have released more than 15 CDs, solo, with others, or as a duo. Steve is an often covered songwriter, probably best known for his 60s folk standard Darcy Farrow. Artists like Linda Ronstadt, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings and Garth Brooks have covered his songs. Late in 2005, Cindy released a new solo CD, called Cat Tales, which is all about one of my favorite subjects: cats! Her creativity and wit, combined with outstanding musicianship, will make this CD a sure hit - and maybe a clever gift for a cat lover friend or relative. My favorite song in the CD is one of Cindy's originals: Rudy's Big Adventure, a true story - with a happy ending - about a cat that gets his head caught in a garbage disposal. Click here to listen to a RealMedia clip. There are clips of most of the other songs on the CD on the Cat Tales web page, so take a look and a listen to a great cat lovers gift. You can visit their web site at compassrosemusic.com to learn more about them. Steve and Cindy also recorded a CD with Anne Hills and Michael Smith, as the group Fourtold, and Cindy as a member of the trio Herdsman, Hills & Mangsen. February, 2006 - The World Folk Music Association just released a compilation CD with 19 songs from their 20st Annual Concert weekend, recorded live at the Birchmere on January 14 & 15, 2005. This CD contains nineteen songs by Oscar Brand, Buskin & Batteau, The Brothers Four, Hamilton Camp, Bill Danoff, Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen, Carolyn Hester & David Bloom, The Highwaymen, Christine Lavin, The Limeliters, Tommy Makem, David Mallett, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Modern Man, Tom Paxton and Schooner Fare. The Hamilton Camp track is a cover of Jimmy Webb's The Highwayman, and is probably the last live recording that he made before his untimely death last October. Miscellaneous Items - WFMA: The World Folk Music Association, based in Washington, DC, now has an online store at their web site. They have been hosting annual concerts for 20 years, and have many recordings from these shows, and other special performances of top folk recording stars of the 60s through today. In addition, they also have a CD and video from two Kingston Trio 45th Anniverary Tribute Concerts in 2002, with performances by the Kingston Trio and others. If you are interested in live folk recordings not available elsewhere, you should take a look at what they have. Their web site is at wfma.net. Dick Boak at Martin tells the story of how the Roger McGuinn HD-7 guitar came about: "Having done a very special D12-40RM 12-String Roger McGuinn Limited Edition Martin Guitar project in 1999, I had developed a great friendship and working relationship with Roger and his wife Camilla. They would often stop in at Martin while on tour. One day, Roger came by and selected a lovely HD-28V 6-string guitar and soon, he had added it to his acoustic repertoire. Many months later he and Camilla stopped in again and while we were having lunch together, he explained an idea that he had for a 7-string guitar. He was planning a few extended tours to Europe and didn't relish the idea of having to carry several guitars, especially onto planes and through airports. He had always felt that the most powerful element of his 12-string guitar was the highly tensioned pair of G strings. His songwriting and guitar technique had long taken advantage of these G strings for special "jingle-jangle" lead runs. His idea was to add the double G strings to a conventional 6-string guitar. We sketched out some headstock and bridge diagrams on a napkin and after his departure, I proceeded to hash out the finer details for a special Custom HD-28V 7-string. When the instrument was completed, I strummed it and was amazed at how powerful the guitar was. It was so much fun to play. Leon Redbone saw it the following day in my office and was equally amazed. When Roger received it, he too was taken aback by its power and enhanced tone. He said that it had all of the best attributes of both the 6-string and the 12-string models ­ a veritable "Swiss Army Knife" of guitars. It was a no brainer that this idea was something that could and should be embraced by a wider audience. Roger and I went back to the drawing board and put together specifications for the Limited Edition HD-7 Roger McGuinn 7-string model, and I must say that it certainly exceeds all expectations as to what an acoustic guitar can be!" Dick Boak Artist Relations, Limited Editions C. F. Martin & Co. (The Martin Guitar Company) Web: martinguitar.com In association with Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, and CDUniverse.com. My Gordon Lightfoot Music Store (US), Gordon Lightfoot Music Store (CA), Gordon Lightfoot Music Store (France), Gordon Lightfoot Music Store (UK), and Cat Lovers Gifts Store Web sites/stores by Valerie Magee of House for Sale, Castle Pines North Colorado Visit my other musician's sites and stores: Steve Goodman Biography, Tom May (store only), Bob Gibson, Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen, wfma.net (store only), Hamilton Camp, Michael Jerling, Cathy Cowette, Curtis Edmund, Spare Parts, Fool's Hill Music, Meridian Green.

©1998-2008 by Valerie Magee