Vintage Film Footage of Gordon!

Sometimes one just gets lucky when searching for something on youtube and then happening across something else!!!

Watch him dance and sing! The youtuber who posted this thinks it may perhaps be the oldest footage of Gordon. What to you guys think?

Makes me want to got to the square dance at the grange hall!

YouTube - Remember Me I'm the One - Gordon...

[charlene]

I've seen it before (probably on the CBC site at the archives section) and love it - his voice was so gorgeous....not sure about being the oldest footage..hmmm...it WAS a long time ago tho..

[geodeticman.5]

Pod, Char, man that is GREAT ! i LOVE IT lol .... LAUGHING WITH DELIGHT AT OLD FOOTAGE and no doubt a somewhat uncomfortable young Lightfoot told to turn from camera A to camera B, with a meaningful expression of earnest handsome-guyness - as Mike Meyers , a noted Canuck on "how to be a handsome guy" - says its all in the eyebrows - arching them, curling them around, in self-satisfaction, the knowledge , with myrth, of "I am a da** good lookin guy.... yessiree thats a fact. That old SNL sketch was great, "the $19.95 video on "how to be a handsome guy" - mostly with the eyebrows.

One other feature -er- no punintended.....stands out..... no offense Gord-admiring ladies out there, his ears...... I've noticed in old photographs and vintage footage that he's always had -sorta- big ears....and in fact, no doubt a professional evolutionary imperative..... with his discerning "ear" for superior musical arrangement from Westlake and innate talent, coupled with his reputation as being a perfectionist per his band, those ears -(imagine mid-60's hearty and hale folk tunes like "The Times, They are a-Changin') etc. with the replaced lyrics of "These ears, they are a-listening" , and "If I had an Ear, I'd waggle 'em in the more-or-ning"- to the back-up singers, the band, his own pitch perfection - his singing really was a superior instrument then.....

Speaking of which, between his apparent young and earnest attempt to do the eyebrows "I'm a Handsome Guy" Mike Meyers thing, he also seems to be dutifully changing sitting position through the singing - first it would appear to camera A, then (cue from the director and cameraman) turn to camera B, etc., he seems to be doing this very carefully, but am I the only one whose ears detect ( and its done perfectly by Gord) the fact that he seems to be lip-synching the song "Remember Me" - its -exactly- the version from songbook disk 1, song 1 as I recall - rarities, of that song.... I do believe, as was the convention of the day in recorded television I believe, he surely is lippin' it. Well done, Gord ! And indeed, his voice was of superior qualties there for sure.. He could have winged (wung?) it just as well.....

What a fun video - thanks Podunklander - I got a hoot out of that - and a holler - t the square dancing - with self-admittedly "Leadfoot" per the ladies he has said, cause he'd dosee'don't when he was supposed to dosee-do(h) !

lol with enjoyment
~geo steve

[geodeticman.5]

I forgot to mention the minor thing on the somewhat large ears - I have the same thing going on myself - might have been a small part of the big permed curly hair that stuck-out farther than his ears, and covered 'em, as in the Sundown LP cover, et al.

THAT is what I reminisced in another post I tried to look like my senior year of High School - big hair, grew the beard ( school principle did not like it, but my parents stood up for my right...to Gord-ness attempts to get "chicks" by hopefuly looking like him, on the Sundown LP cover, hair, beard, sandls, denimand all....did it work ? - It didn't, but I tried.. goal being was if I looked like Gord, girls would fall all over at my feet.... it did not work, until I met Merry.....

~geo steve

[jj]

....thanks Pam, you're so right about the way youtube seems to work, I never find what I'm looking for but find everything else I was NOT looking for and it's usually far more entertaining anyways, lol


never saw such a long clip of the dancing part before...yeah, it's the October 19, 1962 Hoedown

there's more CBC footage from the Two Tones about 2 years earlier around and about...it's more about than around

never have seen the mid 50's footage, maybe he bought the tapes and burned them


steve, if you've seen picks of Gord Sr. you'll see where Gord Jr. got those ears ...the pic shows he had them at an early age (GL 2nd from left)

you've heard of love handles, these are brain handles

hey, great hearing often means great pitch

[BILLW]

Dude can dance, no doubt about it !

