Gordon Lightfoot's vocal quality was deceptive. THIS performance shows us why.

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  • Опубліковано 23 лис 2024

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  • @RogCBrand
    @RogCBrand Рік тому +792

    It's hard to see someone like Gordon go. The world is a lesser place without him!

    • @ClassicTVMan1981X
      @ClassicTVMan1981X Рік тому +26

      Not just a singer with a rhythm guitar, but also a poet.

    • @Doreana48501
      @Doreana48501 Рік тому +22

      His song the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald broke my heart. The freighters go by my house it's easy to remember Gordon's songs

    • @GlenRobertsonMusic
      @GlenRobertsonMusic Рік тому +13

      When I found out, I discovered a tear rolling down my cheek

    • @artmanjohn2
      @artmanjohn2 Рік тому +6

      Unfortunately we all have an expiration date! That's life.

    • @Acadian_Proud
      @Acadian_Proud Рік тому +16

      My favorite Gordon Lightfoot song is “ Canadian Railroad trilogy”. He wrote this song in a weekend when it was commissioned by CBC TV in Canada for a special that was being done to commemorate the 100 anniversary of trans Canada railroad. He was a truly gifted musical storyteller.

  • @wendyh2708
    @wendyh2708 Рік тому +462

    To call Gordon Lightfoot a Canadian icon is an understatement. There are no words to describe the loss of this man to Canada.

    • @rubicon-oh9km
      @rubicon-oh9km Рік тому +11

      There will be much Molson purchased the next several days.

    • @PantheraOnca60
      @PantheraOnca60 Рік тому +15

      He was Canada's gift to the world.

    • @StormyDay
      @StormyDay Рік тому +6

      Sad he had a full tour scheduled and he won’t make his yearly at Massey.

    • @lebe220
      @lebe220 Рік тому +1

      sorry, but you´ve still got Trudeau

    • @magneto7930
      @magneto7930 Рік тому +21

      Believe me, we're feeling it in the US.

  • @joebloggs8636
    @joebloggs8636 Рік тому +306

    I'm a American guy ,68 years old,i don't know why but, Gordon's death has hit me harder than i ever would have thought.Canadian Railroad Trilogy,If you could read my mind, Sundown, Carefree Highway, Song for a Winters Night,Early morning rain and Circle of Steel are among my favorites...Fil ,i could watch and listen to you do this forever...thanks for focusing on his vocals which i always loved...R.I.P. Troubador....

    • @EmersumBiggins
      @EmersumBiggins Рік тому +20

      Me too. I cried in front of my wife when I read that he died on Monday night 🙂

    • @g26s239
      @g26s239 Рік тому +25

      He is all time great, that's why.

    • @mccallosone4903
      @mccallosone4903 Рік тому +6

      word

    • @rajon25
      @rajon25 Рік тому +16

      I'm a 40 something guy from Michigan and you aren't alone.

    • @AvaGrail
      @AvaGrail Рік тому +11

      I love Rainy Day People♥️

  • @kookamunga2458
    @kookamunga2458 Рік тому +226

    When Bob Dylan says Gordon was his favourite song writer that carries a lot of weight. Gordon Lightfoot was admired by rock and rollers , country music lovers and folk music lovers alike . He was the ultimate wordsmith and many of his songs are stories.

    • @tracymetherell8744
      @tracymetherell8744 Рік тому +19

      He was an actual bard. Unusual for our time.

    • @ermengard6960
      @ermengard6960 Рік тому +6

      I grew up on classical music -- played violin. Gordon Lightfoot was the only popular concert I ever went to while I was in high school. He was truly a great musician.

    • @BarryHart-xo1oy
      @BarryHart-xo1oy 8 місяців тому +1

      Very,very true.

    • @luigivincenz3843
      @luigivincenz3843 5 місяців тому +2

      Gordon Lightfoot is the ONLY singer to ever appear on Art Bell's show, which is a rarity. GL was Art's favorite singer. You would think after months of having experts on UFO's, ghosts, bigfoot, paranormal entities, portals, having Gordon Lightfoot came out of nowhere.

    • @robbiet8583
      @robbiet8583 5 місяців тому +1

      @@luigivincenz3843I missed that one!!!

  • @spankyharland9845
    @spankyharland9845 Рік тому +272

    no laser lights, pyrotechnics, flashy lights, smoke machines, scantily clad dance girls, just three guys strumming and Gordon singing, how simple life was back in 1974.

    • @johngrundy9119
      @johngrundy9119 Рік тому

      0

    • @michaelmohrle1773
      @michaelmohrle1773 Рік тому +7

      Well not really, you could have gone to a Kiss show! I much much prefer Gordon though!

    • @raylewis2121
      @raylewis2121 Рік тому +1

      I was three hours away from home at a TX prep school. I remember listening to Gordon Lightfoot cassettes while sitting for hours in line for gasoline to get home for holidays

    • @grahamy3400
      @grahamy3400 Рік тому +2

      It was called talent

    • @amsodoneworkingnow1978
      @amsodoneworkingnow1978 Рік тому +1

      It still is.

  • @noadlor
    @noadlor Рік тому +327

    As a Canadian, I would like to thank you for this. He is one of greatest icons and he loved to tell stories about the Canadian landscape with his songs. He will be missed.

    • @conifergreen2
      @conifergreen2 Рік тому

      Justin Trudeau claims Canada has no culture.I guess he never listened to Gordon Lightfoot.

