Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Where were you when JFK was shot? (Gord was here)

jj · 01-29-2005, 10:32 AM

Char, thanks ALOT for posting this below (what a great publication), i just thought this portion of the article deserved a separate post (people who are tired of reading about the Tributes may otherwise miss out on this anecdote)...if Kara can get a fresh thread i don't see why this can't, lol

i spent alot of time at Ryerson, too much, lol (Younge & Gould) but i was 20 years late!

thank also to author, Stanley Fedderman:

"Here's one of my own Lightfoot stories. A bunch of us English types were getting ready to leave Ryerson Tech late in the afternoon of Friday, November 22, 1963, when we heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. Instead of going to our homes, we decided to gather at Bassel’s, a nice upstairs bar and grill near Yonge and Gould to drink and talk about this awesome event. Drinks led to dinner and at some point, the entertainment came on. This guy in jeans and cowboy boots with his blonde hair slicked back in a pompom got seated on the small stage with his 12-string and began doing tunes like “The Piddlin’ Pup, “The Auctioneer,” and “Don’t Let ‘em Tear That Little ‘Ol Builin’ Down—a song about a guy that loved his outhouse. A real hick! but he was versatile in his delivery, meaning he could yodel, and he was appealing. His name was Gordon Lightfoot. He also played “Changes” by Phil Ochs, and Ewan McCalls’ “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” showing he had sensitivity and taste beyond that of the drugstore cowboy singer he appeared to be. He also worked in, somewhat apologetically, a few originals, which were very impressive.

On the strength of those few originals, we stayed for that set, and the next as well, and gave him plenty of applause. Around midnight, with an hour to closing time, and an audience reduced to us few diehards, he asked would we like to hear him play a set of just his own music? Sure would! So he put away the twelve string, brought out his six-string, and proceeded to play “For Lovin’ Me,” “The Way I Feel,” “I'm Not Sayin',” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Steel Rail Blues,” and all the songs he would be recording the next month on his first LP, Lightfoot.

I bought that LP a few months later and learned to sing and play “For Lovin’ Me.” I made a parody of it, which I called, “That’s What I Got From Lovin’ You,” making reference to STD and all the typical emotional and financial devastations that can come about from romantic fixations. I typed up a copy and when Lightfoot came back to Bassel’s in the Spring of ’65 I gave it to him between sets. He read it over, didn’t appear to know why I was showing it to him, and after an uncomfortable pause, his face lit up with a big grin and he said “Hey, that’s “Lovin’ Me” backwards. Can I keep this?” Sure can. But Gord, if you’re out there and you still have your copy, could you fax it to me. I’ve lost mine."

01-29-2005, 10:32 AM	#2
jj Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: ontario, canada Posts: 5,265	Char, thanks ALOT for posting this below (what a great publication), i just thought this portion of the article deserved a separate post (people who are tired of reading about the Tributes may otherwise miss out on this anecdote)...if Kara can get a fresh thread i don't see why this can't, lol i spent alot of time at Ryerson, too much, lol (Younge & Gould) but i was 20 years late! thank also to author, Stanley Fedderman: "Here's one of my own Lightfoot stories. A bunch of us English types were getting ready to leave Ryerson Tech late in the afternoon of Friday, November 22, 1963, when we heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. Instead of going to our homes, we decided to gather at Bassel’s, a nice upstairs bar and grill near Yonge and Gould to drink and talk about this awesome event. Drinks led to dinner and at some point, the entertainment came on. This guy in jeans and cowboy boots with his blonde hair slicked back in a pompom got seated on the small stage with his 12-string and began doing tunes like “The Piddlin’ Pup, “The Auctioneer,” and “Don’t Let ‘em Tear That Little ‘Ol Builin’ Down—a song about a guy that loved his outhouse. A real hick! but he was versatile in his delivery, meaning he could yodel, and he was appealing. His name was Gordon Lightfoot. He also played “Changes” by Phil Ochs, and Ewan McCalls’ “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” showing he had sensitivity and taste beyond that of the drugstore cowboy singer he appeared to be. He also worked in, somewhat apologetically, a few originals, which were very impressive. On the strength of those few originals, we stayed for that set, and the next as well, and gave him plenty of applause. Around midnight, with an hour to closing time, and an audience reduced to us few diehards, he asked would we like to hear him play a set of just his own music? Sure would! So he put away the twelve string, brought out his six-string, and proceeded to play “For Lovin’ Me,” “The Way I Feel,” “I'm Not Sayin',” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Steel Rail Blues,” and all the songs he would be recording the next month on his first LP, Lightfoot. I bought that LP a few months later and learned to sing and play “For Lovin’ Me.” I made a parody of it, which I called, “That’s What I Got From Lovin’ You,” making reference to STD and all the typical emotional and financial devastations that can come about from romantic fixations. I typed up a copy and when Lightfoot came back to Bassel’s in the Spring of ’65 I gave it to him between sets. He read it over, didn’t appear to know why I was showing it to him, and after an uncomfortable pause, his face lit up with a big grin and he said “Hey, that’s “Lovin’ Me” backwards. Can I keep this?” Sure can. But Gord, if you’re out there and you still have your copy, could you fax it to me. I’ve lost mine."