I'm gonna try my best to ask this question so everyone can understand.

When Lightfoot performs does he feel a need to concentrate on performing the so called hits or can he go on stage and perform whatever he feels?

I ask because I belong to a forum about the rock band Chicago and often times it's been said there that some of the members of the band if not all say they give the people what they want when it comes to the hits or ceratin songs. And of course with Chicago, there's a lot more to that considering since the mid 70s, they have been labled more of a ballad band than a jazz/rock fusion band in which they were originally known for and perhaps they will play more of that then the more rock orientated stuff which troubles many of those who hate what Chicago has become.


So what's Gord's take on such a situation between satisfying the masses and those who are more of the cult orentated folks?

Don't know if that's the right word I couldn't think of anything better.

Back in the 70's early 80's Gord played some obscure stuff on stage, that he has yet to perform again, ie Divorce Country Style, Partners, Two Crazy Kids... I especially would love to hear Partners again, it's one of my favourite unreleased songs!

Up until 2001, Gord had never played Sea of Tranquility in concert ( at least to my knowledge) When he was in Brantford, I placed a slip of paper on the stage asking for it, of course it wasn't played.

After the show I asked why he didn't play it... he said " because it needs my 12 string and we really haven't rehearsed it etc etc"

Generally speaking there are songs he won't or can't play anymore due to his surgery and because they make him wince.. ie Black Day in July or " For Lovin Me"

Hope that helps

He mixes For Lovin' Me with Did She Mention My Name, but he doesn't play Black Day anymore.

In the 70's-80's, Gord would play everyone's favorites in concert (the hits and whatnot), but he would mix in some songs from the newest or upcoming albums.

you can take a look at his various performance song lists at:
http://www.lightfoot.ca/2006.htm
and note that there's probably 10 or so of his biggest hits that he plays all the time then mixes in some others. i'll be seeing him in tucson later this month and i guess if he didn't play certain songs (IYCRMM, wreck, shadows, beautiful, CRRT, rainy day people, carefree highway, painter, damn this list is long) i'd be abit dissappointed - it's not that ANY radio station every overplayed his tunes.

phish

Well from my very limited experience (1 concert)he played a mixture: old, new, well known, lesser known. Of course all of his songs are so familiar to me, so I'm not sure which ones were considered "hits" other than the obvious: Wreck, IYCRMM, & Sundown. I do know that he has a preset list of songs which they perform during a particular concert series. But I presume that this next concert tour it will probably change a bit, maybe add a new song or two and drop one or two. I remember a quote by him w/i the past few months where he said something like..."the audience seems to really like and respond to the current set of songs we're playing." I seriously doubt he would improvise and throw in a song that has not been rehearsed. I believe he tries to strike a balance between pleasing the masses and pleasing his cult following. I know he cares very much what the audience thinks, and believe he puts the audience first over his own desires. But there are much more qualified people than me on this forum who I'm sure can give you better information on this subject.

[ January 08, 2007, 13:55: Message edited by: Gitchigumee ]

I think any artist who has had even minimal success has to play "the hits" and/or more popular tracks because those are the ones the audience loves.

Go to any concert and they applaud the most familiar wildly and give "polite" applause to the lesser known one's. :rolleyes: Which I think is completely rude.

In Gord's case,if he didn't sing those 5 major U.S. hits out of the 6 that he had,some folks would start shouting those titles out anyway. So better he just sings them.

He most likely hasn't done "The Circle Is Small (I.C.S.I.I.Y.E.)" for a long time,which was his last top 40 hit.

Yopu never know though,he could throw something obscure in anytime,as long as he and the guys have rehearsed.

It would be incredible to hear him sing the Circle is Small. Here's an idea, if you could choose 15 songs for him to sing in concert, what would they be? In no particular order, here's my choices:

1. Inspiration Lady
2. Song for a Winter's Night
3. Canadian Railroad Trilogy
4. Wherefore and Why
5. Early Morning Rain
6. Summer Side of Life
7. If You Could Read My Mind
8. Carefree Highway
9. Daylight Katy
10. Pussywillows, Cattails
11. The Circle is Small
12. That's What You Get
13. Sundown
14. Go-Go Round
15. Painter Passing Through

If asked tomorrow, I'd probably give different answers. Too bad he couldn't poll the cult following (us) and come up with a list for future tours!!!