    • @lebe220
      @lebe220 Рік тому +3

      Canada ist lost with Trudeau

    • @alanna8983
      @alanna8983 Рік тому +12

      @@lebe220 this is no place for politics.

    • @lebe220
      @lebe220 Рік тому

      @@alanna8983 Yes, and "Man in Black" by Johnny Cash. If music is alone entertainment, it is being missused. It has the power to open minds and hearts.
      Well, the US government and child trafficking...It keeps going on end on end on...Why does it? Because people have only empathy when it hits them or their family. No empathie at all by almost 90% of the population. And who´s job is it to awaken empathy in the people? Yes, right: the ARTISTS! They ere not doing their job!

    • @HarmonyinChaos-ul3fk
      @HarmonyinChaos-ul3fk Рік тому +8

      i grew up loving gordon and canada. my parents knew him and would hang out with him backstage after shows. i met gordon when i was 8 years old, and now i’m 46.
      his old manager Bernie would hold tickets for us at the office for us to go up on a 10 hour trip to Toronto and see him at Massey Hall. and i was able to see how wonderful so many canadians are. it was a culture shock for me. canadians will always have a special place in my heart.
      he was always kind to everyone after the shows. very grateful to adoring fans. we took an older, blind lady to meet him once. it was at the kennedy center in Washington, D.C. she wanted to meet him so badly so we told her okay! she couldn’t believe it. he gave her a hug and spoke with her, and it’s enough to send me to tears.
      he loved his family. that’s why he basically stopped writing. it took too much time away from them, and he didn’t want to put himself in the room, locked anymore.
      gordon is in my dna. and my toddler son and i dance to him every night.
      recently it’s been the Salute album

  • @nancy9891
    @nancy9891 Рік тому +396

    Thanks Fil for your tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. Your smile tells it all about your approval for this genuine singer songwriter. The bell was rung yesterday for Gordon at the site where he wrote of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

    • @martinmcdonald4207
      @martinmcdonald4207 Рік тому +24

      Proper order too. Legendary song from a Legend. R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot.

    • @logicalspark3496
      @logicalspark3496 Рік тому +4

      Is there video of it?

    • @jimfritz2087
      @jimfritz2087 Рік тому +27

      @@logicalspark3496 Yes. It was at the Great Lakes Museum ( I think that's the name. They wrung the Bell 29 times for the crew + once for Gordon). Bagpipes too

    • @G60syncro
      @G60syncro Рік тому +7

      I think they also retrieved the actuall bell of the ship... I hope THAT was also rung as well!!

    • @unseelie63
      @unseelie63 Рік тому +11

      Oh god.What a beautiful tribute.I'm getting teary-eyed.Again.

  • @ronkrupovich7152
    @ronkrupovich7152 Рік тому +223

    My wife and I, both Canadian, were agreeing that his passing is hitting us pretty hard. Will never forget the time that we flew from Toronto to LA and he was on the flight--and then saw him in concert at Universal Studios. Unique talented storyteller.

    • @susanmacdonald4288
      @susanmacdonald4288 Рік тому +25

      Another Canadian here, and much sadder than I expected to be. To quote Joni, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.

    • @glenchapman3899
      @glenchapman3899 Рік тому +14

      @@susanmacdonald4288 As someone said when another entertaining great passed. Dont be said that they are gone, be honored that you got to live at the same time they did

    • @dianamal
      @dianamal Рік тому +4

      Incredible I also saw Gordon at the Universal Studios in the 70's . RIP

  • @TheHarmonicOscillator
    @TheHarmonicOscillator Рік тому +91

    Gordon Lightfoot passed away four days ago, and I still have “the morning after blues, from head down to my shoes.” I first listened to Gordon in 1971 and was blown away. He is the reason why I sing and play an acoustic guitar today. He was a big part of my life and millions of others’ lives. I have been working on “If You Could Read My Mind” for 35 years, and I have steadily improved, but his performance is like an asymptotic limit that I will forever approach but never reach.
    In 2002, he suffered an aortic aneurysm and was in a coma for six weeks. It was a miracle that he survived. But, even more miraculously, he returned to touring and never stopped touring. He achieved the musician’s ultimate goal. He died with a full run of concert dates scheduled.
    His music lives on for he was one of a kind.

    • @jamesedwards2237
      @jamesedwards2237 Рік тому +8

      My wife Peggy and I saw him at the Orpheum theater in Phoenix about 2010, and he put on a great performance. 2 years later she suggested seeing him again, so we did. R.I.P Gordon Lightfoot and R.I.P Peggy Williams Edwards.

  • @babayaga4355
    @babayaga4355 8 місяців тому +8

    Honestly, there is no music like 70’s music. Lyrics, guitar, talent, unique voices; it has to be the best decade of music.

  • @vintagestrings6
    @vintagestrings6 Рік тому +262

    Rest in peace Mr Lightfoot. One of the most gifted songwriters of all time. He's touched many hearts in this world. ❤🙏

    • @lebe220
      @lebe220 Рік тому +4

      Yes, greetings from Germany (raised in Australia)

    • @ellenlewis9860
      @ellenlewis9860 Рік тому +1

      He certainly touched mine. I cried when I learned he passed. I was so lucky for having the music of my youth! RIP

  • @helenbirch5719
    @helenbirch5719 Рік тому +72

    One of life's sharp pleasures is harmonizing with Gordon Lightfoot while driving alone in my car. Beautiful voice, clear diction, perfect melodies, lots of heart, deceptively simple instrumentation. We have lost a jewel.