Bill

[Moosedog]

Cool Pam - thanks for finding and posting that!

[Borderstone]

Well,I've never seen it and I say "AWEOSME!"

As for time & age,heck,my parents were still dating! LOL!

[geodeticman.5]

Podunk - lol no the ears thing was just cuttin-up a little, having fun...
And since no one else commented on maybe he was lip-synching, as I think
was to be expected for television of that era as I recall.....he must not have been.
No else thinks so ? Hmm well he sure is singing well live, perfectly, actually. He did
have that magnificent voice - not without formal traning and education. And he sure could dance there, thats for sure...

I cant help but wonder how many "American Idol" contestants would sound dramatically
better if they got some real singing training and education - both. Lightfoot stated very
clearly on many occassions that he felt it strongly to his advantage, and to prospective singers wishing to make that their life's avocation - to get an education in it. Not just
a paper-mill training school, but he's been quoted several times as saying he felt that it
really helped get him on his way, and put out better music through his life, by learning music theory, composing, orchestration, piano, etc. Piano......from a reputable school of higher learning.

I have heard ( musicians out there tell me if its true) that for purposes of writing songs and composing beautiful melodies, learning piano as a primary instrument of song-writing has great advantages. He felt strongly enough that it is part of the advice he passes on to young upstarts - learn the fundamentals of music - how to read and write music, compos it, music theory, how to arrange it, how to harmonize, how to score it (?) with strings, orchestration, etc., and lyricism - on a piano.

Add mentoring and studying under a musician(s) that will impart experience, tricks and tools of the trade, long hours of burning the midnight oil, endless pactice, and of course - having innate talent to begin with.

It stands to reason that no number of lessons will take a voice with no appealing quality at all, and turn lead into gold, and no innate talent for lyrics to start, and turn them into a great songwriter. However, all this being what I read of as Gord's advice over time; I have to admit he said of the various qualities of the great singer-songwriter, writing lyrics was the most "teachable and learnable" aspect of the lot.

As I know nothing personally of this LOL, I defer completely to Gord's quoted coments, thoughts captured on camera in his interviews and exchanges with the audience, and what other artists have said besides Gordon. And, those of you in corfid who are singers and songwriters, and some very good ones I might add from what I have heard, literally, and figuratively.

Man he sure could sing there, and the maturation of his voice is still mesmerizing, just in a new and different way - like in Restless, one of my great all-time favourites. I don't think his younger voice ( possible thread idea here maybeeeeeee, hmmmm) could do justice to either Restless, or Drifters, or Cloud of Loneliness, for a few examples.

They would lose something with his younger, arguably more "perfect" voice. Never thought if it that way before.....and its not just 'cause they have become near and dear to me on albums where he is older , that his older voice seems to lend best to them, and a younger Gord would lack what the songs demand in some cases.

Just as you don't send a boy to do a man's job, you can't hope for an 18 year old young man to deliver a Presidential address, and be President, and you couldn't have a 25 year-old fresh-faced "Opie Taylor" do a Marlboro Man cigarettes add in the day; the younger Gordon would lose something trying to sing many of his mature years-written songs.

A quality that might be described as a bit weathered, that adds character lines and sound, and that certain quality of "been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and know better now in retrospect" which comes through in songs like Restless, Painter, Harmony, Inspiration lady, and numerous others..... just would not have had justice done them by the younger, scrubbed, wide-eyed Lightfoot! ( in relative terms).

You know, that really is hitting home with me now. I had trouble for awhile accepting his voice was no longer that broad-brimmed, a-b switchable vibrato on-demand, clear as a crystal bell voice of the 60's and 70's.

Condequentially I did not have a full measure of respect for his newer work. But as it grew on me, I now realize why... of course. A young Lightfoot, boy by comparison, couldn't sing the mature man's Lightfoot's songs and pull it off. He coudn't carry the detectable value and charisma of the wiser, humbler, mature, comfortably faded jeans, the weather-worn smokier mature register that define his more mature songs.

