Welcome to my Gordon Lightfoot fan site. Most of this web site is devoted to singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, including a biography, tour schedule, lyrics, and information on all the available (and not available) albums, as well as the latest news. My love of Lightfoot's music led me to discover many other wonderful folk musicians, and I include some articles about them, mostly in the Folk Notes column. 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.
Join my Mailing List for occasional newsletters and announcements. Mailings are at the rate of approximately one a month, unless you request "ALL" messages in which case you will also get periodic concert updates about concerts around the country. And follow Gordon Lightfoot Music on Twitter too!
Last updated 1/2012 -
Steve & Cindy have just released a stunning new duet album, Home by Dark. Their Caffè Lena gig in Saratoga Springs on January 7th was their CD Release Concert, and the room was sold out. Like their earlier duet albums, and their live concerts, the new CD is a mixture of original songs, covers of artists they admire, and traditional tunes. As always, the musicianship is top notch, the tunes catchy, and the lyrics clever. I played the CD almost continuously on my eastbound and westbound trips between Denver and Saratoga Springs, and have fallen in love with it. The title song, Home By Dark, as well as Holy Smoke, California Zephyr, Seal Harbor (be prepared to cry), and Two Sisters are my early favorites. The CD is available in their online store here: Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen, Home By Dark.
I still haven't made clips, but I will try to do so this week.
Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen are an accomplished duo, and have released more than 15 CDs together as a duet, solo, and with others.
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. Cindy is a songwriter, musician, and "song-keeper", who sings her own songs, those of others, and many wonderful traditional songs that are still beautiful and inspiring today.
In a departure from his pure folk and country roots, but much in keeping with his encyclopedic knowledge of music, Steve recently released The Man (Steve Gillette), a CD complete with narrative and music, telling the story of the fictional Danny Morrow and drawing from roots jazz, folk, and blues.
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.
Late in 2005, Cindy released her most recent solo CD called Cat Tales, all about one of my favorite subjects: cats! This is a CD made up entirely of cat songs! Cindy's 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 has recorded as a member of the trio Herdsman, Hills & Mangsen.
WMFA Announces Special Sale of Kingston Trio 45th Anniversary Items
August 16, 2009 -
WFMA:
The World Folk Music Association is running a special sale of Kingston Trio 45th Anniversary Concert items. Anyone buying the DVD ($24.95) will also get the souvenir concert program and souvenir photo. For details visit the WFMA Store at WFMA Online Store, KT sale. (The animated image here shows the 8"x20" photo in 3 segments, left to right).
If you scroll through the WFMA store, you will find recordings from their annual concerts, and other special performances of top folk recording stars of the 60s through today.
Among their recordings are a compilation CD and DVD (two separate items) of their 20st Annual Concert weekend, recorded live at the Birchmere on January 14 & 15, 2005.
Both feature performances by many of the great names of American folk music including: 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 later that year. Tommy Makem passed away in 2007.
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.
Peter, Paul and Mary CD: The Prague Sessions
March 7, 2009 -
Peter Paul & Mary With Symphony Orchestra: The Prague Sessions is the result of a project envisioned by the band prior to Mary's death in September, 2009. Peter & Paul have recorded new orchestral arrangements of their songs, which were then combined with recent/archival live vocals. The results are exquisite, and a wonderful tribute to Mary. The CD will be released on Tuesday, March 9th, and can be pre-ordered today.
The album is dedicated to Mary; each song was recorded at a different concert over the last 20 years. The final song, an instrumental, is one that Mary had requested be played at her memorial.
Mary Travers Passes Away at 72
September 17, 2009 -
Another folk voice has been stilled, that of Mary Travers, who passed away Wednesday, 9/16, following a long battle with leukemia and the effects of treatment.
As a member of the renowned trio Peter, Paul and Mary, she helped energize the folk voice.
The trio were one of the top acts of the 1960s and early 1970s, and had hits with their own songs and with those of Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver and others. The music of today would not be the same without the influence of this trio.
Peter, Paul and Mary were among the first to record Lightfoot's songs; their covers of Early Mornin' Rain and For Lovin' Me were hits in the US, and helped introduce Lightfoot to US fans. One of his early gigs was an opener for Peter, Paul and Mary at the Hollywood Bowl in August, 1969.
I never had the privilege of meeting Mary, but I did meet Noel (Paul) in January, 2005. His humility speaks for all three of them. Mary will be missed.
Visit the Peter, Paul and Mary web site for more about Mary, and about the trio.
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.
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.
Michael Jerling Live Album
September, 2009, updated 1/10 - Saratoga Springs singer/songwriter Michael Jerling has released his first live CD, Music Here Tonight. It is his sixth CD, but his very first live album. Michael is a wonderful songwriter, talented musician, and consistent live performer, so the music is both polished and representative of his live shows. This is a CD you should check out. There are clips at his web site, and the one new song (the title track) is streamed in full in the Listening Room.
September, 2007, updated 1/10 - Saratoga Springs singer/songwriter Michael Jerling's Latest Studio CD, Crooked Path, in September, 2007. 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!
October, 2006 - 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.
