RIP Gordon Lightfoot

Gern Blansten

Great song writer... Canadian legend 

brianlux

Gern Blansten said:

Great song writer... Canadian legend 

Oh man... terribly sad.  I just ordered a couple of his albums literally minutes ago and now read this.  Ahhh man... what a great talent.

R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot

Gern Blansten

I saw him live a few years ago. It was great... Played the big hits and told stories. 

brianlux

Gern Blansten said:

I saw him live a few years ago. It was great... Played the big hits and told stories. 

My wife is a big fan and she got to see him.  I wish I had.  I'm glad you did!

Gern Blansten

The memory popped up in my FB feed this morning....we saw him 10 years ago today at the Carmel Palladium

HughFreakingDillon

It’s interesting…I always thought of GL as an AM radio cheesefest. Like John Denver. Now all these artists I love coming out of the woodwork proclaiming him as a massive influence and one of the greatest songwriters ever. The Headstones covered The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald. It’s a cool story but I find it kind of a boring song (even the rocked-up Headstones version). I’ll have to give him another shot. 

cutz

https://americanhistory.si.edu/on-the-water/inland-waterways/great-lakes-mighty-rivers/edmund-fitzgerald

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

On November 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald pushed across the waters of Lake Superior with a cargo of iron ore. A storm came up in the afternoon and pounded the ship through the night with winds up to 75 mph, blinding snow, and waves reaching 25 feet. That evening, the ship radioed another vessel, Avafors, with a warning:

 

Fitzgerald: (shouting) “DON’T LET NOBODY ON DECK!”

Avafors: “What’s that, Fitzgerald? Unclear. Over.”

Fitzgerald: “I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I’ve been in.”

 

At 7 p.m., the Fitzgerald radioed another nearby ship, “We are holding our own.”

Less than two hours later, the Edmund Fitzgerald had disappeared from radar. No distress calls were ever received. Rescuers found a few empty lifeboats, buoys, and other bits of debris on the lake. Several days later, the remains of the ship were discovered in two pieces on the bottom of Lake Superior, only 17 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay. All 29 crew members were lost. Every November 10, the bell at the Mariner’s Church in Detroit, Michigan, rings 29 times in their memory.

https://youtu.be/9vST6hVRj2A

ceska

Oh man, I've been listening to Gordon Lightfoot since I was a kid. My dad played Lightfoot's records at home and his tapes in the car, along with those of Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and Waylon Jennings. Dad and I together saw Gordon in 2002, and around 2010 I started seeing Gordon on my own. I usually caught him at least once a year on his swings through New York City's northern suburbs. The last few times out I really felt each show could be the last one. How many people tour constantly after age 80 anyway? What turned out to be the last show of mine was April 2022 in Tarrytown, NY. Dad and I had tickets to one of Lightfoot's scheduled shows in Florida in March of this year but, a week before the show, it was rescheduled for June and eventually cancelled, before Gordon's passing.

I've always included Lightfoot's music in my road trip repertoire - I can listen to his albums on repeat for hours as there never feels like a beginning, middle or end to his albums - songs just flow seamlessly from one to another. I get that his sound is "AM Gold" but Lightfoot's lyrics are pretty dark and his song's characters are often flawed - as was the man himself admittedly. He stopped playing For Lovin' Me, for example, because he later felt it was "the most chauvinistic song I've ever written." But it was covered by so many other artists, as were many of his other songs.

The song that kills me, as it rings too true, is Did She Mention My Name?. "Is the home team still on fire? Do they still win all the games? And by the way, did she mention my name?" Another great one is If You Got It. "If you find it, Don't lose it all the very next day. Lock it in your soul and throw the key away "

Gordon Lightfoot is so much more than Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The man has seemingly hundreds of brilliant songs. For those who wish to delve into the back catalog, I highly recommend:
Live at the BBC 1972 - This performance is peak Gordon Lightfoot, that is all.
Live at the Fillmore West 1968 - Great early-ish live recording.