He coudn't pull-off the looking-back, "when I was in my prime" demeanour that commands his stage presence now and indeed gives him the necessary wisdom and comport to pull-off most of his newer work. I think I just added to my enjoyment of his three most recent albums - WFY, Painter, and Harmony ten-fold with this personal revelation.

Maybe its no coincidence my father, in his mature years, switched his pipe tobacco to "Revelation" brand in a can (really). And this analogue has nothing to do with the "name" of the tobacco... Maybe its no coincidence my memory of the wonderful aroma of that pipe-tobacco, wafting across the deck where we sat, defines my father in his mature years, - as part and parcel of the synergy that his component experiences and resultant wisdom exceeded the value of the sum of the parts in total for.

And trivial as it may be, the tobacco he smoked when younger, I remember as a boy I could open and smell, but the can of Revelation, when he was older, had a sliding-around-the-perimeter re-usable lift tab that pried the can open - and only Dad could make it work.... I could not as a boy.

In turn, the young Lightfoot would never have had the presence, the carriage, wind-and-sun-sculpted visage, and the voice that echo'd the life experience that we hear and love in his newer works. It all makes sense now. Not some clever metaphor, but for me, for ME, it makes sense now why I like his newer songs like Restless, Drifters, and Harmony et al SO MUCH.

Its in a different way than his 60's UA and 70's Warner work I am so fond of, and heretofor, my liking of his newer work in a special way, did not really know why.

Wow..... gonna have to chew that one over..... Maybe all this is/was obvious to you folks, but it just sank in for me. Not the obvious aspect of.. its different... but WHY. I'm going to play them right now.

Having just turned 50, I feel a bit.... of a card-carrying member of the "rights of passage", and its intrinsic rewards, scars, laugh-lines, worry-lines, and "I'm a bit wiser for it all club". Getting there, anyway....

humbled, but posessing of a sense of wherefor and why, just a little ..bit...better.

"And even at a glance, we know the road is long."................. "We don't wish to cause each other pain" ..... "Heaven help the devil, may he have a few unpleasant memories."

That song would be well -sung in his mature voice now, I appreciate it even more tonight now as such.

~geo Steve

[charlene]

I'm pretty sure he was lip-synching in the clip..the sound is too perfect for the live TV of that time period..

I've heard from many different sources (Lightfoot and Billy Joel, Burton Cummings is another) that musical training should start with piano. Some classical piano training and then learning jazz seems to be beneficial as well. Post secondary schools of music here on Ontario are all jazz focused.

[geodeticman.5]

Char - THAT is really interesting: to me, one: - I did think he was lip-synching, two - the piano first thing was from just one quote from Gord perhaps in the songbook "book", and (three) my thoughts of his forays into -barely- jazz of "Make Way For the Lady", and 'Oh Linda" - are confirmed now more... as i recall the writing of his Westlake School of Music initial interests including jazz, perhaps significantly, and interesting to hear that pro's as you mentioned speak of what i really was just 1/2 guessing on, 1/2 Lightfoot's quote i barely remember, - of the value and versatility of writing on, and learning first..the piano.... .

I lay no claim to being a musician per se , so I defer to the experienced musical hands in here. ... but.... I was a garage-rock-band drummer in and after high-school. My only "GIG" was one hilarious night where at the local Ramada in Estes Park, Colo., the Country & Western - as it WAS called in late 70's here....band... who's drummer got..sick..... i think it was the Russian (vodka) Flue LOL, well they needed a pinch hit drummer, and -thanks- (NOT) to my less than brilliant old friend who was always boasting of his friends prowess in various things..... told them i was a "really great drummer" ....Oh God..... he committed me to it.... at THAT time I hated Country - was listening to Aerosmith, Eagles, Deep Purple, Foghat, ZZTop, etfc etc. 8-tracks,,,, and of course Lightfoot in my quiet time at home mostly on that mountain-side ....

