Gordon Lightfoot

rass · Post by **rass** » Mon May 01, 2023 8:20 pm

Aw man.

Just finally took his CD out of my car’s player for the new The National album over the weekend.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon May 01, 2023 8:25 pm

rass wrote: ↑Mon May 01, 2023 8:20 pm Aw man.

Just finally took his CD out of my car’s player for the new The National album over the weekend.

Don’t take out the National CD otherwise we’ll have a lot of sadder Dads.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Mon May 01, 2023 8:25 pm

Leafs gotta win the Cup now?

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Mon May 01, 2023 8:27 pm

So many great songs. RIP to a king.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Mon May 01, 2023 8:32 pm

Damn.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Tue May 02, 2023 6:05 am

One of those not entirely surprising ones but man ... ouch. Just seeing the headline last night brought back a wave of nostalgia. What a soundtrack of my childhood; a radio constant from the back of parents' station wagon.

"Summertime Dream" is first-up this morning.

Pruitt IV · Post by **Pruitt IV** » Tue May 02, 2023 6:29 am

"Carefree Highway" for me.

A Canadian Icon for sure. An old friend of mine made a documentary about him a decade or so ago. Said he was just a really nice guy.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue May 02, 2023 6:39 am

One of the years in college we had Sundown on our warmup tape before games. Timed to when we stretched but still a very strange choice by our captains.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue May 02, 2023 6:55 am

Their is a crazy long list of great songs. One that doesn't get cited as often is Summer Side of Life - an absolute banger that is somehow uplifting and deeply sad at the same time.

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue May 02, 2023 7:47 am

tennbengal wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 6:55 am One that doesn't get cited as often is Summer Side of Life - an absolute banger that is somehow uplifting and deeply sad at the same time.

Might be some sunscreen in my eye when that one comes up on my vacation playlist this summer.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Tue May 02, 2023 8:09 am

oh wow i'd love to see this - know if it's available online anywhere?

Pruitt IV wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 6:29 am An old friend of mine made a documentary about him a decade or so ago. Said he was just a really nice guy.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue May 02, 2023 8:10 am

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue May 02, 2023 8:16 am

rass wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 7:47 am
tennbengal wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 6:55 am One that doesn't get cited as often is Summer Side of Life - an absolute banger that is somehow uplifting and deeply sad at the same time.
Might be some sunscreen in my eye when that one comes up on my vacation playlist this summer.

yeah.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Tue May 02, 2023 8:26 am

Edmund Fitzgerald makes me think about listening to the radio with my mom. It turns out they had nearly the exact same lifespan - he was born just a few weeks after her.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Tue May 02, 2023 8:31 am

I'm sorry, is that super-hot Bryan Cranston or super-chill Chris Pratt?

Pruitt IV · Post by **Pruitt IV** » Tue May 02, 2023 9:41 am

MaxWebster wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 8:09 am oh wow i'd love to see this - know if it's available online anywhere?
Pruitt IV wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 6:29 am An old friend of mine made a documentary about him a decade or so ago. Said he was just a really nice guy.

$3.99 on amazon Prime

https://www.amazon.com/Gordon-Lightfoot ... B08F7MD72G

Pruitt IV · Post by **Pruitt IV** » Tue May 02, 2023 9:43 am

Such an icon that an early SCTV episode featured this...

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue May 02, 2023 10:54 am

MaxWebster wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 6:05 am Just seeing the headline last night brought back a wave of nostalgia. What a soundtrack of my childhood; a radio constant from the back of parents' station wagon.

Exactly!

duff · Post by **duff** » Tue May 02, 2023 12:23 pm

Ryan wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 8:31 am I'm sorry, is that super-hot Bryan Cranston or super-chill Chris Pratt?

After watching the SCTV video, all I saw were these two interpretations. Either (or both) could play him in the biopic.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue May 02, 2023 12:29 pm

If songwriting is a science, Gordon Lightfoot was one of the head researchers over at Bell Labs (Canada Division).

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm

Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Tue May 02, 2023 12:52 pm

This is the jam I associate him w/

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Tue May 02, 2023 1:31 pm

Thanks Pruitt - I'll definitely queue this up.

Pruitt IV wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 9:41 am
MaxWebster wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 8:09 am oh wow i'd love to see this - know if it's available online anywhere?
Pruitt IV wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 6:29 am An old friend of mine made a documentary about him a decade or so ago. Said he was just a really nice guy.