Bob Gibson, Gibson & Camp CD Reissues
February & November, 2008 -
The Bob Gibson Legacy Project under the loving care of Bob's daughter Meridian Green, has announced the release of a series of five CDs called The Living Legend Collection.
The first CD, Bob Gibson, The Living Legend Years was released in February. 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.
Gibson & Camp 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. Gibson & Camp Homemade Music was released in March.
You can read more about the entire series on the news page at the Bob Gibson Legacy web site. 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.
Two other Bob Gibson CDs were released in 2008, Bob Gibson: Ski Songs and Bob Gibson: Yes, I See. Ski Songs, originally recorded in the late 1950s when Bob lived in Aspen and spent a lot of time skiing, is a delightful CD for the skier on your gift list. Both ofhese new CDs, as well as the Bob Gibson biography, I Come For To Sing, are also available in the Bob Gibson Legacy store.
Lightfoot connection: As many of you may know, Bob Gibson and the 1961 ground breaking album, Gibson & Camp 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 Lightfoot's influence on them. In an interview in February, about Lightfoot's upcoming concert in Chattanooga, TN, Lightfoot talked 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 influenced the song structure of his own epic, Canadian Railroad Trilogy. (In fact, the 3 parts of Civil War Trilogy were actually written by different songwriters: Camp and Shel Silverstein, Irving Gordon, and Gibson respectively). Civil War Trilogy is one of the songs on Gibson & Camp At The Gate of Horn.
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.
June 13, 2007; updated July, 2008 -
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," "A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request", and "Go, Cubs, Go", now played after every Cubs home win, 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 was very well received, won an IPPY medal, and is now in it's second printing.
The book 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 ...
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
Gordon Lightfoot: Nine New January Concert Dates Announced
November 24, 2011 — Thanksgiving Week brings news of nine new concert dates in January, in addition to the three in Florida which have been on sale for some time. The newly announced concerts are in Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, plus two more concerts in Florida.
If you live in any of these areas, or might be traveling, check the January tour schedule now; some of the concerts have gone on sale in the past few days, or will be going on sale soon. I have noted the concerts that are on sale, but I might have missed one, so check any concerts of interest carefully. I wanted to write now to give you a head-up as quickly as possible.
December 10, 2011 — I don't like to report bad news like this, but I thought that some of you might want to know. If you haven't yet bought this treasure, the last new copies will soon be gone, and even used copies will probably be hard to find. It breaks my heart that Rhino/WEA let it go out of print, but I am hardly surprised. The news I have heard from my record company friends is not encouraging: the big record labels are deleting folk and other non-charting titles as they go out of stock. I've even heard rumors of a more widespread erosion of CD availability, but there is nothing official yet. I hope the rumors are wrong.
As of this writing, there are no normally priced copies of Songbook in any online store, except in Canada at Indigo Chapters (click on cover image above), where it appears to still be in stock. You might also want to:
(Type: Gordon Lightfoot Songbook box set into the search box. As of now, 1/18, the new one is very pricey, but there are a couple of used ones you might consider.)
Amazon France had two copies at the normal price for them, but of course higher than the US list price, even before shipping is added. They no longer have them for sale because they are on their way to me!
In the meantime, I found two at Barnes & Noble (one nearby, one not), and one at the FYE at my nearest shopping mall. My disc 2 bit the dust several years ago, so I was always intending to buy another set; and yes I have a CD-R made from my mp3s, and at least one more sent to me by another kind fan, but I always wanted a real disc 2 that worked. So I will keep one of these for me, and put the others up for sale here. Keep watch!
Gordon Lightfoot - June 2012 Canadian Concert Dates Announced
September 18, 2011, updated December 24 — Two concerts at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa were announced in September. The concerts are on June 15th and 16th. Three more June dates have also been added, and more Canadian dates are expected. (details)
David Rea, "First" Lead Guitar Player for Lightfoot, Passes Away
January 24, 2012 — A tribute concert for David Rea will be held this Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 6 pm at the Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR. It will be a free event. (Read more)
October 29, 2011 — This is very difficult for me to write because I knew David; in fact, I developed a web site for him and it was only when I called him back in June to say that I was ready to launch, that I learned he had just been hospitalized. He had been ill throughout the summer, and passed away on Thursday, October 27th, the day after his 65th birthday.
From lead guitar player for Gordon Lightfoot, Ian & Sylvia, Joni Mitchell and others, to a singer/songwriter in his own right, David had had a long and rich career in music. He even had a hit song, having co-written Mississippi Queen, a hit for Mountain. Joni Mitchell literally sang his praises; she wrote and recorded a song about him called, "Play Little David".
David played lead guitar on Lightfoot's debut album, "Lightfoot!"; everyone recognizes his distinctive intro riff to For Lovin' Me. He played some live shows with Lightfoot in the early years (1964/1965), before Lightfoot could afford fulltime sidemen - and he entertained me repeatedly with his funny stories about those days.
Gord would call him up and ask him if he could come do a gig with him, sometimes with no money for expenses, and they would crash on somebody's couch. David told me funny anecdotes that relate to those occasional shows that he did with Gord. Unfortunately, although I asked him about that time (and David remembered only anecdotes and actually couldn't say when he last played with Gord but thought it was probably 1965, as I had guessed), I didn't write anything down thinking that I would do a formal interview with David about Gord at some point in the future.
