Ponderings -- Older Songs Now?

[AnneOK]

The topic of Gord's perseverence despite a voice changed by the years got me thinking in a couple different directions. While chatting with an old friend today, and after mentioning that I'd been to see some concerts, the question came up:

"How's his voice?"

Of course, I gave my usual response that it isn't the same as it was 30 years ago (not stated as a criticism, but just as a fact), and that although his range is smaller there is an exquisite expressiveness to his voice now. There's a richness to his low notes that gives me goosebumps when I hear him sing. I hear a comfortable wear in his voice.

Then I thought how lucky we are that we have such a wide range of Gord's sounds to choose from. We can go from the young soaring notes of the Sunday Concert album to the well-worn (in a good way, think Saturday's jeans) candid notes of the Harmony album, all with a push of a button on the CD player. (It's a bit more work with a turntable!) So few artists have the chance to produce such a long range of material, and we lucky Lightfoot fans have the option to pick whatever sound suits our fashion. Not a bad deal.

But where I'm going with all this, is that I got to thinking of which earlier songs I'd love to hear him sing today, as an older man, *IF* his range would magically be there to support them. My thoughts immediately drifted to "Apology" and "The Last Time I Saw Her."

I don't know if it's been discussed here before (forgive me if it has!), but I was dumbstruck by what it would be like to hear these songs now. A song of unrequited love, a song of love's death. It's touching to hear Gord's 30-year-old voice sing them, but to imagine the 66-year-old voice singing them is incredible. The heartache of love lost long ago, the ache weathered and rough hewn by the weight of decades, the years passing with the underlying musing of "if only . . ."

I can only imagine.

It must have been the rain last night that shorted out the wires in my brain and got me to thinking!

[Shazia]

Speaking of "The Last Time I Saw Her," I received
"Did She Mention My Name/Back Here on Earth" a week ago in the mail. (I'm buying GL's CD's little by little now)

"The Last Time I Saw Her" is one of the most freakin expressive songs I've ever heard from this man so far. (I mean this is a good way, of course) I couldn't believe my ears when I heard this song. I thought somehow of "That Same Old Obsession" when I heard this song, but I have realized that "The Last Time I Saw Her" is almost even more sentimental than I thought "That Same Old Obsession" was (not to marginalize the latter).

I would like to imagine the same thing as you, regarding TLTISH (abbreviation for the song).

[charlene]

I remember sitting at Massey every night two weeks ago and hearing that rumbling/resonance when he sang some words/phrases and thinking how suitable it sounded for the song and this time of his life. It gave the song a more relevant feeling for me in regards to Lightfoot's aging and health issues he's had in the last few years. It worked for me.
It would be great to hear some older songs re-worked to suit that voice...he's done it for Beautiful for quite a few years and it's a wonderful change, subtle but so spot on for him now.
I couldn't even begin to list the songs I'd like to hear with the "new" Lightfoot voice.....too too many!

[joveski]

i'd like to hear the auctioneer again!

[bjb]

I agree...I noticed it with Spanish Moss at Massey this time. When I hear it on the original album, it's very poignant, even a tremor in the voice at one point. Performed now, it's more like reflecting on a time when the painful memory was more immediate. That's a cool thing, the different perspective you get on a relationship after a lot of time goes by.

[Borderstone]

I was glad when on "Lightfoot in Reno" he could still do "Song From A Winter's Night". It almost sounded the same as the recording.

If i get to see his show again,I'll just be glad he can still be there,although I'd love to hear "The Pony Man" and "My Love for You" live.

[The Rez]

Great Topic!

It's not very often we get to hear a young recording redone filtered thru age. When we do it can be devistating (that's good.)

I think of Frank Sinatra singing Quarter to Three in his 50s prime, and then hearing it on a special some 15yrs later, and finally live nearing 70. Each season was unique beyond mortal man (sorry Superman,) but the point is he grew into it. And the "weary" that showed made the blood run colder.

Same-same Brother Ray and his final album. Here We Go Again (w/ Norah Jones) and his final two words after "one more time" - "I will" To the bone.

And w/ Willie Nelson (who always sounds the same somehow) a skin n' bones Brother Ray, almost w/ a dying breath, still grabs the notes that the word "shiver" was created for. Weary? Oh, my Lord, what a weary. But Alive.

Gord? A young man sang "The Last Time I Saw Her Face" An old man would not forget such a love. To hear him sing it now would be heartbreakingly, arrow true.

As a persons voice ages and changes you can fake the fast stuff. It's the soft ones where you can't hide. but you don't have to hit all the exact notes either.

Example: The Eyes of Sweet Virginia is one of John Stewarts best ballads. Comes from 82. I hear him sing it live (w/ guitar only) a few months ago. Virginia's Eyes were still haunting. He inverted some of the melody, lowered the key, and brought you to your knees w/ a voice he didn't possess in 82.

I figure the man Gord is today still need Susan's Floor, too. That would be something.

The Rez

. . . looking at the rain

[The Rez]

A Quick PS:

Did you ever watch & hear Eubie Black play his ragtime and sing "I'm Just Wild About Harry" in his 90s?

Or Thomas A Dorsey in his adage singing "Precious Lord Take My Hand"

The Rez

[bjb]

No but "Precious Lord Take My Hand" and "Just a Closer Walk to Thee" are burned into my memory sung by a 19-year-old with a gorgeous deep voice around a campfire one night many years ago...

I should check out Dorsey

[musky_man]

I remember years ago at Massey he did "The Last Time I Saw Here Face" and is was magical ... the only thing that wrecked it -- some smart-ass decided to shift his butt right at a very poignant part. You could almost see GL wince .... could not blame him. It was clearly done intentionally --- times like that I'd love to be able to whack someone on the head ... guy was a complete jerk and ruined what otherwise was one of the best live versions of that song that I'd ever heard.

[Rich Man Spiritual]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Borderstone:
I was glad when on "Lightfoot in Reno" he could still do "Song From A Winter's Night". It almost sounded the same as the recording.

The Gord's Gold version of this beautiful song is my favorite. This IS the mature Lightfoot voice with that lovely deep baritone resonance that accents with those emotive tremolos. This voice differs from the 60's and early 70's where the voice has a little more of the youthful exuberance and accents more of the higher register. This voice also exhibited a greater magnitude of strength. The mature Lightfoot voice heard in Gord's Gold should still be with us today and only God knows all the reasons that it melted away. Contrasting the Lightfoot voice of the 60's to that of the middle 70's reminds me of the contrast in a singer named Al Jolson. To those that know who he was, his voice in youth was incredibly strong but was more in the higher register. When he was near the end of his life (and after losing a portion of his lung) his register dropped a couple of keys, but it was strong and resonant and came deep from within his diaphragm. That voice when he was in his 60's was the voice I preferred to the younger voice. The Lightfoot voice of the seventies till 1983 is the voice that I listened to live and on recordings and will always epitomize his greatness!

[ June 26, 2005, 20:15: Message edited by: Rich Man Spiritual ]