Me, a punk rock teenager in the 70s buying a ticket to see Gordon Lightfoot in Seattle. I was mesmerized by how wonderful the evening was. I didn't know anyone I could share it with, but I can relive it here. Thanks. :o)
Your post gives me chills. He was a Hometown Hero to me. I never got see him but have known so many that knew him including my Dad, no longer alive. My Dad saw many of his first performances. He played Orillia/Hometown well. The Original Mariposa Festival was in Orillia and attenddd by Folk music's Best. RIP Gordon May 1, 2023. May he Rest in Peace
Lightfoot achieved great acclaim, and we can see it growing exponentially posthumously, but I think it would have been larger, if not for musical fashion. He didn't fit. People from all sorts of musical affiliations listened, learned, and loved his music. But society has this way of compartmentalizing. I think there were a hundred million Gordon Lightfoot fans back in the day when it was glam rock, hair metal or punk or whatever, but they just kept him as a private pleasure. Except for all of us who were always all in.
That's awesome! I never caught Gordon live, but I've also seen great concerts by myself. So I feel ya! Driving a few hundred miles to catch a show and sleeping in my car. I would play guitar along with the album all night by myself in the car. And wake up to a leaf blower in the parking lot at 7am. Haha ✌️
Having just returned from Vietnam and enrolled in the University of Kansas in Lawrence, I was appalled and scared by the treatment I was receiving from fellow students. This was in 1970, and I would retreat to my small apartment and listen to Gordon Lightfoot. He's still a respite for me, and it's now 2020. Thanks, Man. I love your twelve-string expertise.
You're not only a survivor but a true liver of life having experienced the good and not so good...it's easier to be kind to others as you already know, keep the faith.
Jack, I was a little over a year from going to Vietnam. Being a Michigander Gordon Lightfoot has always held a special place, also his music has been a retreat for me. Along with Hockey Night in Canada and the Grapes. Thank you for your service.
Thank you for posting this compilation. I can't think of a musician that loved performing live more than Gordon did, he will be sorely missed...RIP Gordon, November 17th 1938 - May 1st 2023.
Somewhere, a child is being born who will love this music and imitate it just like Gordon imitated his mentors. The world is full of good and bad, but it's harder to see the good if you're looking in the mainstream. That's the difference.
@@crabbinmoose8583 Grew up to this and his girlfriend. Lots of good stuff I would lovefriend. I I use to this song and I would be knockin' on your friends.
@@crabbinmoose8583 Who were the mentors, he imitated ? Hopefully there is a child out there that will fulfill the gift given to him or her, by their creator. So many once did and as Gordon, grew up singing in a church setting, as a child. That norm of the music Masters, has been trashed in today’s world. Children brought into a world barren of brotherly and sisterly love, do not flourish.
Sundown saw his last sunset last evening. Such a tremendous artist who captured our inner souls on both sides of our shared border. Gordon was a national treasure who we Canadians gladly shared with our southern neighbours. RIP Mr Lightfoot, thanks you for the memories.
Thank you, for lending us your " Beautiful " Countryman to us . He is a Beloved soul in our HEARTS as well , here in the Southern Border of " O Canada" 💔☄🌠🎖🏆⚘🕯🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🌄🇨🇦
All the way in south Carolina and I loved his music when I was a child in the 69 and 70' . I didnt know what he meant a lot of times with his wonderful words but I did know I liked it. The beat the rythym and his voice I was drawn to. Thanks for sharing him. Small town southern usa loved him too
What a singer, what a writer, and what a guitarist. That strumming is not easy. His Canadian Railroad Trilogy is IMHO one of the greatest folk songs every written. Thanks for uploading this!
So sad he's gone. Such a talented songwriter, with a fantastic voice. when I hear "If You Could Read My Mind" it still makes me feel like crying. Such soulful, truthful feeling. What a contribution he has made to music! RIP, Mr. Lightfoot. May you be in light.
I am 77 and Gordon Lightfoots music took me back to 1968 as I travelled west to Calgary, Alberta. His songs were so meaningful, they told a story, as we sat in the pubs in Banff we listened to every word. Music was a magical part of the 60s and 70s. His voice was so calm, so reassuring. It was a time of love and peace and goodwill. Although many experimented with drugs such as LSD and there was suffering I remember a time when people were not angry, there was happiness, there was music everywhere We had never heard the word terrorism, climate change. As a woman yes I was a secretary and very poorly paid with no thought of career goals. Later I learned how to play guitar and sing and my father loved " Farewell to Nova Scotia." I sang this with enthusiasm as we had lived in Nova Scotia, I loved Gordon Lightfoots songs as he sang about CANADA . His legacy is songwriting about the beauty of Canada. I will never forget.