  • @FionaEm
    @FionaEm Рік тому +143

    Thank you for featuring Gordon again. One of the last of the troubadors. His voice was like sunlight dappled across water. What a wonderful talent the world has lost. ❤

    • @michaelmohrle1773
      @michaelmohrle1773 Рік тому +7

      Cool description

    • @ThisTrainIsLost
      @ThisTrainIsLost Рік тому +1

      @@michaelmohrle1773 Yes it is however, it can only reveal its true truth if you are on the shore looking northwest from Honey Harbour at twilight. I imagine that Kurt Russell could give you a clue as to what that view means.

  • @estelleadamski308
    @estelleadamski308 Рік тому +133

    Sorry for our Canadians neighbors for losing a absolutely, incredible, talented man. Gordon will be missed by the world. Thank you Canada for sharing him w/us.

    • @Jaline_on_YouTube
      @Jaline_on_YouTube Рік тому +6

      Sweet. Thank you for taking the time to express that you care.

    • @stevebolger3010
      @stevebolger3010 Рік тому +8

      This Canadian very much appreciates your very respectful comment!

    • @timetraveler5246
      @timetraveler5246 Рік тому +6

      Thank you so kindly. Gordon’s passing has hit many of us Canadians quite hard.

    • @christineelsass4284
      @christineelsass4284 Рік тому +4

      @@timetraveler5246 can’t quite explain, but no other public death has effected me more. Feels like losing a long time friend. Months later, still leaving a melancholy. US long time fan (over 50 years). How very fortunate and blessed ,our neighbors up North, are to call him their own.

  • @Erik_Swiger
    @Erik_Swiger Рік тому +116

    Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmumd Fitzgerald, on my 60s off-white tube radio, glowing orange in the back, in my room in the late 70s. I was always haunted by the lyrics, "Does anyone know, where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours." RIP, Gordon, and thank you for the gift of your life.

    • @AmyKaribian
      @AmyKaribian Рік тому +13

      Yes, one of the greatest lines in any song ever.

    • @Jaline_on_YouTube
      @Jaline_on_YouTube Рік тому +8

      Just reading the lyric you shared brought tears to my eyes. Wow. Thank you for sharing this.

    • @anderander5662
      @anderander5662 Рік тому +7

      Me too. That lyric grabbed me by the throat.

    • @suelucey9621
      @suelucey9621 Рік тому +8

      That line always gives me the chills.

    • @carly-jaymetcalfe6401
      @carly-jaymetcalfe6401 Рік тому +4

      Chills and tears. We were lucky to have him - what a gift.

  • @rumidude
    @rumidude Рік тому +42

    Gordon Lightfoot was a giant. He actually transcribed and orchestrated his own songs. He knew how many bpm all the sections of his music was supposed to have. And his lyrics are so evocative. One of the greatest singer/songwriters of his generation.

  • @drewpall2598
    @drewpall2598 Рік тому +88

    Very nice tributer to Gordon Lightfoot. He was one of the great storytellers that emerge from the mid to late 1960's and 70's era, Rest in Peace Gordon Lightfoot and thanks for the music.

  • @brianbecker1
    @brianbecker1 Рік тому +106

    I'm crushed to hear of Gordon's passing. He was a master craftsman when it came to songwriting and his performances were perfection. Thank you for shining a light on this legendary artist.

  • @deloresdunbar1464
    @deloresdunbar1464 Рік тому +58

    I could listen to him sing everyday and not grow tired of his vocals.

  • @dwaynewladyka577
    @dwaynewladyka577 Рік тому +102

    I saw Gordon Lightfoot live in 2010, front row center. I met him and his band after the show. Gordon Lightfoot is one of our Canadian music icons, and I'm a big fan of his music. A really great songwriter. May Gordon Lightfoot rest in peace. Thanks for sharing this analysis video. Cheers, Fil! ✌️🙏🇨🇦

    • @JesAusCam18
      @JesAusCam18 Рік тому +3

      Gordon may be Canadian by birth but is an International Treasure!

  • @FarrellMcGovern
    @FarrellMcGovern Рік тому +63

    I've just been watching a number of the tributes to Gordon Lightfoot on UA-cam today. As someone who grew up in the 60s and 70s in Canada, it wasn't so much that you were a Gordon Lightfoot fan, but that his music was part of the makeup of Canadian culture. If you were into music at all, you heard Gordon Lightfoot. His music was just everywhere. It didn't matter that he was an amazing instrumentalist, or that he had a unique voice, or that he had songwriting skills that even Bob Dylan envied. He had all those things and many more, but uniquely for the time, he was part of the heart and soul of what made you a Canadian.

    • @bobjohnson1587
      @bobjohnson1587 Рік тому +6

      'Canadian Railroad Trilogy'! Need I say more!

    • @kineahora8736
      @kineahora8736 Рік тому +8

      Not just Canada. I feel like Gordon’s songs were a part of my childhood as well, growing up in the New York area.
      We didn’t hear much of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitz on the radio-but Sundown and If You could Read My Mind were enormous hits…

    • @CatrionaRuadh
      @CatrionaRuadh Рік тому +3

      Well said!

    • @suzannemcmaken4648
      @suzannemcmaken4648 Рік тому +1

      @@bobjohnson1587💓

  • @ivannovotny4552
    @ivannovotny4552 Рік тому +76

    Gordon Lightfoot was national treasure and his legacy will live on forever. Thank you for beautiful memories at annual April's concerts at Toronto's Massey Hall. R.I.P. Gord. 🇨🇦

    • @coldlakealta4043
      @coldlakealta4043 Рік тому +10

      Gordon and Massey Hall were and will always be synonymous. God Speed, our national treasure. Your country loved you as much as you loved your country.

