Gordon Lightfoot

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 20 Mar 2004 9:11 pm

Saw Gordon about 3-4 years ago at the
Calvin Theatre, NHampton, MA.

And, well, he did not look so great. Gaunt.
But still sang and delivered like the REAL
hero he is.

Is the beloved Gordon Lightfoot headed for
that big barroom in the sky???????????

I hope not to be a morbid moron, but I love this guy; and I know things have been quiet,
as of late......

ChipsAhoy

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 21 Mar 2004 7:54 am

Gordon almost met his maker about two years ago. He collapsed before a concert and was in a coma for several months in a great hospital (in my town).

After several operations he was released to recover at home. He has since worked on his new CD "Harmony" which is scheduled for release this May.

He plans to retun to public performances early 2005.

Here's a recent newpaper report.

also see www.gordonlightfoot.com

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 21 Mar 2004 8:38 am

Thanks Joey.

I appreciate it.

Chipper

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 21 Mar 2004 11:59 am

My daughter Faith and I saw Gord in Greensboro, NC about 3 years ago. His voice had lost some of the rich timbre of the 60's and 70's, but he still outsang almost everybody you could name- and he and the band were GREAT. Man, the songs that man has written... it's amazing.

One footnote... there weren't many people under 50 at the show. We folkies are getting OLD.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 21 Mar 2004 12:54 pm

If the rest of you "Gord-heads" wanna hear something incredible, check out a CD called "Tony Rice sings Gordon Lightfoot." Everything on it is old stuff, since Tony lost his voice, but it's good stuff. I'd bet Joey has a copy!

Rich Weiss · Post by **Rich Weiss** » 21 Mar 2004 12:58 pm

His early stuff, the Bitter Green era, was truly amazing. He could really connect on an emotional level. I miss that era and I miss folk music.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 21 Mar 2004 1:44 pm

"PeeWee Charles" was Gord's Steeler in those early days.
When he left there was never another Steel in the Gord's band.

I'll rattle his cage and see if I can get some "first-person" insight to this discussion.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 21 Mar 2004 5:18 pm

PeeWee Charles is a literate, knowlegeable, and an accomplished steel guitar player. It would be interesting to hear his observations about his years with Gordon Lightfoot.

www.genejones.com

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 22 Mar 2004 10:28 am

I've brought up Gordon in the past, here,
and I'm pretty sure PeeWee chimed in with some posts. Might be worth a little SEARCH.

On the other hand, he may have seen the posts and emailed me directly; not quite sure.

I've heard that Tony Rice CD, and it is outstanding. A collaberation of 2 greats.

Chip

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 22 Mar 2004 12:25 pm

Joey, I think the Bitter Green era of which Rich speaks pre-dates Pee Wee's involvement with Gord. I think the original version of Bitter Green was on his fourth album (Back Here on Earth...does that sound like the name of the alnum....it was a blue cover as I recall...)and didn't have steel. New versions of the earlier stuff were recorded later, with Pee Wee on steel. I think that's so, anyway, but would love to get it from the horse's mouth.

When I was about 16 I heard Lightfoot live in Victoria - three pieces then - Gord and Red Shea (a fine Canadian guitar player, who was in Great Speckled Bird at the same time Pee Wee was and who later was in the house band on the Hunter show) with acoustic guitars, and Rick Haynes on bass. The version of Early Morning Rain they did gave me chills, and to this day if I drive north from Victoria over the pass called the Malahat (which I do frequently en route to our place in the Gulf Islands) I still hear it echoing in my brain. What a songwriter. Of course, later on, with the full band including Pee Wee, those were great shows - I saw that lineup at Masssey Hall in Toronto once, a not-to-be-missed experience. And yeah, I loved Tony Rice's covers of Lightfoot songs too.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 22 Mar 2004 2:46 pm

Hey Joey,

I grew up in London, Ontario. Haven't been back in years, although I'm just a few hours away in Michigan. Someday...