A great complement to our country and to one of its all time best troubadours! Thank you for this look back memory... I recall going skiing on really cold, freezing days around Montreal, early Saturday mornings with friends; the radio was more Gordy Lightfoot than anyone else. Family from N.S. and I got my degree there too. Here's tear for you too- RIP Gordon.
@@nedcassley5169 Really Ned , did you sleep better the night you found a mistype on RU-vid and called the guy out. Did you brag about it at work the next morning? Here I'll mistype teh so you can do it again. And thank you so much for scouring these pages looking for typos.
Ever go to his concerts?? You can here a pin drop. Nobody ever since or before can equal Gordon. Been following him since 1970…..my longest music hero.❤️❤️
I've seen Lightfoot 27 times live. I have an original music score penned by him. Recorded, but never published and released. This is an awesome frigging clip! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
When ever I hear this song it reminds me of my late Michigan born wife who brought me to this beautiful state to live. The song, the cabin in the woods, the snow, the lamp on the table. What a beautiful song for the mind.
There''s no pretense with Gordon and his music. It is music from the ebb and flow of time, from the heart, from the emotions we all share. No artifice, no stage theatrics. I'm all for rock & roll, absolutely. But I always get back to this. So grateful for hearing The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which led me to learning more of his music. He's been a true old friend for the past 50 years.
Lived in the U.P. In Michigan and remember the storm that caused the Fitz to be lost . The news claimed there may be hope for survivors , but anyone familiar with Lake Superior knew it was a lost cause . His song about the Fitz always brings up memories about that time and place in my life .
Bob Dylan,John Denver, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, all different, and all could put lifes paintings into a 3 minute visions coming out of my radio...my songwriters Mount Rushmore. RIP Gordon.
My fav singers! Saw Gordon in concert 2x as well as JD and Bob Dylan! I would also include cat stevens as a fantastic writer and singer as well! Singers like these are so few and far between, Gordon's music lives on now and forever...
I saw Gordon Lightfoot in Greensboro NC in February 2020 right before the COVID lockdowns He was 82 years old and for 90 minutes plus went from one great song to the next. Great show and a very funny and warm human being. One of the greatest singer songwriters ever.
I'm so jealous. I love him so much. Such a great tone. Beautuful. His poetry brings me to my knees. I saw a recent documentary and he sounds great. A true legend. Canada's best export.❤🇨🇦❤🇺🇲❤
@@wonderrob3225 I'm not Dinah but she prob means ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ftmy3xjup8c.html It's streaming on Prime Video, in the US at least
I always was soothed by the sound of his voice and music and the poetry of the lyrics. Such a loss for all the fans who loved and will continue to love this man’s music.
Always been a big fan of Gordon Lightfoot. He’s was a true Canadian legend who never abandoned his country for the bright lights of LA or NYC. I attended many of his concerts at Massey Hall in Toronto. I remember his concerts were always in March and getting tickets was challenging as they sold out fast but I would buy an obstructed view pole seat because I just had to see him perform when he was at Massey. I listen to his music almost every day, it’s timeless and have several of his albums and now I have his music downloaded on all my devices. Rest in Peace Gordon, you will be truly missed. Canada won’t be the same without you. God Bless! 🥰
I was a waitress at Max's Kansas City, NYC back in 1969/70. We had a jukebox and "if you could read my mind" was played almost nonstop (which was fine...Poppy yet pleasant), still, it never quite edged out Creedence Clearwater's uplifting "Run Through the Jungle" or stifled some wiseass's selecting Yoko Ono's "Mother"...the only tune that ever made me ideate suicidally... Still...Gordon was pleasant and safe... Like a kid a CIA agent would take home to mama.
Born in 1966. Thank God. Grew up with this stuff. Riding with my Dad in the 1972 Plymouth Fury III Station Wagon and my aunt in her 1969 AMC Javelin. The radio was one great song after another. God Bless.
It's amazing how every audience at a Lightfoot concert sits in absolute silence. Not wanting to miss a single note. It's a unique Lightfoot phenomenon.
I have attended many of his concerts and he never liked the audience to clap along with the songs. Whenever they started he would shake his head. He was a perfectionist when he performed and his loyal audiences respected that. And especially during the 60's and 70's and early 80's, his live performances were often superior to his studio recordings.