    • @ivannovotny4552
      @ivannovotny4552 Рік тому +2

      ​@@coldlakealta4043
      Gord's name in also synonymous with Stompin' Tom Connors.

    • @lizbyrne7356
      @lizbyrne7356 Рік тому

      @@ivannovotny4552 UA-cam carries a Tom Connors tribute featuring GL. Great reminiscence by GL and most fitting song choice. Also "I Am The Wind" Tom Connors video not to be missed.

  • @grumpyolddude439
    @grumpyolddude439 Рік тому +63

    TY Fil for covering Gordon. He was one of the all time greats, and will be sorely missed.

  • @marymargaretmoore9034
    @marymargaretmoore9034 Рік тому +70

    Reminds me of when I hitchhiked to Canada in 1974 and this song was all over the radio. Gordon Lightfoot made a huge impression on us, his songwriting, musicianship and singing. We will miss you, Gordon.

  • @glennaa11
    @glennaa11 Рік тому +45

    The burbling bass line adds a lot to this song too. I always loved that his band stuck together for so long

    • @RideAcrossTheRiver
      @RideAcrossTheRiver Рік тому +5

      Good Canadian bassist using his Toronto-made amp!

    • @rationallogo
      @rationallogo Рік тому +4

      The incomparable Rick Haynes on bass, the most underrated bass player of the last 50 years.

  • @diamondbed86
    @diamondbed86 Рік тому +30

    Aw, Gordon Lightfoot. I am so glad I got to see him in the 1990s. My mother drove me to about 5 stores to find a copy of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

  • @sheelfjohnson
    @sheelfjohnson Рік тому +26

    My grandfather was a Merchant Marine on the Great Lakes, so I appreciate Gordon Lightfoot for writing about the Edmund Fitzgerald. I love his relaxed style of singing.
    Rest in peace🌹

  • @dagmar.6954
    @dagmar.6954 Рік тому +74

    I was so sad to hear of Gordon Lightfoot's passing a few days ago. Loved his music. One of the best songwriters & storytellers. He was a Canadian legend. My husband & I saw him in concert once. Thanks so much for doing a nice tribute to him.

  • @prairrie
    @prairrie Рік тому +44

    Very sad to hear of his passing . I so loved his style and gentle voice .

  • @GTsuji
    @GTsuji Рік тому +53

    I was fortunate enough to see him several times in the late 60s and again about 5 years ago. He was a legend for a good reason. RIP Mr Lightfoot.

  • @stephenhenion8304
    @stephenhenion8304 Рік тому +29

    Let me tell you... live music from this era was EPIC!! So many bands, songs and concerts. Gordon Lightfoot was as good as it gets! Top shelf!!🎶🎵🎶

  • @annettereynolds7457
    @annettereynolds7457 Рік тому +26

    An utter legend. The world is less without his presence. I will miss him.

    • @lindamcd1217
      @lindamcd1217 Рік тому

      That is simply the best way to say it. 😪

  • @annmills3163
    @annmills3163 Рік тому +28

    It’s inevitable that we’re going to be losing a lot more classic rock/ folk country musicians in the near future, but only a handful are as talented as Gordon was ☮️💜🎶

  • @Mrs.EmmaPeel
    @Mrs.EmmaPeel Рік тому +27

    Hard to imagine that was almost 50 years ago. Gord has always been my favourite musician.

  • @QuantumBeeWellness
    @QuantumBeeWellness Рік тому +38

    As a Canadian, thank you Fil for appreciating one of our true icons! Gordon made a huge impression on so many of us, especially growing up to his music.

  • @joeysanguine3596
    @joeysanguine3596 Рік тому +22

    Thank you Phil in honor of Gordon during our time of grief💔

  • @NzLand3r
    @NzLand3r Рік тому +25

    "He has this conversational space where his vocal always sits" For me, a finely crafted story will always beat out production values. Brilliant song and artist R.I.P. Thank you.😔

    • @catherinelynnfraser2001
      @catherinelynnfraser2001 Рік тому +5

      Except that so many of Gordon’s songs were produced brilliantly. He also knew when the silence or volume needed to just be.

    • @NzLand3r
      @NzLand3r Рік тому +3

      @@catherinelynnfraser2001 Yes for sure. I was always captured first by an interesting story song, and musical sensibility adds dimension to the canvas.

  • @owlcowl
    @owlcowl Рік тому +34

    For many musicians hailed as geniuses and whose work is dubbed "immortal" in their own time, their reputation actually proves to be ephemeral and fifty years after their passing, they have become footnotes in the chronicles of popular culture. Among the pathbreaking generation of the 60s/70s, Canada has gifted us with two songwriters who will absolutely never suffer this fate: Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell. People will be listening to their finest creations for as long as we have ears to hear.

    • @chrisgillard6129
      @chrisgillard6129 Рік тому +3

      And Stan Rogers

    • @richardnanian2446
      @richardnanian2446 Рік тому +7

      Canada has a great singer-songwriter tradition. I’d add Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, and Ron Sexsmith to the list.

    • @shelleyimmel8067
      @shelleyimmel8067 Рік тому +3

      And Ian Tyson

    • @michaellohr7683
      @michaellohr7683 Рік тому +2

      How could you possibly forget Bruce Cockburn?

    • @chrisgillard6129
      @chrisgillard6129 Рік тому

      @@michaellohr7683 Probably because I choose not to listen to him.