I'm in on Chicago lists too LOL and have to say their setlists have been far more conservative than Gord's. You pretty well know you're going to hear Saturday in the Park, 25 or 6 to 4, Make Me Smile and a ton of others at EVERY concert. That's been going on for years and years.

Seeing Gord at Massey Hall in November, I enjoyed his shaken-up setlist that had several surprises. I think an artist should play what he feels led to play, rather than simply pandering to the masses. In the end, they start to resent that. I know that's happening with Chicago.

Surprisingly, that is not true! He has occasionally performed a few lines from songs that he hadn't rehearsed, usually stopping pretty quickly but giving people a real treat. And once he played an entire song through, but definitely not planned.

It was during the fall after Songbook came out, and someone yelled out "Heaven Don't Deserve Me". Lightfoot quietly played a couple of lines (as I recall, he stepped away from the mic, so he could hear it but most of the audience could not), then, satisfied, stepped up and played the song through. What he was doing was transposing on the fly; the song is played on his 12 string in standard tuning, and this was the 2nd set with only his Dropped D tuned 12 on stage (now he sometimes has both).

This was the first time he had ever played the song in concert, but after that it became one of the songs that he would often do during the first set. That first performance was definitely not planned! He might have been thinking about playing that song in concert, but definitely not with his guitar tuned as it was. I always thought that performance was a good example of both his desire to please the audience and his excellent guitar skills.

Surprisingly, that is not true! He has occasionally performed a few lines from songs that he hadn't rehearsed, usually stopping pretty quickly but giving people a real treat. And once he played an entire song through, but definitely not planned.

It was during the fall after Songbook came out, and someone yelled out "Heaven Don't Deserve Me". Lightfoot quietly played a couple of lines (as I recall, he stepped away from the mic, so he could hear it but most of the audience could not), then, satisfied, stepped up and played the song through. What he was doing was transposing on the fly; the song is played on his 12 string in standard tuning, and this was the 2nd set with only his Dropped D tuned 12 on stage (now he sometimes has both).

This was the first time he had ever played the song in concert, but after that it became one of the songs that he would often do during the first set. That first performance was definitely not planned! He might have been thinking about playing that song in concert, but definitely not with his guitar tuned as it was. I always thought that performance was a good example of both his desire to please the audience and his excellent guitar skills. [/QUOTE]

Surprisingly, that is not true! He has occasionally performed a few lines from songs that he hadn't rehearsed, usually stopping pretty quickly but giving people a real treat. And once he played an entire song through, but definitely not planned.

It was during the fall after Songbook came out, and someone yelled out "Heaven Don't Deserve Me". Lightfoot quietly played a couple of lines (as I recall, he stepped away from the mic, so he could hear it but most of the audience could not), then, satisfied, stepped up and played the song through. What he was doing was transposing on the fly; the song is played on his 12 string in standard tuning, and this was the 2nd set with only his Dropped D tuned 12 on stage (now he sometimes has both).

This was the first time he had ever played the song in concert, but after that it became one of the songs that he would often do during the first set. That first performance was definitely not planned! He might have been thinking about playing that song in concert, but definitely not with his guitar tuned as it was. I always thought that performance was a good example of both his desire to please the audience and his excellent guitar skills. [/QUOTE][/QUOTE]Sorry for that empty post before! in any event, we are talking about tuning two strings on the twelve ....... not exactly a Segovia like effort by Gord. Lets not turn him into an Al Dimeola master of ad lib for a five chord song!!! for 70 bucks a seat it is the least he can do.
Bill

Whoa ! Anyway back to the original question, LOL.

Check out any GL concert and you will find many people just there on a lark, or because they "remember" him or a dozen other reasons. Most in attendance do not boast the number of shows that many here at corfid have attended. Most don't know his kid posts on youtube. Most don't even know the darn band members names.

BUT they buy tickets and they must be entertained, economics 101. The percentage of us in the audience waiting for certain chord changes, writing down what he wore for the second set, writing down set lists to post here, and going backstage to see him for the umpteenth time, is fairly small. The percentage of us to them, that is.