Oh my gosh….I have lived my entire life on the Lake Michigan shore and the majority of that time in a small city that is known for Great Lakes shipbuilding. Maybe this is not a revelation to most but the steady flowing rhythm of “Fitz” is emblematic of the rolling seas common to these waters. Many of these songs I have never listened to before but they captured my soul. “Talking in Your Sleep” - are you kidding me? What a profound ballad! After Gordon’s recent passing Bob Dylan wrote “Gordon Lightfoot never wrote a bad song”. And he “wished his songs never ended”. So true… RIP Mr Lightfoot - thank you for all you did and for what you left behind. 😢 And thank you for posting this medley.
It's easy to see why Canadians are so proud of him. He seemed to conjure all the best of his country. His voice is so damn evocative....haunting. From a nation with less people than California came this monster talent. Canadians are a good and decent people.
@@brucknerian9664 unless one was there, its hard to appreciate how huge If you could read my mind was when it was released. WE don't have musical juggernauts like that any more.
I Have Absolutely Been in Love With Gordon Ligktfoot Since The Early 1970's. I Was Lucky Enough to Seen Him In 6 Different Concerts, Throughout Michigan. I Was Devastated When I Heard He Had Passed. Thanks So Much For This Beautiful Tribute To This Wonderful Legend. R.I.P. 💔💔💔 Thank You Gordon For All The Many, Many Years of Beautiful, Meaningful , Serene Music to My Life! ❤❤❤
The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald is one of the few songs that move me to my soul. I live on Lake Erie, but whenever this song comes on I'm overwhelmed by a feeling of sorrow and reverence I've never felt before in my life.
The Great Lakes are so dangerous and wicked especially during a storm. I’ve seen those big ore ships on Lake Michigan headed to steel mills in Gary, Indiana and the brave men that pilot them.
I'm 66 years young. and when I hear that sad song , I put myself in the shoes of those lost souls.and the tears start to fall..it takes brave people to do that jib of being on the high seas.. no matter how big the ship, mother nature will always make it seem small.
@@markconrad4160 I'm 64 and that is one of the very few songs that can bring a tear to my eye. Such magical storytelling in either prose or music is so rare. Cheers Gordon!😢🥂😭
I've been listening to and viewing a lot of Gordon Lightfoot in the past few weeks. I'm sorry to say I may have taken him somewhat for granted since he was such a part of my country and youth. I'm so glad there are resources like this video and so many others to inspire me now. I'm pretty sure I only saw him in concert once, The Rolling Thunder Revue, but that's all just a blur now. He was such an incredible singer and writer!
I remember the exact moment I heard Gordon and fell in love with his music. Now 50 years later I own several guitars and love playing his music. I saw him in concert in Kansas City in 1990 and it was a wonderful time. I'll miss him dearly. No matter how bad a day the world had you could come home, turn down the lights, and listen to Gordon and somehow the world became a gentler happier place.
As an American I've long noticed that our neighbor to the north, Canada, produces a disproportionate amount of musical geniuses, with Mr. Lightfoot possibly standing at the top of the heap. Canada, from the bottom of my heart, this American thanks you!
Thank you so much for posting this video so that present and future generations can appreciate his remarkable talent. May Gordon Lightfoot rest in peace.
Greatly appreciate this compilation. Many thanks. This man has been my staying force since I was 16. I’m 55 now, and I’m still moved by his poetry and musical arrangements. Everything in life is somehow captured by one of his songs. He truly has no Ego: he is just so introspective!
Gordon Lightfoot...The man with the golden voice. I'm always in the mood to hear Mr. Lightfoot sing, and especially "If You Could Read My Mind". What a masterpiece! Gordon was the best thing to come out of Canada since Ginger Ale.🙂
Such a very sad time in his life , upon writing that song. His marriage had ended.... you van almost see the tears in his eyes when he sings it and grits his teeth to keep his composure. Many can absolutely relate to his feelings in this song. . It was a great healing process for Gordon. Thank you for your, in comment. 🕯
This is an absolutely brilliant compilation of Lightfoot. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am 67 years of age, have an original Gordon Lightfoot musical score, and and I have seen him 24 times in concert. Thank you!
My buddy called me up one day and said "You gotta come over and listen to an album I just bought." I did, and over the next 20 years or so we learned to sing and play every song on Gord's first 15 albums. Still remember most of'em too, but . . . . . . . well time got in the way.
Time is cruel. Most of us become dust and fade away, leaving the faintest footprint on the world. Gordon Lightfoot will never fade away. His songs have put him in the human record for all time. His songs will always find people when they need them the most. The melancholy and the loss in his music, the simple feeling of breathing in life through pictures he paints with his words, they all make our lives better and will for generations to come.