  • @susanmacdonald4288
    @susanmacdonald4288 Рік тому +19

    A Canadian girl here, who grew up hearing Gordon on the radio all of the time...part of the background to my growing up. Thank you for doing this song.

    • @RideAcrossTheRiver
      @RideAcrossTheRiver Рік тому +4

      I remember it was hearing this song as a little kid that made me think "that's what 'right thing at the right time' means"--even though I was too little to know it!

  • @SallyBedow
    @SallyBedow Рік тому +21

    I'm still tearing up at all the accolades for Lightfoot.

  • @greenfaerie61537
    @greenfaerie61537 Рік тому +41

    I was fortunate to see Gordon Lightfoot in concert 3 times in different decades, and he was always awesome. One of a kind, finest songwriter of his time. So sorry to hear of his passing. RIP 🥀

    • @henryporter6659
      @henryporter6659 Рік тому +3

      I too have seen him 3 (or maybe 4) times and I always felt he was sharing his music rather than just performing his music.

  • @TheEricthefruitbat
    @TheEricthefruitbat Рік тому +12

    Thank you, Fil. R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot.

  • @lindadesanto6593
    @lindadesanto6593 Рік тому +46

    Thanks for doing this video. His music will live on forever. My 30 and 27 year old boys are taking his death pretty hard. All ages love him

  • @RosaKay55
    @RosaKay55 Рік тому +32

    Gordon Lightfoot has been part of my life for over 50 years. I got the vinyl record of Gord’s Gold, then got the CD. Then my daughter put it on my iPhone so I can have it everywhere I go. Thanks, Fil, for your thorough and touching analysis of this great musician!

  • @MrRdh567
    @MrRdh567 Рік тому +57

    " I can see her lying back in her satin dress in a room where you do what you don't confess" One of my fave lines in a song ever. It is perfection.

    • @bobjohnson1587
      @bobjohnson1587 Рік тому +10

      And written about the woman who gave the deadly speedball to John Belushi! Makes it even more poignant.

    • @AmyKaribian
      @AmyKaribian Рік тому +9

      I feel the same. One of the greatest opening lines of any song ever.

    • @carolynstockton5876
      @carolynstockton5876 Рік тому +1

      Wow, I never knew that.

    • @carolynstockton5876
      @carolynstockton5876 Рік тому +2

      …about John Belushi

    • @bobjohnson1587
      @bobjohnson1587 Рік тому +8

      @@carolynstockton5876 Cathy Smith went to prison for 15 months for injecting John with the heroine/cocaine 'speedball' that killed him. 10 years earlier she was Gordon's 'mistress'. He was very lucky to have survived his tumultuous relationship with Cathy. He could have ended up like John! She was bad news!

  • @lisacolbert5987
    @lisacolbert5987 Рік тому +8

    My recently passed mama took me to see him. Portland, Oregon 1975. I was ten. I remember he stopped a few bars into a song, fairly angry, and yelled at the lighting crew guy operating the spot. Something about he didn’t care where he put it but to choose a place and lock it down ! I miss you mom.

    • @Moluccan56
      @Moluccan56 Рік тому

      That would have been a bothersome distraction. Good for him!

  • @kevystead
    @kevystead Рік тому +42

    It Makes me so happy that you enjoy Gordon's music Fil. We're awfully proud of him here in Canada.🥰 To know he's gotten his message and music to the other side of the world is incredible. Rest in Peace Gordon.

  • @lynndow3185
    @lynndow3185 Рік тому +47

    The passing of beloved musicians sure is painful. Thank you for helping take the sting out of it by looking at what made Gordon so phenomenal. Very enlightening!

  • @karengray662
    @karengray662 Рік тому +22

    I was 16 in 1980 and got my first job. Dad would sometimes pick me up. He had Radio 2 on & the “album of the week” was Gordon Lightfoot. Each day they played a song from it. So many songs I knew and loved but hadn’t realised it was him! I bought the album before the end of the week, been a joyous part of my life ever since. RIP Gordon, you’ll be a huge miss x

  • @MtnBadger
    @MtnBadger Рік тому +28

    I was a teenager then. And Canadian. He was great, Canada was still cool, it was a good time. Im now glad we transplanted to the states (mom was Canuckian, dad was a yank).
    Gordon's loss has affected a lot of us, music was an entirely different entity back then. It's no wonder todays music struggles for significance and the geriatric tour" is still so popular with musicians in their 70s in bands from the 70s. Take a lesson, all you young, wannabe rock stars.
    Im proud to have played in many bands with names people would recognize and to have had this type of sound and performers as our influence.
    Gordon's songs are just as relevant and pleasing today as they were 50 yrs ago because the subject matter is deeply human and timeless and stories like the Edmund Fitzgerald is also something that touched us deeply in our emotions in a way that isn't dated or out of place as time goes by. As for style, keeping it simple yet poignant and accurate is something strived for and seldom realized that fits anytime, anyplace. He also was a singer who realized his vocal range/strengths, the notes that were natural for him and he lived there instead of trying to push past those parameters which ultimately distracts from when the right notes are carried and it takes away from the overall performance. He was very smart/humble/non-egotistical in his vocal work and it paid. Jonie Mitchell was another performer with an amazing vocal quality, good range and the sense to stay within the lines. As a counter example, Janice Joplin did actually have a terrific singing voice when she actually sang. But all the screaming and strained singing thatxwas the "style" she was known for covered up the natural notes and tones she carried with zero effort.
    Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) only sang two notes but,* she sang them *reaally* well. 😊
    I was friends with Warren Zevon and he had the same core abilities as Gordon that not many give him credit for because of the particular songs they chose as radio releases. Though fun and exciting to hear, they didn't have the timing, emotions and vocal uniqueness that comes through in his dozen or so albums and the "poison pen" with which he often wrote just didn't make the 3 minute, "short bus" mentality that so many record companies have decided to play. He takes you on journeys, right into the mental space of the songs likecin "Under the eaves" and "Mohammed's radio." Give Warren's music a listen and do try to review some of his other songs, as well as his popular aired tunes like "Warewolves of London," "Lawyers, guns and money" and "Roland the headless Thompson gunner." 😆
    Thanks for making our brains work. 😊

    • @joebloggs8636
      @joebloggs8636 Рік тому

      ​@@counselthyself2591You sound like an Simpleton, seriously..