When Lightfoot! was finally released in 1966, and Gord was in a position to hire his first "band", David had already taken a full time job with Ian & Sylvia. In an interview with Richie Unterberger for the liner notes to the Ian & Sylvia Lovin' Sound/Full Circle reissue, Sylvia jokes,"'I don't know if Gordon's ever forgiven us for that."
Though I never met him in person, I feel that I knew him well; a phone call with him would go on for hours. Literally. He was a storyteller in his soul, and all his friends and fans benefited from that.
Check out his last album, X7 (Times Seven), released in 2000 (click on album name or see right). My favorite song on it is his wonderful cover of Ian Tyson's The Gift; David really made it his own (there's a clip on the X7 web page). And, please visit his new web site which I launched in his honor shortly after his death: David Rea Music.
New book by Dave Bidini, "Writing Gordon Lightfoot" now available
September 20, 2011/Review October 19, 2011 — Dave Bidini, an accomplished writer and a founding member of the Canadian band, the Rheostatics, has written a unique book, which is part musical history, and part Gordon Lightfoot biography.
The title, "Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972" (Amazon.com (hardcopy) link), (Amazon.com (Kindle) link), (Amazon.ca link) or (Amazon.co.uk link), is a literal description of how the subject is treated; that is, Lightfoot's life is portrayed in the form of a series of letters from Bidini, addressed to Lightfoot. It is certainly a novel way of telling the story of Lightfoot, and also the story of 1972 Mariposa, at which Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Lightfoot himself, were surprise guests. The fact that the author is himself a musician - one whose band recorded a somewhat controversial version of "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - creates an opportunity for a different perspective and perhaps unique insights.
A special treat is that the book contains photographs by Arthur Usherson; photos of Lightfoot, and of other key musicians. (The cover photo, shown here, is a famous one of Lightfoot and Dylan at the 1972 Mariposa).
Writing Gordon Lightfoot - Review
This is a most unusual book; it is the story of the 1972 Mariposa Festival; it is a review of news events during one week in July, 1972 (culminating in the festival), and it is a biography of Gordon Lightfoot done without any contact with him at all - unusual with a living subject. However improbable it may seem that this could be a recipe for success, somehow Bidini pulls it off. To make it work, his Lightfoot "bio" is in the form of "letters" that he, Bidini, might have sent to Lightfoot.
Bidini is a very entertaining writer, at once thoughtful, perceptive and engaging. While the events (historical and biographical) are taken from reputable sources, many lack precision and Bidini tackles the missing pieces by embroidering the facts with imagined details, weaving a probable story and yet letting the reader know which details are facts and which are the product of his own fertile imagination.
When he tells the story of Mariposa 1972, and of Lightfoot, it is with the eyes and ears of a musician. He includes details that another writer might not notice or choose to include; things that only a musician or someone who spends a lot of time with musicians would appreciate. This adds to the authenticity of the book, and is an element that made it especially enjoyable for me.
In addition to the fascinating storylines, the book contains beautiful photos by Arthur Usherson, most of which have not been published before. How lucky we are that Art was at that festival! (Updated disclosure: Apologies to Canada Post; the book arrived Wednesday, October 19th. The photos include Lightfoot, of course, and also Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt and others - a real treasure trove).
September 23, 2011 — Another fan was looking for this film, and when he didn't find it he sent me an email. So, of course I looked for it for him, and - surprisingly - I found the entire film online at the National Sailing Hall of Fame website. I had never seen it before, but - like any devoted Lightfoot fan - knew that the song had been written for the film, as its title song. The documentary tells the story of sailing vessels making the trip around Cape Horn, before the Panama Canal was built. Like any Lightfoot story song, the lyrics tell a complex story in just a few minutes. The film runs approximately 55 minutes.
Here's the link to watch it: Ghosts of Cape Horn (film). Enjoy! Note: This video is Flash-based, so it won't be viewable on an Apple mobile product.
No DVD has been released ... I have suggested it ...
Non-News: Gordon Lightfoot Nominated for Songwriters Hall of Fame
October, 2011 —
This "news" isn't really news. Lightfoot might well be the "most nominated, never inducted" songwriter in that Hall of Fame. The fact that he has never made it is a travesty. Oscar Brand once told me (more than 10 years, ago, I might add) that he used to nominate Lightfoot every year, but he had just about given up. (Happily, it appears he has not, or someone else has the good sense to do so).
Originally, the SHOF had a separate category for "international" vs. US. They inducted something like 6 songwriters a year from the US list, and only 1 (or maybe two?) from the "International" candidates. As a Canadian, Gord was in the International category, so it was far more difficult for him to get voted in than many of the first 10 year's US nominees.
Now, the classifications are indeed better, but putting Gord in the "Performing Songwriters" category (and he is, of course, very much a "performing songwriter") actually works against him. He is both a performing songwriter who charted with his own recordings, and a songwriter whose songs were picked up and recorded with great success by other singers. The examples given - which for some of the voters might be the only songs they know about - don't begin to do justice to his songwriting catalog.