I saw Gordon Lightfoot in a little, dark semi-dive called the Folk Ghetto. He instantly had me, ringing in my ears for weeks after that concert. I bought every album he ever released, I think. I learned to play and sing every song within the range of my hillbilly voice. I taught my son his music, especially "Miguel" and "Don Quixote." Their are a half dozen (no more) artists I also followed and learned their music. I still listen to all their songs, but in the lonely, cold moments of old age, Gordon Lightfoot's songs warm me like no others.
It twists my heart up to know he's gone, but thankfully, I can still see and hear him via youtube. One of a kind, nobody could mimic his style. Im 76 and will never tire of him.
Was introduced to Gordon as a teenager listening to radio - his lyrics were beyond description & meaning to my searching soul at that time & still resonate today for me in my 60s now. Adored him then & adore him now. Can’t believe he’s gone - Heaven needed him back. Your legacy will live on here forever Gordon ❤❤
May 2nd, 2023 - 2:56AM EST - RIP to the one of best song writers in music history. His guitar playing was immaculate and his words were perfect. Like John Bonham, there will never be another Gordon Lightfoot. ❤💔❤️ I saw you three times in concert and I remember every moment. You broke your arm in a fall in Aug of 2021 and still showed up to play your songs for us on Dec 6th, 2021. RIP 💔 I found you passed away about four hours ago - listened to about ten of your songs and cried for an hour. Gordon was a treasure to music history, an immaculate guitar player and brilliant lyricist ! ❤
I drop by here often when I need a Gordon Lightfoot fix. Thank you for taking the time to make this compilation. I own most of his albums, but there's nothing like watching him sing and play that guitar!
My Dad loves to tell the story about taking my Mom on a date to a Gordon Lightfoot show at a dinner club in Los Angeles but only able to afford the cheap seats in the back...but we’re also immediately adjacent to the man himself when he took breaks throughout the live broadcast. 🤗💕
When I discovered Gordon Lightfoot in the 70s, I couldn't stop listening to his captivating musical accounts. Over 50 years later, I still have the same mesmerization. There's hardly any musicians I can say that about.
Gordon stuck it out to the end in the most troubling of difficult times with such soothing melodies...He loved us and we loved him. Rip Sir and thank you!
When I saw Gordon in concert last summer, there was one or two songs I didn't know while the friend I accompanied only knew one, Edmund Fitzgerald. She claimed to be a lifetime fan.
I remember thumbing through the mountains of B.C. and hearing this song. Gordon is always on today when I’m driving in the mountains of Alberta or B.C.
If God had a singing angel, Gordon Lightfoot would be it !! His music is nothing less than an inspiration by God him self !! Very few people are blessed with that much talent and dedication to his music as Gordon Lightfoot !! As we listen to his stories behind the music That set the mood that take us to a special place and moment !! Every time you listen to his songs is like the first time you Heard it !! You Never Ever get tired of listening to his Music over and over !! I’ve been blessed to see Gordon Lightfoot in person as well as listen to his music for over 60 years I could not ask for a greater gift, than his music has provided me all of these years !!! SFJ ❤
I was saddened to hear of Gordon Lightfoot's passing on May 1, 2023. His golden voice has been silenced, but his musical legacy will live on. RIP Gordon Lightfoot.
When I am disappointed at the state of affairs, and of remembering I was once a very proud Canadian... I listen to this man ....he is the voice that restores my faith that all will be well.....
Canada is still the best country in the world. Don't let them tell you otherwise, make you angry, and forget to enjoy your life. Gordon will help you, as you say! Welcome back.
Loved all your music. I just recently read some about your life. You made good choices for you even though your music might have suffered. You had a good life. RIP you were loved.
I doubt Lightfoot will see this, but after all these years, I would in fact, like to thank him for "Beautiful", which my brother played and sung at my wedding long, long ago. Thank you Gordon. And thanks for posting this anthology.
May 2, 2023 We lost a Great Musician yesterday. I fell in love with his voice in 1968. I can remember where I was standing and what I was using to listen to him. I was 9 maybe 10 years old and I had received a handheld Transistor Radio for Christmas and that summer was an awesome time. Life was just starting for me, able to explore the Neighborhood and even beyond. Was the best years of my life. RIP Gordon, you will be missed dearly. Thank you for Calming my heart.
the Original 'Canadian Troubadour' We Love You Gordo Many Thanks for All the Beautiful music you've shared with All of Us. If I could take one thing with me when I fall off this perch, Your Music would be it. I sure hope wherever I may end up, your music will be there to greet me.
Oh the songs...they are so captivating, chilling, heart wrenching...they make you stop and listen to the story. Gordon Lightfoot, I remember when I first heard you as a little girl...my mother was doing dishes in the kitchen and was singing to one of your songs..."If you could ready my mind love"...since that day...I have always listened and loved...it brings me back to a simpler time. Rest in Peace. Gordon.