    • @MtnBadger
      @MtnBadger Рік тому

      @@counselthyself2591 I have to agree, though I miss my family back there. visit I'd fine, live, No Bueno.

    • @roguedalek900
      @roguedalek900 Рік тому +1

      I grew up in the 70s and love 70s females because of the more acoustical sound . The early 70s were great and not over produced. I really love the early to mid 70s folk sound influence. Even the R&B like Roberta Flack was great .

  • @gregoryrogalsky6937
    @gregoryrogalsky6937 Рік тому +58

    Thanks for taking time to do this Fil. This is my favourite of all of Gordon Songs. I am of the age where I grew up listening to his music on AM radio. Iv never quit listening to his music and the new of his death comes as blow. Hard to quantify how much Gordon and his music ment to Canadians. He was a national treasure. He will be sadly missed.

  • @Dan-zq5wt
    @Dan-zq5wt Рік тому +26

    I’m just discovering Gordon after his death and I’m really blown away. What a brilliant singer/songwriter. So many melancholy, beautiful tunes. Shouldn’t he be S celebrated as Van Morrison and James Taylor? Is he and I just missed out? RIP to this brilliant writer/performer.

    • @roguedalek900
      @roguedalek900 Рік тому +5

      He was a lot more chill & low key than other preformers .

    • @marshallgeorge3819
      @marshallgeorge3819 Рік тому +4

      I think he is given the comments and videos I am seeing online. Every one of them is complimentary and kind about the man. So many wonderful songs!

    • @tamoshanter6268
      @tamoshanter6268 Рік тому +5

      He was a bit older, so maybe more appreciated by an older crowd? That being said, his music was more than just good music. It became part of the backdrop of your life. It played many years on different radio stations, not just when it was "in the charts". I remember being mesmerized by his songs/storytelling when I was quite young, and again later as I could understand the story/words better, and again later in life when I could appreciate the emotions of the the songs better. I am glad you discovered his music. Keep listening to it. I believe he is celebrated as much as James Taylor, the Morrison road might be a bit different. I know I have always loved his music and he is loved in the US as much as Canada.

    • @donnahilton471
      @donnahilton471 Рік тому +6

      You missed out! He's always been the best. But you're in luck because he has a vast quantity of work.

    • @suzannemcmaken4648
      @suzannemcmaken4648 Рік тому +1

      @@tamoshanter6268
      Gordon Lightfoot exceeded James Taylor and Morrison by every musical barometer. Every.

  • @Sherrya2
    @Sherrya2 Рік тому +30

    So devastated by his passing, he's such an icon and ambassador for our country, Canada

  • @Zebra_3
    @Zebra_3 Рік тому +14

    Canadian Idol's Gordon Lightfoot week was one of the very best. Idol history was made when all contestants together played an instrument while performing Canadian Railroad Trilogy.

  • @patrickjordan2233
    @patrickjordan2233 Рік тому +23

    Rick Beato shared a quote from Bob Dylan? Bob cited Gordon Lightfoot as his all-time favorite singer/songwriter...
    IMO, only fitting praise from one of the other best songwriters EVER... 🙏
    RIP Gordon..."thanks for sharing your amazing songwriting and playing and singing and arranging with us...God truly had a hand on your shoulder while you were writing and performing, now he wants a personal concert..."♥️🎶🎵

  • @Mr05Chuck
    @Mr05Chuck Рік тому +13

    Lightfoot was the reason I learned to play, sing and write songs. He was my hero back in college. I watched this episode of course. I was a junior at the University of Washington.

  • @selket51
    @selket51 Рік тому +19

    Gordie came to my hometown many years ago. He played so many small towns in northern Ontario back in the 60s. He was a perfectionist. That’s one thing all Canadians knew about him. He gave his all. That was reflected in his music and his amazing Storytelling and performances. He was sometimes called the Canadian poet Laureate. I think the nickname suited him perfectly. We’ll all miss him very much.

  • @phylliswurm9473
    @phylliswurm9473 Рік тому +44

    Good choice Fil. To me some songs are hard to hear lyrics but with Gordon you can't help but absorb everything he says with melody. Loved him.

  • @guitartim2128
    @guitartim2128 Рік тому +19

    Love this classic from Lightfoot . RIP GORDON

  • @zzzzzach
    @zzzzzach Рік тому +28

    Such a instrumental part of my life. I don't know how many times I played Gord's Gold. He's one of my all time favorites. So great to see all the outpouring of love back towards him now. What a mark he left on the world. What an artist he was. Thanks for the tribute here Fil.

  • @michaeltoma1023
    @michaeltoma1023 Рік тому +25

    How can one not smile throughout the entire performance. Love it!

