[johnfowles]

I can't speak for everybody but recent interviews in which Gord has declared that his song writing days are over are truly depressing.
I have a few ideas and was however delighted to see that he is at long last adding a few old songs to his "rotation"
I have just read with interest an article at:-

http://www.herald-review.com/article...in/1030093.txt
in which an artist Jill Sobule is:-
"asking fans ("and family members," she quickly points out) to contribute to the budget for her next album"
it adds
"One colleague interviewed legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot and reported the label-less Lightfoot hinted he couldn't afford to give up lucrative touring income to spend time and money in a recording studio.
Perhaps with Sobule's model, he could."

Whilst this appears to be a considerable misreporting of the situation
and acknowledging Gord's apparent reluctance to try to get more money from his fans.
(it would help everyone from himself to his fans if some effort at marketing could be applied to pre concert sales of at least CDs)
certainly the time he does not wish to spend writing more songs is worrying
and we do have already a most wonderful and varied collection of compositions so are we only being greedy to ask for more?
I have been thinking about Gord's no new songs declaration and have three main suggestions for him

1. review a number of great songs he has already written but never officially recorded
   Amongst which are Nighttime, Face Of A Thousand People, Rock My World To Sleep, The Doomsday Song
2. review a heap of great performances from the past by other writers
   Amongst which are
   Farewell To Nova Scotia (which I believe the orchestra were practicing as recently as 2000),
   Four Strong Winds, Partners, Pleasures Of The Night
3. his favourites by other writers
   Including Elton's Your Song and Take Me To The Pilot
   Rod's Maggie May (a la Burton Cummings of course)
   At least one Christmas song Good King Wenceslas perhaps??
4. songs by his fans,
   There are some great and suitable songs out there by Derek Kidd,Ed Mullen, Matt Carl, Bill Hall, Wayne Francis, and our own Fezo (Steve Lasala)
   for starters

what think you???
I will try to suggest this to Gord if I get the chance soon
and see if he is really aware of the potential use of Meredith's website