Well, having been committed - I played the gig. I listened to ONE Country tape a friend's father said was representative of "common contemporary Country" (70's), and i noted three basic variations in drum accompaniment, that were..then..... agonizingly simple - for THAT time period...

mind you I LIKE a lot of Country now.... more "Western" but the distinction seems to have blurred.... but why they wear cowboy hats down in Tennessee where safe to say very few men have poked along little dogies with a coiled rope swinging.... I don't know (smile).... I know its the genre.... cant hardly wear a baseball hat on every album cover eh ?

Long story short - it took three beers to get me up on stage in the bar(band), which the bartender said "I ain't supposed to give drinks to the band more than one before the show" - to which I replied "there ain't gonna BE a show if I don't toss those back - as "Dr. McCoy would have presribed for strictly medicinal purposes, Sarian Brandy though it may not be" - and he looked at me like I was from Mars - i said "never mind.....and tossed some folding money on the bar... but the band members got ONE wood nickel for ONE drink that was free of my three .... LOL

And I got up on the stage, a little unsteady after three FAST beers back-to-back. , took my post on the (drum) throne, nodded to the group lead guitar player ( no rehursing at all, had never heard the songs......) they started playing 'my daaawg died and my pickemup truck done broke...... my wife she left me ,,for that rich old fa** who had a stroke......" ( just kidding... I really do like where country lyrics are going lately)
it was not exactly a science with this band though, back then,,,,,

and i played in and alternated one of the 3 licks to each song i picked up from the album i listened to, as it applied surprisingly to most all of the songs, the three rythms, that is.....

so goes my 15 minutes of musical fame..... when i was in my prime.... there went mr cool (not) , stumbling up to the barband platform.....LOL

~geo steve

[mandoann]

Originally Posted by geodeticman.5

Pod, Char, man that is GREAT ! i LOVE IT lol .... LAUGHING WITH DELIGHT AT OLD FOOTAGE and no doubt a somewhat uncomfortable young Lightfoot told to turn from camera A to camera B, with a meaningful expression of earnest handsome-guyness - as Mike Meyers , a noted Canuck on "how to be a handsome guy" - says its all in the eyebrows - arching them, curling them around, in self-satisfaction, the knowledge , with myrth, of "I am a da** good lookin guy.... yessiree thats a fact. That old SNL sketch was great, "the $19.95 video on "how to be a handsome guy" - mostly with the eyebrows.

One other feature -er- no punintended.....stands out..... no offense Gord-admiring ladies out there, his ears...... I've noticed in old photographs and vintage footage that he's always had -sorta- big ears....and in fact, no doubt a professional evolutionary imperative..... with his discerning "ear" for superior musical arrangement from Westlake and innate talent, coupled with his reputation as being a perfectionist per his band, those ears -(imagine mid-60's hearty and hale folk tunes like "The Times, They are a-Changin') etc. with the replaced lyrics of "These ears, they are a-listening" , and "If I had an Ear, I'd waggle 'em in the more-or-ning"- to the back-up singers, the band, his own pitch perfection - his singing really was a superior instrument then.....

Speaking of which, between his apparent young and earnest attempt to do the eyebrows "I'm a Handsome Guy" Mike Meyers thing, he also seems to be dutifully changing sitting position through the singing - first it would appear to camera A, then (cue from the director and cameraman) turn to camera B, etc., he seems to be doing this very carefully, but am I the only one whose ears detect ( and its done perfectly by Gord) the fact that he seems to be lip-synching the song "Remember Me" - its -exactly- the version from songbook disk 1, song 1 as I recall - rarities, of that song.... I do believe, as was the convention of the day in recorded television I believe, he surely is lippin' it. Well done, Gord ! And indeed, his voice was of superior qualties there for sure.. He could have winged (wung?) it just as well.....

What a fun video - thanks Podunklander - I got a hoot out of that - and a holler - t the square dancing - with self-admittedly "Leadfoot" per the ladies he has said, cause he'd dosee'don't when he was supposed to dosee-do(h) !

lol with enjoyment
~geo steve

Steve, your post cracked me up! And the video is, as they say, "priceless"... The man just is infinitely "real" (I don't know if that makes sense, but I can't help it, I'm just blown away).