  • @baronessvarney9379
    @baronessvarney9379 Рік тому +13

    I've always thought that Gordon Lightfoot has perfect pitch. I've seen him in concert 4 times and I've never heard him sing any note off pitch!
    Love him !❤️❤️❤️

  • @blueblazer201
    @blueblazer201 Рік тому +6

    Gordon with only two side kicks, Rick Haynes on bass and Terry Clements (my brother) on lead guitar. Gord really didn't appreciate clapping for that very reason you mentioned Fil... typically the audience isn't in sync. Many times, I've heard Gordy tell the crowd after a song, "Please, let us do the driving." LoL That changed once they started using monitor speakers on stage. This "venue" from 1974, was on Burt Sugarman's "Midnight Special" program, that followed Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" on Friday nights.... Thanks Fil... for the upload.

  • @Erik_Swiger
    @Erik_Swiger Рік тому +28

    I'm making an omelette and some steamed veggies, and I keep launching into harmony singing because of this video. Gosh I love this channel. This song in particular has meaning for me. Thanks, Fil, keep it coming, please.

  • @katherinea.rodgers8366
    @katherinea.rodgers8366 Рік тому +19

    Thank you for Fil for remembering Gordon Lightfoot. I saw him back in the 70's at a dinner show in Reno. It was a memorable show. He has so many wonderful songs. I have always loved his music.

  • @WineSippingCowboy
    @WineSippingCowboy Рік тому +7

    Back then, no autotune. Good analysis! 👍
    Bryan Adams tweeted in his tribute, "The world is a lesser place without him." RIP Gordon Lightfoot.

  • @pinball1970
    @pinball1970 Рік тому +11

    "If I could read your mind" is an amazing track. RIP

  • @Don-n6o
    @Don-n6o Рік тому +12

    Thanks Fil for this tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. As a lifelong resident of Michigan his “ The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” has a special and personal meaning to me. I visited Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior when I was a young man. This is where the ore freightor went down during a severe Windstorm in November of 1975. Gordon’s lyrics told the story of this tragical history poignantly. He mentions”in a rusty old church in Detroit they pray”. He was singing of The Old Mariners Church on Jefferson Ave in Downtown Detroit right on THE DETROIT Riverfront across from his native Canada. It still stands today as a historical marker. 29 sailors lost their lives in the shipwreck and Gordon’s song is a great tribute and eulogy to these men. Once again Fil,thanks for this post.

  • @diannelovejoy5514
    @diannelovejoy5514 Рік тому +16

    I was lucky enough to hear him in 1976 in Washington, DC, and again in Geneva, NY in 2018. The quality of each of his performances was great, even with 42 years between them! So glad I got to see him again. 😢

  • @WhisperingPines7
    @WhisperingPines7 Рік тому +8

    Thank you Fil. This is so sad. I played his music over and over in the 70s and 80s. I saw him perform in the late 70s in Cincinnati. I waited around afterward, wanting his autograph on my program. He told me “I don’t give autographs, except for this” -and he kissed me! What a surprise!!

  • @markjastrzebski2065
    @markjastrzebski2065 Рік тому +7

    Only a master performer can, with a glance and a nod, get the entire audience to start clapping along.

  • @lyndamcardle4123
    @lyndamcardle4123 Рік тому +14

    He was a consumate musician studying composition...he wrote his own musical charts ....eg, he read and wrote the notes musicians follows.

  • @marieslabbert6009
    @marieslabbert6009 Рік тому +7

    I live in South Africa and grew up in the 1970's with his music. If you could read my mind is my favourite. His passing affected me more than I expected it to. RIP Gordon.

  • @O.S.R.C.
    @O.S.R.C. Рік тому +13

    I live an hour from his home town; worked in Orilla for a few years. Canada is mourning this tremendous loss ( as is the world ). You really bring a fresh light on just how talented Gordon Lightfoot was.

  • @gordonhamnett1289
    @gordonhamnett1289 Рік тому +26

    Thank you Fil, for the excellent analysis and appreciation of Gordon's work! I spent my teen years in Canada not too far from where he was born listening to his every song. He was our Canadian hero- deservedly! All of my friends have been feeling a great sense of loss at this time. Condolences to his family.

  • @sewing1243
    @sewing1243 Рік тому +17

    The first song that I can remember hearing performed personally by Gordon was his "If You Could Read My Mind" from the early 70s. Before that I probably didn't realize that he had written the song, but was being performed by another artist(s) (example: "Early Morning Rain" from Peter, Paul and Mary").

  • @holly7869
    @holly7869 Рік тому +27

    Thank you for this, Fil. RIP Gordon ❤

  • @MsSherrydarling
    @MsSherrydarling Рік тому +13

    His version of “Song for a Winter’s Night” is amazing! So smooth and soft. He will live on forever in his music.🇨🇦🥹

  • @olivemd
    @olivemd Рік тому +18

    Love it. Music that I grew up hearing. I think I have all or most of his music also. RIP.

  • @drewpall2598
    @drewpall2598 Рік тому +11

    Would you consider doing a tribute analysis on Harry Belafonte who pass away on April 25, 2023, thanks Fil.

  • @sarahterry2140
    @sarahterry2140 Рік тому +11

    He was an amazing storyteller. As recently as a year ago after hearing the Edmund Fitzgerald again I was moved to spend days researching the content and watching various documentaries which explained the incident. They just don’t write them like this anymore. Godspeed, Mr. Fitzgerald.

  • @lindadescafano3749
    @lindadescafano3749 Рік тому +23

    This is a great song and performance by Gordon Lightfoot. Thank you Fil for this analysis tribute and may Gordon Rest In Peace.

