Gordon Lightfoot
Hello, kittens and dawgs! My inspiration or need to know for a post idea often comes while researching and composing a post. Naturally, while Googling a seed planted and today we’re going to learn more about Whatever happened to Gordon Lightfoot?
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He’s credited for defining the folk-pop flavor of the 60s and 70s. I remember some of his early to mid-70s songs like If You Can Read My Mind (1970), Sundown (’74), Carefree Highway (’74), and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (’76) which are perhaps some of his most popular tunes of the decade. I thought his music was nice, but I couldn’t fully appreciate it with my head stuck in fluffy songs by the Osmond Brothers or pop dance tracks of the Jackson Five. It wasn’t until later that I developed a fondness for Lightfoot’s music.
Let’s take a look at Gordon Lightfoot’s stuff starting from the 80s because I don’t remember anything beyond the 70s. Either way, it’ll be a refresher or an introduction to his newer works.
Lightfoot released his 14th album in 1980, Dream Street Rose. The album peaked at 58 on the country charts and 60 on the pop charts. The song track bearing the album title hit #80 on the country charts.
Lightfoot’s 1982 album, Shadows, didn’t do well but one song from this album hit the Adult Contemporary charts at #20 with Baby Step Back.
The following year, Lightfoot released a more uptempo album, shifting from folk pop to adult contemporary recording, which barely registered the charts at 175. Listen now to Lightfoot’s complete little-known works from Salute!
The early 90s, Lightfoot sorta made a comeback with his 18th recording where he gets back to his folk-pop roots of writing and singing folk-pop style songs which he dedicated to his wife and son with the 1993 release of Waiting for you.
The last album Gordon produced with all new works for this decade came in 1998 with A Painter Passing Through (listen to the full album below).
The last recording for the decade was a box set with some of Lightfoot’s top-notch recordings as well as some never released tracks spanning from the 1960s through the 1990s on his Songbook (4CD) album collection.
The new millennium wasn’t too kind to Gordon Lightfoot. After a concert in September 2002, Lightfoot airlifted to a hospital because of severe stomach pain turned out to be an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a serious and sometimes fatal condition. He was in a coma for 6-weeks and underwent four more surgeries but three months from the day admitted, he got to go home. A follow-up procedure for the same medical issue occurred in 2003 and thankfully by the next year he was back to his music with the release of his 20th album, Harmony. The next three cuts come from this album and are my favorites.
Inspiration Lady…
Sometimes I Wish…
Clouds of Lonelieness…
His voice sounds strong and smooth, doesn’t it? He made a surprise comeback performance at Mariposa in Orillia, performing “I’ll Tag Along“ solo and in 2005 appeared on Canadian Idol. 2006 Lightfoot suffered a minor stroke resulting in the use of his right-hand middle and ring fingers but since then has regained mobility in his hand again.
It’s rather amazing to think Gordon Lightfoot produced 200+ recordings in five-decade span and received many honors along the way. What’s even more incredible is Lightfoot continues to tours. He’s booked now through the end of November in various cities in the US and Canada. 😉
Gordon, if you’re visiting. Thank you for the music. You still have all the right stuff! And, thank you, my sweet peeps for joining me today to learn Whatever happened to Gordon Lightfoot<
This is Curious as a Cathy. I’ll see you tomorrow for not-so Wordless Wednesday!
16 Comments
Birgit
I always liked Gordon Lightfoot and almost saw him when he came to Brock University. I love the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. He does have a strong voice still but he doesn’t look great. He is lucky since not many survive what he went through..I think.
Cathy Kennedy
Birgit, Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. His voice is strong but he looks weak. I guess signs of his illness. I read that giving up smoking is one thing to do to avoid this problem. I hope he quit smoking. Thanks for visiting!
Myke Todd
Here is Elena Juatco, Jason Greeley, Jacob Hoggard, Shane Wiebe, Theresa Sokyrka and Kalan Porter, The Canadian Idol Top 6, in 2004. as they perform “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” for Gordon Lightfoot, who was present. Gordon is interviewed at the end of the performance. Truly and Iconic Moment.