cheers,
Drew

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The Saltines

Peewee Charles · Post by **Peewee Charles** » 24 Mar 2004 4:01 pm

Hi Everyone, So nice to hear all the nice comments on Gord Lightfoot, who I toured & recorded with for 14 years. I'm sorry I have not replied sooner, I just returned from vacation in Mexico with my wife of 28 years!! How time flies!! Thanks Joey for the email. After 14 years touring & recording with Gord there are so many memories, from the great fans we met at his prime, performing to 20,000+ people a night which was just unbeleivable for a 24 yar old new member of his band, the great group of family musicians we met travelling the same circuit, from Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, a show with Harry Chapin & Waylon Jennings & Harry forgot his guitar at the coliseum in New Jersy, borrowed Gord's, and so many more!! It was a fabulous career touring the world with Gord, remembering playing Belfast, Ireland when the hunger stikers were causing havoc & coming out of the gig with army guards with shields to get us back to the hotel!! So many stories......I could go on & on & then there was the recording sessions in Toronto & LA, another time! Thanks for all for your nice comments. I was a fortunate young player to get a break when I was 21, after studying under Reece Anderson in Texas for 7 months. When I returned I got the gig with Ian Tyson & The Great Speckled Bird, a national TV show that backed a lot of artists. After doing that for 4 years Gord asked me to play on his record, Cold On The Shoulder, with the first single being "Rainy Day People". A month later he offered me the gig & the rest was history for 14 years. Had a great opportunity to learn from the master himself & take the steel guitar into a total different genre of music. Remembering going in to the studio @ 3 am, he read an article in Newsweek the day before, stayed up all night & went into the studio to record this song about The Edmund Fitzgerald. It was meant to be an album filler & it sold over 2 Million copies & we got it on the second take. I had an old Fender Champ from my Dad with a hole in the speaker that got that sound!! Gord was a great guy to work for & treated everyone very well. We even had our own private Lear Jet, that's another chapter!!!! Played on some great records from 1975-1980 & had a chance to see the world. He was like a Dad & treated all our family & kids great with trips etc. He did have his personal problems, like a lot of artists do, but we're all human & no one is perfect. I decided to get off the road in 1989 to be with my young family, they were more important than flying all over the world, the financial rewards & all the rest! It was one of the best choices I feel I ever made in my life & am happily married to a great wife, Kathy for 28 years & two great kids, a daughter 24 married & son 22. I love them very much. It was a great sacrifice, but worth every bit. Playing with a group of Studio guys in a hot country/rock/jazz band & having fun. I have had a very successful career in radio sales & marketing the last 12 years. I still see Gord & after his illness, a pancreatic anurism suddenly before a show in Orillia, he almost died a few years ago. He is coming along & I still stay in touch with Gord & all the guys! They still are my second family. He has had a hard recovery, but knowing Gord, he'll be back. The new CD, which vocal demos were recorded before he got sick, has been completed & I am looking forward to hearing it. I wish him all the best & a speedy recovery, as he has contributed so much to music, & all the other great artists that have recorded his songs. Never know, maybe he'll have a reunion with all the origianl players, that would be so much fun & I'd be there!! Thanks to everyone for the nice replies. I'll keep you informed with any updates, I talk with his office on a regular basis! All the best to everyone & Health and Happiness!! Peewee Charles (Ed)

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 24 Mar 2004 7:05 pm

PeeWee,

I heard Rainy Day People today, and was thinking, "Wow, that's nice... I wonder if that's PeeWee Charles..." Simple, but very tasty stuff- and all in tune! Great song, too.

In my opinion, Gord is the greatest songwriter of all time...and, yes, I know that's saying a lot. I have such an emotional connection with his stuff!

Rick

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 24 Mar 2004 9:44 pm

I don't have the vocabulary to express what GL's music has meant to me over the years, and if I should try anyway, b0b doesn't have the space. As much as I love steel guitars and country shuffles and Ray P and Merle and etc, etc, GL is just on a special plane of his own musically ... he is classically trained (piano) if I remember correctly, and his compositions are extraordinary!

I don't remember how many times he's been in Regina over the years ...a dozen? ... but I've been to all of them. And when he starts Canadian Railroad Trilogy, the crowd never fails to go wild, the chill bumps start, an you know you're hearing something very special both musically and about our great country.