My thanks to Podunklander.

[DawnsMinstrel]

Well, I'm not a pro (yet), but I thought I'd add my two cents and just say that I have studied piano, jazz, and music theory generally, informally from books and experimentation. I've spent many hours drilling on scales and various other kinds of exercises of my own invention for the sake of learning the guitar fretboard, and I can tell you that it has all had a huge impact on my playing and I strongly encourage any serious student of the guitar to study jazz theory and to drill in jazz method and practice improvisation even if you have no interest in the genre at all. You won't regret it.

By the way, one of the greatest jazz guitarists ever was a Canadian by the name of Lenny Breau. Just thought I'd throw that out. Boy, Canada is a goldmine for great musical talent! I say this in spite of my south-of-the-49th heritage.

[GJA]

I wonder what his kids think of seeing him in these old clips. He is so young.

After my mother passed, we found a picture of her (my mother was a LADY in everyway) posing kinda cheesecake on a beach in shorts and a halter top when she was about 18. She's been gone for 25 years and we are still in shock!!

[geodeticman.5]

DawnMinsrel
aha! So you would agree with this vague memory I have of Gordon saying, essentially, jazz is good, piano is good, formal musical training is good - to the end of--folk ! I thought so - and it shows in your LauriAnnei! I knew I heard it in "Make Way for The Lady" and "Oh Linda" - and had read he said it somewhere - a "closet" interest of his - jazz, that is, then ( in school, and even now, to listen to, and write the -very- occassional song once-in-awhile with some Jazz sounds ever-so-faintly to it.
interesting....
thanks minstrel
~geo steve

[DawnsMinstrel]

Hi Steve, yes. In fact it was your remarks that made me think to add my remarks. I started studying jazz because I wanted to learn improvisational techniques, but I found that what I learned was even more valuable and really helped and continues to help improve my playing in whatever genre I'm interested in at the moment. It's difficult to explain in a few words why it's so useful, but you don't have to know why to get started!

[geodeticman.5]

DawnMinstrel - I will add something that just occurred to me, to this pot of concurrence pf cross-pollination on jazz vs folk , piano theory vs guitar, or perhaps better stated original training/education to include wisely per the real musicians - such as Gord, DawnMinstrel, et al - the early study of jazz, piano, and music theory/composition - leading to the end of folk and guitar.... my drumming in the cross-training environment of the 70's country & western bar band cross-training above notwithstanding lol,
is that a case i know of well - very well - i had completely forgotten about -

My former professor of Geodesy and map projections (no groans i am not going there loL) - and more currently colleague and co-author of a text with me ... well.. this fellow - a cross between Crocodile Dundee and Icabod Crane - the former a pre-requisite to the outdorsman side necessary in a good field-mapper, and the later - well, more to do with his other half of his mixed appearance in class - leather jacket scarred from brush, leatherman tool at his side, snakeboots - in class ! (he'd come from the field to school) and also the beanpole (icabod) stature.....blends somewhat historically into his Rennaissance-man demeanour and de facto , more than prima facie side, member of Mensa with no pretense over it, actor - in mostly Denver productions of tv shows and occassional smaller movies - starred in "Fences" recently, and the TV re-make of the Shining - he was the 'AA/advocate/buddy/psychologist on the phone with the star having booze trouble again, calling him (Jan, my friend) in the movie. Ok enough set up.

Setting aside myriad other sides of this man - that Starbucks would pay a fortune to have endorse their coffee with how much he gets done in a day, and facets to him.....well, he is also a JAZZ MUSICIAN - plays in the Brown Palace hotel in downtown Denver - any Denverites know that is THE (venerable)swank historical place in Denver. And, he studied music and theatre before he did graduate work in Geodesy and GIS, phD now, and he has said, I cant believe I forgot.... that were it not for his piano and jazz formal education in his under-grad days - he would not have the versatility he does now in playing several intruments, and composing.... another case in fact of just what you confirmed, DawnMinstrel... what a character that guy is.... you can goggle him as Jan Van Sickle everywhere - Amazon.com for his textbooks, actors websites for his filmography - and specific films lately with him in lesser role - "Silver City", and starring in "Fences".er.. Broken Fences" - dang it now i will have to look it up. At least thats not the point of the post. The jazz/piano roots making him more versatile now ...is.