Fan is short for fanatics and that's us, LOL.

Bill :)

I knew there was another poster who resides in Tucson, but I couldn't recall the name. I look forward to your perspectives.

As far as improvisation with setlists :

Ya gotta play your hits....that's what most of the people are there for.

I love that song, it would be great to hear it live. btw thanks for the card, letter and picture.

I do hope that dreadful Talbot10 (whoever he is) is not suggesting Gord does not walk on water in all respects including complex guitar work...

Hold on this wasn't posted just after the Jets got kicked out of the playoffs as a wildcard while the other NY side copped it too was it ?

:D

(Sympathies Billy ! ) Jkng mate !

LOLOL Stevo!! I knew those green trousered stiffs would lose!
I must have just been in a whining mood!! It is difficult getting those two strings back up to E in a crowded auditorium .... Gordon Lightfoot plays guitar right up there with Segovia! ahnmmmm...I was just having fun with Val. Have a great week Steve!
Bill

Regarding retuning from "D" to normal.

One, tuning a 12 string isn't something one does quickly and doing it on stage would probably take just long enough to really loose the audience's attention.

Plus, I've read that Gord really has a peave about tuning on stage, he really hates to have to do it. If I'm not mistaken, he uses different strings for "D" tuned songs than his straight Gibson rig too.

Hi Mike,
Gord would not lose this audiances attention if he read the entire Encyclopedia of Britanica on-stage. I am just being fresh anyhow. I am bored
Bill

Just to clarify: Lightfoot did not retune. He transposed.

Back in the 70s, he used only one 12 string on stage, and he did retune for EMR or CRT (whichever he played first). Sometimes a string broke, and the process took a good 10 minutes, if not longer. He didn't lose anybody.

But he did eventually decide that retuning a 12 on stage is not something he wanted to do. And he certainly wouldn't want to do it twice, because he'd have to retune back to dropped D for EMR and CRT.

Bill, sometimes you are too funny!

All I know is....i'd like to hear "End Of All Time" live! :cool:

...and yes,i know I've talked about that song for over 2 & 1/2 years since "Harmony" came out but dang it,I love that song! :D

If he plays it live,I hereby promise never to bring it up again unless soeone else does! ;)

I knew there was another poster who resides in Tucson, but I couldn't recall the name. I look forward to your perspectives.

As far as improvisation with setlists :

Ya gotta play your hits....that's what most of the people are there for. [/QUOTE]RMD - actually, i live in PA and will be in tucson for the gem/mineral show and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see GL. i got seat M109 even though i called to buy the ticket minutes after the opening time. 12 rows back but better that nothing - AND $40 is a deal!

phish

[/qb][/QUOTE]RMD - actually, i live in PA and will be in tucson for the gem/mineral show and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see GL. i got seat M109 even though i called to buy the ticket minutes after the opening time. 12 rows back but better that nothing - AND $40 is a deal!
phish [/QB][/QUOTE]

Phish,

Thanks for the clarification.....sorry about that.

The gem and mineral show. That's a major event in this town. I've never been a "rocker", but I know others who consider it another Christmas season. Are you selling or collecting ?

From what I can tell, the concert is dang near sold out. I'll be in B2. It'll probably be the last time I see him, but after a 18-19 year gap it will rank up there with the first....no matter what.

Comparing notes should be interesting.

(I previewed this post, and it's a mess. Oh well...)

Hey RMD,what PA city are you in? I'm originally from Erie (a smaller town within it that is).

Also,are you also going to try for the Phoenix show on Jan. 28th? That's the one I'm going to. :)

Borderstone,

Phisfearme is from PA. I reside in Tucson, and mistakenly thought from previous posts that Phish also resided here.

I'll only be attending the Tucson show. I look forward to your review of the Phx appearance.

i'm only going to the tucson show also - besides the cost of getting to/from PHX, the ticket prices are really high!!

i live just outside of pittsburgh in monroeville and have been to erie numerous times phishing in lake erie.

RMD - how did you get such an excellent seat?? i called the fox theatre after i found out what seat i got and they said all the front rows we taken as "producer reserved". glad you got one of the great seats though.

phish