I was going to list my favourite GL songs ... can't ... there are just too many. But i agree with Bob B, the original recording of Early Mornin' Rain is awesome!

And Peewee, you've been such a part of the sound for so long, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for your contribution to the GL sound.

As a side note, my sons who are not steel guitar fans think your Ghostbusters on the Northern Steel CD is great! Thanks!
[This message was edited by Don Walters on 24 March 2004 at 09:44 PM.]

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 25 Mar 2004 6:33 am

"Pussywillows, Cattails"
would make a great steel
instrumental!

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 25 Mar 2004 7:14 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>"Pussywillows, Cattails"
would make a great steel
instrumental!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes!!

Mr. Cohen? Seems to me you'd to a great version ...

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 25 Mar 2004 10:56 am

I never paid much attention to Gordon Lightfoot until the late 60's. I was in a band with a Waylon Jennings freak (Johnny McKnight) and he started doing a song WJ had recorded called "That's What You Get For Lovin' Me". I didn't know it was a GL song until at breaktime one night a customer remarked to me how much she liked that Gordon Lightfoot song we were doing. I said "We don't do any of his" but she mentioned the song and said she'd bring me in a copy of his original version. Needless to say, I was hooked!! I've got most of his stuff on vinyl and cassette but only one CD. My favorite ballad is "The Last Time I Saw Her"... Someone mentioned "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" which is a masterpiece IMHO. Does anyone know if there's a box set out on this artist. If not, there damn well should be...JH

------------------
Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 25 Mar 2004 2:17 pm

I became more interested in Gordon Lightfoot's work after he did "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". That great lakes ship used to dock right behind the chemical plant my dad worked at on the Buffalo River (actually the Buffalo Chemical Disposal Rivcr) when I was a little boy. It was HUGE to my eyes then, loaded with yellow sulfur.

Every time I hear his tune, I remember the ship and think of the poor souls lost 'cause they had an overloaded boat in a very bad Great Lakes storm.

He certainly did a fitting tribute to them.

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 25 Mar 2004 5:50 pm

Wasn't "Ribbon Of Darkness" a country hit for Marty Robbins or somebody?

I love "Don Quixote" and "Softly". "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" is on the same level as Longfellow's "Hiawatha"... an epic!

And I'm about ready to move up to Canada!

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 25 Mar 2004 5:57 pm

Jerry,
Rhino Records released a box set a few years ago. http://www.rhino.com/HotPress/75802pr.lasso

Go to Amazon.com and search for "Lightfoot".
There's a list of the songs and samples.[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 25 March 2004 at 06:02 PM.]

Richard Bass · Post by **Richard Bass** » 25 Mar 2004 6:04 pm

GL's guitar player on many of his songs was Red Shea, a fantastic acoustic guitar player.
Richard

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 25 Mar 2004 6:21 pm

How 'bout...
Sundown; Carefree Highway; Fine As Fine Can Be; Summertime Dream; Dream Street Rose; Steel Rail Blues; Early Morning Rain; Cotton Jenny; 10 Degrees And Getting Colder (recorded a few years back by Nanci Griffith); A Painter Passing Through;
I Used To Be A Country Singer (Ewan McGowan
song, but when GL got his hands on it, well.....)

I have the 4-box set that Joey mentioned, and I say, by all means, get this one. You will have pretty much all the great songs of
Gordon Lightfoot. And the sound quality is ULTRA.

Chipper

Doyle Huff · Post by **Doyle Huff** » 25 Mar 2004 10:22 pm

I just finished putting a record on to a cd called Nashville Sundown on which Curly Chalker does 10 of Gordons songs all on E9th. Good stuff

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 24 Apr 2004 6:05 am

Update
Gord says he's doing well and is in the 19th month of a 24 month recovery.

He just made public his intentions to do a benifit concert for McMaster University Medical Center (Hamilton, Ontario), in appreciation of the excellent care he recieved.

Plans, not yet firmed up, are for the concert to be late 2004.

His new CD is scheduled for release May 11, 2004.