$3.99 on amazon Prime

https://www.amazon.com/Gordon-Lightfoot ... B08F7MD72G

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue May 02, 2023 1:45 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.

that will be me when someone from the National goes someday.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Tue May 02, 2023 1:46 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.

Same.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue May 02, 2023 1:49 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.

I discovered Gordon Lightfoot when playing at friends' houses back when I was a kid. The common theme in those friends' houses was that album-oriented-rock (AOR) did not exist. Gord's Gold was a common thread, too. I'm not saying they listened exclusively to AM radio, but it sorta felt that way. Neil Diamond was big in those houses too. I grew to appreciate Lightfoot in my late teens once I realized I was drawn to singer-songwriters like a magnet.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue May 02, 2023 1:53 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 1:46 pm
mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.
Same.

But you're Texas.

Robert Earl Keen and Kris Kristofferson are ubiquitous with your youth, right? I was like 30 when I realized Kristofferson wrote Bobby McGee. And 40 when I realized who Keen even was.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue May 02, 2023 1:54 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 1:46 pm
mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.
Same.

You guys are too young, I guess. In the 70’s, it seemed like AM radio played his music constantly.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue May 02, 2023 2:07 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.

I always thought he was a joke because he was a frequent punchline on Canadian comedy shows, often tied to Juno Awards. Kind of like the male Anne Murray. Edmund Fitzgerald is the only song I could name. Watched the posted videos, and I know the Sundown song PDX posted, but didn't know Lightfoot sang it until now.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Tue May 02, 2023 2:08 pm

EnochRoot wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 1:53 pm
Giff wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 1:46 pm
mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.
Same.
But you're Texas.

Robert Earl Keen and Kris Kristofferson are ubiquitous with your youth, right? I was like 30 when I realized Kristofferson wrote Bobby McGee. And 40 when I realized who Keen even was.

Willie and Neil Diamond were the soundtracks of my youth. I did listen to Kristofferson, but REK wasn't a big deal to me until college.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue May 02, 2023 2:12 pm

tennbengal wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 1:45 pm
mister d wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 12:46 pm Either no one else is admitting it or I'm on an island here ... I knew his name and I knew he had a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but I didn't actually know any of his songs (including that one) until today.
that will be me when someone from the National goes someday.

I tried to listen to The National, downloaded a torrent of an album years ago. I feel like I'd like them if I gave them a chance, but every song sounded the same to me.

Post by **brian** » Tue May 02, 2023 2:38 pm

He was insanely popular in Michigan between proximity to Canada and “Edmund Fitzgerald”. The Canadian content requirement on Canadian radio made sure his stuff was in regular rotation on the radio (Canadian stations in Windsor were generally better).

Pruitt IV · Post by **Pruitt IV** » Tue May 02, 2023 3:31 pm

All over the radio when I was a kid.

Every year for years and years, he'd play Massey Hall in Toronto (seats around 2,500) for an annual series of concerts. From 5 to 12 shows (during his "Sundown" peak).

To be honest, the guy had health issues like 20 years ago and has looked like he was at death's door since then. Still performed occasionally though.

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue May 02, 2023 3:34 pm

Pruitt IV wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 3:31 pm To be honest, the guy had health issues like 20 years ago and has looked like he was at death's door since then. Still performed occasionally though.

He played a couple of shows in NJ last year. I should have gone to see him. We have very Canadian neighbors, and the dad took the 11 or 12-year-old son to see him.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Tue May 02, 2023 3:53 pm

My introduction to "good" music came from my mom and her boyfriend-at-the-time's vinyl collection. Heavy on Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac*, Willie and Waylon and a bunch of other cool shit.

Gordon's Sundown and Summertime Dream were in heavy rotation. Echo what Brian said about living in MI when the Fitzgerald hit. I was a little kid when the wreck occurred, but I remember that song being on CONSTANTLY for about a year and a half.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue May 02, 2023 4:48 pm

Jeff Marek said he probably saw GL live 50-60 times!

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue May 02, 2023 5:23 pm

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue May 02, 2023 5:39 pm

Nice!

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue May 02, 2023 5:45 pm

rass wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 5:39 pmNice!

Ain't nobody doing that with the National.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue May 02, 2023 5:51 pm

tennbengal wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 5:45 pm
rass wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 5:39 pmNice!
Ain't nobody doing that with the National.

Dessners out here catching strays.