jbg Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) My favorite signer, Gordon Lightfoot, was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame, in a New York City ceremony, on June 14, 2012 (link). His initial popularity in the States was as a songwriter rather than as a singer. "For Loving Me" and "Early Morning Rain" were both covered by numerous performers such as Peter, Paul and Mary. In 1971 he broke into the ranks of known performers with "If You Could Read My Mind". The album title was changed from "Sit Down Young Strangers" to match the hit song. Don Quixote followed, and did not produce any hit singles. The "Sundown" album of 1973 produced "Sundown" as a hit during 1974, and "Carefree Highway". "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" followed as a major hit during early 1976, memorializing the November 1975 disaster. My favorite songs of his, however, are better known north of the border. My personal favorite is "Wherefore and Why". Canadian Railroad Trilogy, I now know, was required listening in high schools (link). In my opinion, Gordon Lightfoot is Canada. I am glad he was honored. Edited June 18, 2012 by jbg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 My favorite signer, Gordon Lightfoot, was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame, in a New York City ceremony, on June 14, 2012 (link). His initial popularity in the States was as a songwriter rather than as a singer. "For Loving Me" and "Early Morning Rain" were both covered by numerous performers such as Peter, Paul and Mary. In 1971 he broke into the ranks of known performers with "If You Could Read My Mind". The album title was changed from "Sit Down Young Strangers" to match the hit song. Don Quixote followed, and did not produce any hit singles. The "Sundown" album of 1973 produced "Sundown" as a hit during 1974, and "Carefree Highway". "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" followed as a major hit during early 1976, memorializing the November 1975 disaster. My favorite songs of his, however, are better known north of the border. My personal favorite is "Wherefore and Why". Canadian Railroad Trilogy, I now know, was required listening in high schools (link). In my opinion, Gordon Lightfoot is Canada. I am glad he was honored. I've always enjoyed his work too!!! My Favorites have always been Sundown, Ribbon of Darkness and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg Posted June 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 I've always enjoyed his work too!!! My Favorites have always been Sundown, Ribbon of Darkness and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald....... Ribbon of Darkness, I think, was written by Marty Robbins. Sundown and Wreck, ironically, are among my least favorites of Gord's. Perhaps overplay on U.S. radio stations. I much prefer the album material that didn't have much exposure in the U.S. such as the aforementioned Wherefore and Why, and Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Summer Side of Life, Rainy Day People and the (much covered) Cotton Jenny are among my best-liked as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Ribbon of Darkness, I think, was written by Marty Robbins. Sundown and Wreck, ironically, are among my least favorites of Gord's. Perhaps overplay on U.S. radio stations. I much prefer the album material that didn't have much exposure in the U.S. such as the aforementioned Wherefore and Why, and Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Summer Side of Life, Rainy Day People and the (much covered) Cotton Jenny are among my best-liked as well. Nope, written by Gordon, but also performed by Robbins (I've both LPs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg Posted June 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Nope, written by Gordon, but also performed by Robbins (I've both LPs) I just checked my copy of "Gord's Gold", the vinyl. You're right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I just checked my copy of "Gord's Gold", the vinyl. You're right. There was Connie Smith's run at it, too. I'm also a Lightfoot fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Hard to say no to Lightfoot. You grow fond of the music, and for me, it was played out at camp quite often while playing cards with my family by candlelight. Thanks for some nostalgia.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 (edited) Hard to say no to Lightfoot. You grow fond of the music, and for me, it was played out at camp quite often while playing cards with my family by candlelight. Thanks for some nostalgia.! Gord is even on tour. He was through this area a few months back. Met him once way back in Barkerville, BC, while he was filming some movie. This one, infact... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084052/ ...never did see Dern. Edited June 26, 2012 by DogOnPorch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Gord is even on tour. He was through this area a few months back. Met him once way back in Barkerville, BC, while he was filming some movie. This one, infact... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084052/ ...never did see Dern. I think I missed him. He was to be in Ottawa in June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I think I missed him. He was to be in Ottawa in June. Yes...and a lot of tour dates. Poor guy went through a lot of health issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Yes...and a lot of tour dates. Poor guy went through a lot of health issues. He's back and in my opinion better than ever. I met him in June 2010 in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 He's back and in my opinion better than ever. I met him in June 2010 in Ridgefield, Connecticut. You might like this, jbg. http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/04/23/lightfoot/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 You might like this, jbg. http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/04/23/lightfoot/ Thanks. I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 You're welcome. I didn't know he had lost his cool old house until I had read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I like Gordon Lightfoot a lot, too. Once, on vacation, a Brit was comparing an inland lake that we drove around in an afternoon to the Great Lakes size-wise, and I brought up "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," and how a freighter had been sunk by a massive storm on Lake Superior to give an idea of its massive size, and her reaction was a snippy, "I'm British. Why would I know an American song or singer?" I held my tongue (I certainly am familiar with some British artists) and simply pointed out that he's Canadian, not American; but the point of the story is, I thought he was known internationally - and if he's not, I believe the rest of the world is missing out. ' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I like Gordon Lightfoot a lot, too. Once, on vacation, a Brit was comparing an inland lake that we drove around in an afternoon to the Great Lakes size-wise, and I brought up "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," and how a freighter had been sunk by a massive storm on Lake Superior to give an idea of its massive size, and her reaction was a snippy, "I'm British. Why would I know an American song or singer?" I held my tongue (I certainly am familiar with some British artists) and simply pointed out that he's Canadian, not American; but the point of the story is, I thought he was known internationally - and if he's not, I believe the rest of the world is missing out. ' The good ones we keep for ourselves. The others we ship south of the 49th. You can keep Celine Dion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 The good ones we keep for ourselves. The others we ship south of the 49th. You can keep Celine Dion. Lightfoot is well known in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Lightfoot is well known in the US. Definitely. Lightfoot is very well known in the U.S. - and I thought he would be in Britain, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) Definitely. Lightfoot is very well known in the U.S. - and I thought he would be in Britain, too. When I was a kid visiting Scotland for an extended period, I ran across a girl my age that started to talk to me when she heard I was Canadian. There was indeed a language barrier. Her heavy Scottish made it very hard to understand her. First thing she wondered that I could understand was if I had to fight off bears and indians to get to school...the second was if I knew (Scottish sounds followed). I asked, 'who'? She repeated the words. Hmmmmm...Bobby Ore? I told her I didn't know Bobby Ore. Then she went: "New, new, new...Donnnnny Osssssmond." True story... Edited June 28, 2012 by DogOnPorch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 When I was a kid visiting Scotland for an extended period, I ran across a girl my age that started to talk to me when she heard I was Canadian. There was indeed a language barrier. Her heavy Scottish made it very hard to understand her. If a movie has characters with a Scottish accent, I usually have to quit watching because it's so frustrating trying to understand them! - and when travelling, I swear it's easier to understand someone who speaks English as a second language than it is to understand a lot of Brits, Scots, and Aussies. First thing she wondered that I could understand was if I had to fight off bears and indians to get to school... You do, right? After cleaning out the igloo, of course ..... the second was if I knew (Scottish sounds followed). I asked, 'who'? She repeated the words. Hmmmmm...Bobby Ore? I told her I didn't know Bobby Ore. Then she went: "New, new, new...Donnnnny Osssssmond." Bobby Orr! The famous Scottish singer. Right! Evidently they knew who Donny Osmond was across the pond, eh? True story... Oh, you can't make this stuff up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) Donny Osmund sounded like Bobby Ore to me. Shows where my mind was at. Edited June 28, 2012 by DogOnPorch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleeding heart Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Ah, the Northern dialects. Trainspotting's Begbie {language warning] Picture the scene: The other fuckin' week there, doin' the fuckin' Volley with Tommy, playing pool. I'm playing like Paul-Fuckin'-Newman by the way. Givin' the boy here the tannin' of a lifetime. So it comes to there, during the last shot, the deciding ball of the whole tournament. I'm on the black and he's sittin' in the corner looking all fuckin' biscuit-arsed. When this hard cunt comes in. Obviously fuckin' fancied himself, like. Starts staring at me. Lookin' at me, right fuckin' at me, as if to say, "Come ahead, square go." You ken me, I'm not the type of cunt that goes looking for fuckin' bother, like, but at the end of the day I'm the cunt with a pool cue and he can get the fat end in his puss any time he fucking wanted like. So I squares up, casual like. What does the hard cunt do? Or the so-called hard cunt? Shites it. Puts down his drink, turns, and gets the fuck out of there. And after that, well, the game was mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Oh indeed. It's all Finnegan's Wake when done @ speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_ Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) Mock me if you must, but the best performance ever in Canadian Idol was a to Gordon Lightfoot (sorry for making you see Ben Mulroney, but it can't be helped)...And here is The Gordon Himself, singing an Edited July 2, 2012 by Melanie_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiblethead Posted September 30, 2012 Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 what a great artist. Glad to see he got what he deserved. His daughter Julie went to my hi school! (she was totally hot) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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