This year, he is up against Dion, Blondie, The Eurythmics, George Michael, Cat Stevens, Pete Townsand (The Who), and others. Few of them wrote songs that were hits for anyone else, and in some cases one can't even imagine another version of their biggest hits, while Gord's songs have lives independent of the songwriter.
I don't see him getting in this time either, based on today's performer and song name recognition. (You can hear The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" as the theme song of CSI: Miami).
The Songwriters Hall of Fame PR says that "fewer than 400" are in their hall of fame. The idea that there are 350 or so songwriters who are rated more deserving than Lightfoot just boggles my mind.
FYI, it costs $50 to become a voting member ...
Massey Hall, May 2011
Toronto, ON, May 27, 2011 — Just a quick note to say that I arrived last night for the Thursday concert. My timing was perfect, given that I couldn't afford to take additional days off, nor could my husband.
Thursday's concert was the exact same set list as Wednesday &mdash because as it turns out, Wednesday was the "dress rehearsal" for a videotaping of the Thursday show! I'm not yet sure how it will be used, but the entire show was videotaped by a very professional crew that almost made their walks in back and forth in front of the stage part of the show.
Gord, to his credit, had obviously prepared himself for this and just shifted his gaze to a bit above the crew's heads and sang without missing a beat. The audio was recorded by Bob Doidge.
Friends who were here for both nights said that Wednesday was wonderful and Thursday was even better. So, as I said, my timing was perfect.
Two more shows to go ... I'll write more as I have time.
And yes, as reported by fans who saw shows earlier this spring, the new lead guitar player, Carter Lancaster, is wonderful. He captures the notes and the spirit of the familiar lead riffs, but plays them in his own style giving the songs a new, fresh sound ... proof of the magic that can happen when you put great musicians together.
Toronto, ON, May 28, 2011 — Friday's concert was another great show. This time, the band was much more relaxed; the pressures of live taping were behind them, and they could just have fun. And it was clear from watching and listening that they were having a ball. Standout songs from the evening were two of my favorites that were not included on the taped show: Don Quixote and Early Mornin' Rain. I knew that Gord would get them into at least one show. And the performance of Alberta Bound was something else, with first Carter and then Mike playing wonderful, spirited solos. That pretty much brought down the house (and, from their smiles, we could tell they were pleased too).
One more night ... but I have already decided that there will be at least one more concert for me this year ... Gord told me both Thursday and Friday that he'd be in NYC this Fall. Although I haven't lived in the city for more than 25 years, Gord associates me with it. I guess it's the first concert he remembers me from (Town Hall), although I had met him a couple of times before that. But I don't mind one bit if he thinks of me when he thinks of New York! I guess I'd better go to that one.
Back home ... May 31, 2011 — Saturday's concert was another spirited show, with a set list similar to Friday's but with one of the two songs that I had been hoping for added ... Song For A Winter's Night. I don't care if it's Spring going into Summer, that's a song that I love to hear played live, and Gord did not disappoint!
On this final night, Gord was in good voice, solos were spot on, and there were lots of smiles and a few laughs. We were even treated to some dueling banjos (the melody, not banjos). Gord was more talkative than on previous nights, with some new and some old jokes and song commentary. In his introduction to Early Mornin' Rain, he mentioned some of the greats who recorded it: the Kingston Trio, Ian & Sylvia, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan and Elvis. Highlights for me were Sundown, Alberta Bound, Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald, Don Quixote, If You Could Read My Mind (probably the best of the three nights I attended), Early Mornin' Rain and, of course, Song For A Winter's Night. Well, all the songs were highlights, actually.
It should be eighteen months until the next Massey concerts ... I'll be there.
February 21, 2011, updated April 17th — Terry Clements, lead guitar player for Gordon Lightfoot for four decades, passed away on February 20th.
Clements suffered a stroke 10 days earlier, and had been in a coma. A special memorial service was held on April 10th in Toronto, attended by family, friends, bandmates, musician friends and fans. Ed Ringwald, aka Peewee Charles, recorded Amazing Grace especially for the memorial, a song which was a favorite to play for Terry and his family. If you'd like to hear Peewee's recording playing the dobro, with his good friend Shane Guse on fiddle, click here (mp3 file).
Lightfoot's first tour segment - starting March 15th - went on as scheduled, with a new lead player.
Gordon Lightfoot: Canadian Railroad Trilogy: Children's Book released in the US, Canada and the UK
August 2, 2010 — A new hardcover children's book, featuring the lyrics of the epic Canadian Railroad Trilogy, and illustrations by renowned writer/artist Ian Wallace, has been released in the US, Canada, and the UK.
The new book is a true work of art from start to finish, and pays appropriate tribute to one of the most brilliant songs ever written. With stunning pastels each carefully conceived to illustrate a small section of the song, the book will be a treasured addition to the library of anyone with a love of art, music or history.Read my complete review here: Canadian Railroad Trilogy Children's Book.
Mercereau is also the author of the book, The Top 100 Canadian Albums, reviewed here previously. I will say a lot more about the book once I receive my copy. It can be ordered now from both Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Toby Keith Covers Sundown! Tune Is One of Four Covers on Deluxe Edition of his Upcoming CD, Bullets In The Gun
Toby Keith preceded his current American Ride Tour with an unexpected club show in New York City, and he's releasing his new album, Bullets In The Gun, in a Deluxe Edition which will add four live tracks from that show to the standard album.