Good (and) unique voice. (I) love (the) mellow sounds!!!! (I) used (to) listen (to) (his) albums in (the) 70's, (mostly). (I) just googled (his) music (on) u-tube tonight.
Fan since the 70's...RU-vid is the first place I ever seen him live...Thanks so much for the upload...Gordon contributed so much to this world...Grateful to have spent most of my life enjoying his music!
RIP Gordon. It was a pleasure listening to you all these years. Watching this video is reflective to compare old audiences of yesterday to new audiences of today. The old Audiences listened to music with interest. Compare this to an audience of today that would be taking selfies and not really listening to the music.
May you rest in peace Mr. Lightfoot. Your songwriting has inspired me and many others. I pay homage on my favorite upload of your music. Thank you for touching my soul with your words
And this. This was the Gordon that I met so very long ago and never looked back. How blessed I have been to have known him most of my life on this planet.
Many commenting mention the chills induced by Gordon's words, style, musicianship.....everything about him. Yes, nothing has changed and the chills are still there from when I first heard him in the 80's as a teen who was massively into heavy metal (and played guitar, bass, and also piano), however, it all came to a cold stand-still when I heard many of Gordon's songs at that time. Now, at the age of 54, I'll pass on the heavy metal and what remains is my forever love of GL, his songs, lyrics, humility, influence, and legend.
"I was born to sing my song...," Yes he was and his songs and singing penetrated the commonplace and led us to a better place in the world. Pure and honest music, eco friendly before that was a 'thing' singing of nature, pairing his honest lyrics with such memorable melodies. He is a rare person. Thank you Canada for sharing this great artist and composer.
As a kid, I can remember walking into the kitchen and my parents were dancing, well, my father was holding my mother and they were swaying a bit. Beautiful, was the song that they were dancing to. 63 years for them. Still at it those two. Rest in peace Mr. Lightfoot. Thank you.
That's the proper order. I never cared for the sloppy slobbering emotionally of sun shine on my shoulder" lightfoit made you feel the sunshine he didn't just go on about it.
I was born in '95, and I'm Italian, but this kind of music is pretty much the only stuff I listen to (together with country legends and a few contemporary artists, like Colter Wall, to remain in Canada) and, thanks mainly to my father, what I always listened to from birth. Oh how lucky people were to live during those years. Music, style, clothing, cars...I'm sure the 70s had their big downsides, and yet I know they would be my first destination if I had a time machine
I was constantly hitchhiking around in those days…. It❤was nothing like today plus I was a teen from a small town in Saskatchewan so no worries - mid seventies . I recall humming Lightfoot tunes, among others- often singing loudly while walking miles; not a lot of traffic sometimes …. Takes me back …. maybe someday we’ll take another walk together in the early morning rain Peace be to you all ❤
I saw Gordon tonight live in Collingswood,NJ. He is not the young man in these videos anymore but I was thrilled to see him live and in person doing the thing he has done for over 50 years. I was honored to be in his presence while he sang some of my favorite songs. Unforgettable!
I saw him a few years ago in California. He opened the show with the Mark Twain line “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!” He told the story of how he was driving in his car when he heard on the news he’d died. Imagine that! I’ve been a fan since the 70’s, and to finally have seen and heard him in person was freaking awesome! His music will live on for many reasons, one of them being he’s one of the best, if not the best, singer/songwriters ever! RIP, Gord!
I only had the pleasure of attending a Gordon Lightfoot concert once. It was in 76, if I remember correctly, being 18 at the time and still remember the feeling that I had watching him. He has always hit my heart! May he rest in peace and sing with the angels!
i CAN ONLY SAY THANK YOU. as A Canadian LIVING IN Mexico. i NEED TO HEAR OUR GOOD MUSIC ONCE AND IN A WHOLE. thank YOU AGAIN. sorry ABOUT THE CAP LOCK i AM AN OLD FART AND Want TO HEAR our music good or bad. You keep up what you need to do for all of us outside the country. Very welled enjoyed by me.
Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Jim Taylor. All troubadours. We are so lucky to have the music preserved for all to enjoy. I have a friend who pretends to enjoy Gordon and Jim Croce but can't tell the difference when listening to recordings. I'd be happier if she would just admit she doesn't care for either one. My cat is laying in the window looking at the phone, his tail wagging in time to "Endless Wire". Guess this proves music calms the savage beast. His name, Lightfoot. Long live Gordon's music. Photographs and memories will live long in my heart. RIP Gordon. You won't be forgotten.