  • @davedrifter416
    @davedrifter416 Рік тому +11

    What a great storyteller and he could turn a phrase like no other. I visited his very small hometown back in the late 60’s because I was such a fan. He just paints that visual picture that draws you into the story.

  • @FlyboyGWN
    @FlyboyGWN Рік тому +12

    I weirdly "rediscovered" this song last fall and have listed to it more in the last 6 months than the last 30 years combined. Thanks for another great one, Fil!

  • @basswars7060
    @basswars7060 Рік тому +7

    I had the great fortune to see Gordon Lightfoot perform at the NAC in Ottawa. He absolutely owned the stage. Every song was a little masterpiece.

  • @annkazunas7207
    @annkazunas7207 Рік тому +8

    I was 14 when this song came out I loved it in 1974 and love it more today then when it came out. Is that possible oh Ya wish the world was like it was in 1974.

  • @24CiViC
    @24CiViC Рік тому +2

    Years ago, I was at a high school basketball tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. We were going up to our room at the hotel we were staying at, when on the elevator there was a man with a few gold rings on his fingers. One of my excitable friends grabbed his hands and said, “I love your rings!”
    We were young (16) and stupid…the man, just smiled and took it in stride. Later, we found out it had been Gordon Lightfoot.
    We were mortified.
    This teenage silliness, however, became a really sweet memory, of a very nice man.
    Of course, as time passed, I grew to appreciate his music for its memorable lyrics and melodies - always thinking back to that moment in time.
    Thanks Gordon, for being patient and kind, and thank you, for sharing your gift.
    You’ll forever be remembered.

  • @robertneal4244
    @robertneal4244 Рік тому +13

    Gordon is one of my musical heroes and to think that earlier this year he was still performing live and entertaining people. I even love some of his lesser known works like "Rainy Day People" and "Canadian Railroad Trilogy". Rest in peace Gordon. You will be sorely missed.

  • @nrsvlda70
    @nrsvlda70 Рік тому +21

    Thank-you Fil for always giving us such a clear picture of these icons and their amazing talent. Got to see Gordon in live performance around 2010.. he was older then, but still hitting all his notes, and engaging the audience. Everyone knew all of the words to these songs, but didn’t sing along bc it would be such a dishonor of his amazing story-telling, and presentation. BTW… great t-shirt!❤️👑

  • @GuitarLessonsBobbyCrispy
    @GuitarLessonsBobbyCrispy Рік тому +7

    I was so glad to have to opportunity to see him live at the grand re-opening of Massey Hall in November 2021 in my home town of Toronto ( his 168th show at the Hall since the 1950's! ). He was much older and fragile, in his early 80's, but he never waivered, and he never missed a beat. The music just poured out of him so effortlessly. No one else could capture the spirit of Canada though music like Gordon Lightfoot. RIP.

  • @marilynsheffield612
    @marilynsheffield612 Рік тому +16

    Thank you for your great analysis Fil. May Gordon Lightfoot RIP.

  • @irenebrower9040
    @irenebrower9040 Рік тому +7

    Great tribute. His song “If you can read my mind” is so poetic & heartfelt. Great videos. Thank you!

  • @AVisionInFur
    @AVisionInFur Рік тому +11

    He is my all-time favorite artist.😢 You can’t help but end up immersed in a complete story of maybe only 2.5 minutes because of his amazing craftsmanship carefully controlling the music, the lyrics, and their presentation. That he could do this effectively across so many topics is amazing.

  • @jimmcconnell7328
    @jimmcconnell7328 Рік тому +5

    Gordon Lightfoots live performances were incredible ,you had to be there to appreciate him. He used his voice like a musical instrument. This is what made him such a delight to listen to. I saw his concert in the early seventies and when he began singing you could have heard a pin drop,total silence from the audience. Joni Mitchell held the audience in a similar way. They were excellent storytellers using their voices in a unique way.

  • @Ocodango
    @Ocodango Рік тому +15

    Superb video and a fitting tribute to a wonderful singer songwriter, poet and gifted musician.
    What a legend of a man RIP Gordon light foot.
    Thanks for the video Phil.

  • @jordantomblin2302
    @jordantomblin2302 Рік тому +15

    I’ve listened to almost every album Gordon has put out. He’s someone up there with the likes of Willie Nelson, John Prine, or Bob Dylan in terms of songwriting and performing. Nobody does their songs like they do themselves.

  • @hazelmaylebrun6243
    @hazelmaylebrun6243 Рік тому +9

    Very glad you did this reaction video. Gordon was considered a mentor and a standard to rise to to many iconic artists like Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett. My goodness! Who was this man? And he wasn't puffed up about it because I saw him live about 12-13 years ago when he finally went back on tour after some health issues. He started giggling like a big kid and said, "Elton is in town tonight and I still sold out." He was shocked that he sold out in minutes and had to add a second show. We weren't shocked. He seemed to not realize how loved he was.

  • @renny1712
    @renny1712 Рік тому +13

    Great analysis and playing Fil!!!
    R.I.P Gordon, he was amazing in his style!!!

  • @buzzcrushtrendkill
    @buzzcrushtrendkill Рік тому +7

    He was the trifecta of talent, songwriter, singer, musician.

  • @linzertube
    @linzertube Рік тому +10

    Gordon Lightfoot was a legend. Great guitar and fantastic vocals. Songwriter extraordinaire. This was an excellent appreciation of his work. Nice one, Fil!🤘