Recorded during his "Incognito Bandito" show at The Fillmore in Manhattan, the four songs feature Keith on lead vocals backed by an A-list band of session players assembled exclusively for the rare club performance. The four covers are Johnny Paycheck's "11 Months And 29 Days," Waylon Jennings' "I've Been A Long Time Leaving (But I'll Be A Long Time Gone)," Roger Miller's "Chug-A-Lug" and Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown". In a recent interview, Keith says of Sundown,
"We went to a rehearsal, and everybody kind of brought their favourite songs in and that Gordon Lightfoot song was on the list and I said, 'Absolutely, let's do that.' I put it on there 'cause it is a great song." - Canadian newspaper exclusive with QMI Agency
Forgive me if I get carried away here, but I consider this very exciting news. Toby Keith is one of the top country singers and top entertainers around, and the fact that he has chosen a Lightfoot song (and not a bad choice for a country tune, I might add), just might get that song on the charts again as a cover tune. Even if it isn't released as a single, it will surely introduce many new listeners to Lightfoot music.
The Cottars Cover Gordon Lightfoot Song on Latest CD, Feast
"Apart from the Pain, It's a Pleasure"
October 5, 2010 — About 6 months ago I received a review copy of a CD that has - quite honestly - blown me away. I asked for it because it included a Lightfoot cover, but as always I listened to the entire CD several times. And then I listened several more times. And then I found that I couldn't stop listening to it!
The CD is The Cottar's latest album, Feast (Amazon.com link, Amazon.ca link). The Cottars are a young quartet, actually in a 2nd configuration. Two of the performers, brother and sister, Ciaràn (vocals, piano, guitar, more) and Fiona MacGillivray (vocals, piano, more), were on the previous Cottars album; two are new on this album, Claire Pettit (vocals, fiddle, viola) and Bruce Timmins (vocals, guitars), a well-respected session player. But there is nothing "beginner-like" about this CD. Their music is a blend of Celtic, Cape Breton (where they are from), bluegrass and folk. The musicianship is nothing short of extraordinary; the vocals beautiful; the songwriting on their original tunes accomplished as well.
The Lightfoot cover that first caught my attention is of one of his less known tunes; a song called "Your Love's Return (Song for Stephen Foster)". It is, as the parenthetical portion of the title says, a tribute to Foster, in whose music Lightfoot had become interested at the time. It's a sentimental love song, very Foster-like.
The Cottars took this tune, with Fiona singing the lead vocals (not changing any lyrics which were written for a man to sing), added their own string arrangement and harmonies, and created something all their own yet faithful and respectful of the Lightfoot original. I am certain that Lightfoot is pleased with their cover, as he must be with the much more mainstream Toby Keith cover of "Sundown" (discussed elsewhere). Ciaràn is quoted in the liner notes as saying that the Lightfoot song just might be his favorite on the CD, and that is high praise as the disc is full of wonderful songs.
(I received a review copy of this CD from the artists).
Warner Original Albums Re-Issued by Independent Record Label
April, 25, 2010 — In a move that causes me mixed feelings, Wounded Bird Records — a small independent label that specializes in re-issues — has released Lightfoot's Warner back catalogue. If You Could Read My Mind is - quite strangely - released under its original title, Sit Down Young Stranger. We might smile, but if Warner Brother changed the title because people would recognize If You Could Read my Mind, why would anyone go back to the original title?
One record, East of Midnight, is not being re-issued. There is no explanation; just that they don't have the rights for it. I sometimes have a few new copies of the Warner album available for sale from my own store (see link at right). It has become hard to find, and often expensive, because it is out of print.
I have mixed feelings about the Wounded Bird releases because neither Warner Brothers, nor Rhino, nor one of the more popular folk record labels chose to release these CDs. So it's good news and sad news at the same time.
The good news is that we can easily buy all but one of the original albums again, and not have to search everywhere to find them. The re-issues include Waiting For You, out of print for years, A Painter Passing Through, available recently only as an expensive import, and even Dream Street Rose which had been ridiculously priced due to its scarcity. (But not as ridiculously priced as Bob Gibson videos which can be found on Ebay and Amazon, listed for prices in excess of $20,000. There are no extra zeros there).
Interestingly, after the Wounded Bird reissues became available, Amazon "found" stock of many of the out of print Warner Brothers albums. They don't have all the Warner albums, but since those that they have are priced lower than the re-issues you should double check after you click through to Amazon to get the lowest price.
In addition, I occasionally have a few new copies of the Warner CDs, purchased very cheaply, and I can pass the savings on to you in my Lightfoot store. I also have copies of Sunday Concert Plus purchased from Bear Family in Germany, because the basic Sunday Concert is out of print, and Amazon no longer carries the Bear Family CD. This CD contains the 11 songs from the Sunday Concert LP plus 5 bonus tracks — studio recordings which appear nowhere else. The recordings of Spin, Spin, by Lightfoot, and his cover of Dylan's Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues are standout tracks. Occasionally, I have other items including books, songbooks and memorabilia.