Cathy Kennedy
Myke, I appreciate the YouTube vid. These kids did a fantastic job. I liked their performance and wished I had included in my post. Oh well, you filled in the gap for me and I appreciate you looking out for me. 🙂
Janie Junebug
I wondered about Gordon Lightfoot and had been thinking about Googling him. Thanks for doing the work for us. It’s nice to see an update about him. I love his music.
Love,
Janie
Cathy Kennedy
Janie, glad I helped ya out there! I guess great minds had the same idea, huh?
Arlee Bird
I enjoyed Gordon’s music pre-1980. After that I never kept up with his new releases. Ironically, I didn’t actually buy any of Lightfoot’s albums until after 1980 and those were all older ones.
When we used to tour Ontario, we would always play Lightfoot’s hometown of Orillia. I would always put on my Lightfoot cassettes while there–it just somehow seemed appropriate. Good to catch up on this music legend’s history.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Cathy Kennedy
Lee, The early stuff by Lightfoot is is his best works but I’m digging some of his newer stuff. I think it helps that he’s gotten back to his music grassroots and the maturity in his voice makes his storytelling all the better.
Rorybore
Well of course I am familiar with Gordon Lightfoot! His music is the backdrop to my childhood – selected by the adults as I was too young at the time. But I definitely remember singing along to Sundown and The Wreck and others… in fact; I have them all on my iPod to this day!! Many complain that all his songs sound basically the same; and it’s definitely true that he has a tone and rhythm all his own: but his songs are great stories too. He’s as much a storyteller to me, as he is a smooth voiced singer.
Cathy Kennedy
Les, I think ‘Sundown’ is his most noted song of the 70s and the one everyone makes an instant connection to him. He is a fabulous storyteller!
kimberleycooperblog
Oh yes, takes me back. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and Canadian Railroad Trilogy were two of May favourites. Thanks for the reminder, I’m gonna get my CDs out …
Cathy Kennedy
You’re welcome, Kimberley! 🙂
John Holton
One of my regulars, Halfmoon Mollie, is a huge Gordfon Lightfoot fan. I think she said his fans are called “Lightheads.”
Cathy Kennedy
John, ‘Lightheads’ that’s a good dub for Lightfoot fans. lol Thanks for sharing that piece of trivia with all of us!
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
You’ve come up with a great series idea – tracing the careers of major recording artists through the years after they reached their peak of popularity. Gordon Lightfoot’s early hits had a profound impact on me. To this day Mrs. Shady sometimes bursts into song, singing her Lightfoot fave “Edmund Fitzgerald.” We recently watched a documentary recounting the hours leading up to the wreck of the great vessel.
Gordon Lightfoot has a distinctive, easily recognizable voice. As you pointed out, his songs defined folk-pop of the 60s and 70s. I believe that actually hurt him later on because listeners of the 80s and 90s associated him with those earlier decades. Lightfoot’s style faded in popularity as the British invasion of the 80s unfolded. English synth pop and New Wave acts dominated those years and hard rock, hair metal and alternative grunge bands also came on strong. My ears tell me that Gordon’s last three songs, recorded in the 2000s, are the best of the bunch. Following his bout with serious illness, he returned to his roots and sang with greater feeling, maturity and worldliness than ever before. He reminded me of Willie Nelson.
One of my favorite folk rock artists is Tom Rush. I was first exposed to his music at a college “listening” party where the host played Rush’s eponymous 1970 album. I highly recommend it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoNe3R33KFo&list=PLOSZScPiwKbilK6aGPXACsEj-YECjntXp
Thank you for the morning concert by Gordon Lightfoot, dear friend Cathy. You were so kind to mention me in your recent Infernal post that I am returning the favor and dedicating this Thursday’s SDMM post to you. Mark your calendar!
Cathy Kennedy
Tom, I’m happy you’re enjoying this new series. It takes a lot of time to pull them together sometime. His voice is recognizable and even today you know who he is with his strong, smooth vocals. Thank you for the introduction to Tom Rush. I don’t know why I haven’t heard of him before now. Oh wait, Puppy Love and other fluff clogged my brains in those early years. lol I’m honored you’re dedicating Thursday’s post to me. I’ll be sure to hop over to see what you’ve got spinning on your turn-table. 🙂