RIP Gord.

Gern Blansten

HughFreakingDillon said:

It’s interesting…I always thought of GL as an AM radio cheesefest. Like John Denver. Now all these artists I love coming out of the woodwork proclaiming him as a massive influence and one of the greatest songwriters ever. The Headstones covered The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald. It’s a cool story but I find it kind of a boring song (even the rocked-up Headstones version). I’ll have to give him another shot. 

I can't say that I care a lot for his entire work but four songs stand out to me in order of greatness. Some of the live versions are much better because it removes the AM cheese (strings, etc.) that get added in production.

1. If you could read my mind
2. Sundown
3. Carefree highway
4. The wreck

#1 being one of the greatest songs ever written in my opinion

Gern Blansten

ceska said:

Oh man, I've been listening to Gordon Lightfoot since I was a kid. My dad played Lightfoot's records at home and his tapes in the car, along with those of Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and Waylon Jennings. Dad and I together saw Gordon in 2002, and around 2010 I started seeing Gordon on my own. I usually caught him at least once a year on his swings through New York City's northern suburbs. The last few times out I really felt each show could be the last one. How many people tour constantly after age 80 anyway? What turned out to be the last show of mine was April 2022 in Tarrytown, NY. Dad and I had tickets to one of Lightfoot's scheduled shows in Florida in March of this year but, a week before the show, it was rescheduled for June and eventually cancelled, before Gordon's passing.

I've always included Lightfoot's music in my road trip repertoire - I can listen to his albums on repeat for hours as there never feels like a beginning, middle or end to his albums - songs just flow seamlessly from one to another. I get that his sound is "AM Gold" but Lightfoot's lyrics are pretty dark and his song's characters are often flawed - as was the man himself admittedly. He stopped playing For Lovin' Me, for example, because he later felt it was "the most chauvinistic song I've ever written." But it was covered by so many other artists, as were many of his other songs.

The song that kills me, as it rings too true, is Did She Mention My Name?. "Is the home team still on fire? Do they still win all the games? And by the way, did she mention my name?" Another great one is If You Got It. "If you find it, Don't lose it all the very next day. Lock it in your soul and throw the key away "

Gordon Lightfoot is so much more than Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The man has seemingly hundreds of brilliant songs. For those who wish to delve into the back catalog, I highly recommend:
Live at the BBC 1972 - This performance is peak Gordon Lightfoot, that is all.
Live at the Fillmore West 1968 - Great early-ish live recording.

RIP Gord.

good stuff....I'll check those out as well

ceska

Gern Blansten said:

ceska said:

good stuff....I'll check those out as well

Thanks, and Enjoy!

And yes, if You Could Read My Mind is one of the greatest songs ever, from any genre. Many of Lightfoot's best known songs are from his greatest hits albums Gord's Gold where he actually re-recorded many/all of the songs for the album. The original versions are more folkier and less "AM cheese."

Gern Blansten

ceska said:

Gern Blansten said:

ceska said:

good stuff....I'll check those out as well

Thanks, and Enjoy!

And yes, if You Could Read My Mind is one of the greatest songs ever, from any genre. Many of Lightfoot's best known songs are from his greatest hits albums Gord's Gold where he actually re-recorded many/all of the songs for the album. The original versions are more folkier and less "AM cheese."

I'll check that out. I have one of his greatest hits albums.

But yeah...you know these songs just started with him and a guitar so I always try to imagine them that way

cp3iverson

Love the hits but I also always liked "I'll Tag Along".   Even my kid loves The Wreck because of me.

I read that the Maritime Sailors Cathedral rang the church bell 30 times (one extra time) on May 1st to include Gordon.  

I always heard that Bob Dylan worshiped him.  I loved when The Replacements covered him.  Such a legend.  

jimjam1982

Did not know he passed. Lightfoot was my out of genre CDs I had in the 90s. Him and neil diamond were my old timer chill albums.

Just a wonderful musician. What a bummer.