If you don't have all the original albums yet, check my Lightfoot store. (Shipping is $3.49 for the first CD and $.99 for each additional one. If you buy from one of my other artist's store on the same day, I can combine the shipping charges to save you money. Please make a note in your first order that you will be buying at another store as well).
An Interesting "Affair" (on 8th Avenue)
June 21, 2010 — Big News for the Dedicated Fan: The Gord's Gold version of Affair on 8th Avenue, never before available except on vinyl, is finally officially available in digital form. It is remastered and can be downloaded as an MP3 from Amazon or CD Universe. (If you buy from CD Universe, be sure to click on the "Buy MP3" button, or the "Buy MP3 Album" button when you buy; do not click on song names or you will be taken to a page with the earlier recordings!).
Remember, the CD of Gord's Gold does not include Affair on 8th Avenue because at the time the album was first reissued on CD, the time limit was 74 minutes including gaps and the album was just over that.
The Gord's Gold version of the song is in the more elaborate 1970s style of all the re-recorded songs on that album. Most Lightfoot fans prefer the re-recording (not true of all the songs, but it is of this one), and have missed having it all these year, making do with vinyl-to-digital copies they made themselves or found online. The new MP3, available on the official Gord's Gold digital album, is the first high quality, remastered version of this lovely recording.
Amazon Faux Pas:
Amazon was the first to offer the new MP3 album for sale, but they had more than a half dozen incorrect tracks, using an earlier version of many of the songs thate were re-recorded (that is, they used a United Artists version, from the 1960s, either the original recording or the live cut from Sunday Concert). I reported the problem to them (with great difficulty, I might add), and their eventual response was to pull the album entirely - clearly easier than fixing their files. Thankfully, the new song and the entire album remained downloadable from CD Universe during the months that Amazon did not have it available (it is now available from Amazon again). You can read the details of the Amazon fiasco here.
"... there's always the possibility of making a new album"
February 27, 2010 — A week after a reporting fiasco erroneously declared Gordon Lightfoot dead, Spartanburg Herald-Journal reporter Todd Money contributed a fine interview, conducted shortly before the death report hoax.
Almost buried in the interview is a paragraph that suggests that - contrary to what Lightfoot has said in interviews for the past 18 months or so - another original album is not out of the question!
Lightfoot Death Hoax fueled by CanWest reporter on Twitter
February 19, 2010 — Lightfoot was big news yesterday when a news alert by CanWest was Tweeted by one of its reporters, and then picked up and posted by several large Canadian newspapers. It turns out that the original news alert was based on a hoax perpetrated on fellow performer Ronnie Hawkins who truly believed that Lightfoot had died based on a message from someone purporting to be Lightfoot's grandson. Luckily, the man himself heard the news report on the radio, and quickly set the record straight, but it was a wild ride for about an hour yesterday afternoon.
The song "Beautiful" is Lightfoot's best known love song. Many couples choose it as their wedding song, or special song. It's a wonderful way for a man to tell a woman he loves her.
Click on the note below, to buy the song from Amazon, or preview it by clicking on the Play Button in the widget and then buy it if you like.
May 21, 2009 -
'Eminem charts a fifth song from "Relapse," set to debut atop next week's Billboard 200, as "Beautiful" opens at No. 17 on the Hot 100. Of the five tracks, only "We Made You" launched higher (No. 9). The new song is the fifth by that title to appear on the Hot 100 in its 50-year history. The previous artists to make "Beautiful" music and their peaks: Gordon Lightfoot (No. 58, 1972), Christina Aguilera (No. 2, 2003), Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson (No. 6, 2003) and Akon featuring Colby O'Donis & Kardinal Offishall (No. 19, 2009) ...' Billboard.com story, emphasis mine.
The question is, which one of the other four will still be played and downloaded 37 years later? And, parenthetically, it's hard to believe that nobody charted a song named Beautiful for 31 years after Lightfoot's! Guess the bar was too high.
New DVD from Alison Krauss features a Lightfoot song!
November 6,2008 - To me this is big news! Alison Krauss is one of the most gifted and popular performers out there, with music crossing genre lines. I was introduced to her by other Lightfoot fans, who are always a good source of suggestions for other good music. Alison is best known for bluegrass music, but has made successful forays into other genres; her talent is that good.
The DVD has performances taped for a TV show, and these performances include duets with Brad Paisley, James Taylor, and John Waite, and performances with great musicians including her longtime band Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (whose members are individually well known musicians), and with Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan and others.
The name that caught my eye immediately was Tony Rice. He is a bluegrass guitar player extraordinaire, and himself recorded an entire album of Lightfoot songs with which many of you are familiar. Tony no longer sings, but he still plays, and he recently did a series of shows with Alison and her band.
I was unable to attend any of those shows (there were only a few of them), but on this DVD Alison has included a couple of performances with Tony Rice including a wonderful cover of Lightfoot's "Shadows". (Tony recorded the song himself years ago. You can find that recording, and many other Lightfoot covers, on Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot).
You won't read anywhere that "Shadows" is a Lightfoot song, but of course I guessed it immediately because Tony Rice was on the track, and Amazon has thoughtfully made "Shadows" its video preview on the DVD web page. I don't know how long it will stay up there, but it's there now! (Unfortunately, the video doesn't always play smoothly on Amazon, so I guess you will just have to buy the DVD to really enjoy it).
