Album Recording Notes - alternate mix wish list

[jj]

from the Album Recording Notes: Out takes section at www.lightfoot.ca
- these are some items which, imo, stood out and hope they surface one day

SUMMER SIDE OF LIFE
...Perhaps most intriguing of all is the alternate mix of the title track, Summer Side Of Life, which does not have the wall of background singers on the choruses. To hear Lightfoot sing those passages alone and unadorned adds a beautiful edge and intimacy to the song that the released version misses.

OLD DAN'S RECORDS
...Mother Of A Miner's Child is recorded with Red Shea on dobro to augment Lightfoot's guitar and Rick Hayne's bass, but the dobro is removed from the mix for the album release.

SUNDOWN
...High And Dry also had numerous attempts, usually slower than the finished track, until a good tempo and arrangement were finally found. The female backing track was not added until the late stages and were not on any of the early mixes.

...Too Late For Praying is one song that may indeed be more powerful without the string section. Hearing it as it was recorded live on the studio floor with just guitars and bass is awesome.

COLD ON THE SHOULDER
...Among some of the early attempts in September ultimately replaced, was a superb recording of Rainbow Trout, without the transposed key change, featuring just Lightfoot, Clements, Haynes and the intricate brush work of Jim Gordon, in a very delicate recording of the song that arguably surpasses the album track and a similarlily beautiful take on Whispers, that also arguably eclipses the updated track that eventually emerged on Dream Street Rose.

would also love to hear the 18 raw Harmony demos which became the foundation vocal tracks for the album recordings - I would think we all have alt mix wish lists