~geo steve

[DawnsMinstrel]

Your geodesy professor sounds like a fascinating guy steve. I bet I'd enjoy hearing him play.

By the way, I've posted another video on YouTube. I'm not linking it here because, I'm sorry to say it's not a GL cover. It's a song I've recorded in order to enter a contest. Just for fun. But we're getting off topic so I won't post it here unless there's a demand. More GL on the way though. -Tim

[geodeticman.5]

DawnMinstrel
I'll check out the youtube new song of yours Tim.

Yes "Dr." Jan Van Sickle (as he now reminds me with myrth) is a very animated player of the piano - by that I mean he plays keys almost "hard" - vigorously - and rocks his upper body as he adds emphasis to a bar, and bobs his head to music strongly enough to make his hair fall forward over his face...lol i hope he does not read this...... its pretty funny. but he is da**
good. Interesting note - he refuses tips in the Brown Palace - says its his necessary outlet - and "he should have to pay them" lol......only time you'll see croc dundee/icabod in a jacket and tie lol

On-thread - Cathy (Cowette) : have you played this song remember me ? or any other corfidites? It sounds like, as I believe Gord has commented in the "booklet" - a cross between ( i think) Jim Reeves and Pat Boone - not bad company - but certainly not the style he wound up refining - which sounds like Waronker and Grossman(?)- had much to do with, ppl agree ?

I actually like the song.....and the GL performace of it.... would be interesting to hear him sing it A in 76 GG1era of remakes , and B - now. Play all3 back to back - would be a "trip" though time, I'd say. Think ?

~geo steve

[geodeticman.5]

JJ - I finally saw Gord Sr.'s ears - and, with respect to Gord and Gord Sr., may he rest in Peace, indeed, Junior got many of Senior's features, ears notably. I have not heard the year Sr. died, anyone know ? I can look it up on the web.... n/p .

The only reference that comes to mind of Gord's father, in his music, is in Restless - the scrimshaw of his father's, and indirectly, perhaps, given his age implied in the song as I hear it, an -envisioned- picture of his father , in "Sit Down Young Stranger". I wonder, as we have heard many quoted references to Gord regarding his mother - attending concert in Orillia, etc., and I know Gord Sr. died quite along time ago, but I wonder if Gord has the sense of peace that comes from knowing your father is indeed proud of you, as an adult man, of his acomplishments , sucess in many aspects.

More importantly -a father's acknowledgement of his son's character, and being a good man in the father's eyes, before he passes. Its incredibly important to most men I have spoken to. Sometimes we live our lives trying to live up to our -imagined- father's expectations...

I had the good fortune, and forever thankful to my father, who in fact did tell me these things, lest they not be said before he lost his ability to speak... and then passed. It leaves a man with an underestimated (beforehand) and overwhelming (afterwards) sense of pride and inner peace, satisfaction, in a good way, not boastful, mostly of relief in my case, as my father had VERY big shoes to try and fill....

I wore other shoes, in the sense my career did not follow in his footsteps, but to our mutual surprise, shared a number of overlapping technical resources i.e. satellite imagery - he buuilt 'em and launched 'em in the rockets he helped build, and DID design, and I used 'em - the Satellites - for imagery/remote sensing , and in the older constellation of GPS satellites, he launched those too, just not the newer GLONASS constellation for GPS et al. And I indeed use GPS in my field. We found we had so MUCH in common to speak of shop - as I got older, and we both seemed very pleased by that - as he'd sit on the deck and smoke that pipe tobacco...

I DO hope Gord has that satisfaction of knowing his father's esteem of him.... truly... is my point.

~geo steve