I can't say enough about Alison's music, and that of all the musicians she works with, but I can promise that if you buy this DVD you won't put it in a pile of videos you never watch!
The DVD also includes interview footage with all the special guests and musicians.
It can be be ordered now from Amazon.com, using this link or any of the links above, including the DVD cover image.
Report on Toronto Massey Hall Concerts, May, 2008
May 26, 2008 - As all of you already know, the ritual "Massey Hall Concerts" took place May 7th through 10th.
Dating back to 1967, these concerts have been a fixture on the Toronto music schedule, with concerts every 12 or 18 months over more than 30 years.
Like many other Lightfoot fans, I travelled to Toronto and attended the last two concerts, plus the Friday afternoon Lightfoot fan jam session at a nearby pub, and the Saturday fan dinner before the final show. The comaraderie of these Lightfoot fans from around the world are a special part of the "Massey experience".
The Saturday night show was the highlight for me, and included two songs that Lightfoot doesn't do every night: Song For A Winter's Night and Canadian Railroad Trilogy. He introduced the latter song by saying that he borrowed the song structure ("fast, slow, fast") from Bob Gibson's Civil War Trilogy, but didn't admit it until many years later! (See the Bob Gibson web site at bobgibsonlegacy.com to find the original recording of Civil War Trilogy on Gibson & Camp at the Gate of Horn).
Probably the biggest news to come out of the Saturday show was Lightfoot's pre-announcement of his next Massey stand, saying something like, "if we're all still standing in 18 months, we'll be here". So will we!
As with recent Massey concert series, Bob Doidge, who recorded and co-produced Lightfoot's two most recent albums, and recorded and mixed the "Live in Reno" concert, recorded the concerts for possible future release.
I often come away from Lightfoot concerts regretting a missed opportunity to get a special autograph, but I did not let that happen this time. Here's my special souvenir of the weekend (Lightfoot picked the spot):
Gordon Lightfoot MP3s at Amazon / Warner Original Albums Out of Print
December 31, 2007, updated May 26, 2008, July 22, 2009, November 6, 2009 - Amazon has MP3s available for download, in addition to traditional CDs.
Most of the Warner Lightfoot albums are available as MP3 albums, in addition to his United Artists material, and his latest CD, Harmony.
However, all of the Warner original albums are now apparently out of print in the US, but have been reissued by a small, independent label (see article elsewhere on this site). But MP3s are a good alternative if you "do digital", and Amazon's MP3s have no rights management code. For the Warner CDs, I occasionally have a few of them available in my own Lightfoot store, and will be on the lookout for more, so you can check there.
The albums Sundown and Summertime Dream were added to the available MP3 albums. If you are missing some of the original albums, you may want to think about buying them soon while you still can (See my original album pages for links). All four "big songs" are available for download (see more below).
Amazon MP3s have no rights management and can be played on any PC or MP3 player. You can also burn the MP3s to a CD-R. You'll find some links to specific MP3s or MP3 albums on different pages of this site.
Rhino has a 5 song MP3 album featuring Lightfoot's top four hits (Sundown, Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, If You Could Read My Mind and Carefree Highway), along with his love song, Beautiful. This is a nice place to start if you are new to Lightfoot's music. Listen to clips and read the lyrics here. (Note: If you are looking for the hits, check to see if the sale is still going on for the top 3 hits: MP3 sale).
This "Digital 45" is priced at a discount, compared to the price for two songs, so if you don't have the Summertime Dream album, you might want to take advantage of it (in fact, if you buy it plus the other 8 songs from Summertime Dream, you still save a little bit, as the album is not discounted at this time). Listen to clips and read the lyrics here.
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. (The link is to Pete's instructional DVDs at Sheet Music Plus).
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.
Sheet music & instruction
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.
Click on "Mysteries of the Great Lakes IMAX film" in the title above to read about it and watch the movie trailer.
November, 2007/June, 2008 -
New DVD on Canadian Music
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, and in the US in April, 2008.
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 recent book by Bob Mercereau, just released in paperback, (see my review), this DVD sheds new light on the history of Canadian music, while featuring some of her greatest musical talents.
Unfortunately, it is already out of print, but is still available new from 3rd party sellers at Amazon (full Amazon guarantee applies). The links above are for Amazon.com; Canadian residents may prefer to buy through Amazon Canada, although in many cases it's the same sellers!
New and recently updated concerts are in bold type; past dates (when shown) in gray.
Note: On sale info is best available. Always check with venue too. I have included links to purchase tickets and to the venue's web site whereever possible.
Some concerts have a pre-sale period ("presale") for which you need a password to order early. When I have a presale password, you can get it by (re-)signing up for my mailing list. Just click on the presale link next to the concert listing and sign up; the password will be in the acknowledgment message. (You will still be on the mailing list just once).
04/20 Casino Rama,
Rama, ON (Ticketmaster) Facebook Presale
(Legal Age 19+)
Start: Mon, 01/16/12 12:00 PM EST
End: Tue, 01/17/12 11:59 AM EST. Onsale to General Public
Start: Tue, 01/17/12 12:00 PM EST
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.
Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John
Record Cotton Jenny for Anne's Duets CD Nominated for a Juno as Album of the Year
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
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 or download MP3 at Amazon here).
New Johnny Cash CD at Folsom Prison
October 2008 - A new CD/DVD set, At Folsom Prison Legacy Edition (2CD/1 DVD), has just been released and includes an entire Folsom prison concert never before released! The set also includes the original Folsom prison concert and a new DVD documentary about that historic day.
Click on the image or CD title, above or at the right, to read more about it at Amazon.
CD with Lightfoot Song Reaches #1 on Billboard Charts
May/July/October 2006; October 2008 -
A 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 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.
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).
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, Restless, from his 1993 CD, Waiting For You. 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.
December, 2010 - Hard Four, Hamilton's final movie role, was finally released to DVD in July of 2010. It has a cast consisting of many very funny people, and it's a shame that the movie never made it to the theaters. But, thankfully, you can now buy the DVD and add Hamilton's final acting role to your collection. The DVD can be purchased from Amazon here.
Here's To You Album - Finally Available on CD-R
In late 2010, I discovered that Hamilton Camp's 1967 album, Here's To You was about to be released on CD. Although it does contain a hit single - the title track - it did not seem to be a priority for CD release, especially after several years of availability as a download, but it was a pleasant surprise. And I do suspect that most of his fans - being of a certain age (like me) - would much prefer to have a physical disc in our hands!
Here's To You, the song, reached #76 on the pop singles chart in 1968. For those of us who discovered him as part of the Gibson & Camp duo, it hard to believe that the "folkie" Camp is the one singing it! But, moving with the times, he adapted his style to produce a very "pop" sounding single. You can listen to clips of this song, and all the songs on the album, here. NB: This is not folk music, but 60s pop!
Hamilton was accompanied and assisted on this album by all stars like Jerry Scheff, Van Dyke Parks, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Bud Shank and producer Felix Pappalardi.
The CD-R can be ordered from the Hamilton Camp store. Unfortunately, after a short soujourn on the distributor's shelves, the CD-R was withdrawn. Read more at the Hamilton Camp site: Here's To You album page.
Needless-to-say, any of the other available CDs can be ordered as well, if you find you are missing any from your collection. The original Gibson & Camp at the Gate of Horn is out of print, at least for now, but we still have a couple of copies.
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 (Buy MP3) was recorded by Quicksilver Messenger Service, which had a hit with it, and by Gordon Lightfoot and Tony Rice.
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 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 here: Hamilton Camp Official Web Site.
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.
Rare Studio Recordings from Jim Dixon's Archives
December 23, 2011 - Sixties Tradition is an extraordinary CD with rare studio recordings from the archives of noted L.A. record producer and the father of the folk-rock sound, Jim Dickson (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and others). Based on the rare Together Records album "Early L.A." the highlights include early Byrds recordings, the first, never before released recording of the 60s peace anthem, "Get Together" by its composer, singer Dino Valenti (later of Quick Silver Messenger Service) and Hamilton Camp & The Byrds with a newly discovered 1965 studio recording of Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin". Other tracks include a rare instrumental recording by David Crosby (The Byrds, CSNY) and jazz musicians Bud Shank and Joe Pass, "Charisma", other early Crosby recordings, and Hillmen recordings (with Chris Hillman), along with never before released bluegrass-rock recordings of the original Dillards. I am selling this CD on the Hamilton Camp site because of the extraordinary "new" Hamilton Camp recording, but the album should be of interest to many others who are interested in the origins of folk rock, and the early recordings of some of the finest artists of the period.
New Live Byrds Concert From Wolfgang's Vault
October 23, 2009 - A new Byrds concert has just become available for download from Wolfgang's Vault. The concert is from 1970, and includes the same Byrds members as the Live At Albert Hall concert from 1971, released last year. You can listen to the entire concert online, or download it to your PC in either MP3 or FLAC format. Here's the link:
This Byrds incarnation features Roger McGuinn, legendary guitar player Clarence White, bassist Skip Battin and drummer Gene Parsons in front of an enthusiastic London audience at the venerable Royal Albert Hall. Thankfully, Roger had this recording safely stored, and it will now be available for all of us to enjoy, not only on CD, but also on vinyl. You may also download it as an MP3 album.
Following close on the heels of the Live Byrds album, Roger is releasing his most recent solo album, Live from Spain (CD), on vinyl, scheduled for early September. I may have to buy myself a new turntable!
Martin Guitar Announces Second Roger McGuinn 7-String!
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.
In late 2010, I discovered that Hamilton Camp's 1967 album, Here's To You was about to be released on CD. Although it does contain a hit single - the title track - it did not seem to be a priority for CD release, especially after several years of availability as a download, but it was a pleasant surprise. And I do suspect that most of his fans - being of a certain age (like me) - would much prefer to have a physical disc in our hands!
MageeNET Blogs
Lightfoot places 3 singles in top 20 in new book
.
, has just been released and includes an entire Folsom prison concert never before released! The set also includes the original Folsom prison concert and a new DVD documentary about that historic day.
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 
